Kremlin's soft power is raising new generation of terrorists in US

In the light of the recent unrest in the US Capitol which was "successfully" organized by pro-Kremlin elements, proving that there is something very wrong with Putin's regime, I would like to direct your attention to the Kremlin's soft power activities in the US. I will start by saying that this is no soft power, but instead a completely real long-term military operation aimed at undermining the foundations of the state, causing unrest and grooming loyal degenerates that will not hesitate to carry out acts of terrorism and provocations in any country after receiving the command from the Kremlin's soft power specialists. And the US is no exception - the Kremlin has developed a plan "X" that involves Russia's GRU special units, the Internal Troops, Russian Cossack units and Kadyrov's Chechens, as well as countless NGOs that work under the cover of combating "fascism" and "protecting human rights". So, what exactly are these GRU special units, pro-Kremlin organizations and other similar elements doing in the United States? While the former chekist, also known as the self-proclaimed leader of all Russia, Vladimir Putin was shaking hands with Donald Trump, diplomats working in Russian consulates established pro-Kremlin youth military units in the US behind the back of the American president. There is no doubt that the Kremlin has been able to establish an entire network of such units in the US, but it's a different question whether these units are combat capable. It seems that the Kremlin's specialists began working on the expansion of the Kremlin's soft power in the US immediately after Putin's polite little green men entered Crimea and other parts of Eastern Ukraine from the territory of Russia. Almost instantly, the Kremlin's "soft" influence could be felt all over the US with countless Kremlin-linked organizations springing up like mushrooms after the rain - foundations, ensembles, summer camps, libraries, Russian schools and veteran unions that organized literature contests, poetry readings, cultural and sports events and god knows what else. If that wasn't enough, pro-Kremlin oriented paramilitary Russian Cossack units were also openly established. These units taught children the art of war by holding shooting competitions and similar military activities that engaged not only the Russian (post-Soviet) community residing in the US, but some naà �ve Americans as well. Most of these organizations immediately came under the auspices of Russian embassies, consulates general and other "diplomatic" institutions of the Kremlin as they provided much of their funding. The Russian community in the US didn't hesitate to organize patriotic concerts and cultural events, mass 9 May celebrations, 8 March International Women's Day celebrations and festivities commemorating the Defender of the Fatherland Day held on 23 February. Can anyone explain what does the average American have to do with the Red Army Day? This shouldn't come as a surprise, but the aforementioned "holidays" are not a part of American culture or statehood, and I'm sure that most of the naà �ve Americans are unable to tell the difference between these days, not to mention their inability to understand the nuances of the Kremlin's propaganda. Regardless, it puzzles me why these pro-Kremlin activists from the Russian diaspora in the US have chosen exactly this time to force Americans to celebrate long-lost made-up Soviet holidays. Okay, enough with these made-up "holidays" that feature those suffering from nostalgia for the Soviet Union drinking until they have to be swept up in police vans. There are more serious and more dangerous activities carried out by the Kremlin's soft power. In the case of the US, after Crimea was annexed American cities were increasingly often visited by men from a Kremlin establishment known as Rosmolodezh (The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs) which is one of the Kremlin's most powerful weapons of soft power used to brainwash Russian youth abroad. The Kremlin considers this patriotic upbringing! After the annexation of Crimea, employees from this organization arrived en masse in the US to openly, and rather primitively, establish youth "interest groups" with a military flavor and organize patriotic (pro-Kremlin) camps - quite similar to the young pioneer camps of the USSR. The funniest thing in all this is that Rosmolodezh still uses the "good old" Soviet symbols and propaganda (evidently, nothing better has been yet invented) to spread the narrative about the abused Russia rising from its knees. In one of such camps, organized in 2016 somewhere near Seattle, a disturbingly surreal scene unfolded - a Russian Orthodox Church priest is talking about Putin's good deeds, while behind him stands the red USSR rag with the hammer and sickle (see image below). Later the same evening, the priest gives his blessing for the shared consumption of copious amounts of vodka. The next morning, the priest continues blessing the American youth. When researching this topic, it wasn't difficult to come across similar information, for instance, on closed military camps for youth organized in California by the Russian Orthodox Church. It is evident that immediately after the illegal arrival of Russian forces in Ukraine, popes in California began organizing closed paramilitary pro-Kremlin children's camps. An Orthodox church in Sacramento even announced the opportunity for volunteers to undergo a "young soldier's course" to learn how to use combat weapons and archery bows, throw knives, engage in foot drills and learn to love their motherland (i.e. Putin's regime, not