As Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev enjoys yet another free pass into the U.S. for a weekend of meetings with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in balmy Florida, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks optimistically of a possible trilateral meeting in the near future, Vladimir Putin has proclaimed “Bah! Humbug!” to any hope of progress during this pre-Christmas week.

Putin’s foreign policy guru Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow today not to expect a breakthrough from the talks presently underway in Florida, saying that, “The Americans are celebrating Christmas in these days. Not many people are going to be working,” and indicating that Dmitriev would simply be returning to Moscow to file his report. [RFE/RL, December 21, 2025.]

Okay . . . so Donald Trump has already retreated to Mar-a-Lago for a long winter’s nap, and the Republicans have deserted Congress to celebrate having evaded any action on a healthcare solution. But that doesn’t mean negotiators aren’t still working to find some common ground for a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov, who is heading his country’s team in the Florida talks, said:

“We work constructively and substantively. We hope for further progress and practical results.” [Id.]

But Ushakov dissented, saying: “So far, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and it is not being worked on, as far as I know.” He added that Dmitriev was only “holding talks” with U.S. officials. [Id.]

And just to be sure we get the message, he had this comment on the 20-point European revision of Trump’s original 28-point proposal:

“I am sure that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or are trying to make definitely do not improve the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace.” [Id.]

So if the Russian and American contingents are not discussing a peace initiative, but are “holding talks,” then what are they talking about? Their Christmas plans? New Year’s resolutions? The price of eggs in Russia vs. the U.S.?

And why do we keep granting Dmitriev — who is under U.S. sanctions — exemptions to enter the country? What sort of deals are the money men — Dmitriev, Witkoff and Kushner — really discussing while Putin buys more time to gain additional ground in Ukraine that he can claim as his own?

We’ll never know, because no one is revealing details of these back-room talks taking place while Ukrainians fight for their very existence.

All we know for certain is that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come — in the person of Vladimir Putin — has spoken.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/21/25

Long ago, in what seems another lifetime, one of my early boyfriends introduced me to a faux-Latin phrase: “Illegitimi non carborundum.“ It is translated as, “Don’t let the bastards wear you down”; and while I no longer recall the context in which he said it, over the years it has proven to be good advice.

Eric Arthur Blair — better known to the world as George Orwell, author of the dystopian classic “1984” — wrote of a world in which survival depended upon infinite patience and the ability to resist authoritarian control and a constant barrage of lies and propaganda.

In “1984” — a futuristic novel published in 1949, the year before his untimely death from tuberculosis — the world as he imagined it might become is described as follows:

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

– George Orwell, “1984”

He may well have been foretelling the state of the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century. But consider also the United States in 2025, where:

. . . records have been destroyed or falsified (think of the Epstein files, among others);

. . . “offending” exhibits are being removed from the Smithsonian Institution;

. . . “woke” programming is being eliminated from the Kennedy Center;

. . . buildings — again, including the Kennedy Center — are being emblazoned with the leader’s name;

. . . statues and portraits of “unacceptable” historical figures are being torn down;

. . . facts are being haphazardly erased or misquoted; and

. . . lies are being spouted as gospel.

All as foreseen by George Orwell more than 75 years ago.

If you have never read “1984,” you should, before it’s too late. (The book is infinitely better than the film versions.) And even if you have read it, read it again. After three-fourths of a century, Orwell’s stark warnings ring truer than ever.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/21/25

As though we needed further proof of Vladimir Putin’s criminal pursuance of his war in Ukraine, last week brought to light yet another violation of the Geneva Conventions and other international laws and regulations by the Kremlin regime: the treatment of an army combatant — a Briton fighting with the Ukrainian forces — as a common criminal, and his arrest, trial, conviction and imprisonment on false charges of acting as a “mercenary.”

Davies, who joined the Ukrainian army in August 2024, was captured by Russian forces later that year or in early 2025. He is said to have traveled to Ukraine via Poland by bus, where he was paid $400-$500 per month by the Ukrainian military.

Russian prosecutors said that Davies “took part in military operations against the Russian armed forces on the territory of [Donetsk Region],” which he reportedly admitted at his trial. [Will Vernon, BBC, December 18, 2025.]

