Since the media were given a sneak peek at Bob Woodward’s newest book, War, there has been a frenzy of contemplation concerning the allegation that Donald Trump, since leaving the White House nearly four years ago, has had “multiple” — perhaps as many as seven — conversations with Vladimir Putin: a charge that Trump has flatly denied. Sort of.

Trump’s high praise of Putin — one might say, his infatuation with the Russian strongman — has been well documented over the years. And Putin, ever the canny former KGB spy, has been quick to take advantage of Trump’s naïveté . . . innocence . . . trusting nature . . . nah, make that stupidity.

But Trump is no longer President of the United States, and hasn’t been since January 20, 2021. So why would he be talking to the leader of the country once again considered the “main enemy” of the United States and its allies . . . the man under sanctions by the U.S. and numerous other countries . . . the man wanted throughout the world under warrant issued by the International Criminal Court?

Well, last week Trump said he had not spoken to Putin. In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Karl asked: “So you haven’t spoken to him since you left the White House?” And Trump unequivocally replied: “No, I have not. That’s false.” [Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh and Selina Wang, ABC News, October 15, 2024.]

But only yesterday, in an interview in Chicago with Bloomberg’s John Micklethwait, Trump had this to say when asked about post-presidency communications with Putin:

“Well, I don’t comment on that, but I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing. If I’m friendly with people, if I have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.” [Id.]

So a relationship with Beelzebub would be a good thing . . . right? Holy crap!

And that last reply was not an outright denial. So the question remains: Did he or didn’t he?

There’s an easy way to solve the riddle. Why not ask the other half of that bromance-made-in-hell: Vladimir Putin? Or, better yet, the man whose mouth moves when Putin speaks — the man of my dreams (I didn’t say they were good dreams) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Because we know we always get straightforward answers from him.

So let’s hear it, Dima: Did they or did they not have a few chats in the past four years? We don’t care whether they discussed the weather, or golf, or the women in their lives. Just a simple “yes” or “no” will do. (Dates and times would be nice, though.)

Because this old man who would be President of the United States again is a notorious fake, a liar, a gasball of unbelievable dimensions. And the world needs to know.

(You would also have my personal appreciation, which I’m sure would mean a lot.)

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/24

On November 18-19, the G-20 nations will hold their annual summit, this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be attended by the leaders of 19 sovereign nations, plus the European Union and the African Union. (I know, that’s 21 . . . but it is what it is.)

One of those 19 sovereign nations is Russia, and normally Vladimir Putin would be in attendance. But in March of 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest based on accusations of the war crime of forcefully deporting children from Ukraine.

This year’s G-20 host country, Brazil, is a state party to the Rome Statute, which ratified the establishment of the ICC in 2002, and as such would be obliged to arrest Vladimir Putin if he were to set foot on Brazilian territory.

But . . .

Brazil is also one of the founding members — along with Russia, India, China, and South Africa — of BRICS, an organization masterminded by Putin with the ultimate goal of creating a new world order to undermine the political and economic dominance of the Western-oriented NATO and EU.

And Brazil has established a . . . shall we say . . . comfortable and beneficial relationship with Russia.

So you can see the problem: Brazil has a choice between arresting the president of its BRICS partner and economic benefactor, or violating its obligations under the ICC’s Rome Statute.

There is, of course, a way out of the dilemma, but the decision is not Brazil’s to make: it’s Putin’s choice. He could simply stay home and attend online, as he did for a meeting of BRICS in South Africa last year. Asked whether a decision had been made in this regard, our old buddy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, had a very succinct answer:

“No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.” [Anthony Deutsch, Reuters, October 14, 2024.]

Hey, Dima . . . you’re sounding a little testy there. Stress getting you down, sweetie?

*. *. *

Now enter Ukraine, which unfortunately is not yet a member of anything, though it’s working on membership in NATO, the EU, and the ICC. But it obviously has a vested interest in making life as difficult as possible for Vladimir Putin . . . which is only fair, considering what he’s done to them. So Ukraine’s top prosecutor has called on authorities in Brazil to carry out the ICC’s warrant if Putin does make an appearance there next month.

