Vladimir Putin Is No Humanitarian | Steve Schmidt

Oct 21, 2026 | Steve Witkoff called dictator Vladimir Putin a humanitarian. With 13 days before the midterms, Steve Schmidt breaks down how Donald Trump is Putin’s puppet and why America must reclaim its moral clarity.

Trump is an evil, know-nothing clown! He belongs in the circus, not the White House! Kick him OUT of OFFICE ASAP, before World War III will surely begin. Because as sure as night follows day, if things go on like this much longer, World War III will be inevitable. And forget all that crap about a hybrid war. World War III will be a hot, kinetic war, just as all world wars have been in history. Even though I am no military man, if I am not greatly mistaken, we are on the brink of DISASTER! It’s time to pull back. — © Mark Alexander

Peter Zalmayev: 'Ukraine Was Showing All Sorts of Cards That Trump Took Away and Gave to Putin'

Oct 21, 2026 | Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Peter Zalmayev, Founder and Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, LIVE from Kyiv. And he warns, "I'm seeing, I'm smelling a Yalta II. I'm smelling another Munich (1938), where we're seeing appeasement of the aggressor." Ukraine faces the possibility that its sovereignty and security could become mere bargaining chips in an era Zalmayev describes as great-power "collusion". He delivers a forceful critique of the Trump administration's approach to Russia, arguing that Washington is weakening Ukraine's negotiating position while offering Vladimir Putin little incentive to abandon his maximalist demands. At stake, he suggests, are the cohesion of the transatlantic alliance, and the credibility of Western security commitments.

Trump Hits New Low After ‘Idiotic’ Ukraine War Outbreak Comments | Jimmy Rushton

Oct 21, 2026 | “His recounting of the battle of Kyiv is obviously completely wrong.”

Trump’s incorrect recollection of the Battle of Kyiv is “typically ignorant and idiotic”, says security analyst and special correspondent at the Kyiv Independent Jimmy Rushton.


Every time Trump opens his mouth, he makes a fool of himself! If ever there was a man not up to the job of being POTUS, it’s Donald Trump! Trump was a draft dodger and here he is castigating the Russian general for not conducting the war correctly! One couldn’t make up this nonsense! He was too chicken to fight in the military himself, and here he is now, in his dotage, telling others how to wage war! 😊 — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: What Are the Russian Papers Saying ahead of Steve Witkoff's Meeting with Vladimir Putin?

Oct 21, 2026 | Steve Witkoff's in St Petersburg to meet President Putin: what are this morning’s Russian newspapers saying about the visit? Plus, an interesting editorial…with a warning for the Russian authorities.

Putin’s ‘Stuck in a Dangerous Place’ as Ukraine Scorches Russian Economy | Bill Browder

Oct 20, 2026 | “The Ukrainians have a way of fighting back to scorch his economy.”

Putin is “stuck” in a “dangerous place” as he finds himself fighting against a resilient and adaptive Ukraine, says Sir William Browder.

You have been watching Frontline, with Kate Gerbeau, Philip Ingram, Louis Sykes and Laura Martinez-Williams, produced by Times Radio.

Trump Sides with Putin AGAIN | The News Agents

Oct 20, 2026 | Four years of war, an estimated 450,000 deaths – and yet Donald Trump says Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been “fine”.

The US president continues to unravel, on camera, as his personal ratings plummet to new lows (just 31% at the latest count) and the Republican Party readies itself for a disastrous midterm election result in November.

Once again, Zelenskyy is on the receiving end of Trump's mood.

So why has Trump turned his back so dramatically on Zelenskyy? And what's he bargaining for with his love in for Putin? And could it all just be jealousy?


