My blog site sends its members a daily question or challenge, which can range from naming your favorite author to asking what you would do if you had a million dollars to spare. They’re always fun, usually thought-provoking, and often give rise to serious introspection.

Yesterday’s question, though, was simply one that required me to search my memory:

“What major historical events do you remember?”

Well, for someone who has lived as long as I have, that can be a long list: the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassination, 9/11 . . . a plethora of mostly horrific events. But there were also some good ones: the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the end of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” for example.

But coincidentally, History.com also reminded me yesterday of an event that occurred 63 years ago that I remember in excruciating detail: the announcement by then President John F. Kennedy of the discovery of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, ushering in a week in hell that felt like a year and became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On October 22, 1962, I was living in Washington, D.C. — ground zero for any first strike by the “main enemy”: the Soviet Union. And on October 14th, U.S. spy planes had spotted missile sites under construction and nearing completion on an island less than 100 miles from Florida, and within easy striking distance of the nation’s capital. But it wasn’t announced to the public until the 22nd.

For the next six days, the world held its breath while President Kennedy stood toe-to-toe with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, first setting up a “quarantine” (in reality a blockade) of Cuba to prevent more Soviet ships from transporting additional weapons to the island, and demanding that the bases be dismantled and the existing missiles removed.

As U.S. military forces went to DEFCON 2 — the highest military alert ever declared in the postwar era — U.N. Secretary General U Thant sent private messages to Kennedy and Khrushchev, urging them to “refrain from any action that may aggravate the situation and bring with it the risk of war.” [“This Day In History, History.com, October 22, 2025.]

Then Khrushchev called for the U.S. to dismantle its missile bases in Turkey (now Turkiye).

In order to bring the world back from the brink of a nuclear holocaust, Kennedy and his advisers ultimately agreed to that demand in exchange for Khrushchev’s doing the same in Cuba.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed, all-out war was prevented, and people around the world slept peacefully for the first time in a week. Wisdom had won out over politics, hostility, spite, greed and ego.

Those were the years when statesmen governed the United States: John Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. They weren’t safer times, and people were no more perfect than they are today. The difference was that the decision-makers were possessed of intellect and patriotism. They loved their country; they knew what was best for it; and they did their utmost to ensure its survival.

And we are all here today because of them.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/23/25

After being played yet again by Vladimir Putin’s stalling techniques, Donald Trump has finally taken that further action he’s been promising for so long: he has issued sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

Hallelujah!

Following the announcement that Trump would meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Washington on October 17th, Putin jumped the gun and called Trump on the 16th, offering to meet with him, possibly in Budapest. Trump happily agreed, and announced that a meeting would take place within the next couple of weeks. There was even a follow-up discussion between Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rubio.

But something went wrong, and Trump announced that he had cancelled the meeting with Putin because he “didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get.” [Jennifer Hansler, Kit Maher and Kaitlan Collins, CNN, October 22, 2025.]

Yes, something went wrong, all right. In the Lavrov-Rubio call, Lavrov made it clear that Putin’s demand that Russia be given Ukraine’s Donbas region as a non-negotiable part of any ceasefire arrangement had not changed. And for Ukraine, that has always been a non-starter.

In the Oval Office today, Trump explained that he “felt it was time” to impose the sanctions, and that he had “waited a long time” to do so. He added that he still hoped “they won’t be on for long,” remaining optimistic that the war would soon come to an end. [Id.]

And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a statement saying that it was “time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire. Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.” [Id.]

Eddie Fishman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told CNN:

“So far what’s come out is these primary sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, but the key then will be if there’s a threat of secondary sanctions on banks, oil refineries and traders in third countries who are dealing with Rosneft and Lukoil.” [Id.]

Let’s hope the U.S. follows through with the complete package of sanctions. As Russia continues to blast away at multiple regions of Ukraine, killing and maiming its innocent civilians and destroying its infrastructure in order to inflict maximum suffering during the coming winter, let Putin see how his people like living with the effects of fuel shortages.

I’ve been in Russia in February, and it’s no picnic. To compensate for the minus-20-degree temperatures, the buildings were overheated. How will the people react when their domestic fuel supplies are cut short in order to keep Putin’s “special military operation” supplied?

