Insight Into Ukraine

Blake Miles wrote the following article. Blake is a former Army Special Forces soldier who spent time at 1st Special Forces Group and 20th Special Forces Group between 2004 and 2008. He is currently the Director of Communications and Social Media for the Green Beret Foundation, a non-profit charity focused on supporting wounded and killed Special Forces soldiers and their families.

Blake wrote a great article but I feel he failed to take the following points into account. 

1. Key rebels in Kiev and the Ukraine are hired thugs employed through George Soros’ Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), I believe one NGO is named the Open Society Institute, an NGO Soros funds and controls. 

2. Why Soros, because the crisis drove down the Russian stock market, hence Soros and his Illuminati buddies can buy Russian and Ukrainian natural resources and corporations cheaply. Soros has done this over and over again around the world. (By the way, I believe Soros is still a wanted man in France for the illegalities he committed there.)

3. The Polish have historically interfered in the Ukraine and along with some European nations are playing a role in this crisis.  

4. Blake neglected demographics; 58.3% of Crimeans are ethnic Russians. Eastern Ukraine is more ethnically Russian than western Urkraine, see the above map. Soros looks at demographics because divisive demographics offer a great opportunity to create division and division creates strife and strife creates greater profit for him and the Illuminati. Soros and the illuminati purchase assets for pennies on the dollar when there is strife. (By the way, Rothschild did the exact same thing with the Battle of Waterloo. Rothschild had an agent at the battle who immediately communicated to Rothschild the outcome of the battle. Rothschild then communicated false information that Napoleon won the battle and the British stock market plunged. By the time the British people found out that actually Wellington won the battle of Waterloo Rothschild had purchased British stocks for pennies on the dollar and the stock market was rising. The Rothschild banking family and Soros are buddies and allies in this game. It is an old financial tactic.

5. Crimea is strategically vital to the Russians, their Black Sea fleet is headquartered there. 

6. The U.S. foreign policy is called the Responsibility to Protect, (I have nicknamed it R2P.) We used R2P in Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Egypt allegedly to protect oppressed people. However, the U.S. refuses to recognize ethnic Russian "self determination" in the Crimea.

7. How would we feel if the Russians meddled in California, Canada or Mexico the way we are meddling in Ukraine?

8. Blake fails to take into account the energy card. Remember I always say follow the money. A part of this conflict is about energy, pipelines and money.  

9. Obama is supporting Soros by sanctioning Russians. Obama and the R2P experts know the U.S. cannot win this crisis because it is in Russia's back yard and Russia has the energy card. The Ukrainian crisis was launched in late Feb. because as the northern hemisphere approaches Spring the Europeans need less Russian natural gas to heat their homes. Hence the West has approximately a 6 month window to operate against Russia on this energy matter. 

10. Blake fails to take into account the Ukrainian ultra-nationalists, some who are Nazis, who run the “Maidan” movement and stir up dissidence. Some of these people are actually carrying the old Ukrainian Nazi flag from WWII.

11. The old Russian and Soviet empire was vast and  populated by divergent ethnic groups and peoples, for example, Ukrainians, Chechens, Georgians, Tatars, Muslims, Asians, etc. just to mention a few. It was a true multi-cultural polyglot empire. We see this acting out in the Ukraine.

12. Blake displays American arrogance when he writes “The EU, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States come to an agreement that allows for Russia to keep control of Crimea and Ukraine to maintain total sovereignty.” Why do the Russians need our agreement on Crimea? There was a legal referendum and the people of the Crimea chose to return to “mother” Russia. Who made the U.S. ruler of this world. Our actions in Ukraine and in the Crimea seem to be American “saber rattling” rather than what Blake calls “Russian saber rattling”. This is one of the reasons we are so involved conflicts and wars around the world that waste our blood and treasure. In my opinion, Crimea, is not a vital U.S. interest. Blake, western Europe, NATO and the U.S. are not going to get overtly involved or go to war over the Ukraine. Besides, Obama is drastically down-sizing the U.S. military. Do you think the “U.S. Paper Tiger” is going to take on the “Russian Bear” in its own forest, I think not.

Now Blake’s article begins. For any Special Forces Operational Detachment (ODA), going into other countries (especially non-Western countries) requires more than just packing your bags and getting on a bird. One of the first lessons learned during the unconventional warfare phase of Special Forces Qualification Course (Q-Course) is to learn everything you can of your allies, enemies, and the civilians in the region.

This isn’t anything new. Hell, Sun Tzu had this on paper (bamboo?) centuries ago: “It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”

To truly know how to build rapport, make allies, or simply be an asset on a deployed team, you have to understand what the man on the street thinks. Even more important than the ‘what,’ is the ‘why.’ Learning about your enemies will almost always tell you about your allies, potential allies, and vice versa. A lack of knowledge can be catastrophic and potentially lethal if you’re engaging in the unconventional warfare a Special Forces Detachment specializes in.

I will admit up front: my knowledge base on the entire Russian region was very limited. I’ve always had a focus on the Middle East and Far East due to my assignment to 1^st Special Forces Group. Aside from reading through much of Ronald Reagan’s autobiography, in which he discusses his interactions with the Soviets, my knowledge of Russia was limited to my knowledge of Soviet history and what I’ve seen on Archer.

