By ALEXANDER DOLITSKY
Thirty-five years ago, Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the Soviet Socialist Republic, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from the University of Alaska Southeast. Then-UAS Chancellor Marshall Lind invited Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubinin to accept this award on Gorbachev’s behalf.
Dubinin arrived at Juneau with an entourage of six Soviet officials. Back then, I taught Russian Studies and archaeology at UAS and was assigned to accompany the delegation. In fact, Dubinin was the first Soviet ambassador to visit Alaska, post-World War II.
Dubinin was the Soviet ambassador to the United States during much of the turbulent 1980s’ perestroika period. In a Washington post piece, he described himself as a “popularizer of perestroika”— the radical reform efforts of Gorbachev.
In Alaska, the mid-1980s through 1990s was an enthusiastic period of the Soviet/Russian–Alaska relationships in nearly all cultural, educational and governmental spheres. I was a busy person, translating, almost daily, for all involved in the Russian-Alaska affairs; the enrollment in my Russian language classes at UAS was over the limit, with a long waiting list. Indeed, it was a promising hope to end Cold War tensions and begin a new era of mutually productive and friendly relationship between two great nations.
Nevertheless, whether under Soviet/Russian leadership of Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Chernenko, Andropov, Gorbachev, Yeltsin or Putin, the West never stopped its Cold War policies of undermining USSR/Russia. In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter provided military and logistical support to the Afghan Mujahideen, the precursor to the Taliban, thereby provoking Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
In fact, every successive U.S. president continued covert and overt interference in countries on Russia’s southern borders, including former Soviet Central Asian republics, Georgia and Ukraine.
The ideological architect of the strategy to contain the Soviet Union during Carter presidency was Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor and antagonist of the Soviet regime. Indeed, Ukraine played a pivotal role in the so-called Brzezinski Doctrine, which identifies the country as key to preventing Russian–European economic and political integration. Still today, the U.S. foreign establishment is rife with Brzezinski proteges and anti-Russian Cold War ideology.
With Ukraine, because of Brzezinski’s anti-Russian ideology, the West made a major strategic bet that eventually failed. The crippling sanctions against Russia since 2014 were expected to crater the Russian economy, resulting in a popular uprising and leading to the replacement of Vladimir Putin with a pro-Western leader. The hope was that this wishful dream would lead to a pro-Western globalist taking control of the Kremlin, resulting in a boon for Wall Street, as Russia is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources.
With the growing demand for natural resources, Russia represents a rich investment opportunity in the unforeseen future. However, these Western sanctions against Russia completely failed. In 2024, European Union’s GDP grew 1.7%, while Russia’s grew 4.2%.
Soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union—as early as 1993—President Bill Clinton started pushing for NATO expansion in Europe, including Ukraine, to which many strategically thinking American sociologists and historians strongly objected. This is how the slippery road to the current crisis might escalate into potential nuclear conflicts.
After gaining its independence in 1991, Ukraine could expect a bright future. At that time, Ukraine (with exception of Russia) was the largest country (territory) in Europe, with a population of 52 million citizens, and sixth largest GDP in Europe. Today, population of Ukraine is under 30 million citizens, and it is the poorest country in Europe by GDP per capita.
Having vital industrial and agricultural sectors, a favorable climate, and fertile land, the country needed effective anti-corruption reforms, a certain level of autonomy for its regions with large Russian ethnic populations, and, most importantly, neutral status with no membership in any military blocs to become one of the most prosperous European states within its 1991 borders.
Instead, billions of dollars from the Western countries, and George Soros poured into Ukraine—not to boost its economy but to reformat public opinion, which overwhelmingly favored neutral status and opposed joining NATO. This influence from the West helped to instigate the “Orange” revolution regime change in 2004, and then “Maidan” in 2014, which was directly coordinated by then-Vice President Joe Biden with Victoria Nuland from the White House in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The new Ukrainian government, selected by Washington and the West, immediately declared its intention to join NATO. In fact, if not for this 2014 coup, there would be no annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia in 2014, no war today in East Ukraine, and no risk of potential nuclear World War III.
In short, the Western policies of using Ukrainians as cannon fodder to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia denigrates and contradicts the fundamental spirit and soul of America itself. While claiming to adhere to Western/Judeo-Christian values, the West provoked and continues to fund a prolonged war between two nations that have lived together for over three centuries and are bound together by close historical, linguistic, religious, economic, cultural, and family ties.
