In a good news / bad news week, a joint U.S.-Lithuanian effort brought about the release of 52 political hostages from several different countries being held in Belarusian prisons. As I happily reported three days ago, one of them was on my list of known hostages, Belarusian journalist Ihar Losik, whose name is now crossed out below. Welcome back to freedom, Ihar.

But Russia and Belarus are not the only countries holding innocent people hostage. In Azerbaijan last week, seven of the people on my list, who had all appealed their prison sentences, heard their appeals denied by the Baku Court of Serious Crimes.

Farid Mehralizada and six other journalists, whom I had nicknamed “The Azerbaijan 7,” had been sentenced on June 20th of this year to terms ranging from seven and a half to nine years. All had appealed; and — to no one’s surprise — all of their sentences were upheld.

When first detained on May 30, 2024, Mehralizada — a journalist working for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — said that security agents jumped him, placed a hood over his head, and whispered into his ear, “You talk too much.” [RFE/RL, September 9, 2025.]

“Smuggling” was just an excuse for his nine-year sentence.

And so the injustice continues, with thousands of individuals, many of them foreigners, being held as living pawns in a political game of chess playing out among international adversaries. Their fates are being decided in secret negotiations held in far-flung capitals around the world . . . which means, at least, that they are not forgotten.

*. *. *

And yet, again, here are the ones I know of:

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

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

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
Marya Kalesnikava
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
Timur Kishukov
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

*. *. *

As always, we wish you strength, courage and patience . . . and a swift return home.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/14/25

Unfortunately, not everything is built to last.

On September 13, 1993, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., then-President Bill Clinton witnessed one of the most historic events of his presidency: the signing of a treaty known as the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements.

The accord — signed by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and sealed by a handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat — provided for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho, and for the establishment of a Palestinian government to be given authority over much of the West Bank.

Each of the two leaders spoke of peace that day. Rabin, a former army general, told the world:

“We the soldiers who have returned from the battle stained with blood; we who have seen our relatives and friends killed before our eyes; we who have fought against you, the Palestinians; we say to you today in a loud and clear voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough!”

And Arafat added:

“The battle for peace is the most difficult battle of our lives. It deserves our utmost efforts because the land of peace yearns for a just and comprehensive peace.” [“This Day In History, History.com, September 13, 2025.]

Eloquent, noble words from both sides, intended to put an end to countless years of brutal conflict.

And we know how long that lasted.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/13/25

In 1939, as Nazi Germany was gearing up to unleash six years of unimaginable horror upon the peoples of Europe, and Germany and the Soviet Union entered into a mutual non-aggression treaty known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill had this to say about Russia’s political stance:

“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interests.”

And nearly seven years later, when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact had long since been broken by Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, and the war had finally been won by the Allies — including the Soviet Union — Soviet Premier Josef Stalin gave a chilling speech on February 9, 1946, in which he declared that war between the East and West was inevitable.

On March 5, 1946, Churchill — by then no longer Prime Minister — spoke to students at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, at the invitation of President Truman, in which he uttered these immortal words:

“From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

And that “iron curtain” — supposedly torn down along with the demolition of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 — is in danger of being rebuilt as Vladimir Putin continues his devastating march through Ukraine, and now threatens nearby nations of Eastern Europe and the Baltic region with a new concentration of Russian and Belarusian troops near the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

Known as “Zapad 2025” (“Zapad” being the Russian word for “West”), the four-day exercises have been described by Russian officials as “the final stage of this year’s joint training between the two countries’ armies,” and will include practice actions “at firing ranges in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation and in the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea.” [Harry Cockburn, The Independent, September 12, 2025.]

Russian officials said that the war games will simulate a defense against an imaginary enemy attack. But Western analysts say that a principal aim of the exercises is to show the world that the Russian military is still powerful despite three and a half years of the losses incurred by its war in Ukraine and the impact of multi-national sanctions.

