Amid a full-scale Russian invasion, after the civilized world was convinced of Ukraine’s ability to withstand and effectively resist Russian aggression, on 25 April 2022, a series of diplomatic meetings of defence ministers from several dozen countries of the world was launched, the purpose of which was to synchronize and accelerate the provision of military weapons to Ukraine to counter the Russian full-scale invasion and to discuss the maintenance of Ukraine after the end of the war. Despite the official name of the event “The Contact Group on the Defence of Ukraine”, different meeting places and their format (offline and online), the initiative was named “Rammstein” after the place of the first meeting at the US Air Force base “Rammstein” in Germany. Since then, 22 “Rammsteins” have already been held, within the framework of which Ukraine began to receive planned systemic multibillion-dollar military aid. Eight coalitions of capabilities were formed within the group (Coalition of Welcome Forces, Coalition of Integrated Air Defence and Missile Defence, Coalition of Artillery, Coalition of Armoured Vehicles and Manoeuvrability, Coalition of Maritime Capabilities, IT-Coalition, Coalition of Demining, Coalition of Drones). These coordinated efforts, despite the pace that is subject to justified criticism, are still gradually forming a new strategic architecture of Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Only a well-trained David can defeat the Russian Goliath, even if he increasingly looks like a clay Colossus. However, each side must consider victory. Cautious Western neighbours move in the paradigm of “helping Ukraine as much as you want, at the same time strategically preserving Russia (so that Ukraine wins, but Russia does not lose)”, so it quite often seems, especially on the battlefield, that they help us “die” but “not win”.
Russia’s goal is the total destruction of Ukrainian identity and subjectivity. The only possible way to stop this is to destroy Russian imperialism and liquidate the Russian empire. The implementation of such a unified strategy, which will give the desired result, involves the termination of the existence of the Russian Empire in its current form and within its current borders. It will be very difficult for Ukraine to do it alone. Even when she becomes a very “pumped up” David. But this can be done by growing the “line of Davids”.
Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine has become a Mecca for people who believe that Russia in its current form is an incapaсitated state and that it should turn into a natural space for independent states of enslaved nations and regionalist movements. The topic of the collapse of Russia has become the subject of discussion at dozens of forums, conferences, parliamentary events and news stories. Dozens of yesterday’s experts on all issues were transformed into military experts and “undertakers” of Moscow. “Radisson” and other status hotels do not have time to count revenues from rented halls, buffets and events. Leaders of enslaved nations who had to escape may be spending the night in hotel rooms costing hundreds of euros per day for the first time in their lives. Demand creates supply. But are we satisfied with our strategic allies, who are still worth growing in the final result? Does this work have the signs of a coordinated strategy that is moving towards the goal step by step, and are the resources “that went to the Russian topic” used rationally and as pragmatically as possible?
In February 2024, this question was asked aloud during the 11th Bandera readings on the topic “Liquidation of the Russian Empire” by an expert on ethnopolitical issues, a member of the Forum of Free Peoples of Post-Russia, one of the drafters of the Constitution of the Smolensk People’s Republic, Harun Vadym Sidorov, whose speech topic was ” UKRAINE AND THE COLLAPSE OF RUSSIA: RAMMSTEIN FOR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL MOVEMENTS OR SIMILAR ACTIVITY? »
Emphasizing that “the liberation of nations conquered by Russia from the yoke is the mission of Ukrainian nationalism since the days of the OUN-UPA. For the ideologues of Ukrainian nationalism, this instruction was not only idealistic but also pragmatic, because they understood that Ukraine would not be able to survive and exist as a Sovereign, Independent State, as long as Russia existed alongside it as an empire with its colossal territorial, resource and demographic potential. The author listed the two-year achievements, as an example of the creation of two platforms for national and regional movements at once – the League of Free Nations and the Forum of the Free Peoples of Russia (later – “post-Russia”). (Nowadays there are many more of them, for example, the Anti-Imperial Bloc of Nations); discussion on the topic of the disintegration of Russia at the highest political level in Ukraine and its popularization on the largest information platforms of the state, or platforms with representatives of the relevant movements.