No one can predict how the Russian-Ukrainian/West conflict will end, but as the drums of World War III keep banging, those who are not among decision-makers or on the battlefields should at least try to clear the smog of this war.
Forthcoming meeting between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska on August 15 is a step in the right direction to achieve peace in the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Certainly, both presidents may have different views on this matter, and they may not succeed to their goal and expectations. However, if they won’t try, then they definitely will not succeed to end this conflict.
Alexander Dolitsky was born and raised in Kiev in the former Soviet Union. He received an M.A. in history from Kiev Pedagogical Institute, Ukraine in 1976; an M.A. in anthropology and archaeology from Brown University in 1983; and enrolled in the Ph.D. program in anthropology at Bryn Mawr College from 1983 to 1985, where he was also lecturer in the Russian Center. In the USSR, he was a social studies teacher for three years and an archaeologist for five years for the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. In 1978, he settled in the United States. Dolitsky visited Alaska for the first time in 1981, while conducting field research for graduate school at Brown. He then settled first in Sitka in 1985 and then in Juneau in 1986. From 1985 to 1987, he was U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and social scientist. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at the University of Alaska Southeast from 1985 to 1999; Social Studies Instructor at the Alyeska Central School, Alaska Department of Education and Yukon-Koyukuk School District from 1988 to 2006; and Director of the Alaska-Siberia Research Center from 1990 to 2022. From 2006 to 2010, Alexander Dolitsky served as a Delegate of the Russian Federation in the United States for the Russian Compatriots program. He has done 30 field studies in various areas of the former Soviet Union (including Siberia), Central Asia, South America, Eastern Europe and the United States (including Alaska). Dolitsky was a lecturer on the World Discoverer, Spirit of Oceanus, and Clipper Odyssey vessels in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions. He was a Project Manager for the WWII Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease Memorial, which was erected in Fairbanks in 2006. Dolitsky has published extensively in the fields of anthropology, history, archaeology and ethnography. His more recent publications include Fairy Tales and Myths of the Bering Strait Chukchi, Ancient Tales of Kamchatka, Tales and Legends of the Yupik Eskimos of Siberia, Old Russia in Modern America: Living Traditions of the Russian Old Believers in Alaska, Allies in Wartime: The Alaska-Siberia Airway During World War II, Spirit of the Siberian Tiger: Folktales of the Russian Far East, Living Wisdom of the Russian Far East: Tales and Legends from Chukotka and Alaska, and Pipeline to Russia: The Alaska-Siberia Air Route in World War II.
More pro-Russian appeasement piffle. The author could have been writing in the 1930s.
To be clear, none of this would be happening if Putin had not invaded another sovereign country
And “poof”! Just like that the Left embraces American proxy wars and national-state building to “advance American interests”. Woodstock would have been a whole lot more interesting had this bunch been around then. We’re all being played and taxed to death to support these proxy wars.
And poof, just like that the Putin apologists blame America instead of the Russian dictator for the invasion of Ukraine.
Proxy wars with Russia are not new…look back to Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Syria. Ukraine was just the latest “Theatre” for the Military Industrial Complex led by NeoCons like Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski.
Alexander D, Thanks for the background information on why we are where we are today re Ukraine. Didn’t the Biden Administration give a green light to Putin to invade Ukraine by our retreat fiasco in Afghanistan? Please write more background articles on the Ukraine situation.
Excellent my brother was telling me this just the other day! He, too is a history and political junkie. I will most definitely show this to my son whe just graduated from Georgetown in DC, his minor is Eastern Europe history an language and his masters is school of foreign service. Funny they probably don’t mention this. The stock market, and our get rich politicians need a boogieman in the closet to keep the economy up.. Thank you Alexander
Dolitsky wrote a propaganda piece. Here’s some of what he left out:
Russia invaded Afghanistan. We then responded appropriately. This was a disaster for Russia, but not nearly as bad as the damage Russia has done to itself by invading Ukraine- and violating the multi- party agreement that removed nuclear weapons from Ukraine.
