Yevgeny Prigozhin, Founder of Russia’s Wagner Group
June 1, 1961 to August 23, 2023
Cause of Death: Hand Grenade Detonated in Airplane
Dear President Trump,
“There was a time when my name would still be vivid. Not today. Events happen, splashes occur, and then the world moves on. I was once Page 1, now you have to go to Wikipedia to get the story. Courage has a long life; manipulation, well, it is quickly forgotten.
I failed to move boundaries. I reached for fame but came up short. In the end, Vladimir, yes, that one, had the juice. Putin’s aim was singular. Move over, Peter, here comes Vladimir, Vladimir the Great!
Once I was a key part of Vladimir’s script. And then I wasn’t. First, he needed the Wagner Group, our well-trained military; and then, well, the North Koreans were ready to be supplicants. My knee didn’t bend enough.
But the real head turner was when you, Donald J Trump, decided to join the North Koreans. Donald, you must remember, I once was crucial and now speak from the grave. Look over your shoulder, my death in August of 2023 is not that far back.
Vladimir has bet his place in history on the backs of Russian soldiers, indeed all Russians. He has murdered, no this is war, he has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians as well, toward a singular end: victory over Ukraine. Only the US has the weight to push back—to lead the Allies. Putin is counting on you to stand down.
Donald, as you feint, he will parry and back and forth. His ambition demands subservience—I doubt the MAGA crowd wants you to be supine. Just remember this letter reaches you from the grave. I couldn’t join with the victims; you can.
Yours Truly,
Yevgeny
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
0 Responses
Very powerful comment, Al. Trump upsets me almost every day, but how he is treating the Ukrainians remains at the top of my list. The issue is not hard to understand: Putin invaded, Ukraine is fighting back to save its country. Why is there any question that this is a situation where we should act to save people — both in Ukraine and Europe — and ideals worth living and fighting for — like self governance and the rule of law not power?
I agree. It breaks my heart and infuriates me that my country is not standing up for an ally. We will long regret not stopping Putin.
We need to stop the malignancy of both Putin and Trump. They can not be appeased, only stopped in their tracks.
Hi Al. Excellent and thought-provoking article! Prigozhin’s demise (as would be the demise of any other Russian oligarch who might cross Putin), would include Trump politically, if America’s “Strongman” openly or overtly condemned one or more of Putin’s murderous atrocities.
Ukraine will be allowed to suffer Putin’s ongoing blitzkrieg and Ukrainians will be allowed to live in abject fear of eventual Russian control because Trump isn’t a “Strongman” at all, either politically or morally. Trump is a Putin “Wannabe” who doesn’t dare ire his Russian overlord. Apparently, the consequences of such a challenge to Putin’s control are too severe for our American weakling to test.
Trump isn’t even willing to stand up and show support for NATO’s European democracies. As a “Wannabe Strongman”, Trump has yet to establish his dictatorship over Americans before he can take his place among the world’s most degenerate monsters. Prigozhin jumped the gun (so to speak) and paid the ultimate price for presuming a high status with Putin and died when his plane crashed. I suppose Putin’s fingerprints would have too overtly clear had Prigozhin died from yet another fall from a 14th floor Moscow window like many other Russian dissidents.
I trust that Trump swallowed hard when he heard of Yevgeny’s fate, so he continues to mind his “Ps and Qs” with Putin, even if it means handing Ukraine’s democracy over to Putin. I interpret any wimpy Trump pronouncement about Zelenskyy or Ukraine to Putin’s advanced approval. As an American I believe we are disgraced by Trump in the eyes of the free world.
Trump and most Americans understand Putin’s goal is to reunite the USSR by coercion. That Trump undermines NATO members (some of which are former USSR satellite states) should outrage most every patriotic American. Yet, virtually every Republican member of both Houses of Congress becomes Trump’s accomplice in his betrayal of America’s history and tradition.
There is a lesson in all this for every American citizen. Bowing to a Putin wannabe like Donald Trump in his efforts to establish a Putin-styled American autocracy is tantamount to Yevgeny Prigozhin thinking he had demonstrated adequate loyalty and homage to his leader. Americans who believe they can ever demonstrate adequate loyalty or homage to Trump need to review the statements of his former cabinet members and White House advisors, most of whom quit or were fired. John Kelly, Mark Milley, Mike Pence, Mark Esper, James Mattis, John Bolton, Rex Tillerson, Liz Cheney, Michael Cohen, Cassidy Hutchinson, HR McMaster, Nikki Haley, Jeff Sessions, Ty Cobb (his former attorney), and so many others, virtually all Republicans, have referred to this man who they worked with closely, as a fascist, con man, predator, cheat and moron.
Republicans like Marco Rubio once called Trump con artist and is now sucking up on a daily basis. Rubio’s predictions are eerily accurate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JEUGjyROw4