October, 2022

Dear President Putin,

After months of not writing, finally I feel the need to write again. Although I would like to write positively, we find it necessary to write to you about your recent reprehensible and evil incursion into the sovereign country of Ukraine—your geographical neighbor.

Although I am not a devotee of the Ukraine and find your own citizens wrong and evil, I once again plead with you to cease your killing of thousands and thousands of citizens. Further, we know that you have bombed and destroyed thousands of houses, buildings, and various elements of the infrastructure.

I you could ever want to repent of this wicked war, we know that it will cost greatly.

We understand that about 5,996 have been killed (murdered) and some 8,848 houses and buildings destroyed. Of course, this includes apartment complexes and all of the rest. Quite frankly, I thought that it might be 10 times this number, but this is still a great number (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293492/ukraine-war-casualties)/. Another source has “14,200–14,400 civilians and military troops killed during the War in Donbas (2014–2022), and thousands of deaths during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine” www.rg/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War).

We know that this is a huge number but it pales by comparison with those killed in the Second World War. We also read the statistics by the Ukrainian government: some 10,000 killed and 30,000 wounded. (Ibid.) We have also read this—that the costs of the war were high: “Since January 2021, the United States has committed more than $13.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.” (  https://www.defense.gov). But what about the world costs for all of the war? “At the five-month mark, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has the heavy cost of US$8.9 trillion” ( … https://www.newsweek.com/six-months-costs-ukraine-war-are-mounting-russia-opinion).

All of this, President Putin, shows that the war (thus far) has brought a high toll in lives and in expense. Thus far, there may have been 14,400 deaths and 8.9 trillion dollars. This is a very high amount, wouldn’t you say?

We would also say that today, we have read and been told that you have captured and stolen four parts of the Ukraine as well. This, of course, was not only illegal, and it was against international law, but it was also unconscionable and sinful.

We are very aware of the fact that if you should ever want to repent and make restitution for all of this, it will be a very high price for Russia to pay. First, surely it would be difficult for your country to pay the $9 trillion dollars and what about the lives? Apparently there have been 14,900 deaths and we suppose that perhaps 20,000 casualties. If we were to reimburse the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, and children of this many, at perhaps $1 million each (although we know that logically it is impossible to place a value on human lives), this would be at least $15,000,000,000,000 (about $15, trillion dollars). How could Russia pay for this?

Further, we know that it would be very difficult for Russia to pay for all of the lost jobs, the lost people, the lost cars and trucks, the lost railroads, the lost houses and buildings, the lost array of government, educational, and domestic places that have been destroyed over only 2 ½ years. It would literally “wipe out” the economy of Russia. And this is assuming that not only you but also all of your followers in Russia, all 143,713,314 of them (using 2022 figures), were to repent as well (https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/RUS/russia/population) To repeat, this would be 143,713,314 people. And this would be tens of thousands for each man, woman, and child (if my math is correct). If only half of the population were too young (younger than age 20) or too old (older than 70), this would be doubly impossible.

President Putin, we call on you, our friend, to cease your evil, unlawful, and bizarre destruction of lives and everything else in this country. We know that Russia may have four times the population and Russia is now, by far, the largest land area of the world (covering some 8 time zones!), but still you have a moral and spiritual obligation to do right.

We don’t know but maybe the Russian Orthodox Church will support you and your evil agenda. We are aware that perhaps 30 million Orthodox members were killed by Stalin in Russia years ago, and thousands or Orthodox cathedrals were either destroyed or confiscated, but (of course) this doesn’t give allowance for your wholesale and wicked destruction at present.

Thus, Mr. Putin, we call on you to repent of your slaughter of thousands and your wicked destruction of trillions of dollars. Now is the time to repent and get right with God and to change your ways. Why? Our time is limited and your time is limited. Please do so today, while you have the time. You may die tomorrow, next year, or ten or twenty years from now. And then you will face a holy, just, and wrathful God. Jesus died for you, for your sin, and for your nation and that of the Ukrainians. We do not mean to imply that you will face God for your sin but also the Ukrainians will too. You both and all of us will give an account to God, to our Creator and Judge, thus today needs to be the time to get right with Him!

Further, we know that not only repentance but also restitution must be paid. How do you make restitution for all of the mass of evil that you have done? Further, we do not want to leave the 140 million of your countrymen out. Yes, we know that you are primarily to blame, because of your instigation and leadership in this wicked war, but it took hundreds of thousands of your followers and millions of your citizens as well. They also must be held accountable for the tens of thousands of murders and trillions of destruction. If we were to exclude the young and the old, still there would be 70 million or 90 million Russian citizens. While they should be executed for their crimes, we know that God will hold every single one of them guilty of this mayhem, this slaughter, and this rampant killing.

Respectfully yours,

 

Richard Hollerman