I don’t often have an opportunity to give props to the current U.S. administration, but today’s action deserves praise. My fingers are crossed that Trump doesn’t back off again.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/22/25

During my years of travel to the Soviet Union (1988) and to the downsized Russian Federation (1992-94), I was privileged to experience many of that ancient country’s wonders: the White Nights of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg),; the lush Black Sea resort of Sochi; the Winter Palace (now the Hermitage Museum); the Summer Palace at Petrodvorets (or Peterhof); the writers’ colony at Peredelkino; the inside of Petrovka 38, better known as Moscow’s Militia Headquarters; performances at the illustrious Bolshoi and Mariinsky (Kirov) Theaters; countless museums, cemeteries, galleries, and ethnic restaurants . . . and of course, the Kremlin and adjoining Red Square.

But I was never able to tour the inside of St. Basil’s Cathedral; it was always “na remontе” — under repair.

But this week, I was at last able to see what the remont had been leading up to when I took a vicarious tour, via the wonders of YouTube, with Canadian transplants Arend and Anneesa Feenstra.

For whatever reason, the charming couple from Saskatchewan left their farm in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and their eight children, in order to spend a couple of days by themselves in the big city. They traveled by train and Metro — a total of four and a half hours each way — to Moscow, where they had booked a small rental apartment for the overnight stay.

But instead of a tour of the city, they walked along a high-end shopping street, past the Bolshoi Theater, and directly onto Red Square. Although Arend said that they were in the Kremlin, he was mistaken; they never entered the Kremlin grounds, but instead strolled along the entire perimeter of the massive fortress, outside its red brick walls — a distance of some 8,200 feet. (A mile is 5,280 feet long.)

Entering Red Square, they ignored the Historical Museum and Lenin’s Tomb; briefly pointed out, but didn’t enter, GUM Department Store; and headed directly for St. Basil’s, which is now open to the public. And I was thrilled to find that they were able to photograph the interior, which is now a world-class museum of Russian history and magnificent 16th-century architecture.

It may have taken the better part of 30 years, and unknown amounts of money, but the end result was clearly worth it.

As they filmed their way through the labyrinth of rooms and hallways, Arend refrained from offering his usual running commentary, instead focusing on the architectural and religious wonders before his eyes. While he spent a good deal of time reading the explanatory signs alongside the glass-enclosed exhibits — which, to my surprise, were printed in both Russian and English — I was more taken with the architecture.

The history of St. Basil’s is fascinating. Briefly, it was commissioned by Tsar Ivan IV — more popularly referred to as Ivan the Terrible — in the mid-1500s, to celebrate a military victory. It is said, though not proven, that when the cathedral had been completed, he ordered the architect blinded so that it might never be replicated. That may be no more than an urban legend . . . but knowing Ivan’s history, anything is possible.

As I watched — and envied — the Feenstras on their walk through history, I took some screen shots of their video, a few of which I will share with you now.

I never cease to be amazed by the dichotomy of a people who are so inherently capable of unspeakable acts of brutality, yet are also able to produce such a vast legacy of architectural, artistic, musical and literary splendor.

And now, I believe this calls for a shot of Stolichnaya vodka and an hour or so of Tchaikovsky.

*. *. *

They can’t hear me, but I thank the Feenstras for the unexpected tour that I was never able to take in person.

As for a description of St. Basil’s Cathedral itself, I can only offer a phrase recalled from my many years spent working in the legal profession: Res ipsa loquitur.

“The thing speaks for itself.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/22/25

One day Donald Trump is saying he thinks Ukraine has a good chance of recovering all of its Russian-occupied territory.

Then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky comes to Washington hoping to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles and returns home empty-handed, but with a promise that Trump will be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, probably in the next couple of weeks.

Then word leaks out that Putin has told Trump that he still won’t agree to a ceasefire unless he is awarded all of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Oh, and incidentally, let’s build a tunnel connecting Russia’s far east with . . . wait for it . . . Alaska. At Russia’s expense. Except for some contributions by unidentified “international partners.” Which Trump calls “interesting.”

Furthermore, the Financial Times has reported, citing people “familiar with the matter,” that during the White House meeting Trump had advised Zelensky to accept Russia’s terms for ending the war, including ceding the Donetsk region . . . and warned that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if Zelensky didn’t agree to Russia’s terms. [RFE/RL, October 21, 2025 CET.]

Thereafter, Trump denied that he had discussed Ukraine’s sacrificing Donetsk. But in a Fox News interview, when asked whether Putin was likely to accept a peace deal without winning the Donbas, Trump said:

“Well, he’s gonna take something.” [Id.]

Then he tried — in his usual clumsy manner — to cover his obvious blunder by saying yesterday:

“I never said they would win it. I said they could win. Anything could happen. You know, war is a very strange thing. A lot of bad things happen. A lot of good things happen.” [Kevin Liptak, CNN, October 20, 2025.]