the US or even Russia). To avoid everything completely looking like some training camp for young terrorists, it was added that the camp is a great opportunity to relax and experience the beauty of nature, live in a tent city and sit by the "pioneer" campfire in the evenings singing Russian Soviet-era patriotic songs to a guitar accompaniment. One such camp existed near Marysville in Northern California for two years. The camp was located in the territory of the leisure complex Elim (Ð" Ð �Ð �Ð �) belonging to the Slavic missionary church Bethany (Ð'Ð ��'"�Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��' �). At that time, the eldest priest was a refugee/immigrant from the Estonian SSR Adam Semyonovich Bondaruk (Ð �Ð �Ð degreesÐ � Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"� Ð'Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð degrees�' ���'�'Ð �), while the congregation consisted mostly of Ukrainian Americans. Cadets from the Cossack School of Our Lady of the Don (�'ˆÐ �Ð �Ð �Ð degrees  �Ð"Ð �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð � � Ð'Ð �Ð ��'�'Ð �Ð � Ð�"Ð degrees�'"�Ð ��' ��Ð �) in California underwent training in an informal atmosphere at the aforementioned leisure complex Elim in Marysville. Interestingly, in the past members of this Pentecost congregation who were fleeing the godless Soviet regime and KGB repressions were granted political asylum by the US. In Soviet times, most of these people refused to take up arms and cooperate with Communist authorities - they refused to serve in the Soviet army and considered themselves proud pacifists. Now, however, when they've become US citizens they are no longer ashamed to cooperate with the Kremlin's representatives. The idiocy in all this is that they are now trying to force feed their children - who all this time have been living decent lives and have successfully integrated into the American community - Kremlin propaganda with the help of the church and with the blessings of the Orthodox god. This Cossack unit, under the leadership of former GRU instructor from Kyrgyzstan Stanislav Kholodkov (Ð ��'"�Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð degreesÐ � Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �), engaged in paramilitary training in the territory of the Bethany church over the course of at least two years. They had set up a sort of a shooting range, so that the Orthodox atamans and army instructors from Russia and other former Soviet republics could train their adolescent troops (many of the children hardly spoke or understood the Russian language). These children were taught to throw knives, use bows and shoot carbines, as well as mastered the art of "Russian" hand-to-hand combat. In their free time outside of military training, these children were told to draw and wood burn Soviet tanks, crosses of St. George and warplanes (see image below). In the evenings, the children gathered in the church's prayer room where Russian Orthodox priest Pavel Volmenskiy (ПРdegreesÐ �Ð �Ð � Ð'Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð �) taught them the "god's law". It's no secret that the Cossack congregation school, whose pupils are mainly trained in such paramilitary camps, operates under the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus (Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð ��'�' Ð'Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð ��' � Ð ��' ��Ð ��' ��'"�Ð �Ð �Ð degrees). This church was established in California in 1954 and is directly subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (Ð �'�'�' ��' �Ð �Ð degrees�' � П�' ��Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð degreesÐ �Ð �Ð degrees�' � Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð ��'�' Ð Ð degreesÐ ��' ��Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'"Ð �Ð � (РПР�Ð )). I will remind you that in 2007, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, with direct involvement from Putin himself, signed an agreement of cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church lead by the Moscow Patriarchate. This helped to restore the "spiritual bond" between congregations of the Russian Orthodox Church in the US and the chekist-run Moscow Patriarchate. This means that Moscow is free to do anything it wishes in the properties of the Orthodox churches and congregations located in the territory of the US. So, American children are being educated on the power of the spirit, as well as the history and weapons of Russia. In the photographs taken at the Elim camp we can clearly identify such Russian-produced weapons as the Mosin-Nagant rifle, the modifications of which were widely available to the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union from 1892 to the late 1950s. Additionally, we can see several melee weapons used at the time by the Russian Army - swords, daggers and other edged weapons. Participants of these Orthodox patriotic camps also take part in different sports events and go hiking, also in the mountains. It turns out that such pro-Kremlin youth camps, for instance, Skif (Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"�) and Rusichi (Ð �'�'�' �Ð ��'"�Ð �), are widespread across the US. Just like in California, the nearby states of Washington and Oregon have also frequently seen such gatherings. For instance, from 2012 to 2015 patriotic sports camps were held in these states to celebrate the Soviet and Russian Paratroopers' Day. The published photographs depict well-built men armed with automatic weapons running through the forests of California and Oregon. These men are dressed in Russian Army uniforms. In one of the photos, several dozen of