Very quietly, Russia seems to be re-assembling the old USSR. While I very much doubt Russia will actually politically or formally do so, recent actions indicate that a de facto reunion of the USSR is well under way. A recent election in the Ukraine has hastened the process.
Let’s look at the various nations which used to comprise the old USSR. The “nation” of Belarus is all but integrated with Russia already. The various “-stan” nations” of Central Asia know that their “independence” exists at the sufferance of Mother Russia. One example of this fact was during recent negotiations for the USA to renew an airport lease at one of the “-stan” nations in Central Asia. The USA wanted to renew this lease so it could supply U.S. troops in Afghanistan via an air route. The host government’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to cancel the lease. This led to hasty US-Russian negotiations about the issue. After the Russians got what they wanted from the Obama administration, the Russians put their blessing on the deal and the host “-stan” government’s parliament reversed itself and voted overwhelmingly to approve the lease. This was a clear example that the host “-stan” governments are little more than vassals of Moscow. They know that Russia could end whatever autonomy they have if it wanted to do so, so they accept Russia’s dominance. They are all a part of what Russia calls its “near abroad” nations where Russia reserves for itself the right to dominate such nations.
The nation of Georgia thought it was free of Russian dominance and fought a futile war with Russia not long ago. As part of the war, Russia effectively seized control of two Georgian provinces and merged them into Russia’s zone of dominance. Armenia is very much in the Russian orbit. Azerbaijan seems to have more autonomy than most ex-Soviet states, but it too realizes that it is surrounded by Russian-dominated states.
The Ukraine was the largest portion of the old USSR which had attempted to really go its own way. Its former government was seeking NATO membership and was clearly pro-western. The Ukraine was threatening to cancel the leases for Russia’s Crimean navy bases and that was something Russia would not allow. In the latest election in the Ukraine, there was a pro-western candidate and a pro-Russian candidate. I’m sure the election was about as fair as elections which are conducted by the Daley machine in Chicago, President Obama’s home region. The pro-Russian candidate won although the pro-western candidate has not yet given up on a recount.
The first link below reports that the pro-Russian candidate who will now govern the Ukraine is moving very swiftly to impose pro-Russian policies on the Ukrainian nation. He intends to adopt pro-Russian military/defense policies, NATO membership will be shelved, he will support Russian plans for a European security treaty, he wants “a Russian-led consortium to take over ownership of Ukraine’s gas transit pipeline network,” and he will “allow” Russia to keep its naval bases on the Black Sea in Ukrainian territory. In short, he will transform independent Ukraine into a loyal subject vassal of Russia. The Ukraine’s military forces will now undoubtedly be allied to Russian military forces and they will now jointly threaten NATO nations in Europe. NATO leaders had entertained the illusion that the Ukraine’s military power would be allied with NATO against Russia. It now appears the reverse will happen. Ukrainian military forces will join Russian military forces and be arrayed against NATO nations in any future conflict. This is a huge step toward Russia’s desire to rebuild the old USSR in fact, if not in actual political alignments. The nations which were in the old USSR understand that Putin intends that they follow Russia’s lead and that their “independence’s” will last as long as they do what Russia allows them to do. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are now in NATO and they do want to stay in NATO. Russia will likely tolerate that fact, but everyone knows NATO hasn’t got the military power to challenge a Russian effort to annex the Baltic states into its orbit. When the Ezekiel 38 war occurs in the years ahead of us, the independence of the Baltic nations will end within hours, in my judgment.
The second link below (sent by a reader) reports that Russia has a “nostalgia for the old Soviet Union” and that it is heading for “open confrontation” with NATO and the West. This is more evidence that Ezekiel 38’s prophecy is heading for a certain fulfillment in our foreseeable future. In conclusion, the Russian bear is gobbling up its old Soviet regions and making them loyal and obedient subject vassals to Moscow again. The West should be worried. Very worried.
http://larussophobe.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/dangerous-tsarist-russia/
