
	The 15 socialist republics of the Soviet Union: Russian SFSR - Armenian SSR - Azerbaijan SSR - Byelorussian SSR - Estonian SSR - Georgian SSR - Kazakh SSR - Kirghiz SSR - Latvian SSR - Lithuanian SSR - Moldavian SSR - Tadzhik SSR - Turkmen SSR - Ukrainian SSR - Uzbek SSR The 3 Baltic states did no join the CIS, Georgia left in 2009, and the status of Ukraine needs to be yet determined, presently 10 full member-states form the CIS ( May 2014) : Russian Federation - Armenia - Azerbaijan - Belarus - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Moldova - Tajikistan - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan
Total Population in the 15 member states/republics of the FSU: 278.8 Million - 52.6 % (146.7 Million) live in the Russian Federation 25 Million Russian Compatriots live in neighboring CIS / FSU countries, the majority in Ukraine followed by Kazakhstan - Belarus - Baltic States - Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Armenia A total of approx 5.6 million Russian Compatriots are residing worldwide, with the majority of 3.1 million in the USA & Canada, 1.1 million in Israel and another 1.4 million throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America.

	1987 at the White House in Washington DC Ronald Reagan shakes (grabs) the hand of Mikhail Gorbachev General Secretary of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 when the party was dissolved. He served as the country's head of state from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991 (titled as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1988 to 1989, as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 1989 to 1990, and as President of the Soviet Union from 1990 to 1991). He was the only general secretary in the history of the Soviet Union to have been born after the October Revolution. Gorbachev's policies of glasnost ("openness") and perestroika ("restructuring") as well as summit conferences with United States President Ronald Reagan and his reorientation of Soviet strategic aims contributed to the end of the Cold War, removed the constitutional role of the Communist Party in governing the state, and inadvertently led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The USA, whose long-term was to force the Soviet Union to its knees, through economic measures, being the richer country, increased the arms race compelling the Soviet Union to increase its military spending, depleting its wealth and thus hasten its collapse.
Mikhail Gorbachev put on a brave face, hoping in his wishful thinking that the USA would treat him with respect and on equal terms, whereas all he was in their view, a loser of the Cold war. All the nice talk was just a show and lip service. EAST GERMANY - GDR - DDR Deutsche Demokratische Republik - the Soviet Union closed Ally - dropped by the Soviet Leadership with Mikhail Gorbachev at the helm, like a hot potato and for cash - lots of it !
	Former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, pictured in Berlin last November (2014), has warned that further sanctions threaten to spiral the new Cold War into open conflict with global repercussions Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2931674/Gorbachev-warns-Cold-War-hot-armed-conflict-Moscow-West-EU-expands-Russian-sanctions.html#ixzz3Vc0ORbmF

Dear Comrade Mikhail Gorbachev

Millions of Russians who resided peacefully for decades in the former Soviet Republics of Georgia, Estonia ,Latvia ,Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova and other former Soviet Republics, are now left defenseless to their fate !

Do you sleep well at night when knowing that those Russians in the former Soviet Republics are being attacked, killed, humiliated, hated, spit upon, stripped of their rights and treated as 3rd class citizens ? And what about your allies, mainly East Germany?

You praise the reunification, well knowing that it was an annexation, west plundering east, you speak big words, but you have caused so much damage !

So don't think that all is well ! Did you forget your foes' intentions ? Did you not see ? Yes, it was not just you but the entire leadership under your command, they are as guilty ! What have you all done to the Motherland ?

Did you have to wave the white flag ? Reforms and changes - YES - but why total submission and capitulation ??

The West did not really treat you as hero or as equal, but behaved as winners of the cold war ! - And now ? Russia is encircled at its borders, NATO expanded eastwards, EU and NATO target former Soviet Republics, some of whom already have yielded to US expansionism,US troops already stationed in these republics !!! These republics and the former Eastern European countries of the Warsaw treaty were and are being bribed and bought to serve as pawns in the USA imperial game - the USA throws around money, a lot of money altho it doesn't have sufficient coverage, but they keep on printing !

Now, you warn the west that further sanctions threaten to spiral the new Cold War into open conflict with global repercussions !!
Isn't this a bit late for that ? Although this time you are right, just 2 1/2 decades later of what should have been clear to you back then !!!

But we stand firm and determined against the western expansions and agressions !
The West does not - never had - Russias Interest at heart - only their own.

Respectfully, Gennady Pahl-Vishnevsky,

NB We must not belittle the good work you have done and are still doing in various fields and within Russian Society, your intensions were/are good, your political moves back then maybe were too hasty,based on your belief in the good of (western ?) man - well it brought a lot of heart-ake, very unfortunately. update:29 Aug 2015