Dear Mr. Trump:
I awoke this morning to soft, powdery snow falling from a crisp gray Latvian sky. Membrane thin snow lay between my feet and the cobblestone of Old Town, Riga as I swept the thin layered snow from my rental car. American, Latvian, German, and British flags hung over the door of my hotel, which seemed a bit odd since I don’t think that too many Americans frequent Latvia.
Conspicuously missing was the Russian flag, a seemingly silent protest against a not so distant past. Soviet troops breached the Latvian border in 1940, storming into Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. These nations’ tiny forces were no match for the Soviets and, consequently, the Soviets involuntarily thrust Soviet citizenship upon them. The rest of the world condemned the action and continued to recognize Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian independence.
But official recognition in another land does little to counteract Soviet tanks in the city square. Soviet tanks and troops and force-fed indoctrination remained until 1991, not only in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania but also in other republics like Moldova and Ukraine—all forced to fly the flag and pledge allegiance to a foreign power determined to extinguish any semblance of their national identities. The Soviets didn’t need to control every piece of land in the world; just every part connected to their own. It was an insatiable beast.
I met and lunched today with a man in his 60’s. Born in Siberia, he spent nearly all of his life there until immigrating to Latvia six years ago.
Finding someone immigrating to Latvia is about as common as running across a 250 lb. jockey. When you see one, you take note. Most people leave Latvia in search of greater economic fortunes. I couldn’t resist the question: “Why did you immigrate from Siberia to Latvia?” I did not expect his answer: “The Soviets forcefully relocated my grandparents from Latvia to Siberia during the early days of Soviet occupation for an imagined offense against the state. Enemy Of The People became their title. They died in Siberia. So did my father. Six years ago, I just decided that it was time to return to my homeland. I am from Siberia because of the Soviets, but Latvia is my home.”
I wrote two days ago regarding the dangers of broad brush generalizations. The broad brush principle is equally true for nations and people. We often paint the Soviet Union with a broad brush when we cast everything about the Soviet Union negatively. But, not everything from the Soviet Union was bad. The Soviet Union was full of good people, working and living as best as they could.
But, the Soviets forcefully occupied other nations, carried out night relocations to Siberia, imprisoned and assassinated political enemies, forbad religious expression, and suppressed speech. These despicable practices promoted by Soviet philosophy and Soviet leadership were for one reason: Control of the human heart, mind, and soul. Each of these is contrary to American freedom.
The demise of the Soviet Union drew tearful cheers from millions who love freedom, but most especially from Latvians, Estonians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Moldovans, and other nationalities who suffered individually and generationally under Soviet hands.
Just as patriotic Americans would dream of and work toward reassembling a dissolved United States of America, so too have patriotic Soviets. They no longer call themselves Soviets. Nevertheless, their objective is the same: Reassembly of the territorial boundaries of the Soviet Union. Most Russians do not wish the return of the Soviet Union. Only those in charge of Russia. And such a desire is quite natural. They did not view Soviet dissolution as the end of a Marxist societal dream, but merely a delaying setback.
On February 20th, 2014 Russian forces crossed Russia’s international border with Ukraine: first, they invaded Crimea, second, they occupied Crimea, third, they annexed Crimea. Like Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania in 1940, the world refuses to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea. But like the Baltics, international condemnation is little match against tanks and soldiers in the city square.
Vladimir Putin is the chief architect behind the reconstruction of his country—the former Soviet Union. He feels a strong justification and righteousness for his cause. After all, he’s merely restoring what once was—the Soviet Union. Much like we would be doing if the United States were the dissolved nation.
Who has the power to keep Russia within its borders? Only you, President-Elect Trump. Without a resolute and firm hand against President Putin, Russia will not stop its Soviet reconstruction.
Putin does not want to control the entire world; only that part that connects to his. Eventually, that affects all of us.
Sincerely,
David O. Leavitt
