Chapter 14 : The Marchent of Death
After the thorny domestic problems were temporarily resolved, Andrei, who was finally too busy, was finally free to deal with the separation crisis from the allied countries, especially the three Baltic countries namely
First, the army occupied the Vilnius Telephone Office to control the communication, and then the Lithuanian TV building was occupied to control public opinion. It seems all right, right?
Big problem.
The army clashed with civilians, killing more than a dozen civilians. This is the Don Vilnius incident. This incident caused an uproar, and Latvia took the opportunity to announce the dissolution of the Soviet government on the day of the invasion.
During the Human Wall movement, the three Baltic countries did not resort to military means, but two million people protested hand in hand, including millions of Lithuanian people, including women, old people, and children, forming a blockade one after another Wire. The Soviet Union was dumbfounded, and the news media all over the world looked at it. How could it really suppress millions of people by force?
There are less than 3 million people in Lithuania, and nearly half of them support independence. Do you still want to keep your foundation? Even if you order force to suppress it, are your subordinates really willing to kill half of the people in the allied countries?
The moment Gorbachev proposed political pluralisum it broke down the last string of Soviet territorial integrity.
Although the territory of the Soviet Union is huge, none of it is superfluous. As an important springboard for threatening Western Europe and suppressing NATO, the three Baltic countries are also Soviet 's strategic buffer zone on the frontier of the Baltic Sea. If they really want to go out independently, Anderi won't agree.
In March of this year,Singing Revolution took place in Estonia and Latvia vote more than 3-to-1 in favor of independence from the Soviet Union. Lithuania had already declared unilateral independence.
Also there is growing separatist movement in Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. But they are not as serious as those in the Baltic countries.
Of course the top leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union refused to admit it. Although Gorbachev's new alliance treaty gave these joining countries the hope of independence. But the coup of the State of Emergency Committee has cast a cloud of gloom on the minds of these independents.
Estonian President Arnold Rutter, who is still visiting Finland, heard the news of the successful coup, he made preparations to establish a government in exile.
Anderi thought about using the army to advance into Czechoslovakia like inthe Prague Spring, but faced with the Soviet Union's internal and external troubles, he still dismissed this idea.
War is a continuation of political helplessness.
Although he doesn't mind turning back the three Baltic countries to stone age, he still has to spend a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to defend the hard-won fruits of victory, which is not worth it.
For example, it was easy to kill Saddam Hussein's troops in the beheading operation in the Iraq War, but how to deal with the endless guerrilla and suicide attacks after the war has always been a headache for the US finances.
The Soviet Union suffered from the graveyard of the Afghanistan, so in any case, Andrei did not want to use war to solve the problem.
As for diplomatic pressure? Who can't see that the current red polar bear isn't in a stable position?
For this reason, he needs to discuss this issue with Minister of Defense Yazov. After all, Yazov, as the former leader of the Central Army, does have more say in this issue than the one who talks on paper.
The one eyed, eye patch wearing Minister of Defense's answer surprised him.
"War? The current economic situation in the Soviet Union is very unfortunate If we start a war again, I really can't imagine the conciquences, With all due respect, General Secretary Yanayev i advice against lt., " Yazov answered calmly.
(Now that's how a defence minister talks, precisely and realistically.) Since even the top military and political officials were unwilling to use war, Andrei felt relieved.
But there was an uproar in the council,
" Yazov how dare you? Are you saying that we should abandon our comrades in the Baltic to those reactionary thugs? " Yanayav, still the vice President roared angrlily.
"Moreover, Estonia's oil shale reserves are as high as 15 billion tons, with an annual output of 35 million tons, accounting for 80% of the total oil shale output of the former Soviet Union. No matter how you look at it, it is a strategic location that cannot be abandoned." Natalia laid out the statistics. Newly joined Ryzhkov also noded.
" What's more important is the way we'll deal with the Baltic countries will determine how the other allied countries will react. If the Baltic goes independent it will create a chain reaction and the allied countries will follow suit."
" So what's your advice comrade Pugo?" Andrei asked expectantly.
The old soviet leader replied,
"Instead of working so hard to maintain a dilapidated country after the war, it's better to forge a new one in fire."
(Hmm...) Honestly Anderi was impressed with his cabinet. It was originally made of political compromise, but surprisingly he found many talents.
Everyone looked at him it was clear he is the on who has to make the difficult choice. It will be the first test.
Andrei was a bit annoyed that his threat doesn't seem has much effect. Last night he received report of increased CIA support for the bultic separatists. Obviously Bush played him,
(Well to think i can scare a seasoned politician like Bush by a threat is a fantasy . I should have known better.)
Iceland and a few other micronatian countries under Amarican influence recognition of the independence of Baltic countries is a clear slap in face of Andrei.
As if showing up in your neighbour's wedding ceremony with more pompous than than the couple. An attempt to humiliate the Soviet union.
"This can't continue."
Andrei spoke, " Well Bush I'll accept your challenge. " Then he looked at his cabinet meeting,
"Just wait and watch."
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Just in the outskirts of Moscow, a car stopped in front of a dilapidated apartment building, and the driver turned his head and said to Andrei, "Your Excellency, we are here."