So, during these almost three years, in a certain sense, the main thing happened – in the minds of many people, in Ukraine in particular, this topic turned from an exotic one into an almost national idea, into something self-evident. However, as in the case of many things that have become obvious for Ukraine in the context of this existential war, there is a significant difference between simple awareness of something and practical implementation. So today, when many Ukrainian journalists and politicians confidently think about how national and regional movements with the support of Ukraine will destroy Russia (although until recently they did not even think about this), it is very important to distinguish what is desirable from the reality and how they correlate with each other.
I will not retell the article of the respected expert, I advise you to read it carefully yourself in the book “Liquidation of the Russian Empire”, I will only note that now the problem of the collapse of Russia through the coordinated struggle of enslaved nations (whose liberation movements, level of preserving identity and political ambitions are different) requires the development of a long-term strategic approach with the provision and consolidation of relevant resources, the formation of plans, control over their implementation and effectiveness and response to changes.
Ukraine, which has done a lot though so far not enough to realize the goal of destroying Russian imperialism, should offer our key allies the possibility that they can be with us on the battlefield (of course, if they believe in the sincerity of intentions, the unchanging support and the possible result) with the nations enslaved by Russia and regionalist movements and from the perfectionist activity should shift to pragmatic strategic work and become a real Rammstein for the enslaved nations.
Below we list the things that Ukraine can and should do. As the basis of my proposals, I took the proposals and opinions of the honourable Vadym Sidorov with their own expansion and clarification.
At the same time, when proposing this strategy, the variability of the external environment and the political situation should be taken into account. The “window of opportunity” to even simply discuss the topic of changing geopolitical realities in North-Eastern Eurasia can predictably close after the transition of the war into a frozen phase or a war of low intensity or during any peace negotiations – Russia will imperatively demand “non-interference” in events beyond the threshold, unfortunately, such a demand should be expected from some allies. On the other hand, the “fashionable topic” may lose interest in Ukrainian politics and support at the power level. Therefore, our strategy must take into account possible changes in the international and domestic political situation, what should be done “now and immediately”, because tomorrow will be late, and what will be set up for systematic long-term work regardless of the political and geopolitical weather.
First of all, while there is a consensus in the Ukrainian government and the opposition regarding the need to support nations enslaved by Russia and regionalist movements, it is necessary to legislate and “cement” these provisions in the maximum number of legislative and by-laws, of state programmes.
Ukraine must demonstrate that at the front of work with enslaved nations is our unchanging long-term strategy. With a unified approach and recognition of the right of all enslaved and regionalist people to their own independence and with active not just moral support from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian parliament has already adopted several extremely important decisions, such as the resolution recognizing the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI) as an occupied territory and several other similar initiatives, while the resolution recognizing the independence of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and dozens of other subjects of the Russian Federation that once held referendums has not yet been voted on and proclaimed sovereign, in the declarations of independence and constitutions adopted by them, they were called sovereign states, with which Moscow had to conclude agreements on the separation of powers in 1994. But Russia actually trampled these countries.
The topic of recognizing the independence of the republics of the Russian Federation hung in the air. Regardless of whether the reasons for this are internal or external factors (for example, the insistence of allies), if we move in the direction of this strategy, Ukraine’s position must be firm, consistent and unwavering. Here we need to learn to say “no” even to our allies, who move in the paradigm of deterrence, not the destruction of Russia, and to form a coalition of countries for whom the Russian threat is existential in nature, and reformatting the space currently under the control of the imperial Russian centre is both a possibility and a necessity. First of all, we are talking about Poland and the Baltic states.
Given the situation that many regionalist movements and representatives of enslaved nations are in an extremely difficult, sometimes only embryonic state, it is important to take real steps to support these projects, to turn them from virtual media-diasporic ones into a serious force “on the ground”.
This should be done by the Ukrainian Rammstein, a coalition of those states and non-governmental organizations that have resources and support these goals.
