The life-despot of once a great nation, the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, is about to thrust his country into economic and social turmoil by invading another sovereign country, Ukraine. Neglecting the apparent hardship his action will wreak on his people and millions in the region.
With a world still hurting from a global pandemic, inflation at the highest it has ever been, developing nations suffering under economic hardship, the financial pain for families in the past few years is palpable, partly stemming from the rise in petroleum products. The World cannot afford another disruption in its social and economic balance by one willful saboteur.
For over 70 years, since World War II, Europe has enjoyed uninterrupted periods of peace and prosperity, accepted many to its borders, and helped shape the global economy. This once tranquil continent is about to be thrown in disarray by one greedy petty autarch whose modus operandi is hit and run, then bully and punk his weak neighbors.
Europe should resist him.
Putin’s pattern of troublemaking did not start today. After years of economic mismanaging through cronyism, kickbacks, and bribery, the Russian Federation collapsed under the weight of post-communism. And with Putin in the helms of the country’s affair, from an emergent civil society to a kleptocratic government where robber-barons run amok.
Out of this ashes, he seeks to gain relevance on the world stage by first meddling in his Neighbour elections. Europe was his testing ground. His laboratory, if you will.
From cyberattacks to disinformation campaigns, his geopolitical aggression started in the meddling in the civil order of the neighbors to the West. So far, this busybody madman has fiddled and interfered in elections of at least 24 countries in Europe.
From Belarus, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Georgia in Eastern Europe to Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, and United Kingdom in the West. While Russia rummaged through election systems, these countries did nothing to confront him, and the World just looked on.
In 2014, he took his aggression one high notch up and illegally arrogated a portion of Ukraine’s territory to Russia. This geopolitical appropriation of Crimea was the biggest land-grab in Europe since World War II. Ukraine could not fight back, and the World did nothing.
His impudent adventurism took a giant leap when he tested the United States in 2015. Brazenly hacked and hijacked the U.S. Democratic National Committee’s computer and subsequently released confidential data to the public. In an arrant nonsensical and daring attack on the sovereignty of the United States. In an attempt to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election outcome. And he did tamper with the election process handing the U.S. presidency to a corrupt sleaze (Donald Trump) who succeeded in defrauding the nation and delegitimizing the U.S. democracy. And what did the all mighty United States do? Nothing. The World brushed it away. And some even cheered him on.
Now, hector is at it again. With a world asleep, this enemy to world peace attempts to invade and seize control of a sovereign independent nation.
He must not be allowed
With his small mind, Putin thinks his ambition is closely intertwined with that of his country. Not true. The majority of the Russian people are law-abiding individuals who desire to live in peace with their neighbors. He must not be allowed to defy the World with impunity because it is not subordinate to his whims and caprices. Sovereign states and their territories are not medieval deodands that he can take at will; thus, he must be purged.
His belligerent and pigheaded behavior may lie in his stockpile of nuclear warheads, erroneously thinking he is untouchable. But he is wrong. When the World unites against him, his nuclear arsenal will falter.
If Putin doesn’t retreat and move his borders back to the original line, Europe should unite against him and teach this destabilizing force a lesson he will never forget.
Email: jlabode74@gmail.com
Twitter: @obanor
