Weekly Mind Dump: Observations on Becoming a Soviet Satellite Nation

Allying ourselves with Russia feels as unnatural to me, as an American, as my donning a GRU uniform.

Week of 2/23-3/1, 2025:

I cannot wrap my head around the United States now becoming a Putin satrapy, or what I think of as a “Soviet satellite nation.” The latter term comes easily to me because I spent most of my government career engaged in what JFK called the “long twilight struggle” against tyranny, namely from Moscow. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev infamously bellowed, “We will bury you!” He later explained that he meant that communism would supplant capitalism peacefully as the latter was brought down by its proletariat. Well, Khrushchev has now been proven right — except substitute “fascism” for “communism,” “democracy” for “capitalism” and “GOP Fifth Column” for “proletariat.”

The U.S. voted against a UN resolution on Monday condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, siding with the likes of Russia, North Korea, Belarus and Nicaragua. The tally was 93 in favor (including all the other NATO allies except Hungary), 18 against and 65 abstentions. Even Moscow fellow travelers China, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela abstained rather than vote against. Washington then sided with Russia again in favor of a UN Security Council resolution that omitted labeling the Kremlin the aggressor or acknowledging Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It passed minus the support of five European members of the Security Council. “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated recently. “This largely aligns with our vision.”

To me this is sacrilege, akin to, say, Franklin Roosevelt siding with Germany and refusing to condemn Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Allying ourselves with Russia also feels as unnatural to me, as an American, as my donning a GRU uniform. It’s a soul-crushing moment when I no longer recognize my country.

As a U.S. diplomat, I strove mightily to persuade other governments to support UN resolutions condemning Moscow’s occupation of Afghanistan, its shootdown of a South Korean jetliner, violations of human rights and other international transgressions on the part of the Russians. Lobbying foreign governments takes great effort, not least countering a constant barrage of Kremlin lies and propaganda.

In Soviet times, Moscow’s vassal states were referred to as “fraternal socialist nations.” They were led by zombified communist parties headed by leaders who were not only physically ugly and wore ill-fitting suits and bad dandruff-laden haircuts, but possessed all the charisma of a beet-producing collective farm. East Bloc diplomats always appeared to me like they were in constant fear of shitting their pants, so afraid they were of misstating the party line. I recall one Romanian diplomat who wore the same weird pink suit every time we met. In one overseas posting, I got to know a Hungarian diplomat who actually had an engaging personality and a sense of humor. In one lively debate, he insisted to me that his country was not a “satellite state.” I retorted, “Yes you are.” He laughed, then caught himself, no doubt in fear of crapping his trousers. I thought we had hit it off. But when he turned down one social invitation after another join me and other Western diplomats at my home, it became clear to me that he feared the consequences of associating too closely with us.

I once befriended a former East German diplomat, a young man named Dieter. He had been summarily fired along with all GDR diplomats immediately following unification. Dieter, typical of his class, stemmed from a long line of reliable communists and retained some faith in what he called the “ideals” of the East German regime. He was bitter about the way he was treated after its collapse — peremptorily cashiered and ordered home. “I am as much German as anybody,” he told me. He admitted to me that he was gay, a no-no in the GDR apparatus. I asked him how he dealt with it. “In a system of lies, it wasn’t so hard,” he said. “We all lived a life of lies.”

My one-year stint liaising with Cuban military officers on “The Line” at Guantanamo Naval Base provided rare insights into an arch-enemy of the U.S. Rather than stiff and hyper-cautious apparatchiks, however, I found them to be convivial and constructive (see: “How Obama’s Cuba Deal Is Strengthening Its Military”). I did not, however, appreciate Cuban secret police slashing the tires of my car in Santa Clara, where Che Guevara is entombed, just to make a point.

I also got to interact with North Korean diplomats at a post where the DPRK ambassador was dean of the diplomatic corps. To my surprise, he was personable and responsive. One of their young diplomats warmed up to me and asked me questions about American society whenever we met. Quite a contrast with the stereotype of brainwashed automatons.

A refreshing gush of fresh air came during Gorbachev’s new era of glasnost and perestroika. Suddenly, Soviet/Russian officials were approachable and friendly. I remember fondly a Russian embassy officer inviting me and a colleague to his home for a fine zakuski meal, drinks, conversation and relaxing sauna time at their compound. Nikolai, from Vladivostok, was a mild-mannered fellow with a warm personality. His wife, Anya, was a live wire. When I admired a religious icon and crucifix on their living room wall, Anya defiantly stated, “Yes! I no longer have to fear ‘them.’ I now can say what I want and do what I want.” Nazdarovia, Anya!

But I digress. While I would welcome a thawing of relations with Russia one day, this is definitely not the time. Trump is giving away the farm while Putin yields nothing in return. Trump is ending sanctions and shutting down all of our counter-cyber and counter-propaganda capabilities while Russia does nothing to reciprocate. Russian missiles, drones and bombs rain down on Ukraine with no let up. Yet Trump halts aid to that beleaguered nation. He slashes FBI special agents by the hundreds while at the same time agreeing to open the flood gates to Russian spies in their embassy and consulates here.

In news shows American pundits say they are “puzzled” and “confused” as to why Trump is taking these actions. Well, this pundit isn’t perplexed in the least. What we are witnessing is the rapid implementation of a pre-cooked plan to not only foist oligarchic strongman rule on the American people, but also to make the United States a Russian “fraternal fascist nation,” replete with zombified officials (Hello Marco Rubio!) who fear shitting their pants lest they offend their bloated dotard of a president — who is finally delivering on paying his debts to his Moscow mentor.

The opinions and characterizations in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent official positions of the U.S. government.