Sir:

I've written some mostly tongue-in-cheek pieces in the past about Western Leaders dissing you ( Those Silly Russians, How Stupid Is This Narrative?, Oh No! Not Novichok Again!, etc.)

I hope you took them in the spirit in which they were intended?Hartung, WilliamBest Price: $10.13Buy New $14.99(as of 02:45 UTC - Details)

But in a more serious vein, I worry about you now and then, the nuclear fate of life on earth solidly lodged on your shoulders 24/7. At least you have Mr. Lavrov to share the burden. Despite that, neither of you seem to age much, what's your secret?

OK, but here's the thing. The current, apparently brain-dead leaders of those countries you used to refer to as "our friends and partners in the west" refuse to take you seriously. I know, as you said, you expect that.

But when it gets down to The Final World War, you'd think they'd at least listen. They don't, though many of us have also tried to get their attention – – –

Watching Washington Foment Nuclear War, Paul Craig Roberts, PaulCraigRoberts.org

Is Putin Paranoid?, L. Reichard White

False Flag On The Horizon? The Strange Case of the Destroyed Russian Nuclear Radar, Brandon Smith, Alt-Market.us

Not surprisingly, we've had even less success than you have.

I'm not sure if you know, but The West operates on Games Theory. You can tell because they'll say something like "all options are on the table." Your opponent has to believe that or your power to bluff is blunted. This is derived mostly from poker, a game where someone wins and someone loses. There's always bluffing going on, normally co-operation isn't in the cards.

Some folks think you don't understand this — but maybe you do — and so you don't bluff?

They refuse to understand that Ukraine in NATO means NATO/US nukes on your borders, 5 minutes flight time to Moscow — which puts your retalitory nukes in "launch on warn" mode, likely resulting in the end of life on earth sooner or later. Similar situation to our own President John F. Kennedy warning the former Soviet Union to remove their missiles from Cuba, only they listened.

I see that you've just reiterated your requirements for a cease fire , even though the G7 have now agreed to, as you say, "steal" about $50 billion of interest on your frozen sovereign assets and give it to Ukraine. As you point out, this further threatens the status of the U.S. Dollar as the world's reserve currency.