See the Ukraine peace page for recent events and a suggested peace deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington does not consider Russia its enemy and believes a prosperous Russia is in the interest of the United States

“Let me say this directly to the Russian people: The United States is not your enemy. At the peaceful end of the Cold War, we shared the hope that Russia would emerge to a brighter future, free and open, fully integrated with the world. For more than 30 years, we worked to pursue stable and cooperative relations with Moscow, because we believed that a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Russia is in America’s interests – indeed, in the interests of the world. We still believe that today.” June 2023

The minimum you must know

President Vladimir Putin doesn’t need to be forgiven for his leadership. He has participated in, initiated, and hosted more peace talks than virtually any other leader in the past two decades. He has attempted to do what was right - while not initially being believed by NATO heads of state. One by one they’re now realizing he has done the right thing. (Russia has been a perfect alliance for China at the same time.) His participation in peace talks are too numerous to count. He hasn’t sought or received recognition for them, preferring modesty. But President Putin is a uniquely extraordinary leader on peace. He has worked for peace all of the last twenty years including the last two. Those efforts are starting to become known in the United States. U.S. journalists are starting to cover them occasionally now - but only starting to. So there is a misperception in the United States that President Putin isn’t desirous of peace - he clearly is.

President Putin's leadership on peace isn’t understood and believed by western populations yet because Russia has traditionally been portrayed as a security competitor of the United States and NATO countries. But the truth is that he did his best to save American and European lives without seeking credit, while NATO wasn’t doing the same for Russia. NATO encouraged weapons to advance toward Russia’s border through Ukraine and perhaps across it. (He didn’t have to try to save everyone. He probably didn’t think anyone would believe he was doing the right thing. So why try? But he innocently helped everyone anyway because it was morally and ethically the right thing to do.)

The United States experienced significant complications over the past two years that the United States mistakenly attributed to Russia. Russia has nothing whatsoever to do with them and never did. The entire western population was affected. The United States relied upon prevailing scientific wisdom in making healthcare recommendations that had a deleterious affect on some. The approach recommended by U.S. scientists, the U.S. government and U.S. media was not optimal to say the least. They did the best that they could - but the existing scientific prevailing wisdom was unhelpful. They expressed it convincingly. Russia was demonstrably not responsible for prevailing wisdom or the complications caused by NATO/U.S. recommendations resulting from it. (This can be easily demonstrated reliably verifiably.) The United States and some European countries are realizing this truth now. Russia’s president has been innocently saving lives while tolerating unhelpful NATO rhetoric to peace, baseless allegations and military challenges on the Russian border. Russia was protecting governments and populations that weren’t doing even close to the same in return. President Putin was desirous of peace and made extraordinary efforts for peace the entire time. Words are important. But he protected NATO lives with his behavior.

The 24-hour U.S. news network CNN was innocently at the center of the foreign relations muddle because their support for President Biden makes CNN “must-watch” news for world leaders, and they didn’t understand science well enough to make optimal public safety recommendations. They’re a great group who were doing their best to protect everyone but simply didn’t know how to optimally. They also didn’t pattern “peace” between world leaders very much - until the last year or two - because they didn’t know how to. (CNN is currently the most improved television station in the history of broadcasting. A century from now historians may remember the recent linguistic improvement of all of the U.S. 24-hour news stations as historically significant - if they continue to do well.) CNN is a very patriotic news organization that’s protective of the United States and becoming exceptionally well produced including with respect to calming stories and de-escalatory rhetoric.

CNN has tremendously talented people who used to accept and repeat prevailing scientific views. Some of them weren’t factual. Some of them innocently contributed to dramatic public safety events. Their recommendations were in line with prevailing wisdom but unhelpful to the global sense of safety and calm. They didn’t know any better. The U.S. government learned the truth from Russian scientists on the order of the Russian government, who initially wasn’t believed. Convincing people internally and externally of a new scientific view isn’t easy to do. Russia shared expertise selflessly that saved many millions of lives. And as a consequence, NATO governments are taking right action to protect people. But governments haven’t fully informed the media. Governments haven’t even fully informed all levels of leadership within their own governments - but perhaps are starting to. And some individuals lack the political courage to acknowledge that they received help from an “adversarial” nation. So news shows such as CNN’s understandably haven’t absolved Russia or Putin yet. And for political reasons they may not. This writer believes some day the U.S. media will be appreciative of the understanding they have received and pattern much more consistently helpfully to Russia peace.