There is also concern that the drills may be a cover for other planned activities, as occurred in the last Zapad exercises in 2021, when Russia began moving troops into Belarus in preparation for its invasion of Ukraine in the following February. [Reid Standish, RFE/RL, September 12, 2025.]

These long-planned exercises, which began yesterday, September 12th, were preceded two days earlier by a barrage of Russian drones that invaded Polish airspace, precipitating defensive military action on the part of NATO member Poland. There were no casualties, and only minimal structural damage was done; but Vladimir Putin’s purpose appears to have been to test NATO’s response to a crisis situation.

Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a regular briefing call:

“The channels of communication exist and are established; our negotiators are able to use them to communicate. However, at the moment, it’s fair to say things are more on pause than active interaction. It’s important not to wear rose-tinted glasses or expect that the negotiation process will deliver lightning-fast results. I want to remind you of President Trump’s own words: at first, he thought it could be settled quickly, but later realized it would take more time.”

Then he added, rather incongruously, that Russia “remains committed to pursuing peaceful dialogue.” [Lauren Kent and Darya Tarasova, CNN, September 12, 2025.]

While Poland’s European allies — and even far-away Japan — have rushed to its defense, Donald Trump has remained disturbingly quiet. With most of the real experts purged from the Pentagon and all other leadership posts in his administration, he is most likely in conference with his hand-picked team of inexperienced advisers, trying to figure out how to sell his claims of wanting to put an end to Putin’s aggression while also fulfilling his pathological need to continue mollifying Putin.

But it’s the weekend. Perhaps he’ll opt for another round of golf instead.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/13/25

In the 1970 film “Tora! Tora! Tora!” Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is credited with issuing the following warning after his country’s attack on Pearl Harbor:

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

Although there is no evidence that the real Admiral Yamamoto ever uttered those words, the phrase “wake a sleeping giant” has become a permanent part of the English lexicon.

And that may be precisely what Vladimir Putin has done this week in violating NATO territory by sending 19 drones deep into Poland’s airspace. It was not the first such incursion, but it was the most extensive . . . and threatening enough to cause Poland’s military for the first time to deploy aircraft to intercept them, shooting down at least three.

While most of Eastern Europe and the Baltics have already bolstered their defenses against the possibility of Russia’s war against Ukraine extending into their territories, this is the first incident of fire being returned by a NATO country. Poland immediately requested a UN Security Council session, which has been scheduled today at 19:00 GMT.

And even before that session could be held, several NATO nations leapt to Poland’s defense. Germany has said it would “intensify its engagement along Nato’s [sic] eastern border” and expand its policing of Poland’s airspace. And France’s President Macron has announced that his country would send three Rafale fighter jets to supplement Poland’s defenses, saying, “We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation.” [Laura Gozzi, BBC News, September 11, 2025.]

Additionally, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic have said they would send defenses to Poland; and Lithuania has offered to receive a German brigade. [Id.]

Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic all summoned the Russian ambassadors in their countries to protest the incident. [Id.]

If Putin’s intent was to test the will and the defense capabilities of the NATO countries bordering Ukraine, he may indeed have poked the giant a bit too hard . . . because it wasn’t asleep after all. And now it’s really pissed off.

Except, perhaps, for its right foot, which is anchored securely across the Atlantic Ocean in the United States, far from the fray. Because all that Donald Trump had to say to reporters was that he was “not happy” with the situation, and that the whole thing “could have been a mistake.” [RFE/RL, September 12, 2025.]

Right. That should have Putin shaking in his boots.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/12/25

Aleksandr Lukashenko may have tried to pass it off as a humanitarian gesture on his part, but everyone knows that an amoral tyrant gives nothing away without expecting something in return. And now we know what it is.

In exchange for the release of 52 political prisoners yesterday, the United States has agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, making it possible for them to obtain parts for their planes . . . among other things.

Those particular sanctions were imposed in 2021, after Belarusian flight controllers ordered a Ryanair jet traveling from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk, whereupon police arrested one of the passengers they knew was onboard: journalist Roman Protasevich.

