Putin's desperate mobilization is a drowning man clutching at straws.

If ever there was an example of Trump's total indifference towards Ukrainian civilians being systematically attacked and killed by Putin in his demented and  manic war against Ukrainians, then surely it is the response of Trump to the recent collapse of a man in the Oval Office.

As Lawrence O’Donnell (right) reports the event of a man collapsing in the Oval Office on Nov. 6, 2025, in front of Donald Trump,

"At the first sign of the commotion, Donald Trump turned around, as you can see there. (cf. video below)

But then, not understanding what was happening, he turned away ... when he saw that man on the ground ... he turned away ... as you see here.

And the Donald Trump, without a single sympathetic instinct, stood staring straight ahead, as if pretending that whatever suffering the man behind him was experiencing wasn't happening. And yet that is the man's foot in the air that you see in the corner of that picture

This image completely captures a picture of Donald Trump's ability to completely ignore a person in need" (MSNBC: 7 November 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Lawrence O’Donnell : MSNBC: 7 November 2025 

Trump's total indifference to human life and suffering is not dissimilar to Putin's new mobilization order.

As forseen, and reported, by Konstantin Samoilov (left) 2 weeks ago, 

"Is Russia mobilizing again, just not calling it mobilization. You bet. New words ... same result." (Inside Russia: 23 October 2025: YouTube)

 

InsideRR Russia: 23 October 2025: YouTube 

 As also reported by b92,

"Putin "calls up" 2 million reservists!

The Russian President has ordered an increase in the size of the regular Russian army to 1.5 million, making the Russian Federation’s army the second largest in the world. 
… 
Top Russian military officials have stated that they intend to use reservists to defend civilian infrastructure, such as oil refineries." (b92: 23 October 2025) (my emphasis)

But as  Konstantin Samoilov pointed out, 

"Russian parliament just changed the legislation. Before the reservists could not be usd outside of Russia.... Now the new law says that they can take part ... the law allows them to be sent to different armed conflicts to protect Russia's interests, and they can be deployed OUTSIDE Russia [i.e. in Ukraine]" (ibid video above)

Like Trump's indifference to a collapsed man in the Oval Office, this mobilization of Putin signifies his indifference towards Russian men been sent to the 'meatgrinder' in Ukraine, that is currently costing the lives of more than 1000 Russian men per day. 

And as reported by Stavros Atlamazoglou (left),

"Thus far in 2025, the Russian forces have taken approximately 353,000 casualties.
… 
According to data provided by the Ukrainian General Staff, the average daily Russian casualty rate during October 2025 was 1,008 troops killed and wounded. 

The primary reason behind the recent increase in the losses of the Russian forces is the push to capture Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian town is located in the Donbas and consists of a key logistics hub for the Ukrainian military, supporting offensive and defensive operations in the region. " (National Interest on MSN: 5 November 2025)(my emphasis)

Trump's indifference to the lives of Ukrainain civilains suffering under the genocidal bombardment of Putin's drones, on a daily basis, is further underscored by Trump witholding the supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to defend themselves against Putin's genocidal bombarment of the people of Ukraine.

Furthermore, UNN reports that,

"Ukraine's Ambassador Olha Stefanishyna (right) announced "positive" negotiations regarding the acquisition of Tomahawk missiles and other long-range weapons. This comes despite Donald Trump expressing reluctance to supply them to Ukraine.
…. 
Ukraine is conducting constructive negotiations with the United States of America regarding the acquisition of Tomahawk missiles and other long-range weapons, despite the fact that President Donald Trump previously expressed reluctance to supply such weapons to Ukraine." (UNN: 7 November 2025) (my emphasis) 

And in the light of Trump's reluctance to suppply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, Arpan Rai (left) and Bryony Gooch (right) report that,

"The UK government has provided Ukraine with more supplies of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, officials said.

An unspecified number of missiles have been sent to ensure Ukraine can respond to Vladimir Putin's attacks with its own long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, people aware of the matter told Bloomberg.
call to action icon

This comes as Donald Trump accused Russia of carrying out “underground” nuclear weapons tests, defending his announcement last week that the US would restart its own nuclear testing." (The Independent on MSN: 4 November 2025) (my emphasis) 

 

60 Minutes CBS: The Independent on MSN: 4 November 2025

Scraping the bottom of the barrel of excuses against sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine Trump, it would seem, has now come up with a new, and totally unsubstansiated reason not to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.