“A lot of good things happen in war”? What does that even mean? Does he ever listen to himself?

Apparently not, because he also wrote on social media, shortly after the White House meeting, that Russia and Ukraine “should stop where they are . . . Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” [John Sudworth and Maia Davies, BBC, October 20, 2025.]

In the meantime, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in preparation for a summit between the two leaders, possibly in Budapest — a call that Rubio described as “constructive.” [Id.]

And Europe’s Coalition of the Willing — a group of 33 nations united in support of Ukraine — have scheduled a meeting in London on October 24th, to include President Zelensky.

*. *. *

But what a difference a few hours can make. Because, as of this writing (2:15 p.m. EDT), the White House has announced that:

“Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive call. Therefore, an additional in-person meeting between the Secretary and Foreign Minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future.” [Kristen Holmes, Jennifer Hansler and. Kylie Atwood, CNN, October 21, 2025.]

A “source familiar with the matter” — a journalistic euphemism for someone who wishes to remain anonymous — also told CNN that, following the Rubio-Lavrov call, it was determined by Washington officials that the Russian position had not sufficiently evolved beyond its original demands, but that the two might speak again this week. [Id.]

So at this point I have just one question: As long as Vladimir Putin continues to stall, and Donald Trump keeps seesawing between support for Ukraine and his Danse Macabre with Putin, does anyone really know what the hell is happening?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/21/25

Then you look up from your book, and you see this:

Like Carl Sandburg’s “Fog,” they crept in on little cat — er, dog — feet.

I never did determine what they were looking at, or hearing, or smelling — and they weren’t talking. But it wasn’t the cat, or any other living thing, so I didn’t give it much thought.

And neither did they, apparently, because they gave up a few seconds later and — again like Sandburg’s fog — moved on as quietly as they had arrived.

The cousins — to each other, not to me — are Dixie (on the left) and Spunky (just visiting), on the prowl last week. They were always good for a laugh, which is more than I can say for the daily news; so tonight I thought I’d ditch the doom and gloom for a few hours and share a little light-hearted observation with my readers for a change of pace.

And now “to sleep, perchance to dream.” (You know I can never resist a bit of Shakespeare.)

Catch you later, most likely with my comments on some real news.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/21/25

. . . or so says the U.S. government. Consider, for example, DOGE — the ironically-named Department of Government Efficiency, initially led by Trump buddy and noted rich guy Elon Musk — and its coterie of young, eager, inexperienced, tech-savvy but otherwise unemployable, right-wing extremist nut jobs. Like this kid:

At 19 years of age, with his high school education a whole year behind him, he has an impressive Wikipedia biography. He is described as being “known for his association with Elon Musk and DOGE, his youth and inexperience relative to his responsibilities with DOGE, and his vulgar nickname.” [Wikipedia, as of October 20, 2025.]

His list of “employers” — all in 2025 — includes DHS, FEMA, USAID, GSA, SSA — a sizable chunk of the Washington alphabet-soup bureaucracy. If true, then he has just taken job-hopping to an entirely new level.

He lists his political affiliation as — big surprise! — Republican.

Though he enrolled at Northeastern University in 2024, he is described as a “computer programmer and former engineering student.” He has also registered a number of startups in Connecticut, Delaware, and the U.K., one of which offers an artificial intelligence Discord bot (whatever that is) for the Russian market.

In 2022, he was fired from his internship at Path Network for allegedly leaking internal company information to a competitor. Yet he has been given access to the most confidential taxpayer information at the Social Security Administration and elsewhere.

He has an online content delivery network, called DiamondCDN, that reportedly facilitated the work of a cybercriminal group known as EGodly. In 2023, EGodly — which has proudly claimed involvement in email hacking, theft of cryptocurrency, and the harassment of a former FBI agent — thanked Coristine’s network, saying:

“We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website.” [Wikipedia, id.]

For someone not yet 20, “Big Balls” has been a busy boy.

And one other note: Under “Relatives” in his Wikipedia bio, he names just one: his maternal grandfather, Valery Martinov.

Wait . . . WHAT??!!!

Surely, not this Valery Martinov:

But yes, young Ed Coristine is the grandson of a former KGB officer who, while stationed under the guise of a third secretary in the Soviet Embassy in Washington beginning in 1980, was actually an intelligence agent for the KGB’s First Chief Directorate. In 1982, he was recruited by the FBI as a double agent — not for reasons of political ideology, but simply because he wanted the money in order to enjoy the material benefits of living in America.