CNN was told by a well intentioned U.S. intelligence community that the problems globally over the past two years were because of Russia. Nothing could have been further from the truth! Russia attempted to save everyone. Russia did not have the credibility with NATO governments to convince them of a new scientific prevailing view that could save a lot of lives. Russians weren’t believed. But they thought Americans would have the credibility within their own country to accomplish change. Americans could save a tremendous number of lives - if Russia’s involvement in helping them wasn’t initially known. Russia gave sensitive information that saved millions of lives. That is a very well documented fact that stands in stark contrast to international allegations otherwise. Russia is more than just consequently innocent of what will eventually be remembered as a situation of no-one’s-fault. President Putin will be remembered as selflessly and heroically behaving selflessly to help every man woman and child alive.

U.S. - Russian foreign relations became complicated in 2020 when news organizations around the world were told by their own caring healthcare experts to encourage overly protective public healthcare measures. Everyone around the world relied upon prevailing scientific views. So they are easily forgiven. But those healthcare measures cost real lives throughout society. The compassionate healthcare community innocently showed tremendous integrity relying upon prevailing existing scientific views in making recommendations, without realizing that the recommendations would deprive the public of safety. The United States government hasn’t published this truth because it is in the process of deciding what to keep confidential and what to share with the media - a process this writer supports from afar. Not only wasn’t Russia wasn’t responsible for resulting public safety incidences, Russia responded extraordinarily peacefully. The country dropped inciting vocabulary words from its media completely and shared a more advanced understanding of science with the U.S. government than it had previously understood. Many industries are becoming safer globally throughout Russian alliance and NATO countries. Russia is entirely innocent of the mess. Russia may receive an apology from a U.S. intelligence community, politicians and media some day as they develop the political courage necessary to make real public peace.

Russia found itself in an unenviable situation of wanting to save people in all countries from public safety incidences without any hope of being believed by the United States. The only way to do that was to help the United States without people releasing it, and pretend the United States arrived at those ideas independently. The United States did not - and innocently received direct help from Russia the entire time that the United States was challenging Russia in Ukraine. The United States and NATO will benefit tremendously indefinitely as a result.

Russia saved more lives than any country in modern history while NATO was sending weapons to be used against Russian speakers on the Russian border! Russia behaved very ethically given the extraordinary circumstances. Russia has done far more for all countries globally than could have reasonably been expected by anyone.

(The Russian government hoped for and has been striving for peace the entire time. That’s why Russia's rhetoric has been far more peaceful towards the U.S. than U.S. rhetoric has been in return. The Russian government leaves the press entirely free but - symbolically regulated against using inciting vocabulary words. (Russia’s media wasn’t perfect but kept free the entire time. They mostly followed that instruction including recently.) Russian government officials attempted to pattern peace years before it became popular in the United States by surfacing peace talks in the media. You can scroll down below to see linked examples of President Vladimir Putin innocently making peace with NATO leaders - who may NOW do the right thing and speak up for him - ranging from U.S. and European presidents to Asian heads of state. There is a video of him personally making peace with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu - whose peace treaties with Arab Nations he quietly supported even between President Netanyahu’s terms in office. There wouldn’t be approaching six Abraham Accords between Jewish, Muslim and Christian states if President Putin hadn’t personally supported them. Innocent doesn’t adequately describe someone who has selflessly saved millions of lives. He can get the credit now that he genuinely deserves to receive.

