From Naiyl Latypov

In his article, “The return of the warlords” published in FMT on July 2, 2023, Professor Rana Mitter of Oxford University reviews China’s “warlord era” arguing that it could happen again in the People’s Republic of China, as well as in Russia. I do not see any reason to make such a claim.

While being quite well versed in that tumultuous period of China’s history, the professor ignored the background that has nothing in common with the recent state of affairs.

The New Russia and the New China have come a long way since 1991 and 1949 respectively. Fragmentation of power was one of the most challenging obstacles on the path to formation of both sovereign states.

As for my country, the collapse of the USSR spurred attempts to dissolve the Russian Federation. However, fortuitously for us, thanks to President Vladimir Putin, his unbreakable will and strong public support for his political course, it did not happen. The centrifugal processes were timely reined in.

The federation became more centralised, which made it stronger and more cohesive. The Russian people – consisting of more than 180 ethnicities – across different parts of the country have reached a common understanding that they could be more prosperous as part of a federal state.

Nothing has changed these days. The Wagner group’s mutiny that Mitter is referring to is merely an isolated incident, and not as significant for the entire Russia and its future as the author makes it seem.

It could not even be compared, let us say, with violent riots in certain parts of Europe that we have recently witnessed. Unfortunately for them, the ongoing migrant crises and growing racial tensions may prompt a recurrence of the protests.

Taking into account the lessons drawn from the Wagner group’s mutiny, the Russian government saw fit to draft legislation on private military companies (PMC).

The reflections of the esteemed professor Mitter on “warlords” and “own armies” make me think that evidently the author has never been to contemporary Russia and is not therefore familiar with its modern realities.

In fact, this may account for the unjustified comparison with a century-old situation in China. The world is constantly evolving and it cannot be fitted into the framework that some people seem to find convenient.

As far as “private armies” are concerned, I would like to draw the professor’s attention to one particular private military company called Ukraine.

After the coup in 2014, it was turned into a battering ram against Russia. To this day, it is funded, supplied and commanded by its creators, the so-called “collective West”.

Its soldiers are dying obediently for the mission set by their Western handlers, which is ultimately aimed at “weakening Russia in every possible way”.

If this “PMC” was independent, there would not have been any reason for Russia to launch a special military operation in the neighbouring country.

Naiyl Latypov is the Russian ambassador to Malaysia.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.