There’s some weird stuff happening out there this week. A little weirder than usual, I mean, and specifically with regard to Ukraine and our old standby for weirdness: Russia. Let’s start with a Russian Admiral.

His name is (or was) Viktor Sokolov, and he is (or was) the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet at the time its headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea was destroyed by a Ukrainian missile attack a few days ago. The problem appears to be in determining whether he’s dead or alive. Officials in Ukraine publicly “confirmed” on Monday that Admiral Sokolov was among 34 senior officers killed in that attack. But according to The Daily Beast, yesterday he appeared for just a few seconds in a Russian video, allegedly at a meeting chaired by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He was in dress uniform, oddly propped up against a pillow, appearing uninjured, but with eyes closed behind his glasses. Then a still photo was released showing him with his glasses off and eyes open, though still propped up against a pillow as though in a hospital bed.

So — as we did in the case of our now-departed friend Yevgeny Prigozhin — we ask the question: Where is Admiral Sokolov? Were these just old pictures of him dug out of an archive, or — eerily — were they photos of his propped-up corpse? And if the latter, how long can they keep him “alive” before he is no longer photographable? The Russians are known to be adept at altering photos, but how far can they go, and for how long? Perhaps until they can think up an excuse for his “departure,” and find an adequate replacement? We’ll see. Whatever transpires, it will surely be the story most fitting for propaganda purposes.

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Next up: Defense Minister Shoigu’s deadline. Yes, the same Shoigu who purportedly met with Admiral Sokolov yesterday. As reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing an insider source, Vladimir Putin has given Shoigu a deadline until early October to “improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative.” Oh, is that all? It is not clear from the report when the order was issued, but “early October” is right around the corner.

And thus we are left wondering whether there is an “or else” attached to that order, possibly leaving Shoigu on the unemployed line if he is unable to deliver. Is there any such thing as tenure in the Russian military? This poor guy has had so many ups and downs since Prigozhin began picking on him, there’s no telling where he’ll land. In the meantime, he’s certainly been busy.

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And finally, we have the unexpected re-emergence of Henry Kissinger. Dr. Kissinger is now an even 100 years old — officially a centenarian, and a renowned statesman who has more than earned a peaceful retirement. Yet he was able to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky while the latter was in the United States last week. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Dr. Kissinger “was previously against Ukraine’s membership in NATO and now supports Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance.” And Dr. Kissinger himself is quoted directly as saying:

”Before this war, I was opposed to the membership of Ukraine in NATO because I feared that it would start the very process that we are seeing now. Now that this process has reached this level, the idea of a neutral Ukraine under these conditions no longer makes sense.” [Emphasis is mine.]

Dr. Kissinger, I salute you. The passing years obviously have in no way dulled your knowledge, your wisdom, or your ability to distinguish right from wrong . . . nor are you too proud to alter your judgment when changing circumstances dictate. From your work in reopening relations with China to the present day, you have been an invaluable asset, not only to the United States, but to the world at large.

Now, if only we could get you into a room with Vladimir Putin . . . but I fear he is beyond redemption and immune to even your persuasive powers. That’s really too bad. But thank you for everything else.

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So it’s been a rather strange week thus far. But is that so different from most other weeks? Nah . . . not really.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/27/23