Vladimir Putin, former head of the Federal Security Service, named after the former KGB; At the end of 1999, he became interim president, since then he has held absolute power for 23 years with skillful political maneuvers, promoting constitutional reforms that will enable him to remain in the presidential position until 2036; in reality, he became the new Tsar of Russia.

It is impossible to forget that Russian provocations to world peace have been coming since 2008, when it intervened militarily in Georgia, with its support the pro-Russian “republics” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were born; In 2014, the strategic peninsula of Crimea was annexed with impunity and since then it has been politically and militarily supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, in the Donbass region. In late February 2022, in open defiance of the West, Putin recognized the self-styled “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Lugansk, under the pretext of defending these pro-Russian “republics”. On February 24, 2022, Putin declares: “I have made a decision to carry out a special military operation”, that is, he decides to invade Ukraine, endangering the peace, an action condemned by most countries of the world.

Putin’s calculation was that in Ukraine it would be the same as in Georgia, a lightning war, the mistake cost him dearly, despite his war power, the resistance of the Ukrainian people was heroic. Sixteen months of brutal aggression have passed, but Russian troops fighting with the support of mercenaries from the Wagner group, commanded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin’s adventurous ally, have suffered huge losses. The leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi was compensated by the support of the West, especially the European Union and the war support of the NATO countries, led by the United States.

(…) “A prince whose government rests on mercenary soldiers will never be safe or at peace.”

Nicholas Machiavelli warned 500 years ago about the danger of using mercenary troops: “… a prince whose government rests on mercenary soldiers will never be secure or peaceful, because they are disunited, because they are ambitious, disloyal, brave among friends, but cowardly when in the face of enemies; for they have no discipline, as they have no fear of God, nor good faith with men; so that destruction is not delayed until the rupture is delayed; and already in time of peace they rob their prince as much as their enemies in time of war, since they have no other love or other motive that leads them to battle than the prince’s pay, which, besides, is not sufficient to make them willing to die for him.”

In connection with the invasion of Ukraine, Wagner Group mercenaries were given an important role after Russian soldiers suffered severe attrition and lost territory in humiliating setbacks.

With the rebellion of Prigozhin and his mercenaries who challenged Putin, thanks to Lukashenko’s mediation, she did not progress; Only, it is worth remembering Machiavelli: “A prince whose government rests on mercenary soldiers will never be secure or peaceful.” Putin is not sure; Besides, you won’t be able to sleep peacefully. (OR)