Flights To Sochi: Waking Or Sleeping

The ruler takes a "break-through" again.

It's eastwards, as usual. The road is hard, the partner is unpredictable. Bad rumors have it. They say he is to be resigned and his land plot will be taken away. One impudent Telegram channel hiding in the Kremlin shadow has shocked the audience with breaking news: on September 21 the ruler will tell Sochi interlocutor his chosen successor. Is there any sense to fly there then?

As expected, the flight was challenging: severe atmospheric fronts were rolling in, ugly darkness was deepening, threatening lightnings were flashing on the horizon, and tattered clouds were clinging to wings. It seemed that supernatural creatures looked into windows every minute. And even Martian spaceships were boldly requesting code names. But it was flying.

After landing he was welcomed. Sochi mayor personally met the high guest. There was no trace of the recent haste after negotiations with Putin in that uncomfortable room. There were two flags hanging over chairs near a fireplace so that interlocutors took their seats. There few flowers on the table between them. It was so cute. However, the guest had to wait for the interlocutor for a long time. One, two hours passed. But he did not appear.

Nevertheless, journalists should have not payed too much attention to it. It's a tradition. When Muscovites arrived in Orda, it took too much time to wait. And the tradition has survived.

Meanwhile, officials were moving some boxes in a hurry. Observers divided. Ones claim that in accordance to a Soviet tradition his assistants took shtofs (bottles of 1.23 litre) of Belovezhskaya vodka which used to be a must-have for visits to Moscow. Without any archaism, opponents guessed that it was remains of sovereignty.

That's too much. Moreover, the ruler intended to win. There is no backing space. "The plot of the Belarusian land" is right behind the fence.

Coming home he will tell his assistants: "Negotiations lasted six or even more hours. Speaking frankly, they were tough ones." Of course, they were. As if his assistants assumed that Putin asked his ally to appear just to compare notes. He looked twice and that's it -they did mot match. It needs one more try. Fortunately, he recalled who can help.

When a kind guest arrived, he even gave him a ride in a battery-driven vehicle across the residence as a token of gratitude. At dinner modestly called working, he gave sherbet served on a plate made of small watermelon. That was a subtle hint about dear guest's Arab predilections and about his selective achievements.

However, it was not the reason for the ruler to arrive. And all those six hours of talks were not wasted. "We have specific matters to discuss: CSTO and CSTO Presidency and the development of the organization. We paid much attention to acute issues regarding two countries within the CIS. First of all, I mean Ukraine.

That's how he could easily map out the Bermuda Triangle of the post-Soviet territory. They may easily drown in it. Moreover, there was a clear phrase on his website: "Military and political issues were under discussion behind closed doors." Was that the reason why? But this is completely different dimension.

Every flight to Sochi or to other places makes the country lose a part of its sovereignty. Because a gloomy ghost of only formal union state certainly appears there. One way or another, one cannot but notice some fear of people involved in this adventure. And the master of the party will seize the moment. And rumbling chains are heard well somewhere behind curtains.

The oddity of the moment was clear to many people. And every party tries to pretend this moment quite positive: fraternal love is getting harder every day. They negotiated about gas supplies, something got clear with oil duties. Problematic issues on delieveries of agricultural products were resolved. And some sums of long frozen Eurasian credit raised from the Kremlin web. It's an achievement, of course.

We only wonder what the price is for such an unexpected focus. The previous period of mutual accusations prove that these concerns have ground. And everything ended all of a sudden like in a fairy tale or an anecdote. Putin woke up and repented. They sat down opposite to each other. They ate unifying sherbet. And decided to start everything anew.

Official TV channels say that it was like that. And no one goes to discuss things hiding behind curtains. If there had been a good parliament, it would have shined a spotlight. But it is not. After all, who will dare to ask directly about the price?

They are silent. No official will dare to say a word that something weird is happening is this sleepy silence. Russia is going to response to western sanctions. Putin is about to have elections again. However, the popularity of ambitious KGB serviceman is drastically falling. Resentment is growing. Protests erupt across the country. Ordinary counter measures do not work anymore. A mighty heave accepted by the electorate is needed.

What is the role of the hapless ally in these imperial games? Still, there is no answer.

Uladzimir Khalip, especially for Charter97.org