And who said the Trump-Putin 'bromance' is over!  

As Putin's mobilization gains momentum to send yet more Russian soldiers to the 'meatgrinder' of  Pokrovsk, John Varga (right) reports that,

"A Russian general has launched a blistering attack on Vladimir Putin, saying the Kremlin's war in Ukraine is an unmitigated disaster. Leonid Ivashov is a well-known military figure and public official who served as the former President of the Academy for Geopolitical Problems.
… 
In his latest attack on Putin, he accused the Kremlin tyrant of having condemned Russia to a "strategic defeat".

He pointed out that the Russian leader had himself warned that a strategic defeat would lead to the country's collapse.

"According to Vladimir Putin's statements, a strategic defeat will lead to Russia's collapse," he said." (Daily Express on MSN: 6 November 2025) (my emphasis)

 More importantly,  Leonid Ivashov (left) stated that,

"The Kremlin has been touting its latest missile developments, such as the Burevestnik and Poseidon," he continued.

"We cling to the missile Burevestnik and the nuclear torpedo Poseidon like a plaster cast. In reality, the United States will be able to destroy us before these reach their targets, if we even manage to fire them." (ibid John Varga)

Bearing this in mind, Putin's last, and desperate, mobilization is the realization that his imminent defeat in Ukraine is also his ignominious downfall. 

UPDATE: 8 November 2025: GMT: 11.17 

In my blog entry of 29 Ootober 2025, I wrot that,

"Putin's currrent 'nightmare' is fast becoming true." (blog entry 29/10/2025)

It has now emerged that, 

"The Kremlin on Friday dismissed speculation that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had fallen out of favour with Vladimir Putin after efforts to organise a summit between the Russian president and Donald Trump were put on ice last month." (Reuters: 7 November 2025) (my emphasis) 

That dyed-in-the-wool Soviet Foreign minister is finally joining the long line of Putin's 'political cast off 's'.

As also reported by The Sun,

"Vladimir Putin has reportedly cast aside his veteran foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in a spectacular fall from grace, by the Kremlin" (The Sun: 7 November 2025: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

The Sun: 7 November 2025: YouTube 

This development, as Putin 'manically' throws yet more troops into the 'meatgrinder' of Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk, signifies the imminent turning of his 'siloviki' against him.

"If Lavrov is  now 'politically cast off', who is next in line?", they must be asking themselves.

 

Putin's last, and desperate, mobilization is, indeed,  the realization that his imminent defeat in Ukraine is fast heading for his ignominious downfall.  

 

The Military Show: 7 November 2025: YouTube 

 

 (to be continued)

Will Xi Jin-Ping and Trump end critical Chinese supplies to Putin's armaments industry?

In my last blog entry I wrote that,

"Having painted himself into a tight corner in Russia itself, it is imperative for Putin that he presents the people of Russia with a victory in Ukraine to prevent himself from being toppled from power." (blog entry: 21 October 2025)

 As Konstantin Samoilov (right) says,

"This is Fall, and Russian economy is falling. Russia still exists. Its economy still operates, and Russian people still live. ... There are two key questions now. "How well they live", and "What have they have given up."

In the video below he goes on to explain the current state of the Russian economy, and the declining standard of living of Russian people, all thanks to Putin's war with Ukraine.

 

Inside Russia: 29 October 2025: YouTube 

Furthermore, this is also exemplified by the fact that, 

• "A recent U.S. intelligence assessment warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is more determined than ever to carry on the war in Ukraine and prevail on the battlefield, according to a senior U.S. official and a senior congressional official." (Courtney Kube (right) NBC News on MSN: 28 October 2025) (my emphasis) 

• and, once again and somewhat desperately, Putin is threatening the world with 'nuclear armageddon' proclaiming that, "Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, Moscow's top general has said. …Western experts have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it." (Jake Lapham (right): BBC News: 26 October 2025) (my emphasis)

And in the wake of Putin's new threat of 'nuclear armageddon', as reported by John Varga (left),

"Ukraine's army recaptured an important village on the Lyman front, wiping out around 100 Russian soldiers and taking dozens of prisoners. The strategic village of Torske is located in the Donetsk region where fierce fighting has been raging for months.

