And another demonstration of Vladimir Putin’s true intentions, i.e., to take control of as much Ukrainian territory as possible while trying to convince the world that all he really wants is peace, love and harmony, and that this whole “special military operation” is really Volodymyr Zelensky’s fault.

Only today, he may have screwed up.

Because in launching more attacks on multiple regions — the largest of this month so far — he hit U.S.-owned, non-military infrastructure.

The facility is a manufacturing plant that has no military application whatsoever. It is located in Mukachevo, in the Carpathian Mountains region of far western Ukraine, abutting the borders of NATO/EU member countries Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Romania. It is owned by Flex Ltd., whose public relations director, Conor Phillips, described it as “strictly focused on civilian consumer manufacturing,” producing household goods such as coffee machines. [RFE/RL, August 21, 2025.]

The plant was hit by two Kalibr missiles; the resulting fire spread over an area of 7,000 square meters. Phillips said that “A few employees and contractors were injured, and six individuals remain in hospital and are receiving medical care.” [Id.]

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the Mukachevo attack had caused serious damage and casualties, and — in a masterpiece of understatement — that the strikes were “contrary to all efforts to end the war.” [Id.]

As of this writing, I have not seen a reaction from the White House to this attack on U.S. property. There should be, at the very least, an expression of outrage and a demand for some form of restitution. But we’ll see what Washington’s response is.

In the meantime, while Zelensky pleads for a ceasefire and a U.S.-European agreement on post-war security guarantees; and Donald Trump says we’ll see what Putin comes up with in the next couple of weeks; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that any presence of European troops in Ukraine would be “absolutely unacceptable” and would be considered a “foreign intervention in some part of Ukrainian territory.” [Id.]

Lavrov also said yesterday that the issue of security — which was the principal subject of the multinational meeting at the White House on Monday — cannot be discussed without Russia.

That meeting included a 40-minute phone call between Trump and Putin, in which Trump pushed for direct meetings between Putin and Zelensky. But the Kremlin continues to insist that such a meeting cannot be held until certain issues are first resolved. And one of those issues — which has served as a major delaying tactic by Putin — is his specious assertion that Zelensky has not been the legitimate president of Ukraine since 2024, when the regularly scheduled elections were postponed due to a constitutional provision that freezes elections during times of war.

In today’s statement, Lavrov had this to say on the subject:

“Of course, I hope when and if it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person signing these agreements on the Ukrainian side will be resolved.” [Id.]

“ . . . when and if . . .”

So . . . Russia will not negotiate an end to the war as long as Zelensky remains in office; but Ukraine cannot legally hold a new election until the war is over.

Stalemate.

Yet Donald Trump has previously said that Zelensky could end the war now if he wanted to. Which makes me wonder in what parallel universe the delusional occupant of the White House really lives.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/21/25

It’s not the proliferation of spin doctors that has me feeling dizzy . . . though goodness knows, there are more than enough of them to go around. But no . . . instead, it’s the frequency and speed of the 180-degree turns in what passes for U.S. foreign policy these days.

I never would have imagined that someone carrying as much bulk as Donald Trump could be capable of completing even a single pirouette, much less a constant succession of them. But when it comes to his frantic attempt to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine before the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is announced in December, he just keeps twirling on those little toes with an agility that would make Mikhail Baryshnikov turn green with envy.

In all fairness, he is dealing with the most evil spin-master of them all: Vladimir Putin. And that requires more than just agility and flexibility; it also requires an understanding of the adversary, which is something that Trump never has had, and likely never will have. Perhaps it’s because they’re so alike in so many ways, and Trump lacks the introspection to understand himself, much less anyone else.

Add to that the well-known Kremlin tactic of making ambiguous statements, and the next day claiming that the entire world had misheard or misinterpreted what had clearly been said, and it’s no wonder we’re all feeling a bit light-headed.

One would think — or at least hope — that a Trump-Putin summit on Friday, August 15th, followed by a multi-lateral White House meeting on Monday the 18th that included Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky, five other European heads of state, and the leaders of the EC and NATO, would have yielded some concrete results.