Dolitsky acts like Russia is the victim. What Dolitsky doesn’t mention, not even once, is that Russia was communist. Russia invaded its neighbor countries after WW2 and brutally pushed communism on these nations. Under communism, free speech was not only not allowed, but was punished by death or imprisonment. Free religion was not allowed, nor was firearm ownership. Elections? Nope, the communist dictators Dolitsky opines for took office without the consent of the governed.
Putin was and is a communist. He had to be a card carrying member of the communist party to be part of the KGB. Putin is a gangster who murders political opponents, members of the media, and anyone else who gets in his way. Putin and his cronies have stolen over one trillion dollars from the Russian people.
Russians starved millions of Ukrainians to death in the 30s. Ukraine never forget this terrible history, and why communism is evil.
Sad how Dolitsky ignores all this and plays the victim card for Russia.
The West was right in standing up to the communist dictators that killed tens of millions of their own people (Stalin).
One person’s opinion does not make a truth. But, I think it is true that we have had several recent US presidents who were warmongers. One problem is that, if the US had not done some of the things described here, Europe would be speaking Russian simply because they did little to build their own defenses. it took the Ukraine conflict to open their eyes and, even then, they seem to be wringing their hands more than anything else (but I’m not over there and don’t really know).
Timeline incorrct. The US started supporting the Mujihadeen AFTER the Soviets invaded. There weren’t organized mujhadeen until the Sovietsdecided they wanted peace, Apiece of this, a,piece of that, and a piece of the other, in typical imperialist Russian behavior
Finally, the truth gets published.
To quote an Archie Bunkerism, “Talk about the black calling the kettle pot.”
The USA does not have the moral high-ground to accuse or disparage any nation of imperialism while engaging in it themselves.
It is indeed a shame that our legacy foreign policy initiatives are largely responsible for this circumstance these Presidents find themselves in.
Wish you were involved in the peace talks, Alexander. You would be an asset to Donald Trump to get this matter resolved.
This column will be unpopular and unwelcome to the neo-cons that crave and exist for the purpose of waging a proxy war against Russia. The political infrastructure to support “forever wars” remains functional. Many believe, apparently, that there are few limits on the projection of American power, no costs and no risks. I disagree. The benefits to the US from continuation of the war are vague. Ukraine is not a democracy – democracies do not suppress and ban opposition political parties and religious groups, cancel elections and require massive outside financial support. Thus, it is likely that the killing – the fight to the last dead Ukrainian – will continue for some time.
You’re calling obama and biden neo-cons?
Thanks for attempting to educate MRAK readers about the American foreign policy blunders that led up to the current proxy war in Ukraine, Professor! Unfortunately, many domestic military, intelligence and foreign policy analysts have come to the conclusion that President Trump himself is not very well versed in this history. Instead, he has surrounded himself with “experts” who helped formulate this historical debacle. Pray for the best in this epic Alaska meeting, but plan for the worst!
The West’s treatment of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union was quite similar to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles after WWI, with its harsh and long-lasting punitive measures that led to the rise of Hitler. Bush with James Baker, and Clinton with Madeline Albright – along with consultation from Kissinger and Brzezinski – all failed to even try to bring Moscow into our economic market where they would have been able to become a full trading partner and benefit along with the rest of us. Worse was their attempt to push NATO into Moscow’s former spheres of interest, such as the Ukraine. No wonder Putin rose to power.
They didn’t fail, they successfully and purposely sabotaged it.
Finally, the truth is published!
Both Russia and the newly independent construct of a modern form of Ukraine were in very bad economic and social conditions. Western Companies moved in and working with several “new” Russian oligarchs, who were connected former communists who leveraged control of the state assets, systematically raped these countries. Poverty, alcoholism, short life spans along with low birth rates followed.
Russia was able to reinstate the sense of sovereignty, Christianity and national pride. The economy was rebuilt, families increased the birth rate, universities churning out engineers and other actually useful degrees.
Ukraine never did escape from US/Euro domination. It was the perfect country for our politicians to launder “foreign aid”, as still continues with new appropriations from the Trump Administration despite his campaign promises to end foreign wars and entanglements. With Ukraine literally running out of men to feed the “meatgrinder” the Kiev regime refuses to draft 18 – 24 year olds. Because this demographic is so small due to the nightmarish conditions of Ukraine 1991-2014, which only worsens. Although teenagers are being trained as a modern form of the Hitler Youth to extend the life of the Kiev regime.