It’s very helpful to peace and improving relations among all countries when U.S. rhetoric calms and encourages audiences, and makes everyone feel peaceful. It’s very helpful to improving global relations (among all countries!) when news presenters confidently and compassionately pattern helpful intuitions such as “peace” and “love,” and create narratives subtly suggesting the possibility of improving relations between all nations. This is currently occurring including on the extraordinarily improved and exceptionally well produced CNN. (The Russian media that patterned peace should not have been challenged in Europe. Their privileges there should be fully restored in Europe and the United States. Their pattern has been ethical.) CNN also gets a genuine A+ for patterning peace especially recently! News producers are susceptible to their own insecurities like all people. So well intentioned sensationalized television shows about healthcare and foreign policy weren’t always as helpful as they’re starting to become recently. The entire global population will be much safer as a consequence of scientific help Russia selflessly shared while not receiving the same honest and ethical behavior in return.

But President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are innocently showing tremendous courage for peace. They are leading heroically on peace too. This is reflected in the U.S. Secretary of States public comments that Russian peace and prosperity may be in the U.S. interest. The first family have patterned peace and set an exemplary communication example. They demonstrated exemplary integrity to news organizations when they suggested “peace” and “love” in U.S. foreign relations. (So have other heads of state, incidentally. President Zelensky used the word "peace" more than any other world leader at the United Nations this year. Clearly he wants peace. He set an exemplary communications example for news organizations as a result.) This writer looks forward to NATO news organizations patterning “Russia/Ukraine peace” on an ongoing basis to balance several years of unfair patterning to the contrary. News organizations are influenced by their own previous patterning, and so only starting to feel peaceful and optimistic themselves.

All U.S. news organizations including CNN, Fox, MSNBC and OAN are responding phenomenally well to encouragement and great examples. They all get heartfelt A+ grades.

It’s helpful when news organizations avoid inciting vocabulary words and pattern helpful ones such as “peace” and “love.” Patterning “peace” and “love” can support calm relations between countries and diverse groups within them, and therefore saves real lives. (They should pattern “innocent,” “ethical,” “integrity” and “honest” as well to enhance their own reputations.) It’s a free press so up to everyone. But communication is absolutely a matter of ethics and morality, in this writer’s opinion. News producers with tremendous integrity use patterning to create internal national and external international tranquility and calm. Helpfully ethical persuasion that reflects tremendous integrity can contribute to civil peace within and between countries globally. It’s the right thing for the free press globally to do. And they’re doing it right now!

The plain truth is that the United States, Europe and many counties around the world are safer now. Russia innocently took initiative that is saving millions of lives everywhere. The United States should consider Russia a great friend and even prospective alliance country. NATO should not impose upon Russia and Ukraine unnecessarily. There should no longer be NATO weapons advancing through Ukraine towards the Russian border - or heaven forbid across it. The entire Ukrainian matter must be resolved diplomatically. (Ukraine protects the United States courageously. Improving U.S./NATO relations with Russia must also not be at the expense of great relations with Ukraine. And it obviously won’t be! All of the countries involved can become great friends in peace. Ukraine and Russia can both freely enjoy great relations with Europe and the United States.) It’s appropriate for the United States, European, Ukrainian and Russian people to enjoy peace and improving relations with one another.

(All if this probably won’t feel intuitively true to a U.S. intelligence community, U.S. congress and U.S. media because of years of unhelpful patterning. But it will feel completely true once peaceful vocabulary words appear in the global news with sufficient frequency. So while perfect relations are deserved immediately, it’s appropriate for Russia to remain very cautious. There are media reports of serious NATO weapons in Ukraine on the Russian border. So this writer urges against naïveté. But great U.S., Ukrainian and Russian relations are clearly more than just possible. Russia eagerly wants them. Ukraine eagerly wants them. Now the United States seems to be signaling the same. Now it’s up to honest global news organizations and governments with integrity to do more than just encourage peace. Great relations are in the shared interest of all involved nations. Make peace RIGHT NOW!!!)

