PUTIN PONDERS UKRAINE; STALIN PONDERED WARSAW

                                              by Hugh Murray

          On 1 August 1944 in the midst of WWII a revolt in Warsaw began against the German occupiers.  The Soviet Army had advanced to the edges of Warsaw, and the Polish Home Guard hoped to liberate the city and establish and independent Polish authority before the pro-Communist group supported by Stalin arrived.  The rebellion began, and they expected help from the advancing Soviet troops.  But Stalin sent no planes to help.  His troops sat and watched.  Eventually, they occupied the eastern side of the Vistula, but provided almost no aid to the Polish rebels.  British and American planes flew over and dropped supplies, but Stalin would not allow these planes to land on Soviet fields.  In two months, the Polish forces were defeated by the Germans.  Only then did the Soviets then renew their offensive into the rest of Poland.  Although Soviet radio had called for the uprising in August 1944, Stalin did nothing to help it, and his forces watched while Axis forces destroyed the Polish Home Guard and much of the city of Warsaw.

            Will Putin stand idly by while another rebellion occurs in eastern Ukraine?  When the Western inspired rebels took control in Kiev and proclaimed themselves as the government of the entire Ukraine, the rebel group quickly passed legislation restricting the Russian language and sought to discriminate against the large Russian population in eastern Ukraine.  This led to a pro-Russian revolt in Crimea, and the annexation of that province back into Russia by Putin.

            Clearly many in the east and south prefer Russia to the Kiev coup crowd that pretends to be the government.  In Donetsk, Kharkov, Slavyansk, Odessa, and other areas of eastern and southern Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels have seized Ukrainian government buildings and these rebels demand annexation into Russia, or an independent state against Kiev.  Meanwhile, the Kiev coup clan has sent Ukrainian forces to suppress the rebellion.  Over 30 pro-Russian rebels were burnt to death in a building in one city, and shootings between rebels and the Kiev coup soldiers have mounting casualties.

            Will Putin now do nothing, and watch the murder and oppression of the pro-Russian elements in parts of Ukraine?  Will he simply wait and wait, while more rebels are murdered, and worse, their families demoralized?  Will Putin, with all his powerful forces simply watch while those who favor Russia are destroyed?  If he waits too long, and the pro-Russians are decimated, those same, pro-Russian groups will feel betrayed by Putin.  Even if Russian troops eventually invade, if they invade too late, the pro-Russian population, the people who have suffered the brunt of the Kiev invaders, will no longer be enthusiastic for Russia.  They will feel betrayed; help that came too late; too late to save so many patriotic Russians.

            Stalin sat idly by as Warsaw burned.  But one can argue, he had political reasons to see the destruction of the pro-Western Polish Home Guard.  Putin has no excuse.  If Putin is to save his people, he must act and soon.  If one has power, sees a murder, and does nothing to stop it, he is in some ways guilty too.  Putin must act to prevent many more murders in the Ukraine.  And he must act SOON.  Stalin had an excuse to do nothing.  Putin has no excuse.  His troops must move soon to help their compatriots in Ukraine.