And so — typically where Russia is concerned — we wait. Will we hear further from Dmitry Peskov? From Putin himself? Or will they simply choose to surprise us in November?

Stay tuned for the next installment of “Life With Vlad.” It’s the soap opera that keeps going, and going, and going . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/24

Don’t be so blase. It may not sound like anything special, unless it’s your birthday or anniversary. But there’s really a good bit to celebrate today, if you open yourself up to the possibilities. For example, today is:

National Mushroom Day.

After the recent rains associated with Hurricane Helene, our yard blossomed with what looked like hundreds (actually, more like dozens) of big, white, probably toxic toadstools. But I really don’t think that’s what the creator of this “holiday” had in mind. And I will leave the mushroom-picking to the experts, while I just enjoy eating them. Sauteed, with onions. Yum.

International Day of Rural Women.

I think this includes me. Although I am, by nature and by history, a city girl, I have now lived out in the country with family for the past four years. (We’re actually in a lovely neighborhood, but surrounded by nothing but country.) It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful . . . and it’s boring. At least, it is to me, because I am not an outdoor enthusiast, which is a gross understatement. Did I mention, I’m a city girl? So I’ll leave this day to the women who really do love rural living. More power to them.

National Grouch Day.

Definitely my day. Enough said.

White Cane Safety Day.

For all of the maladies that have come along with the years, I am blessed to have retained my eyesight. Which means I can watch out for those who don’t, and avoid bumping into them . . . which I assume is the purpose of this day. Or maybe it’s intended to teach newly unsighted people how to use their canes without tripping on them. Either way, I wish them the best. And again, I count my blessings.

Global Handwashing Day.

I thought this was kind of standard procedure for everyone with access to water. Didn’t your mother teach you to wash your hands after . . . well, after everything? “You’ve been playing outside; wash your hands.” “You touched the dog; wash your hands.” “You went to the bathroom; really scrub those hands — twice.” “You read a book; wash your hands.” “You breathed; wash your hands.”

Or maybe you didn’t have a Jewish mother.

*. *. *

Well, that’s a wrap for today. Off to visit a new friend in the neighborhood now. International Day of Rural Women is looking up.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/24

They’re on their way, in all their wonderful, playful, adorable cuddliness, aboard the Panda Express. And they’ll soon be settled in their new home for the next ten years, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

They are Bao Li and Qing Bao, both age three, arriving from their native habitat in the mountains of southwest China, in a heartwarming demonstration of what can be accomplished when two people — or two countries — put aside their differences long enough to think of something other than whatever it is they’ve been fighting about.

Last November, in a visit to San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China would be sending a new pair of pandas to the U.S., as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” [Nectar Gan, CNN, October 14, 2024.] And he has kept his word.

So what if it’s just good public relations for the Chinese government? It makes a lot of people happy . . . and that’s important in times of stress, and wars, and other disasters.

*. *. *

The first pair of Chinese pandas to be sent to live in the United States — also at the National Zoo — arrived in 1972. Then President Nixon and his wife, Pat, were on a diplomatic mission to China, and were seated at dinner with Premier Zhou Enlai when Mrs. Nixon noticed a box of cigarettes on the table with a panda decoration on the cover. She commented on how cute the bears were, and how she loved them, to which Premier Zhou is said to have replied, “I’ll give you some.” And some weeks later, Washington had a new attraction: Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing arrived to a crowd of 20,000 visitors . . . and that was just on the first day. [Id.]

I waited a few days before braving the crowds, and stood in line for well over an hour. But it was worth the wait; they were just about the most adorable critters I have ever set eyes on.

Since then, there have been a number of other panda couples sent to various zoos in the U.S. and elsewhere. But since the last pair in the nation’s capital — Mei Xiang and Tiantian, together with their youngest cub, Xiao Qi — ended their stay here and returned home to China, the panda house has remained sadly empty.