In 1985, he was betrayed to the KGB by CIA agent Aldrich Ames — who, as Martynov’s mirror image, had sold himself to the KGB — and was brought back to Moscow on a pretext and arrested upon arrival at the airport in Moscow. He was convicted of treason, and executed in 1987.

(Note: Aldrich Ames was luckier. His spying spree continued for nine years, until he in turn was arrested in 1994 by the FBI in the U.S., where he is serving a life sentence in a federal prison.)

Following Martynov’s execution, his wife Natalia and their daughter Anna managed to return to the United States. How Natalia Martynova engineered their escape remains a mystery. I can only suppose that she was exfiltrated by the CIA to save her life and her daughter’s; but that is just conjecture.

In any event, young Anna Martynova grew up in the United States, and eventually married Charles Coristine, who is CEO of LesserEvil Snacks, purveyors of healthier popcorn, granola, and other snack foods. And young Ed — the DOGE wonder boy — is their son.

*. *. *

Whew! I know that’s a lot to follow; but it’s important because it points out how the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — charged with reorganizing practically the entire U.S. government — acquired its staff of chainsaw-wielding “experts.” They were tech-savvy, they were eager, and they wanted jobs that offered them a semblance of power and influence. No experience necessary . . . and clearly no vetting.

I do not believe the sins of the fathers (or grandfathers) should be visited upon the children. But surely, this young man’s unusual (to say the least) family background, combined with his own brief but checkered history, should have raised some red flags . . . that is, if anyone actually checked.

If I were the person in charge of hiring for DOGE, Ed would have been shown the door as a potential security risk. Instead, he got the job and came to Washington.

And in August of this year, he was badly beaten in an attempted carjacking in D.C., inspiring Trump in his militarization of the nation’s capital as a supposed hotbed of crime.

Coristine, though no longer with the greatly reduced DOGE, is said to still be working for the U.S. government. And it has even been suggested by a MAGA leader that he should receive the esteemed Presidential Medal of Freedom for his “bravery” — though that honor, which is the highest civilian award a citizen of the United States can receive, is reserved for people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to 1) the security or national interests of the United States, or 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

Now, if someone would please tell me what Ed Coristine’s contribution has been . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/20/25

I received one of those pop-up “courtesy” messages from Amazon the other day — you know, the ones that start: “We’ve found something you might like . . .” This one was about an author whose books I’ve bought before, though not because he’s a literary giant; they were for research. This author is someone to whom I have a personal, though indirect, connection. His name is John Helmer, he is an Australian journalist, and he has lived and worked in Russia since 1989.

Never heard of him? I’m not surprised. He’s no John Grisham or J.K. Rowling; his books are non-fiction (more or less) on a variety of scholarly subjects, including quite a bit about Russia. But when I read that email from Amazon, it started me on a voyage of reminiscence, which led to some still unanswered questions, which in turn . . .

But I’m getting ahead of myself. So relax, dear reader, because this one may take a while.

No, no, no . . . not that relaxed!

Okay, that’s better. Now here we go:

Before relocating to Russia, Helmer didn’t just hang around Down Under. Having graduated from the University of Melbourne, he came to the United States and earned Masters and Ph.D. degrees in political science from Harvard. During his career, he bounced around the globe, and is said to have served at various times as an adviser to then President Jimmy Carter, and to Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou.

And, according to retired KGB Major Yuri Shvets, Helmer was recruited by the KGB in the late 1980s, and allegedly passed classified information to the Soviets on the Iran-Contra affair, an upcoming bombing raid on Libya, and other sensitive matters. Shvets refers to him in his own book by the invented code name “Socrates.”

And that’s where I came in. While I had never met — or even heard of the existence of — John Helmer in 1993, I was all too-well acquainted with the aforesaid Yuri Shvets. That year, I was responsible for bringing Shvets and his colleague, retired KGB Colonel Valentin Aksilenko, to the U.S. to sell the book Shvets was writing about his years as a Soviet spy in the United States. Both men met with the FBI, and — with their wives and Shvets’ two sons — subsequently defected, and have lived in the U.S. ever since.

But this isn’t about me; it’s about John Helmer.