The settlement lies on a key logistical route between Kreminna and Lyman, with control of the area essential for both sides." (Daily Express on MSN: 23 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, and more recently, 

"Ukraine's army has destroyed part of a major Russian dam, in a huge blow for Putin's army. Drone strikes damaged the dam at the Belgorod Reservoir, located north of the Ukrainian border, leading to the outflow of a significant amount of water.
… 
The water from the reservoir has flooded Russian positions and has cut off [Putin's] troops who had crossed the Seversky Donets River near the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. " (John Varga: Express: 27 October 2025) (my emphasis) 

 

The Sun: 28 October 2025: YouTube

And, ironically, Trump is further adding to Putin's overwhelming woes as he continues in his diplomatic tour around SE Asia.

As reported by CNN,

"President Donald Trump has left Malaysia, completing the first leg of his diplomacy tour in Asia, and is now on his way to Japan, where he will meet the country’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday.

In Malaysia, Trump joined the signing of a peace declaration between Thailand and Cambodia. And US trade negotiators reached the framework of a trade deal with China, easing tensions before Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week. " (CNN: 26 October 2025) (my emphasis)

After much speculation, Trump will not be meeting with North Korea's Kim Jon Un, but there may be a meeting between himself and China's President Xi Jing Ping.

 Already the groundwork has been laid for the meeting between Xi Jin-Ping and Trump.

  

CNN: 26 October 2025 

Trump stated that, 

" ... his focus is on Beijing, not Pyongyang, during his Asia trip, effectively confirming that a last-minute meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unlikely despite months of speculation.
 
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump said that his primary focus was on China, adding, “We’ll, at some point in the not too distant future, meet with North Korea.” The remarks were interpreted by some as an indication that there won't be a last-minute summit with Kim. (Korea JoongAng Daily: 29 October 2025) (my emphasis)

For Putin, ANY meeting between Trump and Xi Jin-Ping spells disaster.

As Nidhi Verma (left) previously reported (6 August 2025),

"Indian refiners are poised to sharply curtail imports of Russian oil to comply with new U.S. sanctions on two top Russian producers, industry sources said on Thursday, potentially removing a major hurdle to a trade deal with the United States." (Reuters: 23 October 2025) (my emphasis) in the wake of,

"US President Donald Trump is hoping to change that. He has announced that sweeping new secondary tariffs will impact any country still trading with Russia if a ceasefire with Ukraine is not agreed by Friday, 8 August.

On Wednesday, India became the first country to be punished by the US over its purchase of Russian oil. (Jonathan Josephs (right): BBC News: 6 August 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as John Varga reported,

"State-owned oil companies in China have halted their purchases of seaborne Russian oil in a major blow for Vladimir Putin. The suspension follows the imposition of new US sanctions on Russia's leading oil companies - Rosneft and Lukoil." (Express: 23 October 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Joe Blogs: 25 )ctober 2025: YouTube 

Putin's worry about the possible meeting between Trump and Xi Jin-Ping is not so much about oil.

 Rather it is about China supplying Putin with critical supplies for his Russian armaments industry, and Trump threatening further tarrifs against Chinese goods unless these critical supplies to Putin's armaments industry cease.

Putin's currrent 'nightmare' is, 

"Will Xi Jin-Ping and Trump end critical Chinese supplies to Putin's armaments industry?"

UPDATE: 30 October 2025: GMT: 11:29  

As reported by Firstpost,

"US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have agreed to a joint commitment to “work together” on finding a solution to the war in Ukraine.
... 
Trump confirmed that the conflict was a significant point of discussion between the two leaders. “Ukraine came up very strongly. We talked about it for a long time, and we’re both going to work together to see if we can get something,” he stated. (Firstpost: 30 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by Max Matza,

"President Donald Trump has called on US military leaders to resume testing US nuclear weapons in order to keep pace with other countries such as Russia and China.
… 
The last time the US tested a nuclear bomb was 23 September 1992. The test took place at an underground facility in the western state of Nevada." (BBC News: 30 October 2025) (my emphasis)

This has rather 'blunted' Putin's chest-thumping about Russia's current 'nuclear-bomb-carrying missile' tests.

Added to which,

"President Donald Trump has suggested a possible oil and gas deal for Alaska with China following his meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday: "A very large scale transaction may take place concerning the purchase of oil and gas from the great state of Alaska." (Jasmine Laws and John Feng (right) :Newsweek: 30 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Putin's currrent 'nightmare' is fast becoming true.