I have said it umpteen times before, but I’ll say it again: Trump is trash. Garbage! And so are the idiots who put him in power! They, too, are garbage! Are they truly deserving of the vote? A democracy can only function well if the people who are entitled to vote are intelligent enough and well—educated enough to do so! — © Mark Alexander

Sir Anthony Beevor: Russia Is ‘A Prisoner of Their Own Past’

Oct 20, 2026 | The multitude of interconnected wars engulfing the globe are leading many to draw parallels with 1939, the eve of the Second World War. Historian Sir Anthony Beevor – one of the world’s great chroniclers of the 20th century – is one of those raising the alarm, particularly about the threats posed by Russia. Following the release of his new book Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs, we caught up with him at The Times and The Sunday Times-sponsored Cheltenham Literary Festival, to ask what the ‘mad monk’ of late-Imperial Russia can tell us about the country today, and just how dangerous this present moment is.

Trump Has a ‘Grave Misreading of Reality’ to Think Putin Will Relent | Former US Diplomat

Oct 20, 2026 | "Putin is drilling a wedge within the middle of the transatlantic community, between the US and its European allies, and that's a long-standing Russian strategic goal."

Vladimir Putin has "no intention to negotiate" and wants to "push a military advantage" which Donald Trump is handing to him, says former US ambassador Matthew Bryza.

Trump and Putin Set to Hold Peace Talks without Zelenskyy

Oct 20, 2026 | Simon Marks is joined by former defence secretary Tobias Ellwood to discuss the three-way meeting between Putin, Trump, and Xi.

The potential meeting was revealed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in response to a Wall Street Journal report that the Russian President had proposed a meeting to discuss a way to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Trump also laid into Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again, suggesting that someone else needs to negotiate on Ukraine's behalf. Mr Trump said that Mr Zelenskyy is acting as a barrier to attempts to end the conflict with Russia.


What a piece of SHIT! If the powers-that-be had had the SPUNK long ago, they would have put Trump in klink where he belongs. If they had done so, the free world wouldn’t be confronted with this intractable problem today.

America will NEVER recover from this! It is DOWNHILL all the way from here. Destination: the abyss. F*** America! — © Mark Alexander

Trump’s Push for Deals With Russia Powers His Frustration With Ukraine

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The series of recent steps by the president that seem to favor Vladimir Putin reflect his intensifying desire to normalize the relationship with Moscow even if it means further undercutting Ukraine.

President Trump with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at Mar-a-Lago in December. Credit: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times
He shunted aside a bipartisan law, signed just weeks ago, imposing new tariffs on Russia. He cut a deal to purchase diesel from Moscow. His negotiators agreed on the vague outlines of a deal for much of Lukoil, a battered Russian energy firm. And he called for the replacement of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, whose success in taking the fight inside Russia deeply frustrates him.

President Trump’s intensifying effort in the past few weeks to rehabilitate Russia and usher President Vladimir V. Putin back into diplomatic society is remarkable for its speed, its characterization of Mr. Zelensky as the primary obstacle to peace, and its brazen denial that Russia is continuing the war that Mr. Trump says he is trying to end.

“Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” Mr. Trump said on Monday, speaking to reporters outside the White House as he left for a campaign rally. “They haven’t been doing much,” he said, making no mention of the Russian missiles and jet-powered drones that have been targeting apartment buildings in Kyiv and Ukraine’s surviving electricity grid.


Mr. Trump’s disdain for Mr. Zelensky is hardly new. Nor is his willingness to give the benefit of the doubt to Mr. Putin, for whom he has often expressed respect and even admiration.

But what is different now is Mr. Trump’s increased determination to force a deal on Mr. Zelensky, telling him that holding out to retain occupied portions of the country’s eastern provinces is not worth it — and that there is money to be made for Ukraine, as well, if it would only drop its objections to an accord, even one written largely on Russia’s terms. » | David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents in over four decades at the Times. He often writes about the re-emergence of superpower conflict, the subject of his most recent book. | Monday, October 18, 2026

What a disreputable bloody man the West is being led by! Trump is totally and utterly without honour. But that’s not all; it gets even worse: As we all know, he is also incompetent, self-enriching, greedy, corrupt, cruel, megalomaniacal, lacking in compassion, and much else negative besides. He is everything the West doesn’t need to lead it. Moreover, in Trump, we find all the worst that is to be found in American society: greed, self-love, lack of restraint, lack of principle, and an insatiable desire and drive for profit and money. ‘Gimme more, more, more! Gimme all you got! I wan’ it all!’

