Read Online The Loyal Nine by Bobby Akart - Free Book Online

have taken you to Panda Express,” said Sarge, spreading his legs apart to avoid the expected kick—which he did.
    “Ha!” exclaimed Sarge proudly.
    “You’re adapting,” said Julia, bringing her heel down on his toes.
    “Hey!” squalled Sarge.
    “Do you think I only have one cannon to fire, Monsieur? Do you want a war? I will give you a war!” said Julia, switching to a French accent.
    “ Je me rends ,” said Sarge in French, raising his white cloth napkin in surrender.
    The two had a good heartfelt laugh. He really missed her and vowed to do something about that.
    “Speaking of the French,” said Julia, changing the subject slightly. “They seem to have brokered a peace in Ukraine.”
    “Maybe,” said Sarge. “It seems to me they gave the Russians everything Putin wanted, including the two French-built Mistral-class warships bought and paid for by Moscow. The price tag on those two battleships was one point six billion, but closing the deal was more symbolic than anything. The administration used words like ill-advised when criticizing the sale, but it came down to economics for the French. They need the euro.
    “The Eurozone’s finances are in shambles,” continued Sarge. “Spain, Italy and Greece are technically bankrupt. Their national debt to GDP ratio is approaching two hundred percent. It’s unsustainable, yet these three countries refuse to implement any form of austerity measures. Germany and France have coddled them for too long. They no longer fear any repercussions for their fiscal mismanagement.”
    “So the sale of the ships to the Russians was about economics?” asked Julia.
    “I think so,” replied Sarge. “Also, appeasement. The French are tired of fighting our battles, not that they do much anyway. As for the brokered peace you referenced, it’s a farce just like all of the other cease-fire accords reached the last few years. Every time a peace agreement is reached, Putin reloads and advances. This time is no different. Apparently, a deal has been reached allowing the Russians to bring ‘aid supplies’ along the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, effectively creating a much sought-after land bridge from Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.
    “Putin is a nationalist and he’s wildly popular in Russia right now. In fact, his popularity is widespread around the globe, except in Kiev and Washington, of course. And there’s good reason for this. Putin is principled. Everyone knows what his goals are, namely the restoration of the Soviet Union.”
    “I get that,” said Julia. “Standing on your principles is a rare trait these days. Why is this land bridge to Crimea so critical?”
    “Strategic geopolitical decisions are rarely made based on a single factor. Putin is an incredible strategist on the world stage, unlike our present leadership. The United States has been outmaneuvered at every turn, and Putin’s conquest of Crimea and eastern Ukraine is no exception. I believe initially, Putin thought he was losing Ukraine to NATO and the West. Perhaps Crimea, with its huge ethnic Russian population, was an easy and likely target to gain a foothold.
    “Think about it. The actual acquisition was rapid, bloodless and highly effective because Russia already had boots on the ground, and the pro-Russian populace welcomed them with open arms. Geographically, Crimea is easy to defend. At first, Putin may have underestimated the effect of the Western-imposed sanctions, especially the Saudi’s complicity in driving the price of oil way down. But in the end, it’s all about money, and the price of oil returned to one hundred dollars a barrel.”
    “That didn’t take long, did it?” added Julia.
    “No, which brings us back to the original premise,” said Sarge. “The premise that there is a peace accord in Ukraine is a joke. The pause in the conflict allowed Putin to regroup and advance his goals. In this case, he receives a land bridge to Crimea, which was one of his early military