 (to be continued)

Europe, the UK, and international allies now stand alone with Ukraine against Putin and Trump.

The three wise monkeys are a Japanese pictorial maxim, embodying the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

There are at least two divergent interpretations of the maxim: in Buddhist tradition, it is about avoiding evil thoughts and deeds.

In the West, however, it is often interpreted as dealing with impropriety by turning a blind eye. (Wikipedia) i.e. ignoring of undesirable information. (Wikipedia)

 

PBS NewsHour: 17 October 2025: YouTube

As I wrote in my blog entry (17 October 2025) after Trump's call with Putin,

"It is interesting to note that, as reported by S.V. Date,

"In the days following Putin’s invasion in 2022, Trump praised the Russian leader as a “genius” and “savvy” for having sent in troops to kill Ukrainians and seize their land.

In the months to follow, including following his return to office nine months ago, he blamed Zelenskyy for his country getting invaded and former President Joe Biden for letting it happen." (HuffPost on MSN: 18 October 2025).

Following his meeting with Ukraine's President Zelensky this past Friday (17 October 2025), Trump has underscored his "admiration" of Putin for having invaded Ukraine, "killing Ukrainians and seizing their land", by urging President Zelensky to simply "give in to Putin's demands"

As Christopher Miller, Max Seddon, Henry Foy, and Amy Mackinnon report, 

"Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms for ending its war in a volatile White House meeting on Friday, warning that Vladimir Putin had said he would “destroy” Ukraine if it did not agree. (Financial Times: 20 October 2025) (my emphasis)

 

(Left to right: Christopher Miller, Max Seddon, Henry Foy, and Amy Mackinnon)

They further added that,

"They added that the US president tossed aside maps of the front line in Ukraine, insisted Zelenskyy surrender the entire Donbas region to Putin, and repeatedly echoed talking points the Russian leader had made in their call a day earlier." (ibid Christopher Miller, Max Seddon, Henry Foy, and Amy Mackinnon) i.e. "Trump ignoring of undesirable information" (cf. Three Wise Monkeys above)

And Gavin Blackburn (right) also reports that,

"According to Zelenskyy, Trump said during their meeting that Putin's maximalist demands, that Ukraine cede the entirety of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, was unchanged.

…

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (right) spoke by phone on Monday to discuss next steps toward ending the war, following conversations last week between presidents Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin."

…

The Russian statement described Rubio-Lavrov call as "constructive" while the US statement said that Rubio had "emphasised the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war." (EuroNews: 20 October 2025) (my emphasis)

 

ABC News: 20 October 2025: YouTube 

Is it, therefore, any wonder that following the Friday meeting between Trump and Co. and Zelenbsky, Tim Ross, Nette Nöstlinger, Veronika Melkozerova and Emilio Casalicchio report that,

• "Ukraine’s allies are racing to reinforce Kyiv’s position ahead of talks between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid concern that the two leaders could stitch up a bad ceasefire deal that would weaken all of Europe.

• The renewed urgency among Kyiv’s allies comes after Trump once again flipped his position on the war, saying he’d be open to freezing the conflict along its current battle lines — less than a month after he suggested Ukraine could win back all its territory. His comments have revived concerns that he could force Zelenskyy to hand over territory to Russia.

• That outcome, European officials say, would be a disaster, not just for Ukraine but also for them.

• For Europeans, the big fear is that Trump will again side with Putin in determining what peace will look like and will pressure Zelenskyy to accept Russian terms — potentially ceding swaths of territory in the east of the country. They worry that Putin’s two-hour call with Trump left the U.S. president less willing to help Zelenskyy when they met in Washington last week (Politico: 21 October 2025) (my emphasis)

                                (Left to Right: Tim Ross, Nette Nöstlinger, Veronika Melkozerova, and  Emilio Casalicchio)

Putin is critically aware that these ongoing political developments are happening against a backdrop of :- 

• the Russian economy imploding faster and faster, 
• Putin's 'siloviki' more earnestly sharpening their knives, 
• Russians now experiencing long queues to obtain meagre supplies of petrol, 
• and rampant inflation causing an escalation of food prices in Russia.

Having painted himself into a tight corner in Russia itself, it is imperative for Putin that he presents the people of Russia with a victory in Ukraine to prevent himself from being toppled from power.