But no, it was not to be. Perhaps it’s the recent rainy weather, but the concrete simply refuses to harden. While everyone seems to have been in agreement that post-war security guarantees for Ukraine are of primary importance, Trump can’t make up his mind as to the extent of U.S. involvement in any such guarantees. One day he’s in, the next day he has reservations.

And then there was his 40-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin from the Oval Office while the European contingent waited in the meeting room. Trump later posted on Truth Social that his discussion with Putin had covered the possibility of a bilateral (Putin-Zelensky) face-to-face, and/or a trilateral (Putin-Zelensky-Trump) meeting, and that “This was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.” [RFE/RL, August 18, 2025.]

And he was pushing for the first such meeting to be held as quickly as possible, preferably within a few days.

The following morning, that idea was blown out of the water by Russian foreign affairs adviser Yury Ushakov, whose statement to the press made it quite clear that Putin’s attendance at such a meeting was not engraved in stone, and that they had merely “discussed that it would be worthwhile to explore the possibility of raising the level of representatives from the Ukrainian and Russian sides — that is, those representatives participating in the mentioned direct negotiations. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to maintain close contact with each other on the Ukrainian issue and other pressing topics on the international and bilateral agenda.” [Lidia Kelly, Reuters, August 18, 2025.]

“Other pressing topics”?? With half of Europe’s leadership waiting in the next room to tackle one urgent issue — Ukraine — Donnie and Vlad were discussing . . . what? Increased trade? Easing of sanctions? The price of vodka and caviar?

But what about the f*cking war??!!!

Well, on Tuesday the 19th, Trump finally admitted that this conflict has turned out to be “a tough one” to resolve, and that it was possible that Putin has zero interest in ending the war in the foreseeable future. His comment:

“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks. It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.” [Laura Gozzi, BBC News, August 20, 2025.]

Welcome to reality, genius.

So now, after a frantic week of hastily-arranged meetings, overseas flights and multiple phone conferences, we’re back to a “couple of weeks.” Which means we’re essentially back to square one. Only now, Putin has not merely bought himself more time — during which, not incidentally, he has continued to bomb the hell out of Ukraine — but has also emerged, bright and shiny, from the political purgatory he brought on himself when he invaded Ukraine.

Yes, Vladimir Putin is back . . . large and in charge. And Trump doesn’t know which way to turn.

I could offer a suggestion, but it wouldn’t be nice.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/21/25

One question has been eating away at me since February 24, 2022 — the day Russian troops invaded eastern Ukraine and began stealing mile after mile of Ukrainian territory, claiming it as rightfully belonging to Mother Russia. And that question is:

If Russia is ultimately allowed to keep the territory it has succeeded in occupying, what will happen to all of the Ukrainian people living there who will suddenly find themselves the newest residents of Russia? What, if any, options will they have?

Much, of course, will depend on the terms of the final peace treaty; perhaps there will be a provision allowing those who wish to leave to do so. But where will they go? And what will it mean to them to be uprooted from the homes and the lives they have built?

In the Donbas area, for example — which encompasses the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions — there are quite a few Russian sympathizers who will choose to remain under Russian rule. But they constitute a minority of the total population (currently estimated at 6.5 million). It is difficult to imagine a mass exodus of that magnitude.

So, for the millions who are unable or unwilling to leave, but who oppose the Putin regime, what will the future hold?

First, of course, will be the “award” of Russian citizenship and the issuance of Russian passports.

The Russian language will become dominant; eventually, speaking Ukrainian may become illegal.

The children will quickly be “Russianized.” New school curricula will be instituted immediately, teachers retrained, and children’s “clubs” formed to augment the indoctrination process, similar to the Soviet Komsomol and Pioneer groups. They will be trained for future military service. Their young, vulnerable minds will be molded to form the next generation of good Russian citizens.

Young adults will become eligible for conscription into the Russian military, possibly sent to fight their own Ukrainian people in some future conflict.

Communications — the press, TV, internet — will be restricted in accordance with Russian laws.

Friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers will be encouraged to report any expressions of political dissidence or resistance, creating an endemic atmosphere of suspicion and fear.