So here’s a crash course of what I could gather from a number of sources with first hand experience in Ukraine and Russia. NOTE: This is not meant to be definitive, as it is coming from a novice who is merely capable of condensing research, observation, and interviews into a resource. Please challenge, discuss, expand, and argue. Something tells me this will be a very important issue in the future.

The Russian Perspective

·         ‘Those that come with the sword, shall die from the sword’ – A quote that is apparently ingrained into the minds of Russian school children from legendary Russian leader Alexander Nevsky. Given the numerous historical examples, I do not doubt this to be an accurate statement, nor do I doubt the average Russian feels the same. Just ask the French.

·         The Russians are very proud people. Almost to a fault… often to a fault. I knew this even before beginning my research just from observing stereotypes of nationalities, reading comments from people abroad, and reading news articles. This was confirmed to me by a number of people, Russian nationals included.

·         There is a Slavic saying that roughly translates to “don’t sweep the shit out of your house to let the world see.” In English vernacular, don’t air out your dirty laundry, which is generally wise advice. There is a view among Russians that Ukraine and Crimea are essentially a Russian state, so allowing outsiders to get involved (the EU and the US) is simply poor form, especially considering the point of pride above.

·         Russian identity is more of a cultural, linguistic, nationalistic notion that transcends borders. As an example, part of the given justification for Russian military intervention in Ukraine was to protect Russian-speaking people in Crimea and Ukraine. This is an idea that the average Russian can comprehend. It can also be seen in the recent move to ban Russian children from being adopted to countries that allow gay marriage, or demanding recently adopted Russian children to be forcibly returned to Russia. Once Russian, always a Russian.

·         Russians spent the 20^th Century under a Communist style of government and economy. This has undoubtedly shaped the average thought patterns and I would personally speculate that the collapse of the Soviet Union combined with the Russian nationalist sense of pride has planted seeds of restlessness that is on display.

·         I would guess that the more ‘strength’ Putin shows in this situation and all future problems in Russia will garner more support from the average Russian. Especially if Putin doesn’t do anything too extreme and overextend his hand without ‘just’ provocation. Couple this with weak leadership from the West, and the situation is ripe for more support to be thrown towards Putin among the average Russian.

·         Just like with a prideful individual, perception rules. As one Russian source pointed out, it didn’t matter that 60+ people died during the Sochi Olympic village construction, or that there was a tremendous price tag. What mattered was the perception that Russia hosted an Olympics worthy of the Russian name. The Russian power structure will do whatever is necessary to present to the outside world that they are in charge and their actions are wise, proper, and justified.

Ukraine Perspective

·         As was pointed out in earlier articles, the Ukrainian situation appears to be a division among nationalist loyalties and the human search for what will produce the greatest individual benefit. While Ukrainian sovereignty does not appear to be something that the average Ukrainian would consider or desire abandoning, they are faced with the choice between standing under the umbrella of either the European Union and Russia.

·         Corruption appears to be a major point of contention with the Ukrainians who are seeking to separate themselves from Russian power. Corruption is always an issue in any nation, but from what I’ve heard, corruption in the region is very similar to the type and degree of corruption in many Middle Eastern nations (which would be almost comedic if it weren’t so destructive).

·         Regardless of whether the Maidan Revolution was instigated by Western elements, the die has been cast and the chain of events has begun. One of my sources was saying that the tone of the Ukrainians who supported the revolution has dulled sharply and there is less animosity on display. This may simply be a result of fear (which I would guess), but it could a result of reality sinking in and the gravity of the situation coming to bear.

·         Both sides of the Ukrainian ‘East-West’ divide are looking for leadership, hence the divided loyalties. The strong horse, or the one that appeals to the more basic needs of the average citizen, will likely win out. With the problems the EU is currently facing economically, and the anemic leadership from the United States, I would imagine a modern-day siege from Russia being the most effective at winning support from the average Ukrainian.

·         Given the element of Russian pride mentioned above, Crimea is now a Russian state and will remain that way indefinitely. The average Ukrainian may not agree with this, but given their cultural similarities, I would assume it to be well understood.

Best Case Scenario

The EU, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States come to an agreement that allows for Russia to keep control of Crimea and Ukraine to maintain total sovereignty. The EU and Russia come to an agreement on sharing Ukrainian resources that will benefit Ukraine financially.

Worst Case Scenario

Russian saber-rattling and further expansion into Ukraine increases in frequency and intensity due to increased demands and sanctions from the United States and the West, resulting in a chain of events that spark a hot conflict between Russian forces and anti-Russian Ukrainian elements. The inevitable one-sided bloodshed will give Western nations justification for getting involved and spread into a larger regional conflict.

Most Likely Scenario

Russia will continue the saber-rattling and general mocking tone towards the West and the United States. Sanctions from the West and the United Nations will be used as justification for further expansion into Ukraine. Given that United States elections are taking place in a few months, I do not expect much overt action from the Obama regime.