While the western world was celebrating Christmas, Vladimir Putin received the heads of state of the so-called CIS countries in his hometown of Saint Petersburg. On Monday the heads of state of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus arrived in Russia for the informal summit.
It was the second meeting of the “Commonwealth of Independent States” within a few months. Putin last summoned the heads of state of the former Soviet republics on October 7, his 70th birthday. Back then, not everyone followed his call. The community is deeply divided. However, on Boxing Day, Putin managed to gather all eight of his colleagues at his round table.
With cold, frozen faces, the eight rulers listened to Putin’s monologue about the supposedly “successful cooperation” between the new states. But even the head of the Kremlin, who was so demonstratively trying to achieve unity, had to admit: “Unfortunately, the challenges and threats, especially from outside, are increasing from year to year. Unfortunately, we have to admit that there are also differences of opinion between the member states of the community. However, the main thing is that we are ready to cooperate and we will cooperate. Even if there are problems, we try to solve them ourselves,” Putin read from a note.
A clear reminder to all assembled. Putin continues to use intimidation in his fight for those who could pass as his last allies. Putin’s gifts were also a warning. The Kremlin boss distributed eight identical rings to his colleagues. He kept the ninth copy himself, reports the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Each of the rings is decorated with the symbol of the CIS countries, the New Year’s greeting “Happy New Year 2023”, and in smaller letters the inscription “Russia”. The Telegram channel “Pul Perwogo” (“Pool of the First”) published pictures of the rings. The channel is close to the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. He was also the only one who put Putin’s gift on his finger.
The ambiguous gift was probably not well received by the other heads of state. A ring has always symbolized an indissoluble bond, but also bondage and oppression. The number of rings made also inevitably evokes the famous lines of J.J.R. Tolkien in mind: “One ring to rule them, to find them all, to drive them into darkness and bind them forever. In the land of Mordor where the shadows threaten.” This is how the ring poem from “Lord of the Rings” ends.
The “Nine Rings of Power” are central to the novels. The dark lord Sauron distributed nine rings to the people in order to place them in his service. The Rings make them powerful and immortal until the Human Kings become the Nine Ringwraiths, totally bound to Sauron’s will.
It remains to be seen whether Putin deliberately wanted to evoke associations with Sauron. The Kremlin boss should know by now that his soldiers in Ukraine are called orcs. Either way, his gifts convey a clear message to the men he wants to bind to himself with all his might – and has to if he wants to survive. Moscow’s hegemony in Central Asia, above all in Kazakhstan, has long been shaky.
At the beginning of the year, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev managed to overthrow the long-term ruler of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev: Putin sided with the victor in the struggle for power in Astana in good time. But Tokayev is far from rushing like the Kremlin-loyal Nazarbayev has been doing for decades. On the day that Tokayev sat at the round table with Putin in Saint Petersburg and was the only one allowed to speak next to the head of the Kremlin, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health announced: “We have a wonderful present under the Christmas tree from our brother people from Kazakhstan get: 41 powerful generators for our medical facilities.” Tokayev also understands meaningful gifts.