In addition, Lukashenko and U.S. special envoy John Coale, in a meeting held yesterday in Minsk, discussed the possible reestablishment of trade relations between their two countries, including the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk “in the very near future.” [BBC News, September 11, 2025.]

And Donald Trump has indicated that a face-to-face meeting with Lukashenko — a close ally of Vladimir Putin — might also be in the works.

So it was never about humanitarian considerations; human lives mean nothing to people like Lukashenko. In any event, he still holds more than 1,000 additional prisoners to use as bait. And airplane parts are hardly even worth his consideration.

No . . . what Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin have both gained in the past few weeks is position. Together, they are back in the high-stakes games of international politics and trade — dealing with the United States as equals, and not the pariahs they have been since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.

And Donald Trump, in his eagerness to exhibit his peacemaking skills to the world, has made it all too easy for them.

Not that we shouldn’t make every effort to get hostages released . . . of course, we should.

It just seems that it oughtn’t be so profitable for the bad guys.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/12/25

It’s always a thrill to be able to scratch a name from my list of known political hostages. And today there are 52 people who have been released from the hell of Belarusian prisons, one of whom has been on the list for far too long.

Ihar Losik is a journalist with Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), who was arrested five years ago and sentenced in December 2021 to 15 years in prison on trumped-up charges of “organizing mass riots, taking part in mass disorder, inciting social hatred,” and other unspecified charges. His real “crime”? Reporting on public unrest in Belarus following the still-disputed presidential election of August 2020.

Also released was Alena Tsimashchuk, who had worked at RFE/RL’s Prague headquarters as part of the Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship. I do not yet have the names of the other 50 newly-freed prisoners, and therefore don’t know whether they include any others on my list. But first reports say that — according to the Belarusian presidency’s press service — they include six Lithuanians, two Latvians, two Poles, two Germans, one French national and one UK national. [RFE/RL, September 11, 2025.]

The release of the 52 prisoners, who arrived safely today in Vilnius, Lithuania, was the result of joint American-Lithuanian diplomatic efforts, and explains Donald Trump’s recent communications with Belarus’ presumptive president, Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The report does not indicate what trade, payment or concession was granted to Belarus in exchange for the lives of the political prisoners; but historically, these transactions have not been one-sided.

*. *. *

While it is always galling to have to deal with despots and criminals, when the lives of innocent people are at stake, sometimes we have to — as the saying goes — suck it up, for the greater good.

Steve Capus, CEO of RFE/RL, expressed his appreciation to the governments of the U.S. and Lithuania today for “securing the release of yet another brave RFE/RL journalist unfairly detained by Belarusian authorities,” and for “their consistent support of RFE/RL’s imprisoned journalists.” [Id.]

And I second that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/11/25

In April of this year, there were just two. By June, the number had risen to 653. And last month, in August, there were a total of 1,968.

That’s how many internet cut-offs there have been across Russia this year. In the wake of his invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Facebook, Instagram and X have already been blocked by Vladimir Putin’s government and are accessible only through VPNs. Now WhatsApp and Telegram — the two most widely-used messaging apps in the country — are headed in the same direction.

When I lived and worked in Moscow for several months in 1993, just getting a telephone landline required a Herculean effort. Since that time, cell phones have found their way into the hands of nearly every Russian citizen, and the internet is as heavily relied upon for business and personal use as it is everywhere else in the world.

But new restrictions were imposed in August by Roskomnadzor — Russia’s media regulator — on calls made through WhatsApp and Telegram, and service on both has become unreliable and sometimes completely unavailable. Meta — the owner of WhatsApp — has even been designated an extremist organization in Russia. [Sergey Goryashko, BBC News, September 5, 2025.]

Not coincidentally, both WhatsApp and Telegram offer end-to-end encryption, thus stymying the government’s ability to eavesdrop or to access stored data. And as one person from the city of Tula — speaking anonymously for fear of retribution — told the BBC:

“The authorities don’t want us, ordinary people, to maintain any kind of relationships, connections, friendships or mutual support. They want everyone to sit quietly in their own corner.” [Id.]