It is now Europe, the UK, and international allies that stand with Ukraine against Putin and Trump. 

UPDATE: 22 October 2025: GMT 12:29 

Paul Kirby and John Sudworth (left) report that,

"At least seven people have been killed including two children during intense Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, officials say.
… 
Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump said his plans for an imminent summit in Budapest with Russia's Vladimir Putin had been shelved as he did not want a "wasted meeting". (BBC News: 22 October 2025) (my emphasis) 

Paul Kirby and John Sudworth further report that, 

"However, Russian officials said on Wednesday that preparation for a Trump-Putin summit was continuing, disputing the US president's assessment that it had been put on hold.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a date had yet to be agreed upon and careful preparation was needed. " (ibid Paul Kirby and John Sudworth) (my emphasis)

Just as Trump, "... once again flipped his position on the war - less than a month after he suggested Ukraine could win back all its territory", he has now "flipped his position" on having a Budapest meeting with Putin, even though it is the Kremlin now denying that Trump has  'flippped'.

Furthermore, Nebraska Republican Congressman, Don Bacon (left), in a CBS interview, states that,

Interviewer: "We just learned a couple of minutes ago that the Trump-Putin meeting in Hungary  is now off. Is that a good thing or a bad thing"

Don Bacon: "Probably more good than bad. I don't see that the president has drawn a hard line with president Putin. He seems to have a 'blind spot' there."
                           …. 
                          I didn't see a whole lot of good coming out of this meeting in Budapest.
                          … 
                          I think its probably more good than bad.

Interviewer: Do you think the administration should change it's posture. It keeps toying with the idea of giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine but it sounds like the president tells Zelensky that it's not gonna happen.
Don Bacon: The president should be giving the best weapons that we can afford to give. …. I can't think of a better place to have them. Russia is invading Ukraine (CBS News on MSN: 22 October 2025)

 

CBS News on MSN: 22 October 2025

With Dmitry Peskov (right) proclaiming that the Trump-Putin meeting has simply been put on 'hold' seems to indicate that we can soon expect yet another Trump "flip".  

The Trump-Putin 'bromance' is far from over.      

 (to be continued)

Filled champange glasses are being raised in the Kremlin in honour of Trump.

The rapidity with which Trump is bailing out Putin simply beggars belief.

 As I wrote in my last blog entry,

"We don't know exactly what Trump and Putin are discussing, but their call comes just days after officials in Moscow raised concerns about the US potentially supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

When reporters asked Trump if he would provide Kyiv with Tomahawks on Sunday, he replied: "We'll see... I may." The missiles would be "a new step of aggression" in Ukraine's war with Russia, he added" (BBC News: 16 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Which, again, raises the question,

"Will Trump, once again, bail out Putin?"

It would seem that events are fast heading that way!    (blog entry: 16 October 2025)

  

 

Ani News: 17 October 2025: YouTube

And Sean Seddon (left), shortly after the "Trump-Putin" call yesterday, reported that,

"US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary." (BBC News: 16 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Seddon goes on to further report that,

• Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".

• Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that". (Ibid  Sean Seddon)

 

(Full Video): Moneycontrol: 17 October 2025: YouTube

The choice of Orban's Hungary as a venue for this proposed meeting between Trump and Putin simply speaks "volumes".

As Veronika Melkozerova (left) informed us in September 2025,

"“The commander in chief reported on recent drone incidents along the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. Ukrainian forces recorded violations of our airspace by reconnaissance drones, which are likely Hungarian,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement after a government meeting.

“Preliminary assessments suggest they may have been conducting reconnaissance on the industrial potential of Ukraine’s border areas. I instructed that all available information be verified and that urgent reports be made on each recorded incident," Zelenskyy added, providing no further details." (Politico: 26 September 2025) (my emphasis)

It is becoming more apparent that Trump, in his obsessive desire to have the "laurel wreath crown" of the Nobel Peace Price placed upon his head, is willing to sell Ukraine out to Putin.

Trump is also distancing the US, as a member of  NATO,  from supporting Ukraine and the security of the UK and Europe against the violent and manic delusions of Putin about re-creating the collapsed USSR.

What more could Putin ask for :-

• with the Russian economy imploding faster and faster, 
• with Putin's 'siloviki' more earnestly sharpening their knives, 
• with Russians now experiencing long queues to obtain meagre supplies of petrol, 
• and with rampant inflation causing an escalation of food prices in Russia.

