Soviet: Gorby style and more

 Gorbachev died Tuesday Aug 30, 2022 and while many have hailed him for working with the West, he used force to prevent Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from seceding after they declared independence in 1990 from Moscow's rule.

Putin's response to Gorby's death was obligatory.

Previous blog :  https://vaporvents.blogspot.com/2013/12/mother-russia-its-pussy-riot.html

Sept 8, 2022

How I feel today about Russia/Ukraine war: The Ukrainian word shkematolog means someone whose idea of business is just constant scheming.

Sept 24, 2022

Russia recruits soldiers from Uzbekistan, an ex-Soviet nation with many young kids fluent in Russian. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's state prosecutors warned citizens they can face prosecution for joining foreign armies, and Uzbek diplomats are working on a security deal with Iran. Are you confused yet? I am.

Oct 16, 2022

So why bother guessing about Putin's reasons for starting a war with Ukraine but he!! why not. Of course,, a lot has changed since 1654. Some elements of this old theory derived from, The Ukrainians, Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson, still resonate.

 Before 1654 Muscovy, which was centered in Moscow could only expand to the north and the east.   Ukraine opened the way for Russia’s drive to the south, and to the west because domination over Ukraine gave the Russian direct contact with Central Europe. Without such control, Russia is only a distant threat and Central Europe will be freer to determine its own affairs.

Nov 10, 2022

Interesting twists and tangled webs: On April 12, the Royal Court of Jersey imposed a formal freezing order on $7 billion worth of assets linked to Abramovich, and had the police carry out searches of premises suspected of being connected to him.

 The companies searched won a consent order dated Nov. 9 that the search warrants were obtained unlawfully. Abramovich has been involved in attempts to find a negotiated settlement to the war. 

Dec 4, 2022

Edward Snowden received a Russian passport December 2 and can no longer be extradited, and his wife is applying for a Russian passport.

Feb 4, 2023

Tossing a what if into the Ukraine mess. If Kiev had not been sacked by the Mongols in 1240, it might have developed into a powerful rival to the fledgling state of Moscow.

Feb 8, 2023

Russia asked Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters to speak to the U.N. Security Council today at a meeting requested by Moscow to discuss the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. Just another brick in the wall?

Feb 28, 2023

A morning chuckle: Putin bestows friendship award on actor Steven Seagal. In 2018 Seagal was a Russian Foreign Ministry humanitarian envoy to the United States and Japan.

April 2, 2023

Morning chuckle: Kremlin says all accredited foreign journalists could continue to work in Russia. Never mind Gershkovich's arrest.

June 27, 2023

Reading about Wagner group insurrection against Putin got me thinking about Cossacks which led me to reading about Wild Fields, the Pontic steppe in the territory of present-day Eastern and Southern Ukraine and Western Russia, north of the Black Sea and Azov Sea, which was wild because the Tatars raided the area constantly between 1450 and 1650.

Aug 20, 2023

Russia's first moon mission since 1976 failed after its Luna-25 space craft collided with the surface of the moon. Next up: India tries this week.

Sept 28, 2023

Ukraine saved European civilization from eastern nomads, Russian expansion, etc. Is this the case today?

Oct 13, 2023

Finland plans to use electronic notification of unpaid bills to speed the confiscation of Russian-owned real estate. Official Russian channels for debt notification have been dysfunctional.

Oct 19, 2023

  Putin orders armed MiG-31 aircraft to fly above the Black Sea in a neutral zone and claims, "this is not a threat." And that "we will carry out visual control, control with the help of weapons." 😅

Nov 3, 2023

 Ukrainian Piedmont dream- Third Reich used it as a tool in the late 1930s.

It became an instrument for using Ukrainian national political forces in its strategic plans, which included taking over the area.

Nov 4, 2023

 Sofia Church of St. Nicholas, AKA the Russian Church update: Bulgaria prosecutor's office conducted an investigation that uncovered that the Bulgarian state is the rightful owner of the church, despite a notarial deed issued in favor of Russia in 1997.  Here's where it gets interesting. The deed was created at the request of the Russian ambassador, dating back to a serf deed from November 7, 1898. The prosecutor's office found no evidence supporting the transfer of rights between different state entities within the Russian Empire.

The property investigation stemmed from the expulsion of Russian priests from Bulgaria in September, based on allegations of activities against the interests of the country.

Nov 29, 2023

Poland approved a Finnish request for troops to be deployed close to its border with Russia.

Finland has moved to close its border with Russia since 900 asylum seekers from nations including Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen have entered Finland via Russia this month.

Dec 30, 2023

Vladimir Egorov, another Russian politician, falls from a window, and COD is heart problems.

Russia goes through Poland air spaces to drone drop in the Ukraine. Same old sh^t.

Jan 11, 2024

 Views of Ukraine area in 1914:  St Petersburg-‘Trans-carpathia’, beyond the Carpathians.

 Budapest or the local Rusyn movement: Pidkarpatska Rus ‘Sub-Carpathia’, below and to the west of the of the mountain ridges that marked the border with Galicia.