these men are holding Kalashnikov rifles, while in another a tent can be seen bearing the sign "headquarters". The photographs also depict American children being taught Russian hand-to-hand combat. There are plenty of Soviet and Russian symbols everywhere - flags and posters - along with the symbols of the Russian Airborne Troops. It is no secret that one of the tasks of Russian paratroopers is to engage in sabotage in the enemy's rear. An Airborne Troops banner can also be seen attached to a tree with their slogan "Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"�Ð � Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð � Ð �Ð degrees�' �!" ("No one, but us!"). Another photo shows a campfire near the "headquarters" and teenagers in formation dressed in Russian Army uniforms. Some might say that this is just innocent outdoors fun, but to me it looks more like preparing the next generation of saboteurs who will happen to have US citizenship. These Kremlin workers act in accordance with established plans and templates described in Soviet-era intelligence service manuals on establishing groups of loyal agents of influence in the enemy's territory, on organizing saboteur groups from locals and coordinating their activities and on how to ensure that the recruited agents, after being given an order, will be willing to carry out acts of sabotage and destroy their own country's infrastructure and spill the blood of their fellow citizens. What are Russian Cossacks doing in American schools? It looks like Russian Cossacks not only feel quite free in American churches and mountains, but they have also managed to become integrated in the education system of California. Aside from reading Russian textbooks, provided to countless schools by thoughtful Russian diplomats, there are also Russian Cossack groups that use the pretext of sports, entertainment and patriotic upbringing to hold hand-to-hand combat lessons. One of such schools is in Sacramento - it is a Russian contract school called the Community Outreach Academy. The Kremlin's soft power specialists often use this school to engage the local Russian-speaking minority in the activities mentioned above. For example, the school has a Russian karate group lead by Stanislav Kholodkov (Ð ��'"�Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð degreesÐ � Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �) who, as he himself has stated, is a USSR professional master of martial arts, including karate. It turns out that for many years the horde of Californian Cossacks has held paramilitary training, camps and other events (see image below) in this school with support from the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco and its embassy in Washington. The most interesting thing in all this is that these Russian Cossacks have never tried to hide their activities and have freely spoken about them to the local press, even providing photographs from these events. (.slavicsac.com/2014/06/17/kazacs/) I would like to emphasize the role of the local newspaper Diaspora (Ð"Ð �Ð degrees�' �Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð degrees), which is one of the most active media outlets that propagates Russian Cossack values and provides information on the Kremlin's soft power activities. This newspaper is published by Afisha (Ð ��'"�Ð ��'ˆÐ degrees), and the local radio station Novoe Russkoe Radio (Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð � �' ���'�'�' ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð � �' ��Ð degreesÐ �Ð �Ð �), owned by David Ponomar (Ð"Ð degreesÐ �Ð �Ð � ПР�Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð degrees�' ���'�'), provides immense help in spreading this propaganda. The newspaper publishes photographs depicting the flag of California alongside Russian and Cossack symbols, as well as different slogans, such as "We were! We are and we will be! We are Cossacks!" and "We are Cossacks, god is with us!" This would be somewhat understandable, but why are the American children dressed in Russian Army uniforms? In another photo, a shooting range has been set up at the same school where Russian military persons/instructors also teach children target practice using combat weapons. (Shooting range at the Russian school Community Outreach Academy, Sacramento) This Russian school in Sacramento is not the only one of its kind. There is also the Futures High School that is attended by children of Russian-speakers and which allows the Kremlin's soft power specialists - Cossacks - to engage in the military training of children. In an interview with the newspaper Diaspora, Russian deputy consul general in San Francisco Khalit Aysin (Ð �Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'"� Ð �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �) noted: "Thanks to activists like Stanislav Kholodkov, it is possible to preserve traditions and maintain the spirituality of the Cossack community. They deserve respect because they are not disappearing, but instead propagating their culture, history and traditions in their new life conditions. And they are passing down these values to their children and grandchildren." Former Russian honorary consul Natalia Owen (Ð �Ð degrees�'"�Ð degreesÐ ��'�'�' � О�'�'�' �Ð �) believes that: "Cossacks are a strong Russian community in America. They are the pride and joy of the Russian people!" But this isn't enough for the Kremlin's soft power, as Cossack activities are always supported by Archbishop Kirill of San Francisco of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. We should then investigate how all this is even possible Who is Cossack activist ataman Stanislav