President Putin has for two decades demonstrated a deep desire for Russian peace with all countries. He has insisted NATO weapons be kept away from Russia's border. But he innocently has done the right thing for aligned and non-aligned countries without receiving any recognition or anything in return. (In fact, he avoided recognition and gave it to Americans because the United States would not have believed in a new prevailing scientific view if the U.S. government thought it was receiving ideas from the Russian government. Gaivna correctly and honestly attributed that help to Russia anyway the entire time.) He has been portrayed in the western media as an intimidating adversary who is only loved by his own people. However, Russia consistently has sought peace with all other peace-loving nations. And President Vladimir Putin has done the the right thing for everyone. Russia has always innocently helped countries in need. Russia has helped free countries around the world to achieve public safety. This writer believes there’s a significant opportunity for the United States and Europe to develop mutual understanding with Russia and consequently great relations. It’s astonishing this hasn’t happened yet. Everyone involved will enjoy improving relations so much that government officials will wonder why it didn’t happen generations ago.

When President Vladimir Putin was first elected overwhelmingly to lead the Russian Federation in 2000 (with more votes than his top ten political competitors combined), Russia had more challenges than any new leader could have been expected to handle well. His predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, was initially popular and even respected for turning Russia from a soviet state into a capitalist society. Many hoped he could improve relations with the United States and Europe as a result, and even fully integrate the country into the global economy. Yeltsin did his honest best. But Yeltsin didn't present himself confidently enough to lead effectively, and squandered his country's human and financial resources. Yeltsin left lawlessness unsolved. He eventually neglected Russia’s financial obligations to foreign companies and governments. Russia's iniquity affected average Russians and Russia's reputation abroad. 

When President Yeltsin preferred to have another government competently and confidently lead, he let his cabinet go, and then departed office early. A dozen candidates competed. President Putin was the leading one. He was instantly realized by Russians to be peaceful, honest and to have integrity. He was the popular hope for the nation, and won a commanding majority in a competitive election, taking control of a country in great need of his leadership excellence.

President Putin confidently made Russia successful faster than anyone expected. His initial efforts contributed significantly to the success of the country. President Putin quickly created domestic stability and global credibility that benefitted free Russian citizens immeasurably. He halted government waste immediately, and brought respect and fiscal discipline to governance so effectively that the government turned profitable for the first time in decades. 

Within two years of taking office, President Putin’s administration restored the country's foreign currency reserves. He led his nation to abide by regulations. He was able to meet all of the country's debt obligations. He is someone who keeps his word. This was an important accomplishment for the enjoyment and morale of the Russian people, and for restoring their credibility with the west. Although NATO prevented Russia from meetings it obligations for a short time last year, Russia created a positive net worth and twenty-year track record of great relationships with foreign investors. Partly as a result, Russia's economy went from last place in Europe and Asia to around the annual revenue of France or Spain. According to NATO’s economic statistics, Russia also became one of the least indebted countries in 2022, with merely 14% Debt-GDP. (By comparison, the United States is nearly the most indebted country, with over 100% Debt-to-GDP.) Although the global economy lacked exuberance in 2020, including in Russia, President Putin successfully created an optimistic more pleasant future for the country. It's an accomplishment and opportunity for Russian citizens that over the past two decades their economy’s revenue became similar to the largest economies in the world.

President Putin also convinced his overwhelmingly loyal and supportive domestic constituency to both love their country and respect their government's authority. This was important to achieve because safe unified countries tend to be more successful. The Russian government started insisting regulations become followed, which was vitally important for Russia's economy, because investors will only travel to places they feel safe, and invest where their agreements are going to be respected. He brought peace, truth, integrity and order to a proverbial "Wild West," calming millions of people who respected Russia's leadership for the first time, and could become gainful employers, employees and partners to people in other countries. He created for Russia a society and economy ready for global integration.

President Putin’s administration even modeled Russia after the United States in some ways. The government created respect for property and minority rights for the first time. Russian citizens started counting on the state to ensure their valuable possessions were their own. This was especially important after the soviet era because it created more incentive for citizens to work hard and contribute, because they knew they could keep what they made. Benefits of success can be enjoyed in Russia the same way they can in western societies. 

