Chapter 328: What America Wants is Justification

Unlike Putin, who spoke calmly, my mind was a chaotic mess.

Instead of an imperfect nuclear weapon under Kim Jong-il’s unpredictable control, wouldn’t it be worse for the Soviet Union’s combined technological prowess to fall into his hands?

It felt like handing dynamite to a child.

“…Are you sure?”

“I can’t be certain. But I heard that the purpose of the coup planned by the overseas intelligence agency was to retrieve the stolen nuclear weapons. If we capture Kim Jong-il and the regime changes, we might just be able to use pro-Russian supporters to recover those weapons.”

“You mean such things could happen without Putin’s approval?”

“Even back in KGB days, not everything was reported to the General Secretary. If by chance this incident doesn’t involve you and ends successfully, who knows what might unfold?”

Suddenly, I felt a thirst. I filled my glass with vodka and downed it in one go.

Perhaps because of the high alcohol content, I felt a warm rush as the liquor slid down my throat, finally calming me a little.

I realized we couldn’t just let Kim Jong-il maintain his grip on power.

Previously, I had thought about prodding Jang Seong-taek to take over, but now I was resolute.

Kim Jong-il had to be removed.

“If that’s true, it’s a big problem.”

“It’s not certain, so don’t worry too much. And even if he does possess them, whether he can actually use them is questionable. The moment he does, he’ll be the target of global condemnation.”

“Kim Jong-il is an unpredictable figure. If he has nuclear weapons at his disposal, nobody can predict what he might do.”

What if America found out about this?

They would undoubtedly try to eliminate Kim Jong-il, no matter what, and the fallout could even reach South Korea.

“Does America know about this?”

Putin shook his head.

“Probably not. They wouldn’t want to know, and if they did, they wouldn’t stay quiet about it. If you’re considering leaking this to America, think again; our friendship could be at risk.”

“Ha ha, surely you don’t think I would?”

Putin’s statement made sense. The likelihood that America was in the dark about this was high.

If they knew, they surely wouldn’t stay quiet. However, it wasn’t a good idea for me to inform America directly either.

Weighing the benefits of providing this information against my friendship with Putin, the scales tipped heavily in favor of maintaining that friendship.

For now, I decided to let the matter of Kim Jong-il simmer in the back of my mind and subtly shifted the topic.

“By the way, I heard you’re planning to resume the war against the Mafia. How about starting with eliminating Mogilevich?”

“Mogilevich? Not right now. It’s a shame to say, but the police and FSB still have many of their moles among us. If I move the military and police, they might retreat and throw Russia into chaos instead. I want to eradicate the Mafia, not create further disorder in Russia.”

I couldn’t help but frown at Putin’s unexpectedly passive stance. I raised my glass to cover my lips and asked,

“Still, letting them run wild seems quite troubling.”

“True enough. My ultimate goal is to ensure the Mafia can’t flex their muscles so freely anymore. I had always planned to deal with them, but after hearing they were plotting to target you, I became more resolved. The Mafia are fully aware of your connection to me. Such a move would be a direct insult to me.”

Even as he spoke in the usual calm tone, a hint of anger flickered across Putin’s face. Apparently, he was quite angry, to a point where he needed an excuse to vent.

I softly smiled at him and asked.

“Putin, how about inducing conflicts among the Mafias?”

“Inducing conflicts among the Mafias?”

“Yes. The fact that other Mafia organizations united to plot my assassination suggests they fear I might join forces with Mogilevich. My relationship with you likely heightened that fear.”

Intrigued, Putin gestured for me to continue.

“I plan to meet with Ussoyan and Ivanov, the ones who triedto kill me. The idea is to support them from behind to take out Mogilevich, and afterward, absorb their forces into their organizations. Sound reasonable?”

Seemingly deep in thought, Putin drummed his fingers on the table and closed his eyes.

I quietly waited with my vodka while he pondered.

After some time, he reopened his eyes and asked seriously. It seemed he had made up his mind, but one concern lingered.

“Do you think those two can defeat Mogilevich?”

“I would be backing them. Putin, you’d have nothing to lose. Just stay back and observe. If the police or FSB try to interfere, just stop them.”

“That isn’t difficult, but we must ensure Moscow doesn’t turn into a battlefield.”

Creating unease would indeed incur losses for him.

Understanding this, I nodded.

“Once we get rid of Mogilevich, the remaining organizations will naturally disband or be absorbed by the other two. That’s just the nature of the Mafia. They only want Mogilevich’s influence, not true loyalty to him.”

“Alright. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.”

“Thank you.”

For Putin, it wasn’t a bad proposition at all.

Why would he reject a chance to relieve himself from any risk?

I beamed a bright smile at him.

Suddenly puzzled, Putin opened his mouth again.

“But don’t you think you really don’t need to do all this? It’s not like you’re short on money.”

“You know that, right? The underground world never truly disappears. If it’s not going away, it’s far easier to keep it under control.”

“That makes sense.”

My mind recalled how Putin had managed to keep Mogilevich alive, along with any Mafia leaders who had been friendly to him, all under his control.

Putin had utilized the Mafia in governance better than anyone else.

“Gradually, the power of the Mafia will weaken. When that happens, reach out to me, and I will become a loyal hound for you.”

After a brief moment of thought, Putin smiled satisfactorily, nodding at me and raising his glass.

“Let’s drink to that.”

Our glasses clinked together, and we continued our conversation while drinking.

“You told Medvedev, right? To support the U.S. opinion of instigating the Iraq war?”