Konstantin Samoilov (left) previously summed up the current state of Putin's economy as "Russia Running on Fumes".

In his recent discussion on YouTube, he warns against the insidious and growing trend by Putin to ramp up mobilization in  Russia.

As he says,

"Do you have a feeling that the situation in Russia has gone too far, and it simply cannot contine like this for much longer.

…

Something big is brewing in Russia right now. I'm expecting a life-changing event that will change the direction for entire Russia" (Inside Russia: 16 October 2025) (my emphasis)

With this backdrop in mind, the phone call between Trump and Putin yesterday takes on a new dimension, especially in light of,

"Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over". (ibid Sean Seddon)

Putin, however, seems to have other ideas; delusional ideas about his re-creating the old Soviet Union as his dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov (right), is so fond of reminding us about viz.

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the crisis in Ukraine was "created artificially for purely geopolitical reasons". (BBC News: 8 March 2014)

• The world should address the “root causes” that led to the “crisis” in Europe and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine …Russia and the West need mutual “guarantees and agreements,” the minister stated, adding that “new geostrategic realities on the Eurasian continent” should be taken into account as well. According to Lavrov, a new “pan continental architecture of truly equal and indivisible security” was being formed on the continent. (Nexus Newsfeed: July 16, 2024) (my emphasis)

• The Ukrainian conflict can be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations, provided that its root causes of the conflict are eliminated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. (Tasnim News Agency (Iranian Agency): 25 June 2025) (my emphasis)

Is it any wonder that filled champange glasses are being raised in the Kremlin in honour of Trump?  

UPDATE: 19 October 2025: GMT: 08:09  

On 24 Dec 2014, Neil Buckley (right) reported that,

"[Khodorkovsky ] is proposing himself as a “crisis manager” to bring real democracy to the country if President Vladimir Putin leaves office.

On his own potential role in Russia, the former owner of the Yukos oil company said he was “by mentality a crisis manager”.

“My personal interest is what I can do — and that’s [lead] a transitional government, which carries out political reform. And that means only one thing — rule of law.” (FT : 19 December 2014) (my emphasis)

Fast forward to today and, as reported by Sky News,

"Mikhail Khodorkovsky (left) thinks a deal could be struck between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump over Ukraine, but it might involve ceding the Donbas region to Russia." (Sky News: 19 October 2025) (my emphasis)

 

Sky News: 19 October 2025 

It is interesting to note that, as reported by S.V. Date,

"In the days following Putin’s invasion in 2022, Trump praised the Russian leader as a “genius” and “savvy” for having sent in troops to kill Ukrainians and seize their land.

In the months to follow, including following his return to office nine months ago, he blamed Zelenskyy for his country getting invaded and former President Joe Biden for letting it happen." (HuffPost on MSN: 18 October 2025).

Underscoring Khordokovsky that a 'peace' deal between Putin and Zelensky might involve ceding the Donbas region to Russia,

Sam Kiley (left) and Arpan Rai (right) report that,

"Vladmir Putin demanded that Ukraine surrender key territory in a call with US president Donald Trump earlier this week, according to reports.

The Russian president wants Kyiv to give up Donetsk, a key military objective in eastern Ukraine that has been fiercely defended throughout the conflict, as reported by WaPo." (The Independent on MSN: 19 October 2025) (my emphasis)

Furthermore,

"Putin made the request to Trump on Thursday, just a day before Volodymyr Zelensky flew into Washington DC on Friday for a high-stakes meeting with the US president." (ibid Sam Kiley and Arpan Rai)

In the proposed meeting btween Trump and Putin in Hungary (cf: Paul Kirby) , it would now seem that Trump will be reverting to his former position of ceding Ukraine territory to Putin.

As Gideon Rachman (left) earlier reported,

"Donald Trump’s loose talk of “land swaps” has also [already]  set off alarm bells in Ukraine and across Europe. The fear is that a vain and vague Trump will be easily manipulated by Putin — a steely, detail-oriented dictator." (The Financial Times: 11 August 2025) (my emphasis)

Forget 'Tomahawks'.

Like Trump, even Khordokovsky is now willing to give Putin the land that he has stolen from Ukraine, and 'illegally' occupies.               

 (to be continued)