When Vladimir Putin suggested a one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump, he appeared to be acceding to Trump’s wishes. In reality, he was luring Trump more deeply into his already-woven web of lies and deceit, buying further time for the pursuit of his war in Ukraine, and positioning himself as the peacemaker.

And Trump, ever anxious to fulfill his campaign promise of putting an end to the then three-year-old conflict, and as always believing himself to be the master manipulator, walked right into the trap.

Finally — too late — Trump and his melange of White House geniuses may be realizing what they’ve done. Rather than characterizing it as a major breakthrough, they are now cautioning against over-optimism, instead describing Friday’s summit as “a feel-out meeting” and a “listening exercise.” Trump even said in yesterday’s press conference, with his usual eloquence:

“I believe he [Putin] wants to get it over with. Now, I’ve said that a few times, and I’ve been disappointed. Because I’d have a good call with him and then missiles would be lobbed into Kyiv or some other place, and you’d have 60 people laying [sic] on a road dying.” [Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, August 12, 2025.]

John Bolton, former national security adviser to Trump, had this to say:

“Clearly Putin’s strategy is to delay and play the president: string him along, concede nothing, exclude Zelensky. My preeminent fear is a bad deal that Zelensky rejects, and then he becomes the bad guy, and that Trump, once again in his classic mixture of vengeance and vanity, will turn against Ukraine. . . .

“Putin kept pushing Trump and eventually went further than Trump was willing to be pushed. He got mad, so Putin gave him this summit. Now he wants to work his KGB magic on Trump and get him back in line.” [Id.]

And Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said:

“Putin has already won. He is the leader of a rogue state, and he’ll get a picture on U.S. soil with the president of the United States. Trump wants a deal. And if he can’t get one now, he may walk away from it entirely.” [Id.]

*. *. *

Between Trump’s neurotic desire for a Nobel Peace Prize (not least because Barack Obama already has one), and Putin’s need to reinforce his position as the world’s foremost strongman, this “summit” in Alaska promises to be nothing more than a dance between two frustrated peacocks vying for the favors of the same peahen. (I’m not sure whether peacocks actually do engage in dance competitions, but it’s the first analogy that came to mind, and I rather liked the imagery.)

So, we’re still counting down to Friday — while NATO warns Moscow that it is treating the Russian enclave at Kaliningrad as an active war zone; Estonia tightens its borders and increases its defenses; and the Earth keeps spinning . . . though increasingly off-kilter.

But those are separate nightmares.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/12/25

I started reading Robert Reich’s new book, Coming Up Short, yesterday, and had a hard time putting it down. (No, this is not a paid promotion — I have an actual point to make.)

First, I skipped ahead to his chapter on growing old, and found that he and I share a great many of the . . . well, let’s call them inconveniences . . . of aging. However, he seems to bear them with a great deal more grace and humor than I do. In any event, it’s always comforting to know that you’re not alone in your misery.

Then I returned to the front of the book, and was just 35 pages in when I discovered that he — or, rather, his late father — and I had something else in common: a favorite quotation.

I hadn’t thought about this one in a while, which is surprising in view of the current state of the world, and my creeping suspicion that my inevitable mortality might not be something to dread after all:

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

– William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene 5

*. *. *

My old friend Will also lived in politically and economically difficult times (despite the cultural Renaissance), and understood that we humans continue, generation after generation and century after century, to learn nothing from our past mistakes. And from that realization, he drew the conclusion that all of the “sound and fury” we create in our one short lifetime is, in the end, useless.

Depressing thoughts, yes. But then I remembered that Shakespeare wrote those words of dread and doom some 400 years ago . . . and the world is still here. In those four centuries, we have survived countless wars and revolutions, dictators and despots, deadly pandemics, and unspeakable natural disasters.

But in between the bad times, there have been some really good ones: the United States was founded, and taught the world about democracy; the Industrial Revolution brought us astonishing, life-enriching inventions and discoveries; both World Wars, while horrific in themselves, were ultimately won by the good guys; many once-deadly diseases can now be prevented, controlled, or cured.