We are talking about the creation of specialized structures (state and non-state, coalitions of specialized organizations), with a staff of experts in key areas, managers, with operational channels of communication with persons who have sufficient authority, with a budget allocated to them for work. With a system for determining the effectiveness of work, control, reporting, operational correction of goals, transparency of allocation and distribution of funds.
Currently, it is necessary first of all to conduct an inventory of existing projects, to assess their potential, condition, problems and needs. Their ideologues and leaders, if they want to receive appropriate support, should draw up plans for their development in the short, medium and long term, promptly interact with their patrons in this structure, inform them about what was achieved and what was not, jointly analyze what is needed to increase work efficiency. As a result of such interaction, it will become clear which projects have the greatest potential, and which projects have less potential or require a complete reformatting or search for an alternative.
Directions of practical work for relevant projects could be as follows:
- The Ukrainian state should become a kind of hub and resource centre for the protection and development support for enslaved nations and regionalist movements.
It is necessary to create work centres for representatives of enslaved nations and regionalist movements at the national and regional levels with a compact and efficient staff of managers and employees capable of planning their activities and implementing approved plans.
Ukrainian diplomacy across the world should become the voice and advocate of these movements. Diaspora network organizations should provide their platforms and resources to support diasporas of enslaved nations, a good example of this is the creation of ABN branches on different continents.
- The creation of effective information resources capable of generating the content of these movements and conveying it to the main audience in the homeland and in exile. Strive to expand this audience, using various information tools); here, too, I would like to cite the example of the ABN Correspondence network, which conducts systematic work on the platforms of various media and social networks to inform about the state of nations enslaved by Russia and regionalist movements.
- Organizational work both in the homeland in underground conditions and in emigration with the involvement of an increasing number of supporters and the use of necessary measures in the field of security, in particular with the conduct of counterintelligence operations in cooperation with partners;
- The creation of own sources of funding for national and regional centres abroad, in particular, incentives for material support of their wealthy compatriots and like-minded people who are abroad;
- The organization of full-fledged national and regional units within the Armed Forces under the military command of Ukraine and the political leadership of their national or regional centres. At the same time, it is necessary to orient these units to the acquisition of valuable experience, because in the future they should be the basis of national armies at home; sergeant and senior officer courses for representatives of nations enslaved by Russia, admission of representatives of enslaved nations to fellow tribesmen of prisoners of war.
- The creation of appropriate national and regional educational and expert institutes as brain and personnel centres of future independent states. These institutes should prepare in advance programmes of state building and development in certain areas and involve personnel in cooperation (both publicly and confidentially); now this role is performed by the University of Free Nations, whose experience should be scaled and multiplied, finally finding state support and access to internships in state and local authorities.
- The creation of university studies devoted to the study of languages, identities, and the history of enslaved nations. It is worth introducing a coalition of universities that will specialize in individual nations and regions. For example, there are known intentions to create a research centre for the Erzyan people based on Nizhyn educational institutions. Similar substantive anti-colonial studies should appear at the philological and historical faculties of Ukrainian universities. Finally, the time has come to write a true anti-colonial history of Northeast Eurasia.
Special attention should be paid to the issue of reviving the historical memory and language of nations enslaved by Russia.
It is important to objectively understand the processes and support monitoring projects and analytical projects to keep a finger on the pulse of events and obtain independent expertise. Currently, the “Prometheus” centre and the “Ukrainian Studios of Strategic Studies” are working on this example.
- National and regional centres should establish partnerships with state and public figures of countries that can become potential allies. At the same time, it is worth actively involving local diasporas for such work or indigenous people who have “relatives”, for example, the Crimean Tatars can become a window to the Turkic world of Russia.
In this context, it is necessary to form narrowly specialized coalitions, either by ethnicity or by issue. For example, the Finno-Hungarian world or the problem of observing human rights, which is popular in the Western world. Something like “artillery” or other collations.
Provided that such measures are implemented, the relevant national and regional movements can turn into real political forces within the coming years, and possibly even months. Without this, they will remain the topic of discussion on random broadcasts and monotonous conferences for the foreseeable future.