Trump went into politics with the express desire to enrich himself. He couldn’t give a tinker’s toss about the welfare of his country or its people. What Trump cares about is his bottom line: profit. He struggled to make it in business, but by God he found a cash cow in American politics. All he had to be was bent; and that comes as second nature to Trump. So, no problem there!

But let us be fair to the man... his father left him only in excess of $413m (adjusted for inflation). How could he possibly have been expected to get by with such a paltry sum of money? He was almost forced to find another very profitable pursuit in his dotage! After all, prices are high in America, and you must to keep up with them if your lifestyle is to be maintained adequately.

The man I feel sorry for is Volodymyr Zelenksyy. He has a major problem on his hands. Spare a thought for that brave man, our hero. He’s got not only ONE SHITBAG to deal with; but TWO: Trump and Putin! Just imagine!

May the Good Lord bless Zelenskyy with strength, wisdom, and continued fortitude. He needs all the help he can get, all the support. The decent world must stick with him. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!) — © Mark Alexander

Trump Needs a Scapegoat, and That Scapegoat Is Zelenskyy | Wider View from Brussels

Oct 19, 2026 | Europe has been left stunned by the diesel deal struck between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. But should such a transactional approach from the U.S. president still come as a surprise? In Wider View from Brussels, guests Andrea Palasciano and Guntram Wolf examine the political and strategic implications of the agreement. According to the analysts, Trump's actions may represent a turning point in transatlantic relations – one from which there may be no return. At stake, they argue, is not only the security of Ukraine, but also the future security architecture of Europe itself. Chapters:

Donald Trump disgusts me; indeed, he should disgust all decent, principled people. I therefore hope and trust that he disgusts you, too. — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Press Dubs Trump "a Magician" for Making Some Sanctions Disappear.

Oct 19, 2026 | Donald Trump says the Russian sanctions waiver is designed to help negotiate peace. But the headline in one Russian paper today: “We will make a deal with Ukraine entirely on our terms.” Another paper declares: “Russia’s borders, as we know, do not end anywhere.”

NEW LINCOLN PROJECT AD: Home Office Moscow

Oct 19, 2026 | Trump is Putin's slave. The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. Our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times — our democracy depends on it.

Those effing Republicans need a damn good kick up the arse for supporting such a vile, brutal, unprincipled, corrupt, cruel, self-serving, egocentric, ne’er-do-well president. — a man who kisses Putin’s arse repeatedly! Shame on the effing lot of you! — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: “A Beautiful Deal”, “A Rotten Fish” and My Long Journey Back to Russia

Oct 18, 2026 | “A beautiful deal”, "a rotten fish" and a very long journey back to Russia. My reflections on a dramatic week. And Valentina has sent me a present.

Zelenskyy Says Ukraine 'Will Not Prevail’ if U.S. Takes Russia's Side: Full Interview

Oct 18, 2026 | In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shares why he believes it would be a “historic mistake” if the U.S. government decided to support Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I have the greatest respect for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's a courageous man. A hero. Trump, by contrast, is a treasonours clown. I have absolutely no respect for the man. Americans, if they are good and sensible people, will ditch Trump at the very earliest convenience. — © Mark Alexander

Trump ‘Doesn’t Understand What Is at Stake in Ukraine’ | John Bolton

Oct 18, 2026 | “He’s in deep trouble.”

Recently, President Donald Trump has been focused on domestic American politics rather than geopolitics as Americans are “unhappy”, but he doesn’t know “what is at stake” in Ukraine, says former US national security advisor John Bolton.


