No Jaltas līdz Sibīrijai

International Herald Tribune Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Yalta to Siberia
Today there is only one real superpower – USA. In 50 years there will be only one – Chine. This especially if China can get control of a significant part of Siberia’s land and resources. Then across the Bering Sea from Canada and USA would not be Russians but rather disciplined Chinese. The West has to decide whether they want to help Russia retain Siberia. Russia’s weak position there is mainly due to demographics, or not enough Russians in Siberia.
On the other side of Russia, on Russia’s western border are NATO countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Konigsberg (Kaliningrad in Russian). There the problem is the opposite, too many Russians, Everyone knows about and condemns the Stalin-Hitler (Molotov-Ribentrop) pact which gave to Russia impendent Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and half of Poland, But everyone forgets that at Yalta, England, France and USA gave Russia much more, namely all of Central Europe with 150 million people as well as certified the Stalin-Hitler pact by burying Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania even deeper in the Russian prison, where Russia was free to continue the genocide against Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian people.
After the collapse of the Russian empire (the Soviet Union), the Russians left the rest of Central Europe. However, there are still 1 million Russians in Latvia, 1 million in Estonia and Lithuania and 1 million in Konigsberg. Unwanted and there illegally.
These Russians are dearly needed back in Russia, especially empty Siberia. Russia and Putin know this and that is why they are offering any Russian approximately $4,000 to move from Latvia to Russia (a family of four - $16,000). If they remain in Latvia, where they are about 40% of the population, they make and ideal 5th column for Russian radicals, and make it almost impossible for NATO to defend Latvia, a NATO member. However, it seems that the $4,000 is not enough. It needs to be raised to at least $25,000 (a family of four - $100,000) so that they could start a business somewhere in Russia.
Part of this money can come from Russia, but the West needs to add some money and help Russia to organize an orderly repatriation of most of the 3 million Russians back to Russia. So much of what the West gets involved with is endless, but this would be a “one time only effort”.
If successful, it would at the same time stabilize Russian Siberia and NATO’s eastern border (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). It would also erase Yalta’s injustice.
Aivars Slucis
3452 Autumn Woods Drive
Chasca, MN 55318, USA