In those circumstances, Davies would be entitled to treatment as a prisoner of war. But Russia — which openly recruits military forces, as well as mercenaries, from numerous countries, including North Korea and Iran — has instead sentenced him to 13 years in a maximum-security prison.

*. *. *

And Davies’ case has brought to light the similar treatment of 22-year old British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson, who was captured while fighting for Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region last November. He was charged with terrorism and mercenary activity, and sentenced in March 2025 to 19 years in a strict-regime penal colony.

Russian investigators accused Anderson of “committing a terrorist act,” “[causing] significant damage to property,” and having “destabilised” the activities of authorities. [Emma Rossiter, BBC, March 5, 2025.]

Following Anderson’s conviction, a UK Foreign Office spokesman condemned the charges as false, saying:

“Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect these obligations, including those under the Geneva Conventions, and stop using prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson’s family and are providing consular support.” [Id.]

And so it goes: Vladimir Putin continuing to take hostages, both civilian and military, in total contravention of any and all international laws and the norms of common decency. In Putin’s world, the only law is, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

*. *. *

And, with the addition of Messrs. Davies and Anderson, here once more is our “honor roll” of political prisoners, spending yet another holiday season in captivity:

Europeans Under Threat:

The people of NATO and EU member states

Prisoners of War:

The 19,500 Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

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

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:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In China:

Chenyue Mao (American)

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
— Oleg Antipov
— Artyom Azatyan
— Georgy Azatyan
— Aleksandr Bylin
— Roman Solomko
— Artur Terchanyan
— Dmitry Tyazhelykh
— Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
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
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
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)

*. *. *

At this time of year, be assured that your families, friends, and countrymen have not forgotten you.

Wishing you a peaceful and hopeful Christmas, Chanukkah, and whatever else you may choose to commemorate.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/21/25

My memory was jogged today by a reminder of an historic event that had long since been pushed to the back of my mind.

On December 20, 1989, the United States invaded Panama in an attempt to overthrow the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega, who was under indictment in the U.S. on drug trafficking and other charges.

In 1970, Noriega was a friend of the United States, having been recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to aid in the fight against communism in Central America. He was dropped by the CIA in 1977 when he became involved in the drug trade; brought back into U.S. favor to help oppose the Marxist Sandinista government in 1979; and himself became the military dictator of Panama in 1983. [“This Day In History,” History.com, December 20, 2025.]

In the midst of all of this back-and-forth — around 1981 or ‘82, as I recall — my daughter, still a student at the time, was spending a day with me at my office in downtown Washington. Around noontime, I decided to treat her to lunch at the elegant Madison Hotel across the street from my office building; and as we were contemplating the menu, we heard a bit of commotion surrounding the arrival of a group of patrons.

Looking toward the restaurant entrance, my daughter said, “Mom, that man looks awfully familiar. Isn’t he someone famous?” And as I followed her gaze, I immediately recognized none other than the . . . well, not so much famous as infamous . . . Manuel Noriega. He was not yet the ruler of his country, but was nevertheless surrounded by his cadre of bodyguards, all in full military dress.

And that sighting is one of the things I miss most about Washington: the accidental encounters with the famous, and sometimes the notorious.

Like the day in December of 1960, when I was seated on a bus on my way to work, stopped at a red light at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street in the historic Georgetown neighborhood. As I sat gazing out the window, a car stopped alongside the bus — most unusually for December, a convertible with its top down. And in the front passenger seat sat John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the newly-elected (but not yet inaugurated) 35th President of the United States, whose home was just a few blocks away on N Street. The driver and two men in the rear seat were no doubt his new Secret Service contingent.

Coincidentally, I once also observed his brother Ted Kennedy leaving his home on another Georgetown street.

And during the years I worked in the Washington Harbour complex — also in Georgetown — Nancy Pelosi was our neighbor, occupying a penthouse apartment in the building adjoining our offices.

I could also claim to have had lunch with George Will, though we were seated at different tables and never spoke. And dinner with Barbara Bush, then First Lady, at a Chinese restaurant in suburban Virginia — again, at separate tables.

There were others over the years, including sightings in the audience at the Kennedy Center and other D.C. venues during my decades of theater-going and restaurant-hopping. But those were different times — the 1960s through the ‘90s — before the JFK assassination, and before 9-11 happened. Security wasn’t as tight, people were more relaxed, and celebrities, including politicians, were to be seen everywhere in the nation’s capital.