But — now newly renovated — it will soon be a happy place again. The young couple will, of course, receive the royal treatment throughout their stay here, and hopefully will produce at least one heir, and perhaps even a spare, during that time. And the people of Washington will have something to smile about for the next decade.

So, for this lovely gesture — and setting aside all differences and animosity for just a little while — thank you, China. We love your pandas.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/24

I say, old chap . . . my iPad seems to have given up its citizenship here in the Colonies and taken up residence with the Royals. Because it is now correcting my spelling — which, by the way, does not require correcting — in a distinct show of preference for the British form.

I don’t know how or why this has happened. Things had been running smoothly for years, when suddenly I found myself one day being told that words such as “civilized,” “modernize,” “criticize,” and “analyze” should be spelled “civilised,” “modernise,” “criticise,” and “analyse.”

Being aware of the perverse nature of our electronic gadgets in this 21st Century world, I immediately clicked on that little icon called “Settings,” and determined that, yes indeed, my language preference was English and my region was still the United States. So the problem had to lie elsewhere.

And then it dawned on me.

It only seems to be happening when I’m working on my blog. But why? What do I do differently there?

Actually, that was an easy one to answer: I comment a great deal on world affairs in my blog posts, referencing a lot of different sources . . . frequently including the British media. And when I quote from an article, of course I quote precisely — which sometimes means following the British spelling. And somewhere, deep down inside the brain of this very expensive little piece of equipment, is a bit of electronic intelligence that seems to have stored those words and wants me to continue using them.

And that scares the crap out of me!

It’s frightening enough when my screen displays the very words I was thinking of typing, before my fingers have even touched the keys. It not only reads my thoughts . . . it’s a better writer than I am! And that, I have to tell you, is really depressing.

But now, it even seems to be telling me I ought to change my allegiance from the country of my birth to another place — albeit a lovely place — somewhere across the pond. But that’s just not gonna happen . . . and I’ll tell you why. I mean, besides the whole “I’m an American and I love my country” thing . . . which I do.

However, there are other, more practical reasons. Such as . . .

I do not think in terms of kilometers, meters or centimeters. Or anything metric. Or pounds (a.k.a. “quid”) and pence. Or lifts, flats, bobbies, the loo, or any of the millions of other charming names you Brits have given to everyday items. I watch a lot of British TV, and I’ve picked up on such terms as “you lot,” when I would say “you folks” or “you guys.” And we don’t “sort” problems; we “solve” them, or “straighten” them out. And a criminal may have a prior “record,” not “form.” (“Form” simply means “shape” back here in the Colonies.)

And please note: To us Americans, a “mate” is someone with whom you . . . well . . . mate. More than just a friend. Much more.

Also, referring to the subway, or metro, as “the underground” brings to my mind pictures of mafiosi and other evil sorts. Or deep, dark, scary places. And “the tube” — well, that’s fallopian.

Now, I don’t want you to take any of this as criticism. In fact, I love everything British. When I visited London, I thought it was absolutely perfect, and wished I could have stayed longer and seen some of those quirky little villages and Stonehenge, etc. But I was there on business.

I love that you call sausage and potatoes “bangers and mash.” And that all desserts are “puddings” — and one of them is called “Spotted Dick.” (I’m sorry, but that just screams “social disease” to me.) And that the royal family refer to themselves collectively as “The Firm.”

But we Americans — though we speak the same language, albeit with some notable differences — are a unique breed. We’re comprised of a whole bunch (that’s a “great lot,” to you) of nationalities and ethnicities; and our brand of English has become a strange conglomeration of all of them, with a plethora of our own made-up expressions to top it all off. And we like it that way.

And finally, I’m too old to start learning what is essentially a new language . . . especially the colloquialisms. I had enough trouble with Russian — and that was years ago, when my brain’s synapses were still firing full-blast.