I shudder to think of what will happen to the Ukrainian Orthodox churches in those regions, the historic Ukrainian monuments and memorials, and the libraries filled with Ukrainian books.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

*. *. *

These are the images — in addition to the relentless death and destruction — that keep me awake at night.

I see my grandparents, and millions of others — honest, decent, hard-working people — fleeing the tyranny and the pogroms of the tsar in the early 1900s, courageously coming to a strange land to learn a new language, a new way of life.

But the doors that were open to their generation are being slammed shut today; there is no longer any room for them, any “promised land” to run to . . . not in those numbers.

That lamp has been extinguished.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/20/25

Behind the big smile, and the handshakes, and the assurances that he’s just joking, you never know what really is going through Donald Trump’s mind.

One of the major sticking points in Russia-Ukraine negotiations has been Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer the legitimate president of Ukraine, his term having run out in May of 2024, and therefore has no standing to negotiate peace terms. But the Ukrainian Constitution provides that no presidential election may be held while the country is at war . . . which, of course, it has been since the Russian invasion of February 2022. So Putin’s claim is specious at best, and merely another stalling tactic.

But during this week’s meeting at the White House, the subject was raised by a journalist, and Zelensky assured Trump and the others present in the Oval Office that, once the war was over, his country would definitely hold a proper, legal, democratic election.

Now, we’ve all heard Trump’s suggestive comments about finding a way to run for a third term, despite the U.S. Constitutional limitation of two presidential terms. So it comes as no surprise that he would jump on the opportunity to respond to Zelensky, in front of the assembled press corps:

“During the war, you can’t have elections? So let me just see, three and a half years from now, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections? That’s good.” [C-Span, August 18, 2025.]

Then he laughed. But somewhere in the back of his mind, might a seed have been planted to the effect that perhaps, in the next three and a half years, he could manage both to push through a similar Constitutional provision and start a war, leaving him free to remain in office?

Extreme? Certainly. And if it weren’t for his previous suggestions, this could easily be dismissed as a joke. But Trump’s friend Vladimir Putin has done it — not just once, but with two Constitutional amendments, a couple of wars in Chechnya, and an ongoing one in Ukraine.

So why not . . . ?

*. *. *

Conversely, it can also be dangerous to take Trump at his word when he is at his most serious. Case in point:

In that same Oval Office meeting on Monday, August 18th, when asked by a reporter if a failure to reach a peace deal would mean “the end of the road” for U.S. aid to Ukraine, Trump replied:

“I can never say that, it’s never the end of the road.” [Zac Anderson and Francesca Chambers, USA Today, August 18, 2025.]

And when pressed further for an answer as to whether he would be willing to send U.S. peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees, he replied that, while European nations would be the “first line of defense . . . we’re going to help them out also. We’ll be involved.” [Zac Anderson, USA Today, August 19, 2025.]

But in a Fox News interview the very next day, August 19th, he said that U.S. troops would not be involved in any peacekeeping effort in Ukraine after the war. And he was asked specifically:

“What kind of assurances do you feel like you have, going forward, past this Trump administration, that it won’t be American boots on the ground defending [Ukraine’s] border?” And his response was:

“Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president.” [Alayna Treene and Kevin Liptak, CNN, August 19, 2025.]

Well, that’s reassuring as hell!

*. *. *

What’s the old saying? . . . “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”

I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve already been “fooled.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/20/25

After weeks of watching the Feenstras building the little guest house on their farm in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, preparing for the arrival of unnamed visitors, the so-called big reveal came yesterday . . . only it was something of an anti-climax after all the build-up.

Toward the end of another of Arend Feenstra’s laborious workdays, we were told that guests had indeed moved in. But it wasn’t until breakfast the next morning that they actually made an appearance, and were shown being welcomed by their host family in the kitchen of the main house, where the long table was set for what appeared to me to be a small army. But when you’re already a family of ten, what’s another six people?

The new arrivals were the Pulley family, consisting of an attractive young couple and four small children. But that’s all we know so far.

There was no information as to where they came from, other than a later comment by Arend that they had arrived “from Altai, Russia, via Australia,” and were there to “work for” the Feenstras while building their own new lives in Nizhny Novgorod.