And who can forget the Jazz Age, the Big Band Era, or the likes of Elvis, the Beatles, and Queen? Or four centuries of geniuses such as Van Gogh, Mozart, and Dostoevsky? Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt? Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Charlie Chaplin and Robin Williams?

What about 400 years of sunrises and sunsets, the ebb and flow of ocean tides, spring blossoms and the fiery leaves of autumn, the smell of new-fallen snow or fresh-baked bread, or the cry of a newborn?

Need I go on? Those are just a few of the good things, the things that make life worth living and fighting for. So perhaps this time, instead of Shakespeare, I should dwell on another favorite quote: the words of Dylan Thomas as he contemplated the inevitable loss of his aging father:

“Do not go gentle into that good night:
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

*. *. *

Because this, too, shall pass.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/12/25

Although this happened yesterday, I held off commenting on it until today in hopes of avoiding sensory overload in one 24-hour period.

What happened was a continuation of the incomprehensible remarks issuing from the Oval Office on the subject of Friday’s scheduled meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be attending.

Despite the unwavering conclusion of European leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK, and Finland, as well as EC head Ursula von der Leyen, that Zelensky’s approval is an essential part of any “deal” to end the war, Trump continues to talk about the likelihood of a settlement that would involve Ukraine’s ceding some territory to Russia — the one demand that Zelensky has reiterated, time and time again, is a total non-starter.

And Trump, apparently to appease his friend Putin, tossed in a few snide (and untrue) comments directed at Zelensky. Asked yesterday about the possibility of Zelensky’s attendance at the summit, Trump was noncommittal, but said he was “a little bothered” by Zelensky’s statement that any territorial concessions would require the Ukrainian government’s constitutional approval. What Trump said was:

“I mean, he’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody. But he needs approval to do a land swap? Russia has occupied some prime territory, we will try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.” [RFE/RL, August 11, 2025.]

Wait . . . WHAT??!!!

Did he just say that Ukraine started the war and the massacre of its own people? And that it’s up to Russia to agree to give back some of the territory it has stolen? And that it would be wrong for Zelensky to follow the dictates of his country’s Constitution?

Well, yes . . . he did. And he went even further.

He said he will update European leaders if Putin proposes a “fair deal” during the talks, but would speak to Zelensky first, “out of respect…. I’ll call him first … I’ll call him after, and I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting,’ or I may say, ‘we can make a deal.’” [Rachel Hagan and Laura Gozzi, BBC News, August 11, 2025.]

So Trump will make the decision as to what is, or is not, fair and worth pursuing; and Zelensky — whose country has been devastated and its people slaughtered, tortured and held captive by Putin’s marauding troops and constant barrages for three and a half years — will be kept informed.

Well, isn’t he a prince?!!

Continuing with his blame of the victim, Trump added that, while he and Zelensky “get along,” he (Trump) “very severely disagrees with what [Zelensky] has done.” [Id.]

But he did condescend to suggest that there might be a future meeting with Putin in which Zelensky could be included. How generous of him!

In the meantime, it’s shaping up to be a one-on-one with just Putin, Trump, and maybe — though I haven’t seen it publicly confirmed — a sidekick or two: perhaps Pete Hegseth or Steve Witkoff from Washington, and Sergey Lavrov or Yuri Ushakov from Moscow.

And hopefully, an interpreter from each side.

*. *. *

I’m sure there will be more to report later today; but for now, I think I’m just going to let loose with a primal scream, eat a pint of Haagen-Dazs, and curl up in a fetal position for the rest of the night.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/12/25 – 12:00 midnight

It’s still Monday, and already there is a new clue as to what to expect from Friday’s scheduled meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

At this morning’s White House press conference, Trump referred to the summit as a “feel-out meeting,” at which he would listen to what Putin has to say and — if the Russian leader offers a “fair deal” — pass that information along to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and to other allied European leaders.