Kholodkov? Stanislav Kholodkov is one of the key persons organizing the Cossack movement in the western US. From information in Russian newspapers we can gather that Kholodkov has served in a special unit of the USSR that participated in the occupation of Afghanistan. After that, he was the commander of the elite special purpose unit Skorpion in the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan, and this unit is directly subordinate to the Kyrgyz GRU and the president. Kholodkov has frequented military bases and special units all over the CIS. He also actively takes part in all Russian Cossack international gatherings, including those held in Russia. He regularly wears Russian army and Cossack uniforms with numerous awards attached to them, especially when he is meeting Russian diplomats in San Francisco. Additionally, it's no secret that Russian Cossacks enjoy holding events in the former Russian establishment of Fort Ross in California. According to Kholodkov's bankruptcy application submitted to US authorities, from 2008 to 2010 he received salary from an organization named Gateway Community Charters, which operates the aforementioned Russian schools - the Community Outreach Academy and the Futures High School. So, it turns out that the US education system was officially paying salary to a Kremlin agent who brainwashed American children! Stanislav Kholodkov was the highest ataman of Russia's Union of Cossacks in western US and he also established and headed a Cossack organization called the Cossacks National Union. Interestingly, leader of the Congress of Russian Americans in New York Igor Baboshkin (ИР�Ð ��' ���'�' Ð'Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'ˆÐ �Ð �Ð �) wrote in his research that Kholodkov is a complete fraud, i.e. he is neither an ataman, nor a karate master. It is also a recognized fact that Russian Cossack communities along with other paramilitary pro-Kremlin groups are operating under the auspices of Russian consulates general in the US. Despite all the statements that these events are mostly aimed at physically active and patriotic upbringing of youth, many members of the Russian diaspora, as well as Americans themselves believe that they are used as a cover up for the Kremlin's espionage activities. For instance, a Russian newspaper in the US Compatriots in America (Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"�Ð ��'"�Ð ��' ��'"�Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð � Ð � Ð �Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð �) published an article with the headline "The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs trains militarized youth units in the territory of the US" (Ð Ð ��' ��' �Ð �Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð � Ð�"ИÐ" Ð"Ð ��'"�Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"� Ð'Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'"�Ð � Ð�"Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"�Ð � О�'"��' ���' �Ð ��'"� Ð �Ð degrees Ð Ð ��' ���' ��Ð ��'"�Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð � Ð �Ð �Ð �) that directly states that the Kremlin is officially training forces under the pretext of Cossack culture activities. I believe it's unnecessary to add that the activities of the Cossack movement are globally coordinated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the case of the US these are Russia's diplomatic consulates. At the same time, in Russia any public organization that receives as much as a cent from abroad is automatically considered a "foreign agent" and deemed illegal, while there are dozens of pro-Kremlin oriented NGOs in the US who only answer to the Kremlin. In 2015, Igor Baboshkin (ИР�Ð ��' ���'�' Ð'Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'ˆÐ �Ð �Ð �) submitted numerous documents to the US Congress that prove the illegal activities of the Kremlin's "fifth column" in the US. Baboshkin has often stressed that Russian embassies are skilled at appealing to the patriotic sentiments of USSR and CIS immigrants in order to establish public political movements in America that sympathize with Putin's regime. Baboshkin told the media that US authorities are doing absolutely nothing to uncover and detain Russian spies. This, however, isn't the case because in 2016 when Barrack Obama was president 35 Russian diplomats were expelled from the US (including from the Russian consulate general in San Francisco) on grounds of spying for the Kremlin's intelligence services. Additionally, two NGOs in New York and Maryland were also closed, since they were used by the Kremlin to establish a spy network and gather information in the US. This also led to additional sanctions being imposed against the Kremlin, along with other measures restricting the spread of the Kremlin's propaganda in the territory of the US. After Crimea was annexed and sanctions imposed against Russia, the activities of the aforementioned Kremlin organizations in the US decreased drastically, but the American public remains troubled about the possibility of these Kremlin-trained groups appearing at the "X" hour armed with weapons and ready to protect the Kremlin's interests. The most recent example of this is the storming of the US Capitol. What is Russian spetsnaz doing in Miami? In June 2017, the Florida newspaper Miami Herald published an article stating that a Russian motorcycle club, inconspicuously named SPETSNAZ, has been established in southern Florida funded by Russian oligarchs, public officials and intelligence service officers. It seems that the name was chosen so the naà �ve Americans wouldn't even have to ask what goes on in the club. The article mentioned that Igor Zorin (ИР�Ð ��' ���'�' Ð Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �) - high-ranking government official-oligarch and the person responsible for ensuring communication between the "oppressed American people" and the Kremlin by providing annual Victory Day broadcasts from the Red Square - is acquiring valuable real estate in Florida, for instance, in the resort city of Sunny Isles Beach, or to be more precise he is buying apartments in the Trump Palace building from Trump's people. Throughout the years, Zorin has invested huge sums of money in this building and there is a reason for it - it is here that he along with his like-minded friends established the pro-Kremlin motorcycle club SPETSNAZ. The emblem of the organization isn't all too different from the emblems of the FSB or KGB. Moreover, members of this club, the full name of which is Spetsnaz Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, are exclusively employees of the FSB and special purpose units of the Russian Ministry of Interior. Each member of this motorcycle club is allowed to carry a gun in the US wherever they go. The Russian "American" club maintains close ties to the Kremlin-sponsored biker organization Night Wolves (Ð �Ð ��'"�Ð ��'"�Ð � Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �Ð �), and it is also possible for employees of US law enforcement authorities to become members of this club. The facts mentioned here have also been confirmed by researchers at Transparency International, who were able to discover that Igor Zorin - with help from former FSB officer and chairman of the board of directors of the security company Alfa-Anticriminal Svyatoslav Mangushev (Ð �Ð ��' ��'"�Ð ��' �Ð �Ð degreesÐ � Ð�"Ð degreesÐ �Ð ��'�'�'ˆÐ �Ð �) - purchased four apartments in Miami worth nine million dollars. You will be surprised to find out that Alfa-Anticriminal employs only former Soviet and Russian intelligence service officers and veterans and provides services to Russia's largest companies and institutions, for example, Gazprom, Rosneft, Mosgaz, Skolkovo, Government of Moscow, etc. A similar situation involving the Kremlin's soft power can be observed also in Europe. Expert on this topic Boris Reitschuster has noted that the Kremlin maintains secret paramilitary special purpose units in Europe that were established some time ago under the guise Russian martial arts Sistema (Ð �Ð ��' ��'"�Ð �Ð �Ð degrees) schools. The German media outlet Bild has published several excerpts from Reitschuster's controversial book describing an entire network of militarized units established by the Kremlin all over Europe. It is stressed that Moscow can activate these units at any given moment. The journalist pointed out that these units have been established within martial arts schools, where "Russian troops" are being trained just like members of special purpose units. Instructors of Sistema maintain close contact with Russian security firms and the Kremlin biker club Night Wolves. There have been several confirmed cases where Sistema employees have successfully misinformed the Russian community in Germany. "Athletes" are the ones training members, while administrative duties are carried out by veterans of Russian intelligence services and the Airborne Troops. This is the case not only in Germany, but also in Czechia, Switzerland and elsewhere in the West. Reitschuster argues that these combat units should be perceived as a trump card in Putin's hand, which will be used against European countries when the right moment comes. Members of the Sistema school regularly attend training in Switzerland and Czechia in conjunction with Russian Cossack organizations and the Night Wolves. They also frequently visit Russia, where they are being further trained and prepared. German media have reported that these people are taught to use different weapons that would be useful in carrying out subversive activities. The situation with Russian immigrants in Spain is as equally interesting. As reported by another reputable German media outlet Deutsche Welle, employees at the Russian Embassy are doing everything they can to take control over the public lives of the entire Russian community in Spain. Attempts to politicize the work of those public organizations that deal with the Russian compatriots became the cause of quite a serious disagreement between the Russian community in Spain and Russia's diplomatic mission in the country. For instance, there was a case in September 2014 when during a meeting of the Coordinating Council of Public Organizations of Russian Compatriots in Spain the Kremlin's diplomats proposed that Spanish Russians publicly support the Kremlin's position on the conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. This was, however, unsuccessful, as it turned out that Spanish Russians don't believe that "Crimea is theirs", which was, naturally, not very well received by the Kremlin's diplomatic mission in Spain. I'm sure someone didn't get their long awaited promotion that year. In the same grim year of 2014, Russian diplomats in Saragossa attended a musical competition held by the Russian community and wanted to force everyone present to view the "documentary" on the events in Ukraine. The same documentary that was welcomed with enthusiastic applause by our former president Andris BÄ"rzi�..."