Dear Vladimir,
As one former intelligence officer to another, I have a friendly suggestion which may benefit both of us. For the sake of your fortune, your country, and the world, you may want to cut loose an asset you and yours have groomed for some time. Despite the investment you’ve put into the asset, he is no longer of use to you, and may cost you a lot if you don’t cut him loose soon. The asset of which I speak, as you well know, is Donald Trump (DP). You’ve done impressive work grooming him, supporting his rise, and clearing his path of foes. Now, though, he’s a threat to you as well as those you seek to weaken.
Your country is at risk.
We’re both students of history. You may recall from your studies the immense power, as well as utter vulnerability of Russia in the international security system since the Peace at Westphalia created the idea of the Nation State. If you recall, every time Europe was chaotic that chaos ended up costing Russia huge swaths of its military and civilian population. I’ll take a moment to remind you of a few of these times:
1. The French Revolution and Napoleon’s Rise – Russia lost at least 289,000 people
2. World War 1 – Russia lost at least 5,000,000 casualties
3. World War 2 – Russia lost at least 20,000,000 casualties
You can see as well as I, this is not a trend line anyone wants to see continue.
Your fortune is at risk.
In case the threat to your people is not a personally motivating factor for you, which I totally get, as someone who’s far more concerned about your personal survival and that of your fortune than the good of those whom you rule, maybe a different track can help you see my point. Your terror of ending up like Nicolae Ceausescu, Muammar Gaddafi and Viktor Yanukovych drives much of your actions. That makes sense. Thugs and dictators often end up in bad places. So, let’s look at your relationship to your asset DP and how that connects to your wealth and personal staying power.
First, DP is a blunt tool. We can probably agree on that. As you well know from dealing with him, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He causes chaos, which is why you recruited and groomed him. (Again, well done with that. We’re all impressed.) His dullness, though, is why you must cut him loose. That very bluntness is what will cause him to do you personal harm. You see, DP really looks up to you. He admires your power, your authoritarianism, and your ability to manipulate your country’s political system to enrich yourself and your friends while pretending to be a strong leader. You are his role model. The last role model DP had was Richard M. Nixon. Prior to that, it was his own father. In each case, these role models eventually failed him, creating animosity and a sense of scorn he holds to this day. He does everything he can to overcome the utter hatred he holds for his father, who when DP was a child told him he’d always be a failure. This hatred is what drives him, what feeds his narcissism, and what will be his downfall. He does not care who he takes with him, but he will always take down those he admires most.
Now, how this connects to you and your fortune. As you well know, DP is freaking out because of the Special Council probe of Russian interference in the Presidential Election. You, he, I, and the rest of the half-conscious world know there is a connection between Russia’s actions, your Komprimat on DP, and his very strange election victory. We were all surprised. You possibly more than anyone else, I’m sure. As this probe continues, DP (your asset) will become ever more unstable. A component of this is he will try to turn on you, showing he’s a true American by doing whatever he can to undercut Russia. Since he’s flailing in this endeavor, he’ll use anything at his disposal to do that. Like a teenage boy fascinated with all things military, and utterly incapable of understanding the cost of war, the tool he’d most likely turn to is military force. Back to Russian history again, as you’re more of an expert than I. In 1905, and again in 1917, when Russia was engaged militarily, and losing, the leadership in Russia suffered. In the latter case this eventually led to a very fateful elimination of the Tsar and his family. Please consider your longevity when you contemplate how much longer you want to use this unreliable asset.
Even if he does not turn on Russia, but aligns with you for some military mis-adventure, history is a good guide here too. Hitler rose to power admiring what Mussolini did in Italy. He copied him, adapted his tools and methods for the German populace, and then ended up blowing up the whole thing because of his insecurities, hatreds, and narcissism. No offense, but you probably don't want to end up like Mussolini, do you? If you recall, he was shot, tied up to the roof of a gas station with his mistress, and spit upon by passers-by.
Not sure if you care, but the rest of the world is at risk too.
Now, this may be the least convincing argument for you, but as an open letter, it may offer value to others, so I’m including it. As we discussed, DP is going to do whatever he can to retain what power he has. One of the options he’s seen effective with other strongmen in the past is to start a war. He’s looking to do so against North Korea, or possibly Iran. He’d be satisfied with either, as it doesn’t matter who specifically, as long as he can compel Americans to rally around the flag and the person holding it. What he fails to understand is, a war with either North Korea or Iran could easily become an existential threat to the United States and the world. Russia and China have made yourselves clear. You will not accept an American military action against either. (Btw, thank you for that. The more clarity on what could cause a major war, the better. No one wants to fall into one because of a misunderstanding. Relating back to WWI, that turns out poorly for everyone.) DP’s threat to conduct a first-strike is one of, what could be, many actions to destabilize the Korean Peninsula.
With DP sitting at the controls of nuclear weapons, a vast and powerful conventional arsenal, and attempting to find ways to bridge the two, we have to consider what this means for the rest of the world. South Korea, Japan, China, and your Mother Russia do not want a war on the Korean Peninsula. There is a proxy war between Iran and others going on in the Middle East, with weapons and advisors from many countries playing parts on multiple sides in the conflict. Again, no big countries want to see this grow beyond a local fight, right. DP’s unilateral action of declaring the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is one of, what could be, many actions he can take to destabilize the region.
Recommendation:
Since you've already shown your team adept at manipulating the American political system, please simply release your Komprimat on Trump, undercutting and sacrificing your asset for your own safety, that of your people, and of the world at large. It’s the most magnanimous thing you can do. The world will see you as the savior you’d like to be. More importantly, you’d look strong to your people, ensuring a continuation of your gang-government of self-enrichment. You may even receive a Nobel Peace Prize. How ironic would that be, right?
I know, it's rather hypocritical to call on Russia to take down an American political leader after Russia took down an American election. Really, I'm simply asking you to right your wrong. As we teach our children, it's better to come forth and say "I did something wrong, and I'm sorry." than it is to keep doing bad things.
In the end, it’s all about an unreliable asset. Better to lose the small investment you’ve put into him, especially after you’ve achieved beyond your goals, than to let him threaten you and your future operations.
Thank you for your time. Please don't keep up the work.
Jeremy Strozer