Mental Callisthenics with Uncle Il’ko (3)

By Oksana Bashuk Hepburn

The phone is ringing. 

“It’s a Trojan Horse and we’d be horses’ asses if we fell for it.”

It’s Vuyko Il’ko.  I don’t interrupt his mental callisthenics - usually musings about Ukraine - hoping to catch the drift of his call as he charges on.

“It’s you.  You started the idea that Russia needs to become a good neighbour to Ukraine like the U.S. is to Canada if it wants to alter its global image.  Now Medvedev is proclaiming an era of sweetness and light from The Kremlin.”

Aha!  Uncle Il’ko’s referring to my articles; perhaps in the Ottawa Citizen – “Call Communist  Atrocities by What They Are”.  It concludes with a call for Russia to go forward by admitting to its bloody past.

“Russia’s president says it must acknowledge its heinous past.  This is blarney given its refusal to admit starving 10 million Ukrainians and bombing children in schools. But I have a plan.  Are you listening?”

“To you always, Unkle Il’ko.”

He proposes that Canada’s Ukrainian community take a lead in drafting terms of reference to measure Russia’s progress towards becoming a kinder gentler state.  The document is to cover progress on internal issues - freedom of speech and elections in Russia - and external ones like ending political and industrial spying in the Western World. 

“And it must stop bad-mouthing Ukraine.  Do you realize that nearly 70% of Russians consider Ukraine an enemy state?  The Kremlin is determined to attack chachly, as it calls us, by first mounting a campaign for the hearts and minds of Russians. Create a boogey man then attack.  Standard practice.  Worked against those poor freedom-fighting Chechens. It is now widely accepted that Putin ordered the bombing of the apartment building in Moscow.  Killed over 100 people and blamed it on “terrorist” Chechens.  Became the “saviour” of his people.  Again in Beslan.  And baiting little Georgia.  Now it’s time to undercut Ukraine.”

Uncle Il’ko knows political machinations.  He’s a well-honed strategist from days in Ottawa’s corridors of power.  Intrigued with the terms of reference idea, I seek elaboration.  

“If Russia wants inclusion in the ‘civilized’ world community” he continues, “it must cease aggression with Ukraine, with: 

-     No threats of nuclear retaliation against Ukraine—not even a peep;

-     No negative noise about Ukraine’s interest in NATO;

-     No issuing of Russian passports in Crimea;

-     No masking of integration with Russia via the Moscow Patriarch’s call for one Orthodox Church controlled by Moscow.”

I sense he’s drafting the document as he speaks, as if he were back in Ottawa advising ministers.

“Uncle Il’ku, that will never happen.”

“Oh yea of little faith! Not the point. Point is: set standards Russia needs to meet if it wants a better image.  Control the agenda.”

“Just being realistic, Uncle Il’ku.  But you’re right: President Medvedev has been talking consistently about a better image.  Even saying Russia must admit to its wicked past.”

“Exactly.  And who better than Ukraine to call him on that?  And since Russia does not think in accountability terms, we must; the Ukrainians in Canada, for starters.”

“You mean the Ukrainian Canadian Congress?”

“Why not?  Enterprising executive minds know how it’s done: Jack up the pressure on Medvedev; put the idea to the World Congress; talk it up with the Ukrainian and other governments.  Political reality is the offering of policy options - like this one - by far superior to photo ops with politicians masquerading as policy.”

He’s usually ahead of the game on matters Ukrainian.  Perhaps this could be a fine bold initiative.  It’s the way Westerners evaluate their leaders’ performance: measure results against promises. Before I can offer support, he’s changed the subject.

“I did not agree with Jeffrey Simpson’s logic in The Globe the other day.  He compared McCarthy’s era to the U.S. right today.  The thirties were ripe with Communist infiltration in the U.S. and Britain - the Magnificent Five, Philby’s crowd in MI5 that defected to Russia.  And while the famine raged in Ukraine, Roosevelt recognized the USSR and Time magazine’s Man of the Year Award was given to Koba.  No question Communists were advancing. 

“Who’s Koba?”

“Stalin’s nom de guerre.  Read Koba the Dread by Martin Amis.  That’s the distance Russia must put between now and its murderous past.  By the way, the elder Amis, Martin’s father was a serious lefty in London; Philby’s gang.  All in the book.  Brilliant.  And read Witness by Whittaker Chambers, an insider’s scoop on the Communist Party of American. Told all during the McCarthy hearings.  Put Hess in jail. Today, Russia is penetrating America - everywhere. Hardly yesterday’s story. Simply more recherch.”

“Is that the Trojan Horse?  The refined methodology?”

“Exactly.  And who, better than Ukrainians, know the duplicity of words?  We need to hold The Kremlin accountable. Talk to UCC.  Must go.  Off to participate in the tribute to liberty event.  The Ottawa monument will remind everyone of the 100 million victims of Communism. You did well to write that piece.  A small but worthy triumph.”