�... �. Thankfully, the organizers of the competition refused since there were quite many Ukrainians among the participants, as they usually take part in the activities organized by the Russian community in Spain. If once Russian embassies didn't go further than giving "recommendations" on particular topics, then after the annexation of Crimea they started doing everything in their power to gain complete control over the public lives of Russian compatriots abroad in order to militarize and politicize them. The current situation is that employees of Russian embassies are the ones determining which compatriot organizations will be allowed to participate in local and international conferences, what topics will be discussed during these conferences and which NGOs will be part of the Coordinating Council of Public Organizations of Russian Compatriots. Likewise, embassy employees and only those loyal to the Kremlin have become the moderators of compatriot meetings. After employees of the Russian embassy had infiltrated the everyday lives of the Russian community in Spain deeply enough, they began casting out those not sharing their views as far away from the Russian diaspora as possible. During this "purge", members of the Russian compatriot council in Spain were terrorized, for instance, by receiving phone threats in the middle of the night. This resulted in half of the members leaving the council, and the vacant positions were filled by "patriots" loyal to Putin's regime. ATTÄ'LS (Camp Elim of the Slavic missionary church Bethany, Marysville, Northern California) Russians in Spain told the media that after the annexation of Crimea Russian embassies began allocating certain amounts of money to compatriot organizations. This money was used to organize all kinds of events, including folklore celebrations and conferences, as well as to rent concert halls and pay for the accommodation of participants. The Russian embassy supplied the Spanish Russian community with textbooks, newspapers and magazines and funded trips to international forums. This was not some initiative by a single embassy employee, these are the Kremlin's aggressive soft power policies - permeating and difficult to stop. Perhaps the Kremlin is dreaming of California and Alaska? Since 21 August 2017, the Russian ambassador to the US is Anatoly Antonov - an exceptionally devious and slippery fellow. He has received the medal "For the Return of Crimea", which must mean that he participated in the Kremlin-organized seizing of a territory belonging to a sovereign nation. Is Alaska his next target? Before the events in Crimea, the Kremlin's NGOs and diplomats actively carried out different soft power operations there. Ukrainian media have written about a pro-Kremlin youth paramilitary unit called Boyevie Gnomi (Battle Gnomes) that also operates with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church. Participants of this children's camp live in harsh conditions and are trained in martial arts (Kadochnikov's System), while in their free time they have fun assembling and disassembling Kalashnikov rifles. In other words, they are being taught to go to war - these children are familiar with military tactics and know how to cross water obstacles and climb mountains. Their teachers are Russian and Soviet army veterans who are raising the next generation of Russian troops and mercenaries in near-combat conditions. Battle gnomes indeed - what has Putin been smoking inside his bunker? There is another detail in this long story: immediately after Crimea was occupied, a memorial plaque was unveiled in Yevpatoria, which is located in Crimea, with a message to the next "Russian" generations. The plaque reads "We returned Crimea, you must return Alaska"! It turns out that Putin not only smokes, but also has a taste for mushrooms. It is no secret that Russian Cossacks have sworn allegiance to Putin, and consequently to Putin's foreign policies as well. Some of the Cossack atamans, for example, ataman of the St. Petersburg Cossack community Andrey Polyakov (Ð �Ð �Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð � Ð'Ð �Ð ��'"�Ð ��' ��Ð �Ð �Ð ��'"� ПР�Ð ��' �Ð �Ð �Ð �) has demanded funding from the Russian government to spread Russian cultural propaganda in the US. The ataman promised to use this money to support the Russian Orthodox Church and to help unite the entire Orthodox community of the US. Kremlin media outlets have expressed that this would help to prepare several referendums on the separation of particular territories from the US. Of course, all these statements were voiced during the euphoria that followed the annexation of Crimea. Another Cossack organization from St. Petersburg called the Orthodox Cossack Union Ibris even had the audacity to demand the US government to return the ancient Russian lands of Alaska and California. Unfortunately, it's not only the immigrants from the USSR, CIS and Russia that cannot wait for Alaska and California to become part of Russia - some Americans have expressed such sentiments as well. One of such people is the American vatnik of Russian descent Steven Seagal, who likes to frequent Crimea and has wet dreams of Alaska returning to Russia. These people are not afraid to show their parasitic nature, as the glorification of Putin's regime doesn't mean they have to give up the privileges of being a US citizen and stop receiving the social benefits that this large democracy offers to its citizens. Moreover, most of these parasites voted from Trump. Epilogue: American troops in Russia! Can you imagine that someone in the US embassy in Russia would covertly organize and train American special purpose combat units in Russian schools and Protestant churches? How about paramilitary scout organizations whose instructors would freely roam across Russia's vast forests and steppes and teach Russian boys and girls the art of war? What do you think the Prosecutor General of Russia or the FSB would do if this were to be the case? 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