Vladimir Putin, who considers himself a Czar of Russia (equivalent to a Roman Caesar), demands incredible territorial concessions from Ukraine in exchange for a lasting peace. He should be remembered the world of another Caesar, emperor in his bistrot in Marseille, in Marcel Pagnol’s 1931 film “Marius”. César presents his recipe for a mandarin-lemon-curaçao:
CÉSAR: First you put in a third of curaçao. Be careful: a very small third. Now, one third of lemon. A little bit bigger. Next, a GOOD third of Picon. And at the end, a BIG third of water. There you go.
MARIUS
And that’s four thirds.
CÉSAR
Exactly. I hope this time you understood.
MARIUS
In a glass, there are only three thirds.
CÉSAR
But, you fool, it depends on the size of the thirds!
MARIUS
No, it doesn’t depend.
Even in a watering can, you can only put three thirds.
Caesar (triumphant)
So, explain to me how I put four in this glass.
MARIUS
That’s arithmetic.
CÉSAR
Yes, when you don’t know what to say, you try to divert the conversation.
M. Putin, do your maths, stop asking for four thirds of Ukraine, and recall your army!