Naturally, Helmer — having been outed as the alleged “Socrates” by Shvets in a “60 Minutes” interview in 1995 — denies the allegation of spying for the KGB. And his denial was backed up by one Viktor Cherkashin, who — as head of counterintelligence at the Soviet Embassy in Washington and the handler of one of the CIA’s most notorious turncoats, Aldrich Ames, in the mid-1980s — is hardly the most credible of witnesses. So whom should we believe: Shvets or Cherkashin . . . two men who spent most of their lives lying for a living? It’s a tough call.

But back to the present time.

As you may know if you’ve followed my writing — or if you simply read the news on a regular basis — Vladimir Putin is a man who does not take kindly to criticism of himself or his style of governing Russia. Thousands of dissidents — including vast numbers of journalists, broadcasters and bloggers — have been rounded up and imprisoned on specious criminal charges. Those opponents who have become too popular have simply been eliminated: Boris Nemtsov, Anna Politkovskaya, and Aleksei Navalny, to name just a few.

So how — I ask myself — has John Helmer survived for some 36 years as a foreign correspondent in Russia? Is it because he sweet-talks Putin, and toes the political line?

Possibly. But . . .

While his earlier journalistic output included articles on such disparate subjects as urban decay, illegal drug trade, and the Vietnam War; and as a reporter he specializes in coverage of Russian business for media in London, New York, Hong Kong, Toronto and Johannesburg; his recent books have taken an entirely different direction. Consider, for example:

> The Man Who Knows Too Much About Russia (2018) — about his own alleged attempted poisoning by the KGB;

The Lie That Shot Down MH17 (2020) — about the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down by Russian forces over Ukraine in 2014, though of course denied by the Kremlin;

> Sovcomplot: How Kremlin Pirates Tried to Capture the Treasure of the Russian Seas, and Were Caught Out (2020) — another tell-all about Russian government corruption and cover-ups;

> Skripal in Prison (2020) — about the poisoning of former Soviet/Russian GRU (military intelligence) agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter following his defection to the UK;

> Long Live Novichok! The British Poison Which Fooled the World (2025) — about the proprietary Russian nerve agent used to poison Sergei Skripal, Aleksei Navalny, and who-knows-how-many others.

I have not followed Helmer’s day-to-day work, and do not know whether he is routinely critical of Putin or the war — excuse me, the “special military operation” — in Ukraine. But those five books alone should, according to Putin’s normal standards, have landed him in a Siberian penal colony years ago. Yet, now approaching 80 years of age, he lives on in Moscow.

His Wikipedia biography describes him as “the longest-serving western correspondent in Moscow . . . specializing in the coverage of Russian business for media in London, New York, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Johannesburg.”

I have no axe to grind with John Helmer; as I said, we have never met. But there are just two degrees of separation between us (Yuri Shvets being the common denominator). And my curious nature — plus my background in Russian and Eastern European history, culture and politics — have led me to wonder about the reason for his longevity as a foreign correspondent in Russia.

Is it his marriage to his second wife, a Russian woman named Tatiana Vasilievna Turitsyna (about whom there is no readily-available online information)? Or does he have some simple secret to maneuvering within the system?

Whatever the answer, I imagine there are quite a few journalists in Russia who would like to know.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/20/25

As we await word, either from the White House or the Kremlin, of an agreed date and place for the next meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, bits and pieces of additional information emerge in various news items.

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that, in the Putin-Trump phone conversation on October 16th, Putin — who instigated the call — reiterated his demand that Ukraine surrender full control of the Donetsk region as a condition for ending the war that Russia began with its invasion of February 24, 2022.

No compromise, no option, no discussion. Just a repetitious insistence that he be awarded something that is not his, in exchange for ceasing to do what he should never have done in the first place . . . and with no guarantee that he will never do it again.

While Trump has not publicly commented on the demand, neither has he categorically rebuffed it. Instead, he wrote on social media on October 17th:

“They [Russia and Ukraine] should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” [RFE/RL, October 19, 2025.]

Am I mistaken, or does that sound like a man stepping back, finally acknowledging that he has failed to bring about the peace he promised within 24 hours of returning to the White House?

Someone needs to tell Trump that “History” doesn’t decide; it merely records what people have decided, and the after-effects of those decisions.

Stopping “where they are” now would mean giving Putin exactly what he wants: a chunk of Ukrainian territory, and free rein to continue his westward march through Europe.

That is not a peace treaty. That is surrender.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/19/25

In 2006, when Sarah Palin was Governor of Alaska, she backed a proposal to build a bridge to replace the ferry connecting the town of Ketchikan with Gravina Island — the location of Ketchikan International Airport and some 50 full-time residents. The cost of the bridge was projected at $398 million, exclusive of the requisite improvements to the surrounding infrastructure at both ends. The structure — nicknamed the “Bridge to Nowhere” — was never completed.