He told reporters: “Probably in the first two minutes I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made. Because that’s what I do, I make deals.” [BBC News, August 11, 2025.]

(So that’s the Donald Trump method: Diplomacy by the seat of his pants.)

Trump again talked about a possible “land swap,” saying there would be “some changes in land . . . for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff.”

And then he added, “Also, some bad stuff for both.” [Id.]

(Well, which is it: good for Ukraine, or not?)

He also hinted that he might simply walk away from the conflict, saying, “I may leave and say good luck, that will be the end.” He said that he and European allies have “overdosed on the settlement of Ukraine,” and that the European leaders in particular are tired of the war: “They want to get back to building their own countries.” [Id.]

*. *. *

In other words, if the deal doesn’t go his way, he might just walk . . . and to hell with Ukraine. Does he think this is just another one of his real estate transactions, where he can simply cut his losses and move on to the next thing that catches his attention . . . like a military takeover of the District Of Columbia, or building a massive new ballroom for the White House, or refurbishing a Qatari plane as the next Air Force One?

In Trump’s world, it is clear that only one life matters . . . his!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/11/25 – 1:15 p.m.

Just four days left until the Summit in Alaska.

Since the announcement of the time and place for the Trump-Putin meeting and the hoped-for advancement toward an end of the war in Ukraine, both sides have been busy.

Donald Trump has spoken to Ukrainian President Zelensky, and to leaders of the EU and several allied European leaders, all of whom (except perhaps Trump) are in agreement that no settlement can be finalized without Ukraine’s participation and consent.

Trump has said his goal is simply to end the war and stop the killing, as he has been promising to do since before the last election. The implication is that he doesn’t require anyone’s consent to do what he loves best: make a deal.

In Moscow, Vladimir Putin has conferred with Chinese President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Modi — Russia’s two biggest trading partners — as well as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. [Reuters, August 8, 2025.] It is no coincidence that all of those countries are members of BRICS, and strong supporters of Russia.

Putin, through his foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, has said that the meeting will “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.” [Andy Wells and James Cheng-Morris, Yahoo!news, August 10, 2025.]

We know that he never asks anyone’s consent to do anything.

And in Washington yesterday, JD Vance weighed in on Fox News with his thoughts, saying that a negotiated settlement is “not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it.” [Nandita Bose, Reuters, August 10, 2025.]

Well, now . . . there’s something to look forward to!

Friday is still a long way off, in terms of how quickly — and how often — the political atmosphere can change. Vance may be right; but as of this moment (just after midnight on Monday), my money says, sadly, that Kyiv will be a whole lot unhappier than Moscow when the dust finally settles.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/11/25

Both the Old Testament and Will Shakespeare were of the opinion that the sins of the father would be visited upon the children, often for generations to come. And sometimes that prophecy is sadly, even tragically, fulfilled.

But just as often, the sins of the children have had repercussions on their parents. Such appears to be the case of 21-year-old American Michael Gloss, killed last year while fighting for Russia in Ukraine . . . who just happened to be the son of CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation Juliane Gallina.

After Gloss’ death was first reported in April of this year, the CIA issued a statement saying that he had been suffering from mental health problems, had never been an employee of the CIA, and was not considered a national security risk. He had enlisted with the Russian military in the fall of 2023, and sources state that the Kremlin was not aware of his family background. His obituary reported that he had been “killed in Eastern Europe” a year earlier, on April 4, 2024. [BBC World News, August 9, 2025.]

Gloss may not have presented security problems to the United States, but he most certainly created issues for his parents. In addition to the grief of having lost a son, his mother has had to deal with the embarrassment of having her CIA colleagues learn of her son’s betrayal of his country.

His father, Iraq War veteran Larry Gloss, told the Washington Post in an interview last April that Michael had struggled with mental illness throughout most of his life. He said:

“Our biggest fear while we were waiting for him to be repatriated was that someone over there [in Moscow] would put two and two together and figure out who his mother was, and use him as a prop.” [Id.]

That didn’t happen at the time; but it has now.