"Oh, yes. You can wait for us downstairs." He nodded. In the corridor, the two of them came to a dilapidated iron door. Plekhanov glanced at the houses of poor people, and then knocked on the iron door.
"Who is it?" A rough voice came from behind the iron door, followed by the noise of knocking something over, and a man's swearing and complaining. If it wasn't for the obvious human voice, he would have thought there was a Siberian brown bear locked behind the door.
The door was opened, and a man with messy hair poked his head out. He glanced at the two people standing outside the door and said impatiently, "Didn't you tell me? I'll return it to you in a few days. You guys Why is it so annoying! I'll pay you later, now get lost?"
Seeing that the other party obviously misunderstood something, Plekhanov took out his KGB ID from his arms, and said to the drunk at the door in a cold voice, "I'm not interested in who you owe, but you'd better look at it." who are we."
Victor Bout's eyes widened when he saw Plekhanov's ID. The wine that was originally slightly drunk also woke up in an instant. He waved his hands in a panic and said, "Sir, listen to me, what I just said was not aimed at you..."
"Could it be aimed at me? Comrade Victor." Yanayev suddenly blurted out a fluent Ukrainian, "Standing next to you is Plekhanov, the leader of the Ninth Bureau of the KGB. Those offensive and disrespectful words you just said Is that enough for the KGB to send you in?"
Not to mention Victor's astonishment, even Plekhanov was surprised. Because Andrei never claimed to have learned Ukrainian, how did he achieve his sudden fluency in ?
Now that the other party had already spoken, Victor replied in Russian , "I'm sorry sir, I apologize for my rude behavior just now. If he is really the leader of the Ninth Bureau of the KGB, You must be a big shot, too. "
Andrei smiled, walked directly past Victor, walked into the hut where he had messed up in the dump, and turned to him this time in Russian, "You really should read the news, Comrade Victor. Standing in front of you is the latest new leader of the Soviet Union. Oh yes, my name is Yanayev."
Yanayev looked around, saw the MON-50 on the table, and immediately changed his expression slightly. In order not to make Plekhanov feel bad, he gently picked up a piece of clothing and covered it before he came in, and then said to Victor, "It seems that you are very concerned about the creditor, but I don't care about it." Find out how the things on your table came to be. You know that according to the law, it is enough for you to spend the rest of your life in a colder and damper cell."
Andrei put out the he profile of a person that the KGB had specially obtained for him. A photo was pasted in the upper left corner of the profile. The man in the photo had a mediocre appearance, a scruffy beard, and an unremarkable resume. Even the background information was only a few words. It doesn't look like a potential little guy who will be favored by Moscow's high-level.
"Entered the Air Force in 1986 as a navigator, and then he was sent to the Moscow Military Institute of Foreign Languages to study foreign languages. In 1988, he entered the Moscow Military Institute of Foreign Languages to study foreign languages. He is proficient in Russian, Uzbek, English, Portuguese and French. Well, it is true that you has a very high language talent as the legend says, and you is indeed a good candidate."
Victor's expression became very exciting in an instant, Andrei briefly changed the topic, "But you like to have the supreme leader standing in your hut so awkwardly. Oh, To be honest, how many days has this place not been cleaned?"
Victor woke up as if he had just woken up from a dream, and hurried in to tidy up the room, making room for Yanayev to sit. After Yanayev sat down, he asked straight to the point, "I'll just ask you a question, are you interested in working for me?"
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"Who is this person? He deserves to be interviewed by the general secretary in person. No matter how you look at his resume, he is an ordinary Air Force ground crew." Natasha asked in a low voice. A woman's nature is to be curious, though she knew she shouldn't ask but she asked anyway .
"Oh?" Andrei tilted his head "This guy named Victor Bout is indeed a mediocre guy who can't be more mediocre, no matter how you look at it. But Natasha, you have to remember that the most important thing to look at a person is not what he has done in the past, but what he can do and what he will do in the future."
Natasha simple stared at him with big eyes, Andrei found it cute.
For Andrei, Victor Bout's past is not important, but in the future he has a very special nickname, "Death Merchant". From being engaged in the arms business in 1992 to becoming one of the few arms dealers in the world, in less than ten years, his worth has reached 6 billion pounds. And his deeds were even made into a movie, yes, the "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage.
Of course, there is no way to tell Natasha about these things. Since Victor is an excellent businessman, Andrei, who has always been eclectic in hiring people, doesn't mind letting him be in charge of some shady affairs of the Soviet government like black trade.
Victor Bout was also an important pawn in Andrei's plan to save the Soviets.
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On the second day after the meeting ended, the leaders of the three Baltic countries finally got a response after long waiting.
The Soviet Union expressed that the Genaral Secratary was willing to conduct friendly consultations on the independence of the joining countries and jointly discuss the future direction of the joining countries.
Moreover, he also suggested that the venue of the talks be set up in Tallinn, Estonia. This kind of behavior fully shows that he came with peace and friendship. As for whether that means peace or nuclear peace, only Andrei himself knows .
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