In the same year (just a coincidence), on a cruise along Alaska’s Inland Passage, one of our shore excursions included panning for gold in a stream near the site of a 19th-century prospectors’ camp. We knew the stream had probably been seeded with bits of gold to keep the tourists happy; but when I did find a couple of small flakes of the shiny yellow ore — even though it was worthless — I felt a little thrill of success.

The same can sometimes happen as I read through the mountain of news articles each day: once in a while, amid all the repetition, there will be a nugget of detail that jumps out because it is different, and doesn’t seem to belong in that particular story . . . which is what happened to me yesterday.

I was reading an analysis of the current state of U.S.-Russia negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine, and what to expect from a proposed meeting to be scheduled between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, when my attention began to wane. But for some unknown reason, I continued reading to the end . . . and this is what I saw:

“Russian officials also appear to be preparing their own offerings to present to the US side in talks.

“Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, revived the idea of building a tunnel under the Bering Sea to connect Russia and the United States though [sic] Alaska and suggested that Elon Musk’s Boring Company build it.” [Zoriana Stepanenko and Reid Standish, RFE/RL, October 18, 2025.]

And I’m thinking:

So I followed a link to another article, which told me that I was not losing my mind; a tunnel connecting Russia and America’s 49th state is a real proposal, masterminded by the head of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

Dmitriev proposes that the two countries build a “Putin-Trump” rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to link their territories, open up joint exploration of natural resources, and “symbolise unity,” according to a Kremlin official. The 70-mile-long tunnel would cost an estimated $8 billion, to be funded by Moscow and unspecified “international partners,” and would be completed within eight years. [Andrew Osborn, Reuters, October 17, 2025.]

During the White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, October 17th, a reporter asked Donald Trump what he thought of the idea. He called it “interesting,” and asked Zelensky what he had to say about it. Zelensky’s response:

“I’m not happy with this idea.” [Id.]

Apparently, this prompted a few chuckles from the U.S. side of the table. But somehow I don’t think Zelensky was trying to be funny. He was, after all, in Washington to plead for further help to save Ukraine from Russia’s onslaught — not to talk about building bridges (or tunnels) between his supposed ally and the very enemy that was trying to destroy his country.

Seriously . . . what the hell was Trump thinking?!! With all of his alleged concerns about national security — already being carried to previously unheard-of extremes — could he seriously be considering giving Russia free access to our sovereign territory? Did he even notice the mention of financing from unnamed “international partners”? Or of his onetime BFF, Elon Musk?

But the foremost question in my mind is whether he simply hasn’t focused on the details as yet, or whether this has been part of his “trade” discussions with Putin all along.

Either way, it’s a truly frightening prospect . . . right up there with the Qatari Air Force training facility in Idaho.

But why stop there? Why don’t we just hand out keys to the Pentagon to all of our adversaries while we’re at it?

Seriously . . . WTF??!!!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/19/25

With the focus being on the good news of the Israel-Gaza hostage/prisoner exchange, the past week has brought no news of changes in the status of those political hostages still being held by Vladimir Putin and his allies.

But there has been word from some of Putin’s former prisoners, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, who returned home as part of the multinational swap in August of 2024.

Kara-Murza and another former prisoner — Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has been living in exile in London since his 2013 release following ten years in a Russian prison — have, along with others, formed the Anti-War Committee of Russia, whose manifesto states that its goals are to stop the war in Ukraine and to oppose Putin’s dictatorial regime. And as such, they are being investigated by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB, successor to the KGB), accused of having created a “terrorist organization” and plotting to seize power. These include former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, ex-Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, and leading economists Sergei Aleksashenko and Sergei Guriev. [RFE/RL, October 14, 2025.]

In addition, the surviving members of deceased prisoner Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), also in exile, continue to be a major thorn in Putin’s side. Led by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, they continue the fight for which her husband gave his life.

*. *. *

Hopefully, the political prisoners still languishing in Putin’s prisons are aware that these groups, among others, are continuing the fight on their behalf.

And once again, here are the names of those prisoners known to me:

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Prisoners of War:

The 19,500 Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Ales Bialiatski
Andrei Chapiuk
Marya Kalesnikava
Uladzimir Labkovich
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In China:

Chenyue Mao (American)

In Russia:

David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

Stay strong, and stay hopeful. You are not forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/19/25