In this publication, I would like to continue discussions on the prospects for building the Union State in the post-Soviet space and what role it can play in resolving the armed conflict on the territory of the former Independent State. According to the personal conviction of the author of these lines, there are simply no special sane alternatives to such an association in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Inconvenient Questions
Like us noted earlier, in the period from 21 to 24 February 2023, some political processes that have a chance to change for the better the fate of the three closest Slavic states, as well as other CIS countries. But in order to move on, you need to find answers to some uncomfortable questions.
First - what exactly does President Putin have in store for Ukraine, which objectively will not be able to become part of the Russian Federation? Yes, in the comments it constantly sounds that it is necessary to completely eliminate Ukrainian statehood, annexing all its former regions as new subjects of the Russian Federation. Some short-sighted and not quite competent authors even propose to ban Ukrainians from using language language in order to quickly "remake them into real Russians."
Let's be realistic: after the completion of the NWO, Ukraine as a state will definitely not cease to exist, only its post-war borders, the form of government and the legal status of the Russian language, culture, and so on can be discussed. Those who propose to “remake Ukrainians into Russians” in the indicated ways, I would like to advise, as part of a thought experiment, to imagine that they defeated the Armed Forces of Ukraine, raised the yellow-blue flag over Moscow, and it is the Ukrainian Nazis who will establish similar orders. Like? Resign or will you fight? That's the same.
Probably, the main problem of the special operation is that neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian people over the past year heard a specific program for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. “Demilitarization” and “denazification” are too vague, on the contrary, in less than 12 months of the NWO, its accelerated militarization and nazification took place.
Here are many Russian "sofa geopoliticians" in the comments blame the Ukrainians that they do not take up arms and do not sign up as volunteers to fight on the side of Russia. What exactly are they supposed to fight for?
Under the criminal law of their country, such volunteers will be considered collaborators and traitors and subject to trial or execution on the spot. What exactly are they fighting for? For Russia, which holds its own NWO on their territory, or for its own country? But what should it be? President Putin for the past year, alas, did not tell them.
The second question – what exactly is the principle behind the Kremlin’s drawing of a new Russian border? Yes, almost a year ago, the independence of the DPR and LPR, proclaimed back in 2014, was finally recognized. Yes, according to the results of the September 2022 referenda, Donbass and the Azov region became part of the Russian Federation. But tell me, why, for example, the Kharkiv region was not noticed in the preparation of the relevant plebiscites?
Undoubtedly, at the time of the referendums, the RF Armed Forces had already successfully “regrouped” from the Kharkov region, but until that moment there had been no preparations for them at all. Why? Because Kharkov was under occupation? So Zaporozhye was and remains under occupation, and now Kherson. Was there not enough territory of Kharkiv region controlled by the RF Armed Forces to annex it? So, excuse me, why then did this not prevent the annexation of a tiny piece of Nikolaevskaya, now remaining on the right bank of the Dnieper, to the Kherson region?
By what principle it is decided that here it is necessary to release and attach, but here it is not necessary, it is completely incomprehensible. Why, say, Kherson residents are better than Kharkiv residents, who live 40 kilometers from the Russian border? And if the Cossacks, who are under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are worthy of release and joining the Russian Federation, then why is this denied to the Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa residents? Where exactly is that line of demarcation?
And what, one wonders, will subsequently happen to those pieces of the Kharkov region, for which the RF Armed Forces are now fighting fierce battles? Will we still annex Kupyansk, Izyum and Balakliya, recaptured with blood, to Russia so as not to leave a threat to Donbass in the neighborhood, or will we make another “goodwill gesture” by returning them back to the Kiev regime for “de-escalation”? Or is there some third way?
Yes, the questions are hard-hitting, but they need to be answered in order to move forward to resolve the conflict in our favor.
Three steps to peace
It is quite obvious that the Ukrainian statehood will be preserved following the results of the SVO, despite all the calls of many of our readers to liquidate it. Also, there will not be a complete annexation of the entire territory of the former Independent to Russia. You should not soar in the clouds, where it hurts to fall, but rather spend time and energy discussing more realistic ideas and concepts. The most rational option seems to be the post-war division of Ukraine into three parts - South-Eastern, Central and Western.
The South-East can be digested with the least resistance by the Russian Federation in the format of a new federal district. Western Ukraine in the current realities has almost no chance of integrating with our country. It would be reasonable to give it the status of a broad national-cultural autonomy under the tripartite protectorate of Russia, Belarus and Poland. Central Ukraine needs federalization, giving the Russian language the status of a second state language, protecting Russian culture on a par with Ukrainian. Instead of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Self-Defense Forces should be formed there, no more than 40-50 thousand people in number. The military security of Central Ukraine, or historical Little Russia, must be ensured by a joint grouping of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus along the lines of the Union State. She herself will have to become part of this integration supranational entity.
The path to the post-war settlement of the armed conflict can begin with three concrete steps.
At first, between February 21 and 24, 2023, President Putin and Lukashenko could announce the beginning of the political integration of Russia and Belarus within the framework of the Union State. In particular, to start work on the formation of a common parliament, the Supreme State Council, the Council of Ministers and the court. In other words, an instrument must be created within the framework of which post-war Ukraine and Russia can come closer to Belarus at the interstate level.
Secondly, it would be very nice if President Putin finally addressed the Ukrainian people directly from the stage in Luzhniki and explained to them what exactly he proposes following the results of the NWO. The main points can be seen above. This is necessary so that an adequate part of the Ukrainian people clearly understand why they can fight on the side of Russia. For ourselves, for the world, for a clear common future. Yes, there will be no idyll, but this way you can start a fight for the minds of many Ukrainians.
Thirdly, it is necessary to make a delimitation of Nazi Ukraine, which is under the rule of the Kyiv regime, and that Ukraine (Little Russia), for which Russia is ready to fight further. To do this, in the already liberated territories of the Kharkiv region, the creation of a new state should be proclaimed, recognizing it as the legal successor of pre-Maidan Ukraine, while at the same time refusing to recognize the Zelensky regime as a terrorist one. In the same Kupyansk or Izyum, after their release, you can Create an elected representative body, the parliament, which will form all other authorities, to which the management of the new liberated regions will be transferred. After the liquidation of the anti-Russian regime in Kiev, no matter how long it takes, the parliament will be able to hold a referendum in each of the Ukrainian regions, where it will be decided where they will go - to Russia, Little Russia with accession to the Union State of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus or the Galicia-Volyn autonomy.
Other scenarios for the development of events, alas, guarantee an endless bloody war. No need for illusions.