 To Hungarian nationalists: Felvidek (the uplands).

Feb 18, 2024

Putin prefers engaging with Biden over Trump, claiming Biden is predictable and old-school. More smoke screen from the bare chest.

March 13, 2024

Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian TV host, questioned the Pope's intervention in the affairs of two Orthodox countries.  History lesson?

March 23, 2024

USA admits its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan such as ISIS-K, who bombed the theater in Moscow yesterday, has been reduced since the withdrawal of American troops from the country in 2021. 

ISIS-K were responsible for an attack on Kabul's international airport in 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and many civilians during the chaotic American evacuation from the country.

Earlier this year, USA intercepted communications confirming the group carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people.

In September 2022, ISIS-K militants claimed its member completed a deadly suicide bombing at the Russian embassy in Kabul.

Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) is named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, 

It emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and ISIS-K sees Russia as being complicit in various activities that oppress Muslims.

April 14, 2024

Estonia's Interior Minister, Lauri Läänemets, plans to propose placing the terrorist label on the Moscow Patriarchate due to its strong ties with Putin. If approved by parliament, it will ban the Russian Orthodox Church from operating in Estonia. 

Läänemets claims a ban would not impact Orthodox practitioners in Estonia, since churches would be allowed to continue their operations.  Quite a tightrope!

July 17, 2024

Finland's  border guards are now allowed to turn back alleged asylum seekers  from Syria,Somalia , etc, trying to cross over the border from Russia.

Many  Fins view it as Russia's retaliation for Finland joining NATO.

July 20, 2024

Tariff wars:  Russia increased imports tariffs for  wine, beer, candies, biscuits and shampoo, produced in countries that support sanctions against Moscow, 

Hard hit: perfume, cosmetics and shampoo from Poland,- 35% of the customs value. wallpapers from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will rise to 50%.

July 26, 2024

parallel imports, Yandex.Market, : Russian businesses dance around Western sanctions

They have established a network of alternative supply chains to import restricted goods through third countries.

Aug 12, 2024

 UAE and Turkey, which did  not impose restrictions on trade with Russia, have been helpful conduits  in moving billions in dollar and euro notes to Russia.

Sept 3, 2024

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: Harris is more predictable than Trump, neither will improve Russian relations with Washington. Oh well!

Oct 11, 2024

Putin provides a morning chuckle. He told a conference in Turkmenistan, "that a new world order was needed where wealth was more fairly redistributed and the opinions of each nation taken into account."

Oct 24, 2024

Wondering why Germany signed the 2x4 treaty in 1990, which Russia claims states no NATO nor foreign troops, nor any NATO military base, can be placed on the former East German territory. # Rostock

Mother Russia, it's a Pussy Riot

An early NYE toast to Alyokhina, 25, and Tolokonnikova, 24,
the two gals  from the band Pussy Riot who upon their release from prison immediately spit venom back at Putin, the grand warden of Russia.

Officially branded hooligans for daring to criticize Putin and trying to perform in a Russian Orthodox Church, they may not always have a consistent message but they got guts.

Rebels cuz they gotta be

link

12/31/13

I disagree with this move

"We're not going to give shows," Alyokhina said. "We're just not interested."      Giving press conferences ain't enough.

1/1/14

Will Putin try to link the girls with the Chechen terrorists?

1/18/14

Putin says gays are welcome at the Socho Olympics but don't get too close to kids. Will the PR gals  have something to stay?

1/24/14

PR is coming to Barclays in Brooklyn for an Amnesty Intl benefit. Wonder if they try to stay?

2/4/14

Putin may have forgotten the girls with Ukraine erupting and the Socho Olympics starting

2/6/14

Putin's plate is full with Sochi debacle & Ukraine protests. Maybe he should put his shirt back on?

2/18/14

Putin's punks detained the PR  girls for  awhile in Sochi yesterday

2/20/14

Putin punks whipping the PR girls in Sochi

2/22/14

Yanu fled Kiev yesterday. Maybe the PR girls should cover "Little runaway"  as a tribute? 

2/24/14

Now Yanu  may be arrested and was apparently detained at the border. Crazy few week in the Ukraine

2/25/14

Most of the world saw the PR girls hassled by the cops. Granted, the girls go out of their way for attention, but this comment from the Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak  is laughable. 

"They had been searching for it for some time and finally they had this conflict with local inhabitants."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26303859

3/3/14

Yanu isn't well liked by Putin- I wonder how long he survives.

3/15/14

Ok PR girls can you stop  Putin's takeover of Crimea cuz the the USA & Europe can't.

4/16/14

Did the PR girls stay in Brooklyn while Putin remains on the warpath?

5/7/14

The two PR girls  tells members of Congress that Putin resumed abusing prisoners, including using mandatory psychiatric treatment for some

5/19/14

Putin tells his troops to pull back from the eastern Ukraine border for the third time but still no decisive movement. I wonder if he forgeot to run this through channels or he's lying to the world.

5/27/14

Porshenko, an experienced politician,currently unaffiliated to any of the country's political parties, sounds level headed. Can he lead Ukraine out of it's mess.