The sooner Americans rid themselves of Trump, the better for all of us. — © Mark Alexander

EXPOSED: How Trump’s Russian Sanctions Waiver Betrays Ukraine

Oct 18, 2026 | For years, defenders of Donald Trump dismissed allegations of his covert ties to Moscow as pure political theater. Yet policy decisions ultimately strip away campaign rhetoric to reveal cold, operational facts. With a single signature on an executive order, President Trump dismantled a decade of Western economic leverage over Moscow, waiving sweeping bipartisan sanctions explicitly crafted to cripple the Russian war machine. By gutting the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, bankrolling Moscow through direct fuel deals, and actively hamstringing Ukraine’s defense, Trump has dropped the pretense. He is not merely acting as a rogue isolationist; he is operating as Vladimir Putin’s most effective strategic asset.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

A is for A***hole
B is for Betrayer
C is for Crude
D is for Dork
E is for Eejit
F is for Fathead
G is for Gobshite
H is for Halfwit
I is for Idiot
J is for Jerk
K is for Knucklehead
L is for Lunatic
M is for Mother f***** and Malefactor
N is for Nincompoop
O is for Oaf
P is for Prat
Q is for Quisling
R is for Renegade
S is for Saboteur
T is for Trash, Traitor and Twerp
U is for Unscrupulous
V is for Vulgar and Villain
W is for Wanker
X is for Xenocrat and Xenocracy
Y is for Yellowbelly
Z is for Zany and Zealot

© Mark Alexander

Trump’s Pause on Russia Sanctions Is ‘Reward’ for Putin, Zelenskyy Says

THE GUARDIAN: Ukrainian president warns it will embolden Russian leader and intensify war as Moscow hits country’s power plants

The lifting of sanctions will continue, and I believe that the “diesel deal” is the first step,’ said Zelenskyy. Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Donald Trump’s decision to roll back sanctions on Russia as a “reward” for Vladimir Putin and warned it will embolden the Russian leader and intensify the Kremlin’s war, as Moscow launched one of its worst strikes yet on Ukraine’s power plants in an attempt to black out the country’s cities before winter.

The Ukrainian president also said he expected the Trump administration to lift more sanctions against Russia in the future and called for Europe to establish its own negotiations with Moscow as the US has sought better ties and business deals with the Kremlin.

“Unfortunately, the lifting of sanctions will continue, and I believe that the ‘diesel deal’ is the first step,” said Zelenskyy on Saturday. “Unfortunately, it seems to me that this cannot stop Putin; on the contrary, he feels joy and happiness that he has such support.”

In a social media message earlier, Zelenskyy wrote: “A US ⁠sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking. We must not give up ground.

“We must keep trying to end the war. To end it, not give Putin every reason to continue it indefinitely.” » | Andrew Roth in Kyiv | Saturday, October 17, 2026

Donald Trump is a turncoat and a traitor. He is turning his back on his western allies to cosy up to Vlad, his ‘bromantic’ chum and marionettist. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by contrast, is a patriotic, determined, and noble warrior for his country. He knows the enemy well and behaves and plans strategically and wisely using this knowledge. It should not be overlooked that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his brave and long-suffering compatriots are fighting not only for the continued existence of their own country, but also for the continued existence of Europe as a whole, too. He knows that if Ukraine were to fall to the enemy, another European nation will be next on the line. Other European nations will then be in grave danger of falling, one by one, until Putin has satisfied and achieved his goals and objectives. Our support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians must continue to be unwavering. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!) — © Mark Alexander

Anne Applebaum on the Contradiction of Trump’s Support of Russia

Oct 16, 2026 | Why is Putin pushing Trump to stop Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries? Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum argues that these attacks are putting real pressure on Moscow — and that Trump’s approach risks giving Russia more time to continue its war against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Applebaum about Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, U.S. pressure on Kyiv to concede territory, and why the administration’s peace envoys misunderstand the motivations behind Russia’s invasion.

‘There’s Very Few Young Men Left’ - How Putin’s War in Ukraine Is ‘DESTROYING RUSSIA’

Oct 16, 2026 | What is it like for ordinary Russians living in Vladimir Putin’s Russia at war? What do they really think?

Award-winning war correspondent Åsne Seierstad has travelled deep inside Russia to find out. Her new book, Never Say War, takes us behind the propaganda to reveal a society shaped by fear, repression and the human cost of war.