Vladimir Putin took care to see that it did.

When a family member dies in the service of their own or an allied country, receiving a posthumous recognition of their heroism is an honor, and an acknowledgment that their life had meaning and purpose. It is at least a small source of comfort for the surviving relatives.

But for American parents, who themselves have honorably served their own country in civilian and military capacities, learning that they have been sent the Soviet-era Order of Lenin by Vladimir Putin to “honor” their dead son is the supreme insult; it is rubbing salt into a still-fresh wound.

And that is precisely what Putin did, during his meeting last week with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff was in Moscow in an attempt to advance negotiations toward ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. The meeting culminated in an agreement to schedule a summit meeting between Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, August 15th . . . and in Putin’s handing to Witkoff an Order of Lenin medal for delivery to Michael Gloss’ parents.

I cannot imagine Steve Witkoff’s reaction, but I assume — and hope — that he handled the moment more diplomatically than I would have done. I’m not sure whether I would have laughed maniacally, or simply thrown the offending “gift” at Putin’s evil, grinning face; but either way, I would certainly have put an end to any hope of improving U.S.-Russian relations . . . which is why I wisely chose many years ago not to go into politics.

It is not presently known what has happened to the medal, and no official statement has been made about the incident. Neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Foreign Ministry has acknowledged presentation of the award; and on the U.S. side, the White House, the CIA and Witkoff have all failed to respond to requests for comment. [Id.]

But word leaked out, as it has a way of doing. And the blatant sarcasm of the gesture is just one more “gotcha” moment for Putin — to top off his victory in securing a face-to-face meeting with Trump on U.S. soil.

All in all, I’d say it’s been a pretty good week for the Kremlin.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendohchka
8/10/25

I was talking to someone about my mother the other day.

Now, usually those discussions center around her faults, which, in all honesty, were plentiful. I mean, that woman — who could be so much fun when she let her hair down and had a drink or two — could also spoil a celebration with nothing more than a sigh and a well-placed facial expression.

But during this recent conversation, I surprised myself by discovering a positive trait that I never noticed while she was alive.

The talk had started as a discussion of personalities, and specifically those individuals who are needy, and require constant attention as an affirmation of their own worth. My mother was one of those; but she never wanted negative attention, never complained about the pain in her arthritic hands, or feeling tired after a long day at work. She needed praise, but not pity . . . and for the latter, I give her credit.

Because I now know how difficult that can be. And there are so many people who do what she didn’t: invent or exaggerate conditions in order to elicit sympathy, and of course, attention.

In thinking about it, it occurred to me that I don’t want either. I don’t want well-meaning people telling me that I’m still beautiful — I know I’m not, and at my age that’s okay.

And I certainly don’t want anyone thinking they have to sacrifice any part of their own lives in order to attend to my every whim, or feeling guilty if they can’t do more. That’s not how I want, or ever wanted, to grow old.

There is something I do want in my sunset years, however . . . and that is simply to remain relevant.

The majority of my body parts may be succumbing to gravity, rust, and erosion; but for the most part, my mind continues to function. My sense of humor is intact (and still on the diabolical, somewhat smutty side); and I am intensely — some say, compulsively — interested in what’s happening in the world.

I have a personal history, of course . . . and some of it is fairly interesting. I have been to foreign lands, met fascinating people, occasionally faced danger, and had my share of fun. I have an accumulation of knowledge and information, and a wealth of opinions, which I am more than happy to share with anyone who has the time and the desire to listen.

But people like me — people whose lives are no longer considered “useful” because we have retired from the workforce and perhaps are no longer able to keep up physically — tend to be overlooked. As long as we don’t complain, it’s assumed we’re all right. And as long as we have the necessary creature comforts — food, shelter, medical care (and, in my case, Haagen-Dazs) — it’s assumed we don’t need anything more. That’s how the golden years are supposed to be, isn’t it?

Well, no . . . it isn’t. Our souls need comfort too, and that requires acknowledgment of who we are, and what we still have to contribute to the world.

