How exciting! Vladimir Putin has declared that he sees “a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Unfortunately, it’s not the tunnel leading to the end of his war of attrition against Ukraine. Rather, it is the road leading to improved — and potentially profitable — trade relations between Russia and the United States.

Yes, it’s all about the money. That is what was really accomplished by the two billionaire leaders at that “summit” in Alaska on August 15th, when they were supposed to be working toward putting an end to the nearly four-year massacre of civilians in Ukraine.

As Putin said while visiting a Russian nuclear research center on Friday, August 22nd:

“With the arrival of President Trump [in the White House], I think that a light at the end of the tunnel has finally loomed. And now we had a very good, meaningful and frank meeting in Alaska.

“The next steps now depend on the leadership of the United States, but I am confident that the leadership qualities of the current president, President Trump, are a good guarantee that relations will be restored.” [Anastasia Lyrchikova ad Dmitry Antonov, Reuters, August 22, 2025.]

Without going into detail, Putin spoke of “huge, huge” mineral reserves in the Arctic region, and pointed out that Russia’s Novatek — a liquefied natural gas company — was already in operation there. He added:

“We are discussing, by the way, with American partners the possibility of working together in this area. And not only in our Arctic zone, but also in Alaska. And at the same time, the technologies that we possess, today no one but us possesses. And this is of interest to our partners, including those from the States.” [Id.]

That’s all well and good, assuming any trade agreements are mutually beneficial, and not simply a give-away of Alaska’s vast natural resources. Certainly, improved trade relations would be preferable to the current atmosphere of open hostility and threats of mutually-assured destruction. But cloaking trade talks in the guise of ceasefire negotiations is not merely misleading . . . it’s despicable.

The fate of Ukraine — in fact, the future of the entire world — currently rests in the hands of two old men who, though purportedly at opposite ends of the political spectrum, are in fact like two peas in the proverbial pod. They are a matched set of autocratic, tyrannical, avaricious, rapacious, narcissistic, blood-thirsty sociopaths.

The principal difference between them is that one is diabolically clever and manipulative, while the other is just a bully.

And of the two, guess which one is more likely to come out on top.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/25/25