As the song says, “those were the days, my friend” . . . and I miss them terribly. But I consider myself fortunate to have lived through the most interesting of times in the most interesting of places. And to still have my memories.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/20/25

A friend of mine — a retired federal intelligence officer — just announced that the non-fiction book he has been writing since . . . well, almost forever . . . is being published for release in April. The book is of average length, about 300 pages, and was completed some time ago. But because of the nature of his previous employment, and the security issues surrounding the subject matter of his story, it required government approval.

That took seven long, frustrating years, during which I believe most people would have thrown in the towel. But not my friend.

And his success has me thinking about the rewards of patience and perseverance. Another author — the late, great Maya Angelou — was herself an expert on the subject of rising above difficulties, and had this to say:

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

That’s good advice for anyone. And for me, with inspiration from Ms. Angelou and from my good friend, it may be just the kick in the pants I need to get back to my own unfinished manuscript.

Who knows what can happen?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/20/25

There’s never an idle moment in the Feenstra household, even on vacation with the family . . . and apparently, time is money. Because in the middle of a video broadcast from his in-laws’ home in Ontario, Canada, Arend Feenstra found time on Wednesday to plug yet another sponsor: this time, a countertop water filtration system. We were treated to a hands-on demonstration, complete with a link to the company’s website (not shown here). Ah, the busy life of a Russian celebrity.

And when he wasn’t touting the product du jour, he was busy checking out the family’s motor home in preparation for their upcoming trip to the southeastern United States.

Some of my questions about that trip were answered when he showed us a map of the lower 48, indicating which of the states the family had already visited (roughly half), and which ones they hope to check out after the holidays. It looks as though they’ll be coming my way. I’d invite them to stop by for lunch, but I’m afraid I don’t have a big enough table.

The interior is already fitted out with sleeping space for everyone, but — as with most motor homes — just one bathroom. That would be my worst nightmare . . . but they’ve made it work before, and I’m confident they’ll do it again.

There was also time for Arend and son Wesley to install some updated hanging lights in the in-laws’ new home. (You may remember that they had just sold their farm and were preparing to move last April when Anneesa was visiting.)

And meanwhile, the younger kids were busy just being kids . . . as well they should be.

Thus ends another day in the lives of Russia’s Canadian goodwill ambassadors from Nizhny Novgorod . . . or whatever they consider themselves.

At least while they’re in North America, they don’t have to worry about their broadcasts falling victim to Russia’s war on the media.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/20/25

I don’t know whether it is technically possible or acceptable to “sit Shiva” (mourn) for a building or an institution. But that is how I am feeling today: in mourning for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Because I know that, as long as this defilement remains in existence, I will not set foot inside the Kennedy Center that I have loved and supported since its opening in 1971. And at my age, that may be never.

Donald Trump’s sycophantic Kennedy Center Board of Directors voted this week — without the requisite Congressional approval, and by blocking any and all dissenting votes — to add Trump’s name, ahead of Kennedy’s, to the cultural institution that was created and named for the slain 35th President of the United States. And — still without approval — workers have already begun applying the lettering to the exterior of the building.

Trump’s repurposing of the Kennedy Center as his personal billionaires’ club and “Peace Prize” venue wasn’t enough for him. Nor was his reimagining of what constitutes “culture.” He had to deal the final blow to the dignity of the institution, and to the honor of the Kennedy family name, by proclaiming to the world that he, and only he, had “saved” the “failing” Center.

My withdrawal will mean nothing. But if enough lovers of the arts — and particularly the regularly-subscribed patrons — follow suit, the message will become clear:

Enough.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/19/25

In difficult times, we don’t always need or want lengthy explanations of why things are as bad as they are, or sermons on courage and coping. Maybe what we need is simply to face facts.

Or, as Roman philosopher Seneca succinctly observed:

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”
– Lucius Annaeus Seneca

As it was two millennia ago, so it is today.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/19/25

In a speech describing European leaders who support Ukraine as “piglets,” and accusing them of wanting to “feast on the collapse of Russia,” Vladimir Putin has once more made it clear that his demands for a peaceful end to his war of attrition have not changed . . . nor will they.

At a meeting of Defense Ministry officials on Wednesday, Putin said:

“The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands through military means.” [Thomas Grove, Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2025.]