So the government has come up with an alternative for its internet-dependent citizens: Max.

Max was launched by VK, the nation’s largest social network. The platform is controlled by majority state-owned Gazprom — the largest oil and gas producer in Russia — and by one of Putin’s closest confidantes, billionaire Yuri Kovalchuk, who is reputed to be Putin’s “personal banker.”

Max is the focus of a massive advertising campaign featuring Russian pop stars and bloggers, and is now required to be pre-installed on all devices sold in the country. It is being touted as a “super-app,” offering multiple functions, including government digital services and banking.

But it is also a super-tool by which the government can surveille and censor its users. Max’s privacy policy states that it may pass information to third parties and government bodies, thus potentially subjecting users to prosecution for accessing prohibited information, or expressing an opinion contrary to government policy.

By law, it is already required that individuals show their national ID in order to purchase a sim card; and the security services have access to the telecom operators’ infrastructure, making it possible for them to read your messages, find out whom you call, and track your location. [Id.]

And soon it may be the only available option. Schools are now being ordered to move parent chats to Max. In Rostov, near the Ukraine border, Max is being used as an alert system. In St. Petersburg, it is being utilized by emergency services. [Id.]

Additional restrictions are constantly being added. There are now fines for “deliberately searching” online for “extremist materials” — of which there is a blacklist of more than 5,000 resources. It is also illegal to advertise on platforms connected to “extremist” organizations, of which Instagram is one. And ads for VPNs are banned. [Id.]

*. *. *

During the past 34 years since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Russian people have become accustomed to the accessibility and convenience of 21st-century communications. Cell phones and the internet have made the lives of ordinary citizens easier in countless ways, and those in rural areas have become particularly dependent on them for obtaining otherwise unavailable goods and services.

Losing that convenience — or, alternatively, knowing that using it will mean the loss of privacy and freedoms they have come to take for granted — will be devastating to the Russian populace.

Which is exactly the way Big Brother Putin wants it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/11/25

From the window of my office on the Potomac River waterfront in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., I saw the smoke rising from the Pentagon across the river in Arlington, Virginia. The Twin Towers in New York City had already collapsed. I had arrived at work less than an hour ago; but I knew it was time to head home to my apartment in Virginia, in case the bridges spanning the Potomac might have to be closed off.

Everyone who remembers that day doubtless has their own story to tell: of witnessing one of the horrific events in New York, D.C. or Pennsylvania; of a family member, friend or acquaintance lost or nearly lost in one of the attacks; or simply of not being able to get a phone call through to check on people and to let them know you were all right.

And we recall the country pulling together as it hadn’t done since World War II. The sense of community, of collective strength and determination, of the sheer pride in being an American, is something I still vividly recall feeling as I steered my car through the gridlocked traffic and observed drivers politely yielding the right of way to others, and pedestrians saying thank you as they crossed in front of us.

It lasted for quite a while. Other countries came to our aid — to help the Americans who were so accustomed to helping others in need. Songs were written to commemorate the heroes of that day. People sprouted little flag pins on their clothes, tied larger ones to their car antennas, and hung even bigger ones from their balconies or flagpoles. We were united in a common grief that transcended any petty differences we might have had before.

But time passed, and memories of that day were gradually pushed into the backs of our minds by newer events. An entire generation now exists of people who hadn’t yet been born on that day, or were too young to know what had happened.

And with the inevitable dimming of the memories, the flush of patriotism also eroded over time . . . until today, when our political environment is rife with unspeakable hatred, anger, and violence.

Let us hope and pray that it doesn’t take another calamity of the magnitude of World War II, or September 11th, to return us to some semblance of sanity.

And in the meantime, let us pay tribute once again to the nearly 3,000 innocent people who lost their lives that day, and to the first responders and other heroes who gave their all to help others survive.