I know you’ll say this is all a load of “tosh,” but . . . well, I just wanted to say that, if it’s all the same to you lot, I’m going to continue using my accustomed spelling and terminology. It doesn’t mean I love you any less. We’re still best mates, and always will be.

It’s too bad I can’t say the same for my Spell Check. Oh, well . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/24

Surely, everyone who doesn’t live under a rock knows who Kamala is. She is, of course, the current Vice President of the United States and Democratic Presidential candidate in the upcoming November election, Kamala Harris.

But those who do not obsessively follow the goings-on in the Moscow Kremlin (as I confess I do) — or analyze every word of the proclamations issuing forth from the Kremlin’s eloquent, sometimes witty, and always adorable spokesman, Dmitry Peskov (yeah, I do that too) — may need an introduction to the male half of this new celebrity duo. So, here he is:

It’s no secret that the Russian government has shown more than a passing interest in U.S. elections for some years now, and this year is surely no exception. Even Vladimir Putin himself — well-known to favor his personal lump of clay, Donald Trump, returning to the White House for four more years of being molded to Russia’s advantage — made a joke about preferring Harris because he liked her “infectious laugh.” It’s been a jolly good campaign year, what with all the exchanges between Moscow and Washington.

And now, that Sweetheart of the Kremlin Press Room, Dmitry Peskov, has stepped into the breach, taking umbrage at Harris’ calling Putin a “murderous dictator.”

Oh, dear! The truth does sometimes hurt, doesn’t it, Dima?

But loyalty overrides fact . . . especially if you want to keep your job in the upper echelon of the mighty Kremlin. And so, Peskov had these responses for Vice President Harris:

“This is probably the quintessence of the very model of international relations that they are trying to foist on the entire world, a model that most in the world are beginning to like less and less.“ [Ron Popeski, Reuters, October 12, 2024.]

And: “The lofty political establishment of the United States of America, to all appearances, is infused with such a political culture.” [Kate Nicholson, Huffpost, October 13, 2024.]

Those are some strong words on both sides. But as long as they don’t start bashing each other with cricket bats, like their British Punch and Judy counterparts, I think we’ll be all right.

Except that Russia’s TASS news outlet had to jump on the bandwagon by suggesting that Harris was following “the example of her boss,” President Joe Biden, who has previously called Putin a “crazy S.O.B.,” “not a decent man,” and “a dictator.” [Id.]

Well, it’s not slander if it’s true. So stay out of it, TASS. We’re trying to keep it civilized.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/24

How shocking! How humiliating! But more to the point . . . how come?

I’m referring to the economic conference that was held on Friday, October 11th, as the regular lead-in to the BRICS summit scheduled for October 22-24. And people did attend . . . just not the people who were expected. Not the top people, but the second-stringers.

Ordinarily, these pre-summit sessions are attended by the finance ministers and central bank heads from the member nations. But this year, only the finance ministers from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the head of Iran’s central bank were present when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov called for the creation of an alternative to what he called the Western-dominated global financial system. [Gleb Bryanski, Reuters, October 11, 2024.]

The remaining members, including China, India and South Africa, instead sent deputies or more junior officials. The Saudi delegation was not represented at all. And is it likely to have been coincidental that this occurred the day after the Kremlin accused the West of pressuring countries not to attend the BRICS summit?

The economic conference is central to the agenda of the summit itself, particularly since Russia — in the wake of Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine — has been wooing its BRICS partners with various proposed initiatives, including something they call the BRICS Bridge international payment system. [Id.]

Siluanov told the officials present that “The creation of a cross-border payment initiative is our main task.” [Id.] He also spoke of the creation of a BRICS clearing center, a rating agency, a reinsurance company, and a commodities exchange. [Id.]

All of these initiatives are of particular importance at the present time to Russia, which is experiencing delays in its international transactions, as some of its trading partners are concerned about possible punitive actions from the West. [Id.] Could these same concerns have kept the top economic officials of those countries from attending Friday’s conference? And if so, what does this say to Russia in terms of the backing it can expect from its fellow BRICS members in moving forward with his proposals?