Those goals include, most notably and most controversially, Ukraine’s agreement to cede some 20% of its territory to Russia, to permanently surrender its hope of joining NATO, and to limit its future defense capabilities to a level acceptable to Putin.

What was unusual about Putin’s latest statement was his use of the derogatory term “podsviniki,” or “little pigs,” when referring to Ukraine’s allied European leaders. While he has frequently been known to resort to gutter language when describing adversaries or targets of his repression, this was different. And it was not uttered in the same sense as Donald Trump’s calling a female reporter “piggy” for asking a question he didn’t like.

According to one analyst, this was intended to depict the European heads of state as followers, rather than leaders — allegedly weak and dependent upon the United States — and to sow discord among the European alliance members themselves. [Steve Gutterman, RFE/RL, December 18, 2025.]

It makes sense. Since Trump’s offering of a 28-point “peace plan” that would have granted Putin’s entire wish list and left Ukraine shrunken and defenseless, Europe’s “Coalition of the Willing” have jumped in to fill the void, increasing aid to Ukraine and simultaneously shoring up their own defenses against possible future incursions by Russia. The last thing Putin wants is a stronger, more united European front on his western border . . . or a weakened Donald Trump.

So he does what comes naturally: He wields his metaphorical sword, exaggerates his country’s military and economic capabilities, assigns blame against anyone and everyone but himself, and threatens to take all of Ukraine by force if necessary — despite his failure to have done so over the past four years.

And, like a third-grade schoolyard bully, he calls the good guys “piglets.”

As if they’re foolish enough to give a damn.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/19/25

According to William Shakespeare, “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.”

That’s true: rename it “stinkweed,” and it would still look and smell like a rose. But sometimes in life, the purpose behind the renaming is more significant than the name itself. And such is the case with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Donald Trump, as the lifelong victim of his own insecurity and malignant narcissism, has to have his name emblazoned on everything . . . preferably in gigantic, gold-plated letters visible from space. But no longer content with building skyscraper hotels, golf courses, numerous failed business ventures, and tacky souvenirs bearing the Trump moniker, he has now had the venerable Kennedy Center renamed for himself.

According to Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi:

“The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come.” [Betsy Klein, CNN, December 18, 2025.]

Trump himself pretended to be taken aback by the Board’s action, saying:

“I was honored by this. The board is a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country. And I was surprised by it. This was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members, and they voted on it, and there’s a lot of board members, and they voted unanimously.” [Id.]

There are just a couple of things wrong with those statements, besides the fact that the Kennedy Center’s name was mandated by law in 1964, and can only be officially changed by Congressional vote — a technicality of no significance to Trump, who believes himself to be above the law.

First of all, the Board’s action was neither unanimous nor bipartisan. One of the Board’s members, Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, was on the conference-call meeting, but has said in a post on X:

“I was on that call and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions, and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted. Each time I tried to speak, I was muted.” [Id.]

Secondly, Trump has been hinting for months that he would love to have his name attached to the Center. The Board — a hand-picked group of his cronies installed after he fired the previous members — were merely acting on his wishes . . . just as they did when they elected him Chairman of the Board. Surprise!

And finally, Trump’s claims that he has saved the Kennedy Center from physical and financial ruin are, at best, greatly exaggerated. In fact, since his takeover of the institution — including being “98% involved” in the selection of this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, in which “wokesters” were rejected from consideration — ticket sales have plummeted, long-time season subscribers have unsubscribed, and numerous performers have pulled out in protest. [Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu and Bernd Debusmann, Jr., BBC, December 18, 2025.]

What remains is Donald Trump’s idea of culture. Coming from a man whose tastes run to gold-plated trinkets, artery-clogging McDonald’s junk food, and neckties that cover the fly of his trousers . . . well, let’s just say his definition of “culture” is not the same as Webster’s Unabridged.

And I have to wonder what else he’ll take credit for. Perhaps the Trump-Washington Monument, the Trump-Lincoln Memorial, or the Trump-Smithsonian Institution? How about — from a guy who used bone spurs as an excuse to escape military service — the Trump-Vietnam Memorial?

Or why not go all the way, and simply rename the nation’s capital:

TRUMPLANDIA

That has a nice, Orwellian ring to it, don’t you think?

So, do you really want to know what’s in a name? Apparently, if your name is Trump, it’s everything.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/18/25