So the next time your parent, grandparent, or any older person can’t relate to your choice of music, your latest gaming craze, your ripped jeans, or your thoughts on LGBTQ rights, maybe you could talk about things that interest them . . . because in all probability, they do still have interests. Or you could ask them to relate some of their memories of growing up in the ‘40s and ‘50s, listen to their LPs of big band music with them, or perhaps review some much-needed rules of English grammar together (like “he and I” instead of “me and him”).

Who knows? You might even learn something useful. After all:

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
– William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5

*. *. *

And that, my younger friends, is why I keep writing this blog: to remain relevant.

So how am I doing?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/10/25

In the shadow of other world events — the war in Ukraine, genocide in Gaza, natural disasters everywhere — the focus on political hostages has been pushed to the media’s back burner. There has been no news of additional arrests; but neither has there been word of progress toward any releases or exchanges, though negotiations may well be continuing behind closed doors. At least, I would hope so.

There is no excuse or justification for forgetting them, even for the moment. So here they are again: sadly, only a small percentage of the total number being held in Russian, Belarusian and Azerbaijani prisons as political hostages:

Prisoners of War:

The People of Ukraine
The Azov 12

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
Uladzimir Labkovich
Ihar Losik
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Russia:

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

. . . and any others I may not be aware of.

May you be home soon. And in the meantime, know that you are not forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/10/25

I’m not sure who is the bigger idiot: the 22-year-old active-duty American soldier who tried to sell classified information to Russia in exchange — not for money — but for Russian citizenship, or the individual(s) who awarded him the top-secret security clearance that gave him access to the data in the first place.

But that’s what Taylor Adam Lee is charged with having done while stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Lee was arrested on August 6th and charged under the Espionage Act with attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary, as well as violation of the Arms Export Control Act. Specifically, the Justice Department says that Lee “transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation.” [Joe Walsh, CBS News, August 6, 2025.]

He is said to have written online — online!! — earlier this year that “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses. . . . At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation [sic] when I’m there in any way.” [Id.]

Then this genius — with the top-secret security clearance, mind you — had an in-person meeting with someone he “believed to be a representative of the Russian government,” to whom he delivered an SD card with technical data and other information on Abrams tanks. He also allegedly discussed with that individual the possibility of giving Russia a piece of hardware from the tank. [Id.]

On July 31st, he delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso, Texas. He then messaged his “Russian” contact: “Mission accomplished.” [Todd South, Army Times, August 7, 2025.]

Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said in a statement:

“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government. The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.“ [Id.]

And Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, Commanding General of Army Counterintelligence Command, added:

“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army. Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment.” [Id.]

*. *. *

These things happen from time to time, both in the military and the civilian world. Even with the most careful vetting techniques, someone with a questionable history or personality quirk that should set off alarms will occasionally slip through unnoticed. And someone like Lee, who holds his Specialist rank because of his technical expertise and access to classified information, is a tempting target for foreign adversaries.

But I’m having difficulty understanding how a tech-savvy 22-year-old, apparently intelligent enough to hold a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance, could be so stupid as to post his grievances against the Army and his willingness to assist Russia . . . on the freakin’ internet!!!

Someone really should have told this guy that what happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/9/25

Less than three hours ago, I said that there was no way a “swapping of territories” was “to the betterment of” Ukraine, as proposed by Donald Trump upon announcing his scheduled meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15th.

And moments ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine “will not give their land to occupiers.” [Neha Gogol, BBC, August 9, 2025.]

I’m not psychic. And it’s not rocket science. There was no way Zelensky was going to allow Putin and Trump to sit down without him and carve up his country.

But the two dictators believe they have the right to do exactly that. Because that’s what dictators do.

And lest you still doubt that they’re in sync with regard to Ukraine, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, has already issued an invitation to Trump to come to Moscow for their next summit.

It seems as though securing the future of Ukraine has taken a back seat to mending relations between Putin and Trump. But is that really surprising?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/9/25