(My guess is that Arend had it backwards, and that they had actually arrived from Australia via Altai; but we’ll have to await clarification of that.)

We were not told anything more about their backgrounds . . . Are they Australian? Perhaps Canadian? American? I thought I heard them greet each other in English, but the words they exchanged were off-mike and unclear. They were never actually introduced to the viewing audience, though Arend Feenstra did say, at the very end of the video, that they would be arranging an interview at which the Pulleys would explain their motivation for moving to a muddy farm in Nizhny Novgorod and their hopes for the future.

Whatever their origins, it appears that the Pulleys are another of Vladimir Putin’s new wave of young, multi-child immigrant families; and the Feenstras — ever anxious to serve their adopted country — have been selected to help them assimilate . . . all in view of the ever-present cameras, of course. In return, the Feenstras receive the benefit of two extra pairs of hands to help with the never-ending work on their growing farm.

And speaking of growing, at the beginning of the video we learned that there were more new arrivals expected, though they’re now a couple of weeks behind schedule: some cows and sheep for the nearly-completed, big red barn.

The Feenstra Farm may still be awash in mud, but it is obviously prospering . . . which goes to show what can be accomplished with a lot of hard work, the right contacts, and a willingness to live under — and proselytize for — an autocratic, tyrannical regime.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/19/25

The visuals started when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed up at the White House wearing a suit instead of his signature military garb. He had long since humbled himself after last February’s disastrous visit when Donald Trump chastised him for being (in Trump’s opinion) improperly dressed, and for not saying “thank you” a sufficient number of times.

So it was smart of Zelensky — who obviously had come as a supplicant — to avoid that pitfall; but it was also a bow to the king that would not have been necessary if the “king” were possessed of a modicum of human kindness. I have to wonder whether an Arab sheik would have been criticized for wearing his traditional bisht, or an African leader for arriving in a dashiki.

But sartorial choices aside, the two men — flanked by their aides — held a press conference in the Oval Office before joining the European delegation waiting in another room. The body language of Trump and his minions — JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff — could not have been more different from last February’s meeting. Trump was smiling and gracious, also complimenting Zelensky on his appearance when a reporter first mentioned it. He even touched Zelensky’s arm a couple of times in a gesture intended to appear friendly.

He was the King of Schmooze.

But Trump’s words belied his toothy smiles. Amidst all the assurances of support and future security guarantees for Ukraine, there were still the none-too-subtle hints that a ceasefire during peace negotiations was now off the table, and that future security assurances, while decidedly necessary, remained to be ironed out.

Then Trump launched into one of his standard, rambling, irrelevant diatribes about how many wars and conflicts he’s ended this year (six); how his takeover of the capital city has already made it so much safer; and how “corrupt” and “stupid” former President Joe Biden — whom he blames for Putin’s war against Ukraine (not to mention his alleged theft of the 2020 election) — was and is.

None of which had anything to do with the purpose of yesterday’s meeting, which had hastily brought together six European heads of state — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian President Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb — as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte.

The group appeared briefly on camera to introduce themselves and to state their principal concerns, which centered primarily on the future provision of “Article 5-style” security assurances* to Ukraine. And then they adjourned to meet privately.

* Article 5 of the NATO Treaty provides that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all.

In parting statements from some of the leaders following that session, very little detail was made available — again focusing on security issues, and indicating that territorial disputes would be decided by Ukraine and Russia, and not by third parties.

French President Macron said:

“We are going to need a strong Ukrainian army and will need to help Ukraine with boots on the ground. We will need peacekeeping operations which allies of Ukraine are willing to supply.” [BBC, August 18,, 2025.]

He added that Trump had indicated he would be “willing” to impose secondary sanctions and tariffs on Moscow “if Russia doesn’t play ball.” [Id.]

(Of course, we’ve heard that one from Putin before . . . how many times?)

Finnish President Stubb characterized the talks as “partially successful,” but said that there was “nothing concrete” from the U.S. as to its participation in any security guarantees. As to Trump’s proposed meeting between Putin and Zelensky, Stubb said the Russian president “cannot be trusted . . . We will see if Putin has the courage to come to such a meeting.” [Id.]

