A pro-Novorossiya site standing on Strelkov's positions (without being Strelkov's side) published a set of hard-hitting questions, which created a huge polemic and debate. The questions (both in original Russian and in English are below).
The response or attempted refutation and dismissal of these questions by the so-called Putinists (thus without really answering any of these questions) is rather very simple and consists of two now staple reactions: 1) Putin is a genius whose far-seeing mastermind cannot be comprehended, appreciated or judged by most of the small and limited mortal minds (unless the small mortal mind happily happens to be an unconditional fan)--this makes Putin almost a god, and, if not a god, then at least a demigod; 2) the people of Donbass did not deserve anything better; if there is some fault, it is not a fault of Moscow, but a fault of the people themselves; they did not fight enough and don't deserve anything better. In my view, both these would-be arguments are really just ad hominem arguments.
In my own view, the contradictory nature of Moscow's policy is captured and reflected most glaringly in the last five questions:
9. Why Putin called for peace in the DPR and LPR when their combined army had already begun to storm the then unfortified city of Mariupol, and not when the Ukrainian soldiers were ruthlessly erasing, shelling and destroying Donetsk, Lugansk and Slavyansk?
10. Why Putin allowed Ukraine to steal Russian gas to the tune of 5 billion dollars, thus delaying the energy and economic crises in Ukraine and lending Ukraine the means to upgrade and purchase new equipment for the war against Donbass?
11. Why Putin returned to Ukraine weapons and equipment from the Crimea, which was then the most armed region of Ukraine when he could not have been unaware that these weapons would be used for re-arming the Ukrainian troops in the war against Donbass and against the peaceful population of South-East?
12. Why Putin made in his speeches so many promises about "Russian world" (Russian Mir), about "we don't leave ours behind", "let them just try [and they will get from us a clear and immediate response]," but in the end he allowed to make Kiev to turn the pro-Russian region of Donbass into "Russian Somalia"?
If I were myself at an exam, how I would respond to these difficult questions? For Questions 1-8, I would say that the answer boils down to how the current governments and powers that be, view and treat the people or the nation. And I am not quite convinced that either the later-day's Soviet governments or the Russian governments of the last 23 years did much better in this respect, which is that the government tends to see and treat the people politically and situationally--not as the true source of power and its own agent, but as a reference point and justification of their own policies and decisions when it appears convenient. In this regard, I remember well the words of German Gref, a key Russian oligarch, the head of the largest Russian private bank, Sberbank, and patron of the current Putin's appointee as the head of the Russian Central Bank: "The people are wild and unenlightened and to give them power is the most terrible mistake one can make."
Now, how I would respond to the other questions at my own exam?
9. Why Putin called for peace in the DPR and LPR when their combined army had already begun to storm the then unfortified city of Mariupol, and not when the Ukrainian soldiers were ruthlessly erasing, shelling and destroying Donetsk, Lugansk and Slavyansk?
The difference between Mariupol, on the one hand, and Slavyansk, Donetsk, and Lugansk, on the other hand, is most simply explainable by the difference these places had for the US and hence by the different pressure and demands exerted by the US (and NATO) on Moscow. I would bet that when it came to the danger of Mariupol being liberated from the junta that the US was sending very strong messages and threats to Moscow with a promise to work out some reasonable solution or "compromise" (the Minsk deal).
10. Why Putin allowed Ukraine to steal Russian gas to the tune of 5 billion dollars, thus delaying the energy and economic crises in Ukraine and lending Ukraine the means to upgrade and purchase new equipment for the war against Donbass?
For a good part of this crisis, Moscow made it very clear that gas and gas business with Europe was its key priority.
11. Why Putin returned to Ukraine weapons and equipment from the Crimea, which was then the most armed region of Ukraine when he could not have been unaware that these weapons would be used for re-arming the Ukrainian troops in the war against Donbass and against the peaceful population of South-East?
Apologists say that most of the weapons returned were junk. I would think that, politically and strategically, this was simply Moscow's blunder based on a political misjudgment (with some possibility that those who supplied this political misjudgment to the leadership knew what they were doing) or that this return of weapons, which would be then used against Donbass and potentially against Crimea itself) was part of some broader deal and bargain pursued by Moscow.
12. Why Putin made in his speeches so many promises about "Russian world" (Russian Mir), about "we don't leave ours behind", "let them just try [and they will get from us a clear and immediate response]," but in the end he allowed to make Kiev to turn the pro-Russian region of Donbass into "Russian Somalia"?
Most of these promises were made only initially, till about the middle of March, and, for the Kremlin, they were meant for Crimea, not for Donbass, which, in my view, is no excuse really. Part of "Putin's cunning plan" was, under the pressure of the West, to assure Ukraine and the West (definitely by April 24) that Russia would not be using deterrence or openly "interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine," while the West only continued with its deterrence against Russia and her more effective countermeasures.
ПОЧЕМУ?!