The US installed the Kiev regime for the purpose of entangling Russia in ongoing war to weaken it, cause regime change, and move in again to exploit the country. The Kiev regime began radical pogroms, banning the Russian language, the Orthodox Church, shelling civilians, terror, murder and rape of Ukrainians who lived in the eastern oblasts. Our own CIA trained and commands the SBU which is sickening. These actions caused the Ukrainians in the east to revolt and fight back. The whole point was to goad Russia into intervening and lose to “superior” NATO command structure, ISR, weapons, money and munitions, while using Ukrainian men to lose their lives.
Russia has moved in and shown the nonsense of imbeciles like Lindsay Graham that it is not a “gas station masquerading as a country”. The US and NATO have depleted their munitions and shown that we have no surge capacity in the MIC industrial sector, and our “wonder weapons” are 2nd rate. The only intact Abrams tanks left are on display in Moscow and Yekaterinberg.
We can only pray that the corrupt extremists who run the Pentagon, and CIA will not attempt any harm of Putin, if this meeting does actually happen. During ongoing negotiations with Iran, our CIA and Mossad operatives with help from the Azeris conducted assassinations of politicians and scientists in multiple locations in Iran, indiscriminately murdering dozens of neighbors, women and children.
You are a courageous person, Brian!
A clinic in laying down the withering fire of the truth.
I have zero regrets with our efforts to undermine the Soviets. They were doing the same thing here.
What I have grown very tired of is the constant pressure to drag us into another European War.
It’s not our war. Only fools step into the middle of a blood feud.
Trump has tried to help settle this, and both sides aren’t interested.
The US is not a neutral bystander. This is an undeclared hot war of aggression instigated by our government against the modern Russian Federation using Ukraine as a proxy.
This was planned commencing in 1992, subsequent to the collapse of the Soviet regime, culminating in the 2014 massacre/coup ending the pretense of neutrality and the US assuming full political control of the Kiev regime.
Trump is now the Commander in Chief of our armed forces and he could have fulfilled his campaign promises and ended the war on day 1, by signing an executive order on his desk ending all funding and arms transfers upon assuming office.
The “blood feud” describes the pathological hatred of a small minority of ethnic Ukrainians in the Lvov region towards Poles, Jews and Russians who follow the neo Nazi rhetoric of Bandera. We have empowered these freaks into full control of what is left of Ukraine.
The existence of ethnic, political and religious frictions in countries worldwide is what our CIA and State Department use to create conditions for coups, revolutions, wars and general mayhem.
Trump has demonstrated he is either not sufficiently cogent or does not have the backbone to face off the permanent government interests and fulfill the mandate the voters gave him. He appears as simply another hollow realty TV actor.
Only those guided by THE Creator are this immune to fear of stating the truth.
alexander,
Im glad we agree on something . Please keep publishing how each side especially US antagonized .
Russia has had some horrific leaders and policies but when the real sh— hits the fan we help each other and our cultures are bound by certain moralities and ethics . Please elaborate on the ties that bind us and shine light on the dishonorable politicians who work so hard to tear us apart . Thank you Alexander.
Europe has been a cesspool of international relations for centuries and then when they get so screwed up we have to go in and save them, WWI, WWII and now Ukraine. Dolitskiy is right to include all the history of the root causes of this conflict. We are once again wasting our money there. And it is truly a proxy war. The analogue to this was the cuban missile crisis.
Exactly, Paul!
Alexander: Thank you again for your valuable insights on Russia and the current conflict with Ukraine. The policy aimed at subduing Russia was renewed with the second Clinton administration, when Czech-born Madelyn Albright, an extreme Russophobe, became Secretary of State in 1997. Before that, I think that both political parties in the US were commited to improving ties with Russia. Most Americans don’t understand that when Putin first became president, he insisted that the oliogarch class give some of their wealth back to the people–wealth they had acquired during the incredibly unstable 1990s. Most of them actually did. But this did not happen in Ukraine, which became increasingly more corrupt through time. In recent years, many Ukranians have fled their country, because in part because their nation has become so profoundly corrupt.
Good essay Dolitsky. Most, as is evidenced in these comments, will not and can not allow that there are two sides to the story. What a shame.
We did, with the fall of the wall, assure Russia the NATO would not be extended, expanded one inch toward them.