As a smaller nation sharing a border with Russia, Finland has the most imminent concerns as to its own security, and has recently begun increasing its military presence and securing its borders.

Meanwhile, in Lafayette Park, directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a press conference of his own. He talked about the possibility of a trilateral — or even a bilateral — meeting with Putin, saying that:

“ . . . if Russia proposed to the president of the United States a bilateral, then we will see the result.” [Id.]

Which brings us to the big announcement of the day: Donald Trump’s 40-minute telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin in the middle of the proceeding, which Trump said was to discuss a possible meeting with Zelensky. The time and place of such a meeting was yet to be decided; and whether it would be bilateral (Putin and Zelensky) or trilateral (to include Trump), or perhaps one of each, was unclear. But Trump posted on Truth Social that the details were being coordinated by JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, and said:

“This was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.” [RFE/RL, August 18, 2025.]

But . . . and remember that, when you’re dealing with Russia, there is always a “but” . . .

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yury Ushakov, said on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel that “The idea was discussed that it would be worthwhile to explore the possibility of raising the level of representatives from the Ukrainian and Russia sides — that is, those representatives participating in the mentioned direct negotiations. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to maintain close contact with each other on the Ukrainian issue and other pressing topics on the international and bilateral agenda.” [Lidia Kelly, Reuters, August 18, 2025.]

But . . . and here it comes . . . it was not clear from Ushakov’s statement whether Putin had actually agreed to meet with Zelensky personally.

*. *. *

So, was anything resolved by today’s meeting?

Finally resolved . . . well, no; but it appears to have been a major step in the right direction.

Tragically, the war rages on, with at least 14 people (including children) killed and dozens injured yesterday by Russian assaults on Ukrainian cities and villages near the front, including Kharkiv. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said:

“That’s why Putin doesn’t want to cease fire. He enjoys shelling peaceful cities while talking about his desire to end the war.” [Constant Meheut, New York Times, August 18, 2025.]

Perhaps enjoyment is not the right word; but the events of last Friday and yesterday have certainly been strategically beneficial for Putin, allowing him still more time to (he hopes) make further territorial gains before possibly having to call an end to the fighting.

*. *. *

And now the real work begins — in Washington, Moscow, Kyiv, and across Europe — to keep the momentum going.

As Lenny Kravitz sang: “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over.” And right now, no one has any idea when that will be.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/19/25

As I was heading off to bed, I made one final check of the headlines, and found — much to my dismay — that Donald Trump has already, ahead of today’s meetings, warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he will most likely have to give up Russian-occupied areas of his country in exchange for “robust” future security guarantees. [Kathleen Magramo, CNN, August 18, 2025.]

I have just one thing to say: Oh . . .

And so to bed.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/25

As we head into Monday and the scheduled meeting in the Washington White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, there is a bit of good news and some additional promising news.

First, the good news: It was revealed yesterday that the meeting will be attended by several European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer [CNN, August 17, 2025] . . . thus providing a much-needed layer of sanity to the discussions, and hopefully preventing a repeat of the notorious verbal attack on Zelensky by Donald Trump and JD Vance in the same spot last February.

As for the promising news, whether it will come to fruition will depend entirely upon Vladimir Putin’s follow-through on what was reportedly said in Friday’s meeting in Alaska.

According to White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin agreed at that summit to allow the U.S. and our European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee similar to NATO’s Article 5 protection* in exchange for Russia’s promise to “not go after any other European countries and violate their sovereignty . . . [and] plenty more.“ [Jill Colvin, John Leicester and Samya Kullab, Associated Press, August 17, 2025.]

* Article 5 of the NATO Treaty provides for mutual protection, i.e., an attack against one or more NATO member nations will be considered an attack against all NATO members.

While this represents a hopeful sign from the Russian side, it is too soon to begin celebrating, as there is some distance to go before any sort of peace agreement is reached. And there is the matter of what Putin will demand in exchange for such a concession. But Witkoff said, “We began to see some moderation in the way they’re thinking about getting to a final peace deal.” [Id.]