1. Почему Путин проигнорировал обращение Съезда народных депутатов Юго-Востока, который еще 23 февраля попросил Россию ввести войска для прекращения насилия на Украине, а также для запуска бескровного цивилизованного «развода» по примеру Чехословакии?
2. Почему Путин проигнорировал обращение легитимного президента Украины Виктора Януковича, который тоже обратился с просьбой о вводе войск на Украину, ибо понимал, что уже к лету начнется кровавая гражданская война?
3. Почему Путин проигнорировал обращения лидеров молодых народных республик Юго-Востока Украины, которые на протяжении всего марта-мая обращались к России с просьбой о признании их, а также с надеждой на запуск процесса воссоединения земель?
4. Почему Путин проигнорировал результаты референдумов в ДНР и ЛНР, тем самым оставил эти республики без должного юридического статуса и допуска на трибуны ООН?
5. Почему Путин проигнорировал если не миллионы, то сотни тысяч русского и русскоязычного населения Юго-Востока, которое почти всю весну провело на улицах своих городов, пгт и сел, скандируя «Путин!», «Россия!»?
6. Почему Путин так и не ввел ни бесполетную зону, ни миротворческий контингент, хотя прекрасно знал, что никакой ядерной войны не начнется из-за нищей Украины?
7. Почему Путин, имея в своем подчинении одну из самых сильных в мире армий, так и не решился на защиту русского и русскоязычного населения, а ограничился лишь сгущенкой, военторгом и поминальными свечами?
8. Почему Путин заступился за наших православных братьев осетинов, но не заступился за русских дончан?
9. Почему Путин призвал к миру в ДНР и ЛНР именно тогда, когда их объединенная армия уже приступила к штурму тогда еще неукрепленного Мариуполя, а не тогда, когда украинские каратели безжалостно обстреливали и бомбили Донецк, Луганск и Славянск?
10. Почему Путин позволил Украине украсть российского газа на 5 миллиардов долларов, что позволило отсрочить энергетический и экономический кризисы на Украине, а также найти средства на перевооружение и закупку новой техники для ВСУ?
11. Почему Путин вернул Украине оружие и технику из Крыма - в прошлом самого вооруженного региона Украины - ведь он не мог не знать, что они будут использованы для перевооружения ВСУ, а значит против мирного населения Юго-Востока?
12. Почему Путин озвучил так много речей и обещаний – «Русский мир», «своих не бросаем», «пусть только попробуют», – а в итоге позволил сделать из самого пророссийского региона «Русское Сомали»?
WHY?!
1. Why Putin ignores the address of the Congress of people's deputies of the South-East, which asked Russia already on 23 February to send troops to stop the violence in Ukraine and to assist in launching bloodless "civilized divorce" following the example of Czechoslovakia?
2. Why Putin ignores the address of the legitimate President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich, who also asked for sending troops to Ukraine, for he understood that by the summer there will be a bloody civil war?
3. Why Putin ignored the new leaders of the republics of the South-East of Ukraine who, throughout March and April, were asking Russia for recognition and with the hope to see the beginning of the process of reunification?
4. Why Putin ignored the results of referendums in the DPR and LPR and thus left the Republics without proper legal status and admission (or a opportunity to appeal) to the UN bodies?
5. Why Putin ignored, if not millions, then the hundreds of thousands of the Russian and Russian-speaking people in the South-East, who, almost during the whole spring, were demonstrating in the streets of their cities, town and villages, chanting "Putin!" and "Russia!"?
[My note: IN FACT, NONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT EVER EVEN TRIED TO ADDRESS THE PEOPLE OF DONBASS AND TO TELL THEM SOMETHING OR ANYTHING]
6. Why did not Putin introduce a no-fly zone nor a peacekeeping contingent, though, he knew very well that no nuclear war would start because of poor Ukraine?
7. Why did not Putin, commanding one of the strongest armies in the world, dare to protect the Russian and Russian-speaking people, and why did he limit himself to helping only with condensed milk, voentorg and candles lit in the church?
8. Why did Putin stand for our Orthodox brothers, the Ossetians, but not for the [millions] of the Russians in Donbass?
9. Why Putin called for peace in the DPR and LPR when their combined army had already begun to storm the then unfortified city of Mariupol, and not when the Ukrainian soldiers were ruthlessly erasing, shelling and destroying Donetsk, Lugansk and Slavyansk?
10. Why Putin allowed Ukraine to steal Russian gas to the tune of 5 billion dollars, thus delaying the energy and economic crises in Ukraine and lending Ukraine the means to upgrade and purchase new equipment for the war against Donbass?
11. Why Putin returned to Ukraine weapons and equipment from the Crimea, which was then the most armed region of Ukraine when he could not have been unaware that these weapons would be used for re-arming the Ukrainian troops in the war against Donbass and against the peaceful population of South-East?
12. Why Putin made in his speeches so many promises about "Russian world" (Russian Mir), about "we don't leave ours behind", "let them just try [and they will get from us a clear and immediate response]," but in the end he allowed to make Kiev to turn the pro-Russian region of Donbass into "Russian Somalia"?
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