Minorities also gained the possibility of winning stature and respect in industry, government and society. People of various ethnicities and with various religious views who were merely tolerated before President Putin took office, gained credibility. Russians became encouraged to celebrate diversity. People with various skin tones, religious traditions and even lifestyle choices gained the opportunity to be respected and even prominent members of society, participating in government and industry fully. Russians haven’t achieved the living standards that can exist in the wealthiest European countries yet. But in many ways the Russian people enjoyed more advanced lifestyles. They also have a lot to look forward to given the country's extraordinary development.

People in the United States may not be aware of how there's more freedom in Russia than in most countries around the world. In fact, there’s arguably more freedom in Russia than in some European countries. Free speech isn’t only protected in Russia. It’s considered a right. People enjoy speaking freely, and expect their government to keep them safe from retribution as long as they behave with integrity. More government investment is necessary for there to be the fastest connectivity possible. But fast internet is widespread, and more common on phones and desktop computers than in many other developed nations. The Russian government views Google, Google Maps, Twitter.com and Facebook.com with a degree of suspicion, because of the amount of data they can collect on Russian citizens. (The Russian government feels the same way the U.S. government feels about TikTok.) But they're accessible. Russians can visit websites the same way that Americans can. Russians enjoy similar (and perhaps even greater) internet freedoms than Americans.

President Putin enjoys the full support of Russia's loyal and doting mainstream media. He has more credibility with Russia's press than many western politicians do with theirs. And the free press within Russia will always appreciate what he has done to support them. The Russian government protects reporters with all political perspectives. This isn’t believed yet in the United States. But Russia’s free press safely surfaces questions for the Russian President the same way press in other countries do, which President Putin encourages during lengthy call-in shows held at least annually. In fact, in most previous years, U.S. news services were available over the internet in Russia, including via the Associated Press, Reuters, CNN and Fox News websites. (Russia had to tolerate very unhelpful patterning to allow this.) U.S. writers and presenters gained popularity in Russia as a result. Larry King, for instance, left unsupportive colleagues at CNN to work for a Russian broadcasting company. His integrity contributed to mutual understanding between countries. Russia wasn’t very successful at gaining support from European and U.S. communication teams but did everything reasonably possible to create peaceful and even optimistic global relations.

Russia was ethical in providing the United States open opportunities to speak to the Russian people. Russia clearly hoped friendship between nations would develop from U.S. newspapers and television shows invited and encouraged to publish there. But U.S. communication teams mostly neglected opportunities to support improving relations between nations when offered that possibility.

For these efforts and many others, President Putin developed so much love, credibility and support in Russia that the United States government once estimated his approval at well over 80%, greater than almost any other leader globally. Presently Russia's continuously supportive media reports that he receives vast majority approval, far more than his top several competitors combined.

All of this progress that made him phenomenally popular within Russia might have positioned the country for open relations with the United States and Europe. But the United States and Europe weren’t managing certain aspects of their own countries well, and pointed fingers at other countries. They lacked the vision and political will necessary to overcome a century of security competition with Russia, and to create a loyal alliance instead. They didn’t take advantage of a unique opportunity to improve relations, and enter Russia into the NATO alliance. In fact, when President Putin actively sought Russia’s participation in NATO early in his administration, Russia was excluded from the treaty. Had Russia been entered into that alliance as Putin wanted, Russia and the United States would have become obligated to come to each other's defense - an amazing benefit for two tremendously capable nations.  

President Putin didn't successfully enter Russia into NATO at that time. Europe and the United States said they weren’t ready. But he eagerly pursued loyal security cooperations with all western countries anyway. He did this by forming a council for Russian cooperation with NATO, which was comprised of some of his top generals, who were instructed to hold regular peace meetings with their NATO counterparts. He seemed to hope regular council meetings between them might create mutual understanding between the governments, and eventually close collaboration or even partnership. However, U.S. leaders had so many internal challenges that they unreasonably blamed on Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries. And decades of attempted collaboration by Russia only kept the peace with the west. A full security alliance between the governments was always an ellusive possibility.