We must never, ever forget.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/11/25

Late last night, when the news broke of Poland’s defensive interception of Russian drones in Polish airspace, I posited three likely excuses we might expect to hear from Russian authorities: 1) denial; 2) purported overreaction by Polish military forces; or 3) an accusation of provocation on the part of Poland itself.

Today, it appears they’ve chosen all three.

In a statement on its website, the Russian Foreign Ministry said:

“. . . no targets on the territory of Poland were planned for destruction . . . [and that these] specific facts completely debunk the myths repeatedly spread by Poland in order to escalate the Ukrainian crisis further.” [Brad Lendon, Isaac Yee, Nina Subkhanberdina and Ivana Kottasova, CNN, September 10, 2025.]

But this was not an isolated incident; nor was it a single drone that accidentally overshot its intended Ukrainian target. There were 19 known drone attacks, the majority originating in Belarus, with some reaching into the center and far north of Poland.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that, while there was no reason to say that Poland is at war, it is now closer than at any time since World War II . . . adding that his country is facing an “enemy that does not hide its hostile intentions.”

Strong messages have also been issued by European and other allies:

> German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this was a “deliberate and targeted provocation.”

> Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that “Russia’s actions — following a week of brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians — underscore the importance of our steadfast support for Ukraine.”

> And Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, called it “the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, [and that] indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental. Russia’s war is escalating, not ending.” [Id.]

*. *. *

And what was Donald Trump’s initial reaction this morning? He wrote this on his social media platform:

“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” [Michelle Stoddart, Morgan Winsor and Tomek Rolski, ABC News, September 10, 2025.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

And there you have it: the supposed leader of the free world has spoken. Only, as usual, he has said absolutely nothing.

Perhaps he and his newly titled Secretary of WAR, Pete Hegseth, are busy poring over a world map, trying to locate Poland.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/10/25

NOTE: This report was written last night, before the news flashed across my screen of Poland’s military defenses having shot down Russian drones that had penetrated Polish airspace. In the context of that event, this article may seem less significant. But in fact, all actions ordered by Vladimir Putin, and all statements issued by him and members of his inner circle, should be viewed cumulatively. He does nothing, and says nothing, without a reason.

*. *. *

The “horse” in this case is none other than everyone’s favorite press secretary, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. And the most recent proclamation from his lips could not have been clearer:

He said that sanctions are not working . . . and they never will.

On Friday, September 5th, Donald Trump issued another of his empty threats, saying that he would get the war settled “or there’ll be hell to pay.” [Guy Faulconbridge and Anastasia Teterevleva, Reuters, September 8, 2025.]

On Monday, September 8th, the United States and the European Union announced that they were considering additional economic restrictions against Russia in the ongoing effort to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and bring an end to his war against Ukraine.

But on the same day, Peskov told a Kremlin reporter:

“No sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change the consistent position that our president has repeatedly spoken about.” And he added that sanctions had “turned out to be absolutely useless in terms of exerting pressure on Russia.” [Id.]

Putin himself has said that the Russian economy has endured well, growing faster than those of G7 countries. He has ordered businesses and officials to defy the sanctions in every way possible. [Id.]

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European allies continue to say they do not think Putin is serious about peace. [Id.]

Well . . . no sh*t, Sherlock!!

What do you suppose their first clue was? The strike on the main government building in Kyiv?

Or the 24 civilians killed, and as many more injured, by a Russian glide bomb attack on the village of Yarova in the eastern region of Donetsk on Tuesday night?

Short of declaring war on Russia, the U.S. and EU countries are doing everything in their power to put a stop to the madness. But as long as Russia’s allies — China, North Korea, Iran, India, and even a few right-leaning European countries — continue to support his war effort by refusing to cut off trade relations, Putin is determined to carry on his march through Ukraine, keeping his country running on a wartime economy.

And what are our options?

Seriously . . . I’m asking: What are our options? Does anyone know?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/10/25