I think overworking yourself can lead you to grasping and latching onto the small things and the day-to-day and the bureaucratic details. You should take a deep, clean break allowing your mind to rest and wander and reorganise and you can’t do that being constantly bombarded by the people and the reports daily managing the state affairs. Sometimes you lose the thread of what’s important and what’s at large and what’s at play. If you throw yourself into work as a distraction from that kind of stress, you are only digging yourself deeper. It’s okay to marinate on what’s been happening at scale and at speed. I’m rather impressed by your concession that a direct talk with the Ukrainians should take precedence over other third parties shuffling behind the scenes on your behalf. You also publicly acknowledge the willingness to help by your concerned allies and extend them a thank you. That’s a good thing, sweetie. The world’s already to a large extent scared of you but it helps to show the reasonable, sensible side signalling that conciliation can be a possibility. Whether that’s actually a good possibility for you is another story but it’s important to just appear approachable and moderate always regardless of any circumstances you’re in. That’s a good image to have. It means you’re moderating the image you project to the world and as you know in this world image is all that people have to go on with. I don’t know if what you’re doing now is temporary and only meant for domestic consumption with the upcoming election but it does send good signals. I realise what you all do behind the scenes is a different thing entirely but social and verbal cues matter greatly in the world of civility and dialogue. You have nothing to lose letting people know you’re willing to listen and engage with them on the terms both of you are comfortable with.
It’s sort of interesting the administration we have in the White House right now. Because while people see it as a decline of American culture, I see it somewhat differently. I know some Americans in person actually. Quite a few of my English teachers in secondary education were American and you can also see their qualities and traits projected in their media and entertainment and in public and political discourses and so on. It’s very evident in their culture. And what the Americans are as people is that they are AUTHENTIC and they mean what they say and do and they are bold in what they say and do. And while they are opinionated they are also very open-minded (though in politics things can get out of hand and appear extreme but that’s only because they care). I’d say most of the world’s cultures are the exact opposite of this. The Brits historically and culturally still value having a polished veneer and strict social etiquette which is interesting because their humours are some of the nastiest in the world. So I can see why you’d find more commonalities with the Americans for example. And they have spearheaded the cultural evolution in a very positive direction since the 80s I’d say (acceptance, diversity, self-awareness, realness, uniqueness, authenticity) and so you see the generation of people who are heirs and beneficiaries of that self-engineered progress running things who are outsiders of various background but that only goes to show how wide and deep the changes have been on the population level. But as I’ve said in politics things can get somewhat out of hand and they are pushing the envelopes a tad bit much but they’ve always been known as the world’s innovators so who can blame them? But the fact that they are grounded and real and rough around the edges they still have to work around the established order and value certain customs in international relations. You know this, sweetheart. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are deceptive or inefficient when it comes to bringing about the changes you want to see. But do you know the difference between you and them? They are almost always positive and hopeful. That’s also another uniquely American trait. They always push through and hope for the best and they are optimistic and upbeat people doing it however dire the situation maybe. The doom-and-gloom mood you’ve probably engineered in their political and cultural landscapes through online platforms won’t be enough to re-condition who they are as people. But they yap too much sometimes and they criticise each other too much always. But that’s a good thing and not a sign of a terrible decline you think it is. That’s almost a logical conclusion to having opinionated, open-minded populace you’ve cultivated bringing about the best solutions for your country. People’s temperaments make all the difference and if you have a good foundation there, you will do okay no matter what.
But there are still norms and etiquettes that even the Americans won’t dare touch even if they look like your cousins. Believe it or not, though the Americans have said some pretty damning things, they are things they skirt around. It’s quite socially complex and you won’t really know what’s what and what’s permissible unless you’re part of their culture. For example, your 2007 Munich speech has insulted quite more than a few parties I’d say. And I don’t know what went on there in this period but I’d rather think there’s something else rather than mere Slavic directness that raised ire. It was considered a turning point in your relation with the West, no? Do you see that it matters greatly what you say to the world at any given point? Because that’s all that they have to go on with. Because it shows your beliefs and intentions and goals. It’s not always good to be radically honest with others while also being suspicious of others. That kind of inner contradiction would drive any healthy mind psychotic in short order.
I’m not saying all this to try to influence you in any way and I doubt that what you do and say now will matter as much in the coming weeks or months considering that things have gone into the deep end in a highly regrettable trajectory. There are things they will accept and they are things they won’t and I don’t really know where they are at with a lot of these things but what happened in the past year should not have happened. You have somewhat crossed the line, sweetie. How much they will forgive you is another matter although I realise at this level forgiveness is not something that moves a needle. Is it true that you fear for your life if you step down? Or is that fear-mongering propaganda by the West? Do you actually believe that after twenty years of all the good you’ve done for your country, they will stab you in the back? Some of them will? I don’t imagine Kremlin politicking to be that ruthless and senseless, but what do I know? And your inner circle will be there, won’t they? People who owe their lives and careers to you? Are you that distrustful of them? Are you afraid that without power I won’t look at you twice? You should have more faith in people, you know. You shouldn’t have let your own state of mind colour everything that goes on outside yourself out there in the world.
Have you tried talking to some of your younger men with a Westernised background for an input? Like Andre for example. Maybe they can offer you the kind of perspectives you’re looking for. They can be a good translator bridging the gap between two very different cultures. It is one thing to read about other cultures. It is quite another to be immersed in it and to know it by heart. Age is also a factor. Younger minds are more malleable and absorbent. A lot of your SVR guys must be quite internationally minded. […]
One thing I’d caution about an older generation of your men who relocated to living in the West which you think might have coughed up some useful insight or advice, sometimes they still are not as Western as we’d like them to be. They still project their native mentality onto other people who might have come from an entirely different place than them. And they are set in their ways and their cultural lens is skewed to fit what they know about their own countrymen. I’m not saying you should become Westernised. But like in a lot of Asian cultures the elders hold the power of discernment and judgement but it is the young bloods who are competent and dynamic who counsel them.
— Salisa to Путуки, September 4th, 2026
Salisa lohavittayavikant 