Will no one be held accountable? This can happen. It can happen that the culprits end up being the winners. Even if it is paid with a loss of prestige and breaks the rose-colored glasses through which some used to look at Russia, the aggressor will not only not have to pay for what was done to Ukraine, but, moreover, will be able to gain new territories and a moral victory. In the name of peace. The Soviet Union’s foreign policy tactic was: 1) do not ask, but ask for the maximum, something that never belonged to you; 2) do it with an ultimatum, through intimidation; 3) do not give an inch in negotiations, because there will always be people in the West who will offer something. In the end, you’ll have, if not half, then a third of what you want. The basic assumption of this tactic is that the West is cowardly. Unfortunately, the phrase that Stalin said in 1939 before the ultimatums to Latvia comes to mind: “Latvians can be bought and intimidated.” Although the negotiations did not go as smoothly as he had hoped, the outcome is known and the scars are still healing. Now things are getting even more difficult for Russia, but cracks have appeared in the Western monolith as well. Once again, advice is being given that Ukraine should surrender in the name of peace. Clare Daly, Member of the European Parliament from Ireland, lectures her Bulgarian colleague and at the same time also the Ukrainians who are not present: “The answer to war is not more war, it’s peace and peace isn’t delivered by the barrel of a gun. It’s delivered by diplomacy, by dialogue. You can wish away your continent’s history, but we share a continent with Russia. We will sit down with Russia, there will be negotiated peace and this organization should be promoting it earlier, rather than delaying it and making sure that more Ukrainians die.” Fine words for world peace, called by the Kremlin “the rare voice of reason in Europe”, because the feelings and points of view of Ukrainians are irrelevant here, they are just passive meat to be caged, abused or kept in a cage. There has never been a shortage of “useful idiots”. Unfortunately, there are situations in history where peace means war and the death of a despot is a celebration.
Vai tiešām par notikušo neviens neatbildēs? Tā var notikt. Var notikt tā, ka vainīgais beigās būs uzvarētājs. Pat ja tas samaksās ar reputācijas zudumu un daudziem būs ieplaisājušas rozā brilles, caur kurām viņi ierasti skatījās uz Krieviju, agresoram ne tikai ļaus nemaksāt par nodarīto Ukrainai, bet arī tikt pie jaunām teritorijām un gūt morālu uzvaru. Miera vārdā. Padomju Savienības ārlietu taktika bija šāda: 1) nevis lūdz, bet pieprasi maksimālo, kaut ko, kas nekad nav bijis tavs; 2) dari to ultimatīvi, iebiedējot; 3) sarunās neatkāpies ne par milimetru, jo Rietumos vienmēr būs cilvēki, kuri kaut ko piedāvās. Beigās tev būs ja ne puse, tad trešdaļa no kārotā. Šīs taktikas pamatuzstādījums ir, ka Rietumi ir gļēvi. Diemžēl prātā nāk frāze, ko Staļins teicis 1939. gadā pirms ultimātu izvirzīšanas Latvijai – “latviešus var nopirkt un iebiedēt”. Lai gan sarunas toreiz negāja tik gludi kā viņš cerēja, rezultāts ir zināms un rētas joprojām dzīst. Tagad Krievijai iet vēl grūtāk, tomēr arī Rietumu monolītā parādījušās plaisas. Atkal skan padomi, ka mīļā miera vārdā Ukrainai būtu jāpadodas. Eiropas parlamenta locekle Clare Daly no Īrijas māca savu bulgāru kolēģi un vienlaikus arī klāt neesošos ukraiņus “The answer to war is not more war, it’s peace and peace isn’t delivered by the barrel of a gun. It’s delivered by diplomacy, by dialogue. You can wish away your continent’s history, but we share a continent with Russia. We will sit down with Russia, there will be negotiated peace and this organization should be promoting it earlier, rather than delaying it and making sure that more Ukrainians die.” Smuki vārdi par mieru visā pasaulē, kurus Kremlis dēvē par reto prāta balsi Eiropā, jo ukraiņu jūtas un nostāja te nav svarīgas, viņi ir tikai pasīva gaļa, ko kaut, varot vai turēt krātiņā. “Noderīgo idiotu” nekad nav trūcis. Diemžēl vēsturē ir situācijas, kad miers nozīmē karu un despota nāve ir svētki.