The big question remains: Is Putin weakening?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was more cautious in his approach to this development. Speaking on three Sunday news programs, he said:

“We made progress in the sense that we identified potential areas of agreement, but there remains [sic] some big areas of disagreement. So we’re still a long ways off.” [Id.]

And Witkoff confirmed:

“I think everybody agreed that we had made progress. Maybe not enough for a peace deal, but we are on the path for the first time. The fundamental issue, which is some sort of land swap, which is obviously ultimately in the control of the Ukrainians — that could not have been discussed at this meeting [with Putin]. We intend to discuss it on Monday. Hopefully we have some clarity on it and hopefully that ends up in a peace deal very, very soon.” [Id.]

Again, while there appears to be a ray of hope, today’s meeting in the Oval Office will certainly be influenced by the way in which Ukraine views Moscow’s apparent shift in position. And since Putin is still insistent on holding a large swath of territory in eastern Ukraine, there is likely to be considerable push-back from Zelensky.

Also, we must never lose sight of the fact that Vladimir Putin is not what one could characterize as a reliable or reasonable adversary. He is wily, mercurial, and completely untrustworthy. What he said on Friday, he can easily disavow tomorrow, depending on what he hears from Zelensky today . . . and we could find ourselves back at square one. Hopefully, that won’t happen.

And there is also the lingering uncertainty as to whose side Donald Trump will take. In one breath, he asserts his continuing support for Ukraine’s defense; while in the next, he gushes over the importance of increasing trade relations with his old friend Vladimir.

All things considered, I’m going to play it safe and hold off on making any predictions for the time being. But I’ll be back after the White House meeting.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/25

Just when I think I’ve surely seen or heard it all, I am once more proven wrong.

It happened again yesterday, when I read this follow-up to the Trump-Putin love-fest in Alaska:

“During the flight to Alaska, Trump said he also spoke with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russia, and frequent interlocutor for Putin.” [RFE/RL, August 16, 2025.]

Lukashenko — once labeled “Europe’s last dictator” — is an unabashed tyrant, cut from the same cloth as his mentor, Vladimir Putin. His arrests of dissidents, journalists, and any others who may represent a threat to his totalitarian regime are well-documented; his assaults on civil and human rights mirror those of Putin. And, while not actively participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine, he has buttressed it by providing shelter to Putin’s troops and weaponry, as well as open access to a 1,000-km. stretch of border with northern Ukraine.

But Donald Trump — while en route to a meeting with Putin allegedly designed to clear a path toward ending Russia’s war against Ukraine — took time to call Lukashenko. The purpose of the call: ostensibly to thank the dictator for the release in June — two months ago — of 16 prisoners, and to urge the release of 1,300 more. [Id.]

He also wrote that he planned to meet with Lukashenko at an unspecified time “in the future.” [Id.]

But why? And why now? On his way to welcome a wanted war criminal onto U.S. soil, he’s simultaneously preparing to offer political rehabilitation to yet another international pariah.

The only words that come to my mind at this moment are — and please excuse the language — WHAT THE FUCK??!!!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/17/25

Following Friday’s meeting in Alaska, Vladimir Putin spoke to the press from prepared notes, but offered little or no useful information. He took no questions, but hurried off the dais, skipped lunch, and boarded his plane for the long flight back to Moscow.

But on Saturday, he finally had a few words to say . . . very few, and, again, virtually useless as they merely reiterate what he has said many times before. Describing the summit as “very useful,” and saying that he had “set out our position” to Trump, he added:

“We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement.” [Asya Robins and Tabby Wilson, BBC News, August 16, 2025.]

So, he still effectively has said nothing. But I suspect that more of what he proposed to Trump, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff in that closed-door session on Friday will be revealed by what Trump has to offer Ukrainian President Zelensky in Washington on Monday. Trump has already made his current position clear by saying that Zelensky should “take the deal” — whatever “the deal” turns out to be.

Meanwhile, Putin is playing his cards close to the chest, as always. His reaction to the outcome of Monday’s Trump-Zelensky sit-down will be most interesting.

This is almost like waiting for the next episode of Downton Abbey . . . only with real-life, high-stakes outcomes.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/17/25