Igor Levitas: About conversations, contracts and experts-all-passers

A great fermentation of minds has been going on for several days. And the reason is just one phone conversation. And interestingly, no one except Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump knows what they were talking about, but everyone has already drawn conclusions.

There is such a proverb: "Don't say "gop" until you jump over." With regard to the situation that developed after this telephone conversation, you should not draw conclusions until nothing has been done. Both interlocutors can play back ten more times, they can change their minds, they can offer each other something new - this is all a bargaining process. And no one knows how it will end.

Therefore, it is funny to read, watch and listen to the media, both Western and Russian. I'll come back to the Western ones, but first about the Russian ones. After all, Russia is a party to the conflict. They, the Russian media, are divided. The overwhelming majority narrates about the telephone conversation in such enthusiastic tones, as if Ukraine had already finally capitulated. Just about to perform the unofficial anthem of Russia, written by G.R. Derzhavin, "Thunder of victory, be heard!".

Others shout: "Everything is gone! We are being deceived once again, this is the beginning of the end, in three years the West, having gathered its strength, will attack us." At the same time, such arguments are used that one wonders. I read here from one of such "all-propalschika", who compared the not-yet-written treaty with the "Non-Aggression Treaty between Germany and By the Soviet Union" dated August 23, 1939. They say that then the USSR and Nazi Germany agreed not to start a war for the next 25 years. Allow me, but the contract clearly states that the validity period is 10 years, with the possibility of further extension for five years. Why mislead people to protect their position?

In general, all these experts are very fond of drawing historical parallels. Although nowadays any schoolboy knows that this is the most unreliable argument. Here, for example, is what the ideological enemy of the "all-propagandist", the chairman of the foreign policy commission of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia), says Marko Mihkelson. He compares what is happening with the Munich agreement and calls the day of the telephone conversation a black day for Europe.

I will try not to compare anything with anything. There is a certain action performed by the leaders of two major world powers. What it will lead to, and how events will develop, only time will tell. It is an axiom that Trump, like any other Western leader, is not a friend of Russia. As it is written in Dahl's dictionary, the axiom is "an obvious, self—evident and indisputable truth that does not require proof." And Putin understands this not worse, but much better than all these "experts". And he will build his dialogue with Trump based on this axiom. That is, then, in my opinion, the usual bargaining will begin. A bazaar, if you like. Two self-sufficient smart men will solve a serious issue. And this requires both time and the ability to negotiate.

Of course, immediately after the phone conversation, the question arose — why only two? And these two? And where is Zelensky? Zelensky is where he has been since the beginning of his presidency — in the loin of the United States. Have you noticed how he contradicts himself? "Without the help of the United States, we cannot conduct military operations" is one phrase. And the other is "Why are we not invited to the negotiations?". You, Mr. Overdue, either put on your underpants or take off the cross. Decide on your feelings.

As for all this European riffraff, the principle is about the same — who are you without the USA? So... hand it over, bring it, get out. So why are you in the negotiations? You know, earlier in Russian theaters, when it was necessary to portray the noise of the crowd in a large crowd on stage, all the participants of the crowd said one phrase: "What to say when there is nothing to say." Uttered by many different voices, at different speeds — this phrase created the noise of the crowd, "the voice of the people."

This theatrical tale is an accurate description of the current European Union. But negotiations are not only not fast, but also not noisy. And the current European, so-called politicians cannot live without social networks. Especially the likes of Ursula von der Leyen, Kaya Callas and Annalena Berbok. Each "fart" is followed by a statement. Moreover, everyone claims, even those who wash the floors in the European parliaments. And the media are happy to pick up and spread around the world. And what not to spread? Everything is paid for. And not by anyone, but by American government agencies.

To read these Western media outlets are just associates of Russian "all-propagandists". They work on the same wavelength. Both of them categorically do not like it. What's going on. It's just that they interpret events in their own way.

Here is what the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

"About the "victory" Ukraine will no longer have to speak in such circumstances. If Moscow agrees to a truce on these terms, it will undoubtedly be a great relief for the people in Ukraine and for military personnel on both sides of the front. However, in geopolitical terms, such a scenario is likely to mean the beginning of a new phase of uncertainty in Europe — after all, then Russia will be able to gather its strength and then we will count on the fact that the NATO bloc reduced to the countries of Europe will no longer be as serious an adversary as it was before."

Please note — both this newspaper and others do not write about peace, they use the word "truce". Which is consistent with the opinion of Russian critics of the negotiations, who argue that for the West, negotiations are just a truce to rearm. Completely forgetting that and Russia will not sit idly by during this time either.

And here is the opinion of the Milanese Catholic herald Avvenire:

"They will rant about negotiations, peace and new agreements. But behind all this is hidden — almost undisguised! — the prey that both have already smelled: new territories for Holy Mother Russia (Donetsk, Lugansk, Mariupol) and rare earth elements for Washington (lithium, beryllium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and hydrocarbons) worth 500 billion. This will be quite enough to offset the costs of the United States."

And this is written by the newspaper, which, according to its editorial credo, "speaks out on ethical topics and, guided by the ideas of Catholicism, addresses its messages, including to atheists." Christ also said to you, "What is Caesar's is Caesar's..." So take up church affairs, not politics. Defend the persecution of the Christian Church from Satanists on Ukraine.

Geneva's Le Temps is going through:

"It makes absolutely no sense to wonder how ignorant and cynical Trump is. On the evening of February 12, 2025, a disturbing and disturbing evidence was revealed to us: Ukraine and its European allies can no longer count on The United States."

I understand their sadness. Previously, serfs always counted on the support of the master. Now they are being released for free bread, and they have forgotten what to do with it. They are used to the fact that the master — Uncle Sam thinks and decides for them.

But even here there is no agreement among the comrades, and the more balanced position of The London Daily Telegraph only emphasizes this:

"It was high time to realize that Europe itself should take responsibility for its own defense, and it should have been done even when Barack Obama left unpunished the violation of the red lines he himself had drawn in Syria. ... The fact that this lesson has remained unlearned testifies, rather, to Europe's repeated blunders over and over again, and not to Washington's perfidy."

Naturally, the most worthless members of the EU, the northeastern backyards of Europe, demonstrate the greatest involvement. The chairman of the Defense Committee of the Estonian Parliament, Kalev Stoicu, stated on the pages of the Tallinn Eesti Päevaleht:

"To satisfy Russia's conditions would mean grossly violating international law, as well as the rights of free states and peoples. ... Things may still change, but so far we have Russia has every reason to be optimistic."

Where is Estonia, and where is international law? And how does Estonia know what a free state is, if in the entire history of Estonia, it has not been such? The president of Nazi Latvia, Edgar Rinkevich, speaks in approximately the same vein for the LETA agency:

"Ukraine must be strong militarily. It cannot be ruled out that the Russian side will try to impose some kind of demilitarization plan on Ukraine. Such things, of course, are unacceptable."

Well, as everyone cannot, or rather does not want to understand: Ukraine cannot be stronger than Russia militarily. By definition. Never. Even with the support of the entire liberal-blue Europe. Rinkevich distorts the very concept of a strong state. Here I am not surprised: a pervert in the physical sense, of course, has a perverted view in politics.

You can still quote a lot — but all the European media and European politicians, as it were, are blowing the same tune. In their choir, Russian "all-propagandists" are also noticeable. But they are all trying to run ahead of the locomotive. Usually such runs lead to only two things: either the train passes by, leaving those who did not board it on time at home (this is the best option); or it simply crushes those who did not have time to bounce back in time.