The forthcoming summit in Kazan on October 22-24 will be of special significance for Putin. His foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, has said that nine of the ten member states will send their leaders, but that Saudi Arabia — which missed the economic conference — will send its Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

This should be interesting.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/24

The word is out: Alexei Navalny’s memoir — started while he was recuperating in a German hospital from the Kremlin’s poisoning attempt on his life, and continued from his prison cell in Siberia following his return to his homeland — is being released for publication in just nine days.

Alexei Navalny – Gone, But Well Remembered

Published by Alfred A. Knopf, it recounts, among other things, “his political career, the many attempts on his life, and the lives of the people closest to him, ad the relentless campaign he and his team waged against an increasingly dictatorial regime. . . . a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth; a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply; and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.” [Amazon Review.]

I am thrilled to know that this work exists, and that I will soon be able to learn more about the quiet man I never met, but whom I admired so greatly. My readers will recall my following his progression from Putin oppositionist, to poisoning victim, to survivor, to prisoner . . . until that unspeakably horrible day when the world was notified of his mysterious (and still unexplained) death in a Siberian penal colony. And even beyond that day, through the days when the Russian authorities delayed turning his body over to his mother; and finally, the funeral and the outpouring of grief that the Kremlin could not prevent.

I presume the posthumous publication of Navalny’s memoir was facilitated by his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who said — in a statement released in April by the publisher — that the book was not only a testament “to Alexei’s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship, [and that it would] inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.” [Associated Press, October 12, 2024.]

Navalnaya also revealed that the memoir has already been translated into eleven languages, and that it will “definitely” be published in Russian. [Id.]

I wonder how many copies Vladimir Putin will be receiving for Christmas this year. In fact, I’m tempted to send him one myself.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/24

Her name was Viktoriia Roshchyna. She was 27 years old, a Ukrainian journalist on a mission to expose the grim realities of life in those parts of Ukraine now occupied by Russian forces.

She disappeared in August of 2023. It took nine months for Russian authorities to admit that she had been detained, without further explanation.

Her father was informed this week, by letter from the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, that she died on September 19, 2024 . . . with no further explanation given.

It is too late to add Viktoriia to our hostage list . . . too late to hope and pray and fight for her release. But there is much more to her story, and I will pay homage to her in a separate chapter.

But for now, let us remember her as another of Vladimir Putin’s countless victims — yet another murder on his head, and his alone.

Rest in peace, Viktoriia.

*. *. *

And, as always, we remember those others who have already been convicted and imprisoned on spurious political grounds. In no particular order, they are:

Stephen James Hubbard, 72, who was teaching English in Ukraine. In April of 2022, he was charged with fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Following a closed-door trial, he was sentenced on October 7th to six years and ten months in a maximum-security prison.

A 72-year-old English teacher! Is there no limit to the depth of Vladimir Putin’s corruption?

*. *. *

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, who was stationed in South Korea when he fell into a classic Russian “honey trap.” He was on his way back to his home in Texas, on two weeks’ leave, when he was lured to Vladivostok by the Russian girlfriend he had met in Korea. He was arrested in May of 2024 on charges of alleged larceny and murder threat, and sentenced the following month to a prison term of three years and nine months.

* . *. *

Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher from Pennsylvania, was arrested in August of 2021 for possession of 0.6 ounce of legally-prescribed (in the U.S.) medical marijuana. In June of 2022 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

*. *. *

Ksenia Karelina, dual U.S.-Russian citizen, recently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 12 years in prison for contributing $51.80 to an American charity providing aid to Ukraine.

*. *. *

Robert Romanov Woodland, a dual US-Russian citizen, was teaching English in Russia when he was arrested in January of 2024 for allegedly attempting to sell drugs. In July, he was sentenced to 12-1/2 years in a maximum security prison.

