So far, the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing and has not yet been concluded or summarized. This incident reminded me of the situation in Japan with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Hungarian uprising, and the Czech and Slovak incidents.
It is still a tragic situation. I prayed for peace in Ukraine and thought about the current situation of our country.
The Hungarian uprising was not in the memory of our generation, and you can read about the tragic situation in Hungary in Ikegami and Sato's "True Story: A History of the Japanese Left" on page 170 (Kodansha Gendai Shinsho). The speech broadcast by Prime Minister Naji Imre before he was killed is heartbreaking. I think it was the withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact that turned the tide against the Soviet Union. Ukraine is now on that path.
I remember well the Soviet invasion of the Czech Republic. At that time I was doing Zen meditation at a Zen temple in Ogikubo during my summer vacation. After zazen, I took a bus to the Ogikubo station, and was astonished to see the Soviet invasion of the Czech Republic on the front page of a newspaper spread out by an old man riding with me. I was astonished to see the Soviet Union's invasion of the Czech Republic on the front page of the newspaper. After that, I realized that this was no time for zazen and that I should engage more in politics.
The "Prague Spring" was all over the newspapers at the time. I wondered how it was possible for a socialist country to liberalize its economy to some extent. No matter what I thought, it seemed impossible. That thought has not changed. In the end, it is going to be capitalism, which is nothing but liberalization. I think that is what the leaders of the Soviet Union must have thought. Currently, China is implementing this system, but it seems to me that it is getting overwhelmed somewhere. Or perhaps China is no longer communist, but rather in a different political form that should be called absolutism.
It was predicted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would be carried out from three places. It went almost as expected. I was more surprised by the weakness of the defense system against the invasion than by the invasion itself. Was there such a large disparity in the ratio of forces? If so, then some action should have been taken before the invasion of Russia.
Anyway, why did it give up its nuclear weapons and other modern military equipment that it had already possessed? It may be that Russia asked for it and Ukraine complied, but some sort of response must have been necessary. In the end, it seems that Ukraine cannot maintain its independence unless it is heavily armed like Switzerland. In any case, the idea of being unarmed is ridiculous.
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was a great success. The same is true this time, as well as in Hungary and the Czech Republic, where a preemptive strike would be beneficial. By the way, did Russia declare war? Because of the delay, our country was later vilified by the international community. If Russia had taken control of the whole of Ukraine militarily, how would Russia respond afterwards? If there is a separate will of Ukraine, how can such a will be frustrated? Will Russia remain in place until the necessary time? We have seen many uniformed periods in Afghanistan, and we have seen that the will of the Afghans could not be bent. Even if the Russians stay, it is highly unlikely that they will achieve anything significant. If they walk away, Ukraine will again follow its own will and act.
4. The capital is said to be Kiev. Why didn't they move the capital beforehand? Kiev is too close to Belarus. Shouldn't it have been placed on the Polish side?
It is said that if you occupy the capital of an enemy country, you will be resented by that country for a long time. It is said that if you occupy the capital of an enemy country, you will be resented by that country for a long time. During the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia occupied Paris, and it was true. It is said that Bismarck of Prussia strongly discouraged Emperor Frederick who wanted to occupy Paris. According to the historical facts, Hitler and his bureaucrats were not destined for a happy life after the occupation of Paris. Russia (the Soviet Union) occupied the German capital in the last war, and not only occupied it for a long time, but Germany seems to have forgotten its grudge after that. The people of Japan, too, had their imperial capital overrun by the U.S. for a long time, but most of the people today don't seem to think anything of it. When I turn on the television, I am amazed to see that even in the midst of the turmoil in Ukraine, it is filled with gourmet food programs and stories about the Japanese people. Which one of them is really right, considering this?
The situation in the 5.5 war is still unclear, but the war may still be unfolding. Although it is unclear whether or not a puppet government will be formed, Eizo Hori's view is that luring the enemy forces deep into our bosom and then fighting them with guerrilla warfare will cause the greatest loss to the enemy. In the latter half of the Greater East Asia War, the Imperial Army was able to force the U.S. forces to suffer heavy losses by that strategy. Will Ukraine choose that path or will it follow the path of subjugation with the puppet regime? If it wants to take over the war, perhaps the president should leave the country and form a government in exile.
As another option, we can refer to the case of Finland when the then Soviet Union illegally invaded Finland and Finland, like our country in the past, stood up to the enemy's invitation knowing the disadvantages and fought the battle knowing that it would be a losing one. The front line commander urged the central part of the country to conclude a peace treaty with the enemy while the national army was still alive, which was an appropriate response. It is also a good idea for Ukraine to conclude a peace treaty with Russia while it is still alive.
Notes
1. Incidentally, according to the same book, Russia (USSR) does not believe that "borders are viewed not as lines but as planes, and that (omissions) lines can physically separate them from other countries" (page 69). This is a good example of the dangerous situation Ukraine finds itself in. It is said that Russia always seeks a buffer zone between other countries. This sense is important. Fortunately, Japan is surrounded by the sea, so the need for such a buffer zone has been rare. However, with today's advanced means of transportation, and especially with the possibility of attacks from high altitudes, including attacks from space, the buffer zone that the sea used to provide is becoming less and less important. Realistically, it is important to build a buffer zone between us and our enemies. In this regard, South Korea and Taiwan are important. If these countries turn to the enemy, our country will be directly confronted by the enemy. For the same reason, the return of the Northern Territories is also unlikely.