It seemed Medvedev had relayed our discussion to Putin first. Clearly, he reported everything we talked about.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why should we do that?”

“Unlike the Afghan war, where there wasn’t a strong rationale, the justification for invading Iraq is very lacking.”

“That’s true. During Afghanistan, we were just sitting by, as the justification there was too solid.”

The assault not only on the twin towers but also on the Pentagon had clearly ignited America’s ego.

“And for the U.S. preparing for a war in Iraq, the burden would be politically significant because of the ongoing wars.”

“I can’t fathom why they’re suddenly so set on invading Iraq. Even if we oppose it, they’ll go ahead and invade regardless.”

Putin already understood. He knew that no matter how much they opposed it, America would still invade Iraq, leading their allies.

“There could be many reasons, but isn’t it just a way to show America’s strength? The Afghan war was a quick conflict that didn’t showcase anything before it ended.”

“We shouldn’t underestimate Afghanistan. We had quite a tough time there ourselves. Some say that the Soviet collapse was due to that war.”

Was it truly just because of the war? The reasons are complex, but such remarks were too brash to make in front of Putin.

Instead, I simply smiled.

“Is America any different? Right now, they must be blinded by victory, seeing nothing beyond it.”

While my involvement had saved Ahmad Shah Masoud, Afghanistan was unlike any other country where allegiance was sworn to the nation. Instead, loyalty lay with tribal leaders.

Masoud had managed to unite various tribes to resist the Taliban, yet how things would unfold once he gained power was uncertain.

“Alright, go ahead and tell me. Why should I support the U.S. invasion of Iraq?”

Still skeptical, Putin considered my proposition with a watchful gaze.

I set my glass down.

“Once the war in Iraq begins, the Middle East will plunge into utter chaos. Oil prices will skyrocket dramatically, which would bring immense benefit to Russia.”

“That would be so. But politics aren’t driven solely by money. While the economy matters, what Russians desire more is a strong Russia. After that, the economy comes next.”

Russia had plunged into a situation far more desperate than during the days of the Russian Empire.

The memories of those who experienced this would surely remain a trauma for them.

“That’s correct. But as you know, the invasion of Iraq is only a matter of time, right? It’s much better to gain something by giving support rather than opposing it without any benefit.”

“You mean exchanging with America?”

“Yes. For China, unlike Russia, they’ll likely abstain from the resolution due to their wariness towards America.”

“Those foolish bastards.”

Putin appeared irritated at the mention of China, frowning slightly.

“The permanent members are the U.S., the U.K., and France. They won’t exercise their veto powers. China will abstain. This year, the non-permanent members include Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway, Singapore, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico, and lastly, Syria. The U.S. has likely secured the consent of nine out of those ten countries in advance. So now, only Russia remains.”

The UN resolution is adopted through voting by five permanent members and ten non-permanent members serving two-year terms.

If they can just get the consent of nine out of fifteen nations, the resolution will pass.

However, there cannot be a single opposing vote from the five permanent members.

That is why the chances of a resolution passing are rare.

The democratic nations, the U.S., the U.K., and France.

The communist state, China, and Russia, which is antagonistic towards the U.S.

The board is always divided this way, with each side exercising their veto power, tainting the existence of the UN.

The intensity of diplomacy in the UN Security Council is fierce because of the lengths nations go to ensure their resolutions pass.

“Yes, President Bush called me directly asking for my support. But I rejected him flat out.”

“Is that so?”

Hearing that Bush himself reached out to him showed that he was under considerable political pressure.

“A UN General Assembly is expected soon. Following that, a Security Council meeting will be held, where they will present the resolution, asking me not to refuse. If I found it hard to give my support, he even asked me to abstain.”

Abstaining is almost the same as supporting. Putin seemed to be unhappy with the implications.

“Putin, what America desires is justification. The war will be fought by America and its allies.”

After all, America wouldn’t reach out to Russia for assistance; they just wanted our agreement.

For America, lacking justification means securing the support of a permanent member is crucial.

“The Iraq war wouldn’t harm Russia. First, while America engages in simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, its attention towards East Asia will wane. This means Russia could naturally increase its influence in East Asia.”

I observed Putin’s expression. Upon hearing that it wouldn’t hurt Russia, he didn’t respond but merely nodded lightly.

“Keep talking.”

“Second, the U.S. military’s power will wane. In two wars, they will expend numerous human and material resources. This is an opportunity, Putin.”

America was underestimating Russia’s resilience.

Even as it was an excellent time to fully subdue Russia, their attention was diverted to the unworthy Middle East, giving Russia the chance to rise economically and militarily again.

“Even without my affirmative vote, it’s a foregone conclusion that America will commence the war. What you mentioned would happen regardless, right?”

“That’s correct. But as I’ve said, we need to seize whatever opportunities come our way.”

“Beyond abstract notions, what exactly will I gain?”

“Whatever Putin desires, they are likely to provide. Right now, Bush needs Russia’s support that desperately.”

In fact, having declined once, should Russia propose a transaction, America would almost certainly accept.

Putin fell into deep contemplation, slowly rotating his glass, remaining silent.

An awkward silence hung in the air until Putin finally spoke.

“…So what do you gain from this?”

“Let me handle the negotiations with America. I will bring as much benefit to Russia as possible.”

“Do you understand what I want?”

“Complete annexation of the Chechen Republic? For that, you will need the support of the international community.”

Upon my answer, Putin gave a small smile.