*. *. *

Robert Gilman, already in jail in Russia serving a 4-1/2-year sentence (later reduced to 3-1/2 years on appeal) for kicking a police officer in 2022, found himself facing added charges in 2023 of punching prison staff in the head, and later also attacking a criminal investigator and another prison guard.

*. *. *

David Barnes, an American citizen and resident of Texas, was arrested in January of 2022 while visiting his children, who had been taken to Russia from Texas by his Russian wife. He was charged and sentenced in the fall of that year to 21 years in prison for child abuse (allegedly occurring while in Texas), on his wife’s accusation. I really wish I knew more of this story!

*. *. *

Eugene Spector, a dual US-Russian citizen already serving a four-year sentence handed down in June of 2021 on a bribery conviction, received additional charges of suspicion of espionage in August of 2023. No other details have been found, as the evidence is labelled “classified.”

*. *. *

Michael Travis Leake, a rock musician and former paratrooper, was sentenced in July of this year to 13 years in prison on drug charges — specifically, suspicion of selling mephedrone, and organizing a drug trafficking business “involving young people.”

*. *. *

And again I ask: Are any of these prisoners actually guilty of the charges leveled against them? I don’t know. But I do know that the recent timing of a number of the arrests, and the speed with which they were brought to trial, is a clear indication of Russia’s intentional roundup of American citizens to be used as (what I call) Putin’s Pawns.

What they are, quite simply, are HOSTAGES. And they will not — MUST not — be forgotten. Let’s shorten this list to zero.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/24

Apparently, that was the tone of the recruitment campaign dubbed “Alabuga Start,” aimed at young African women excited at the prospect of being paid a decent wage for a “work-study program” being conducted in Russia’s semi-autonomous Tatarstan region, some 600 miles east of Moscow.

Only someone seems to have forgotten to include the “study” part of the program.

It may have been pictures like the one above that enticed the 200 young women, ages 18-22, to sign on to what promised to be a golden opportunity, but turned out to be an environment akin to slave labor. According to an Associated Press investigation, the young women were met with “long hours under constant surveillance, broken promises about wages and areas of study, and working with caustic chemicals . . .” [Emma Burrows and Lori Hinnant, AP, October. 10, 2024].

Because it turned out that the so-called work-study program was, in truth, a factory for the assembly of thousands of Iranian-designed attack drones for use in Russia’s “special military operation” against Ukraine. Since the start of that war, Russia and Iran have signed a $1.7 billion deal for Moscow to import Iranian drones. And the plant at Alabuga quickly expanded from there. [Id.]

But Russia had a problem: it was facing a wartime labor shortage. It did, however, have friends in numerous African countries, such as Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. And so the recruitment began, there and elsewhere . . . including Sri Lanka in South Asia. And it is expected to expand to other parts of Asia and to Latin America.

So you’re probably thinking there’s nothing wrong with offering jobs to people from countries with struggling economies. And you’d be right . . . as long as the jobs are what they purport to be. But what did those 200 young ladies find upon arrival from their African homes?

Well, first, they share dormitories and kitchens that are “guarded around the clock” — presumably for their safety. When brought by bus from their living quarters to the factory each day, they pass multiple security checkpoints. They receive local SIM cards upon arrival, but are not allowed to bring phones into the factory. Some of the women interviewed said they were not allowed to speak freely to outsiders, and that their messages were monitored. [Id.]

Some women described shifts of up to twelve hours, with only irregular days off. There were reports of salaries not meeting the advertised promises, and difficulties sending money home to Africa because of banking sanctions against Russia. Being able to help their families at home was one of the principal reasons many of the women were drawn to the jobs in the first place. [Id.]

*. *. *

So what can be done? According to the AP report, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights — noting that Moscow is a party to the U.N. Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime — said that Russia’s actions in the matter of the Alabuga program “could potentially fulfill the criteria of trafficking if the recruitment is fraudulent and the purpose is exploitation.” [Id.]

Whether action will be taken remains to be seen. Thanks to the AP’s investigation, we can hope for the best.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/24