What was it, for some five hundred years up until WW II that Russia had foreign invaders on her soil each and every generation? Not surprising they’re sensitive about who controls the marches along their border.
BTW: in spite of the sanctions, the last time I checked our neighbors to the west in Russia’s Wild Wild East, Yakutia, etc., are paying much less to gas up their vehicles than we are.
Well, Jim, pull your head out- it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, twice. It was Russia that invaded Georgia.
Free countries are allowed to determine who they want to form alliances with. If they can’t, then they are not free.
Due to NATO Cartel provocation.
Uh, no, Steve. Putin wants to go back to the glory days when communists controlled eastern Europe.
Glad to know you support a card carrying communist, murdering, dictator.
Reagan,
Both the Georgia and Ukraine governments were taken over by the US, and then the hostilities began.
Recently Georgia was beset with “protestors” for months, most flown in from abroad, because the Georgia government passed a law requiring foreign NGOs to register and disclose where the money they were spending was going. These NGOs are part of the US State Department USAID family of organizations that work with the CIA to create tensions, stage coups or revolutions to install American puppet governments.
The people of Georgia voted in a new government and the residents of Crimea and 4 oblasts in Ukraine voted 97.5% to 99% to leave Ukraine and join Russia. The people’s will is theoretically the basis of a democratic form of government.
The Romanian people had their election cancelled due to the overwhelmingly support for a Romanian 1st type candidate. We are building, adding more to the debt, the largest NATO base in Romania. We cannot tolerate a government that focuses on its’ own business when we have another base at stake to threaten Russia.
Lets face reality Brian. Your propaganda, in support of a state sponsor of terror, seeks to hide from readers that it is the west that promotes freedom. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. The right to have free and fair elections. The right of any nation to determine who it allies with.
Lets compare that to the communist kleptocracy of the thugs running Russia. No freedom of speech. Russians who protest the actions of Putin will be arrested. Its particularly sad to see Russian women who have lost sons to Putin’s war arrested for protesting.
How about free elections? Well, Alexie Navalny had a vision for Russia that challenged your gangster Putin. So Alexie was poisoned. Then Putin had him arrested, and tortured him in prison before murdering him.
Well.
How about freedom of religion? Nope. You will be arrested if you practice a religion not approved by gangster Putin.
So. There is a clear difference between the west, and the communists/gangsters that rule Russia.
We now have two new members of NATO. Nations that would not have joined except for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
How many hundreds of thousands of Russians do you plan to have killed in gangster Putin’s way, Brian?
Your living in an alternate reality. Russia is a predominately Christian country that respects the various religions of the 100+ nationalities that comprise Russians.
They didn’t shame the Native people for speaking their languages or mass rape Native children in boarding schools as was done here in Alaska.
Alexie Navalny is better known here than in Russia, less than 5% of their people ever heard of him. The fact you describe Russia as communist highlights your complete ignorance of Russian politics or governance. And have no clue where the power is concentrated or how Russia or the US is actually governed.
Joining NATO is more suicidal for security than joining the EU or becoming an ally of America. NATO is a pathetic joke, look how Afghanistan worked out. Tribesmen with AK-47s whooped NATO and America’s rears and sent us packing, literally dropping living people off planes in sheer panic.
Brain, gangster Putin is a card carrying communist. That is a fact. Its also a fact that Putin is your dictator. You don’t have free speech, you don’t have freedom of religion. Ask anyone who has traveled to Russia to spread the gospel. They can’t.
And yes, I recall the invasion of Afghanistan. Your communist butts got kicked really hard- until you communists packed up your bags and went home- in defeat. Bwaahaha.
Say, how’s that three day war going in Ukraine? What- hundreds of thousands of dead Russians.
You’re getting exactly what you deserve- by NATO members. Bwaahaha.
A friend of mine, Ukrainian, born in Kursk, and has to travel to renew his visa every few months says after I asked him how his family was faring in the war says: I got most of my family out to Poland. The Russians want to break the will of our people and make them slaves. It is our land. Shopping centers, hospitals, schools, apartment buildings… all rubble. Women, children (his eyes start to tear up)… “No one likes Russians any more.”
Alexander forgets that it is the communists who want to take over the world – Marx, Lenin, Stalin all put that in writing. No, the U.S. is not innocent of corruption – as is the state of the entire world – but we are far freer than most other countries, a value I hold dearly.