As the 1954 Johnny Mercer classic told us, that’s when “something’s gotta give.”
On Saturday, October 3rd, Vladimir Putin — assuming the ones to “give” would be the foreign diplomats who have kept their embassies in Ukraine open despite the increased attacks by Russia’s forces — issued a direct warning for them to leave or risk losing their lives.
He undoubtedly expected to see a mass exodus; instead, he received responses from some immovable sources:
> From Poland: It has no intention of changing how its Embassy operates in Kyiv.
> From Estonia: Its Embassy remains in Kyiv, and its support of Ukraine remains firm.
> And from the EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova: “The responsibility for russian [sic] attacks belongs to russia [sic]. Moscow wants to scare Europe into reducing its support for Ukraine. That will not happen.” [Yuri Zoria, Euromaidan, October 4, 2026.]
Putin’s threats, and his hybrid assaults on NATO/EU territory, have thus far only served to strengthen the resolve and the defenses of the nations of Europe. Now he has sunk to the level of personally threatening the lives of their government officials as he escalates his attacks on Kyiv.
But his bluff is being called.
Nearly five years of war have, rather than causing the people of Ukraine to cower and surrender, only reinforced their determination to defend their country for as long as it takes to defeat Putin. Similarly, the people of Europe — having fought and survived two world wars — are standing firm in the defense of Ukraine and of their own sovereign nations.
Conversely, however, Putin’s prolonged war has begun to affect his own people, and their support for his “special military operation” is noticeably waning. He is now facing the once unimaginable possibility of a dual loss: on the battlefield in Ukraine, and in the political arena at home.
There’s no telling what twists and turns are ahead, or how long it may take to reach a final resolution; but right now, my money is on the immovable objects of Europe.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
10/6/26