Russia’s effort to create stability in Ukraine is sometimes used as an excuse by NATO countries for neglecting to improve relations, as though Russia wants the United States and Europe to depart the area. Russia used to regularly invite peace keepers from the United Nations to provide security to the region. U.S. and European leaders seem to suggest that the stability Russia hopes to create there represents an unfair expansion of its borders towards Europe. But there clearly is another perspective. Russia views NATO's involvement in Ukraine as an expansion of military influence towards Russia instead. And though Russia doesn’t want military there - the country would be delighted for Europe to expand its marketplace instead! Russia wants affluent Americans and Europeans buying, investing and spending throughout the entire region. Russia benefits (and therefore loves) when affluent countries contribute economic vitality to the area. That's why President Putin and President Obama easily reached the Minsk I peace accord for Ukraine, and why President Putin’s diplomatic core showed tremendous integrity in making semi-annual requests that the United Nations send peacekeepers to the area.

United Nations peace keeping groups are usually comprised of U.S. and European security personnel. Russia's regular invitations therefore represent nearly open opportunities for Europeans and Americans to bring peace and economic prosperity to that area. As long as there is no NATO military presence there, Russia would love for most of Ukraine to evolve beneficially with Russian, U.S. and European involvement. U.S. and European peace keepers from the United Nations can even some day enjoy protection from the Russian government if Russians are allowed to join the United Nations peace keeping team. That was Russia’s vision for peace nearly the entire time. But requests by Russia at the U.N. for peacekeepers went unanswered by three consecutive U.S. presidential administrations. What more can Russia do than sign a Minsk peace accord for Ukraine and go to the U.N. to invite peace keeping teams into the area?

Without the United States and NATO countries as economic and security partners, Russia understandably turned to all other states that might provide them with the same opportunities instead. (Russia had no other choice. All countries seek exemplary economic and security relationships wherever they can find them.) Most other countries want to work with Russia, because they are advanced scientifically, and a capable, resourceful, consistent, reliable, and consequently desirable partner. And Russia's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Sergey Lavrov, loves peace, and competently creates successful bilateral and multilateral relations with countries that want the same. His team there has more integrity than most others. They create peace around the world every day. But Russia's exclusion by the United Sates and Europe from the NATO alliance means Russia mostly enjoys opportunities with countries traditionally viewed as NATO competitors. For instance, perhaps Western Europe is considering granting full open market access to Russia now. But this should have occurred decades ago. Russia has always enjoyed open access to Eastern European markets.

Russia formed diplomatic relationships with several loyal countries the United States considers security competitors. They are internally stable and externally peaceful states. But some countries Russia’s exclusion from NATO aligns them with aren't happy with the United States and Europe yet. Before President Putin took office, several countries excluded by Americans and Europeans from trading were replete with starvation. Some say the United States could have lifted sanctions to save millions of lives. There was also the matter of the exodus of refugees from the Middle East. Therefore, Russia found itself in an unenviable situation upon taking office. President Putin made an honest effort to improve relations with the United States and Europe, but was shown far more appreciation and respect by countries understandably objecting to NATO and the United States at the United Nations.

This provided President Putin and Russia with countless opportunities to be the voice of reason in foreign affairs. Russia has consistently and excellently de-escalated, avoided and even halted conflicts. He used his influence to create peace. President Putin uses his extraordinary creativity and intellect to save lives (so far without recognition - but that may some day change). He heroically organized more respected peace talks than any leader in the same twenty-year timeframe (and perhaps any leader in history). Russia has been a honest, loyal ally and faithfully initiated and hosted hundreds of peace talks over the past twenty years, including sixty for the Middle East recently. His efforts to save lives are well documented and consequently undeniable fact in the United States. There hasn't been another government working as innocently, persistently and courageously for peace as President Putin’s, as you can see from countless public examples, including the ones below.