RUSSIA IS A REGIONAL POWER, DECLARES PRESIDENT OBAMA.

Icheoku says it is official - Russia is no longer a super (world) power. It is a mere regional power and that region is within the Caucuses enclave only, no more, no less, period. According to United States President Obama, it is the inferiority complex Russia is suffering from their much degraded status from a former super power to a mere regional power that has forced them into the overdrive of seeking relevance and influence by all means necessary, which led to their invasion of neighboring Ukrainian Crimea? President Barack Obama, the official leader of the free world, made this known while further canvassing for a peaceful resolution of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The president inferred that it is not out of fear of the Russians or that they might win in an all out war with the West that is motivating the West's desire for a peaceful resolution of the aggression; rather it is to avoid sending the entire world in a dangerous downward spiral whose end no one can predict. Aggression or bullying is always a mark of weakness and not strength and this is what Russian Vladimir Putin exhibited when he sneaked into Ukrainian Crimea under the cover of darkness and blatant lies and grabbed their land. This petulant behavior of Vladimir Putin cannot and should not be tolerated or condoned by any peace-loving world citizen. 

Icheoku says what Western Powers have been protecting Russia from, in order to leave Russians' pride intact, has been outed and the only one to blame for this is the former KGB spy chief Vladimir Putin. Russia ceased to be world power decades ago following the implosion of the forcibly clobbered together Union of Socialists Soviet Republics aka Soviet Union. Since then, what remains of Russia has been on a steady decline and barely hanging in there; and suddenly tired of remaining the underdog, dictator Vladimir Putin is now rattling his sabre and saying, hey world, Russia is still here o! For all intent and purpose, Russia has been living a lie and under the afterburners of their former "glory" that they are still relevant in the world; but ask them when last they played any major role in world peace-making or keeping; or rushing to the aid of any country smitten with disaster and their hands are up in the air in surrender. But they miscalculated in Ukrainian Crimea and now the only authentic leader of the world and president of the one and only surviving true super world power has given that dog its true name - a regional power. 

Russia is a regional power in so far as the Caucuses is concerned from the east-border with Ukraine eastwards. Also, Russia has no true friends left in the world except for some rogue dictators with whom they do arms deals. Icheoku asks where has Russians been to lately to project their power - in relief efforts to needy parts of the world or provide peace effort? Apparently, they cannot even take care of their own population, over ten million of who are refugees in America, both economic and political refugees that is. They equally do not answer present in intervention forces to maintain world peace or participate in world's concerted effort to fight and defeat terrorism? Icheoku strongly believes that the West can kick Russians' butt in the event of an all-out war but is cautious that the rest of the world might be dragged into untold hardship and difficulty in a conflict. This will also force various countries into dealing with issues that they ordinarily would not or are not well equipped to because of America's engagement. 

The good news is that imposed sanctions are beginning to take a bite out of Russian economy already and an all out shooting war might not after-all be necessary to force Russia's about-turn in Ukrainian Crimea. A sign of this development is that Russia has been forced to make a u-turn and has entered into immediate talks with the Ukrainian government which they had hitherto refused to recognize as legitimate. Icheoku can confirm that following a flurry of phone calls between Kiev and Moscow, Russia and Ukraine foreign ministers met and held talks for the first time in a face to face meeting today. Who says all masquerades are equal?

Icheoku feels obliged to point out one fact of consequence - that gentle giants still exists and that can be found in the United States of America. A country which can conquer and take over so many countries but chooses not to; and even the mini-me Cuba still freely runs off its mouth within ninety miles of its backwaters. This is what Icheoku calls real strength - having the restraint ability and not throwing your weight around just because you can. It is the doctrine of you can easily do it but chose not to. It is discipline and it is the hallmark of a great one and America is the greatest country on the face of the earth as presently constituted or known to mankind. 

Going back into history, America has fought and won so many wars BUT none of which it ever started or was the aggressor? It is also instructive that but for Vietnam and the Bay of Pigs from where they withdrew, they never lost any of the wars. America first fought off the British colonialist in their war of independence, they fought and defeated the Spaniards over southern territories, they fought and defeated Mexico over territories, they fought and defeated Nazi Germany, Mussolini's fascist Italy, Japan's provocation and most recently the armies of Saddam Hussein as well as Al Quieda in Afghanistan. They also knocked  out Gaddafi's short lived resistance in Libya. Remarkably though, they did not occupy any of these countries but rebuilt them and handed them over back to the people. The war against Germany was provoked by Hitler, ditto Mussolini of Italy while the Japanese dragged America into second world war by bombing Hawaii. Saddam Hussein invited Americans into war by refusing to vacate occupied Kuwait and Afghanistan had a chance to pony up Osama Bin Laden but refused. Even the assistance Britain received over Falklands was because Argentina provoked the war by invading Maldives which the Royal Navy only repelled with American help? But unlike Russia and its Vladimir Putin, agent provocateur and land grabber, who is occupying other countries (Georgia and Ukraine) territories. Russia, Icheoku says, give up Crimea back its rightful owner.