5/29/14

Hey Putin maybe Snowden can  help the Ukraine?

7/11/14

Russian Parliament gets its own social network. Amusing quote at the article's end  MP 

"That's right, the ruling elite needs to be separated from the impoverished people on the web, too," said Sandy Moustache, a political satire account.

7/13/14

Putin forgave Cuba's debt then signed a series of agreements on nuclear energy in Argentina. And Russia will host the 2018 World Cup

7/3014

Edward Snowden's  term end in Russia on July 31. Will they renew. Linked a German perspective
German view

8/7/14

Russia extends Snowden' s stay for three years.

8/22/14

Iraq, Syria, Ferguson, MO - meanwhile the Putin /Ukraine mess is re-heating

9/3/14

Too bad Snowden can't/won't tell the truth about Putin

9/16/14

Is he a whore?

(Reuters) - Former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden could be granted safe passage in Switzerland if he helped a potential criminal inquiry into U.S. spying there, the Swiss public prosecutor's office said on Monday.

9/17/14

Syria's longtime protector Russia hasn't said much about ISIS. Are they AWOL?  or letting us do all the work again?

10/21/14

I haven't let the Cold War grow. Is a Russian sub stirring the waters off the coast of Sweden? Putin plays ?

11/14/14

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina  landed in London to continue the fight against the Putin propaganda machine. Also, they are  suing Russia in ECHR- good luck collecting

12/11/14

Russia is stepping up interest rates  and  military activity in the Baltic

12/27/14

from BBC:

In a separate development, the world's two largest credit and debit card companies, Visa and Mastercard, said on Friday they could no longer support bank cards being used in Crimea, following fresh US sanctions imposed this month.

1/15/15 

West looks to bulgaria in on-going battle with russia. link

2/2/15

Meanwhile Putin will visit Hungary a day after Merkel. quite an interesting game Hungary plays. link
has this great quote:

Endre Ady, one of Hungary's best modern poets, depicted his motherland in 1905 as a "ferry-country", constantly travelling from East to West, "though preferring the return journey"

2/17/15

These Hungarian protestors  are smart but will their leaders listen. link

 "Putin Nyet (No), Europe Yes".

2/28/15

Putin taking personal control of the investigation so it will go nowhere or frame an innocent person. link

 A leading Russian opposition politician, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say.

3/16/15

Where is Putin? He hasn't been seen in public in a month.

4/10/15

How much is Putin helping Iran? just saying

4/16/15

UK jets intercepted more than 100 Russian aircraft last year, according to the British Defence Ministry.

8/2/15

Did the Cold War end? Russians keep probing NATO airspace.  link

British planes were scrambled after Nato radar picked up incoming Russian fighter jets over the Baltic.

9/3/15

Snowden is traveling virtually.   snowden

Edward Snowden to make virtual return to Hong Kong for top-secret investor conference speech

9/28/15

Putin's 'nice guy" tour begins. He!! he's doing whatever he wants so why not?

10/1/15

Too bad Snowden can't leak any Russian documents today.

1/2/16

 Getting a taste of how brutal parts of the former USSR  are reading Callaghan's A Killing Winter  about fictional inspector Borubaev in Kyrgyzstan.

1/15/16

Haven't heard much from Snowden - how's Russia working for you now?

1/27/16

Russia steps into the Colgne, Germany rape   nightmare after a 13 year-old Russian immigrant girl was allegedly raped by  Mideast immigrants. Putin is everywhere. link

2/23/16

U.S. stationing tanks and artillery in classified Norwegian caves. Are we waking up? Russia shares a 121.6-mile long border with Norway.

3/9/16

Russia looks out for journalists when  it suits them.  Nadia Savchenko denies directing artillery fire at the Russian journalists in June 2014. nadia

3/11/16

Putin's friends  and associates: lesin

 Mikhail Lesin was found dead in a room at the Dupont Circle hotel in Washington DC last 

November

3/15/16

 Russian forces have started leaving Syria after Monday's surprise withdrawal announcement by President Vladimir Putin. Not sure what's up Putin's sleeve?

5/16/16

Call me stunned : Obama is waking up??? 

The US on Thursday activated the estimated $800m missile shield in Deveselu, southern Romania.Nato says the base is aimed at potential threats from the Middle East.

8/15/16

Stalin & Lenin are grinning in their graves at Putin's latest internal move. This is how he fired one of "closest" allies. “I respect your desire to move to another line of work,” Mr. Putin said. The president appointed Mr. #Ivanov a special representative for transport and environmental issues.

10/12/16

Go #borisjohnson who'd  "like to see" a protest of #russia  for its bombings of the Syrian city of Aleppo,

10/30/16

While #Hillary blames her cyber woes on Putin, Russia's neighbors are preparing for  invasion. Last year #Lithuania announced it would re-introduce conscription for men aged 19-26. and has recently updated its civil defense booklet.

12/8/16

Ok  #pussyriot, who has released  some videos filled with dread about a Trump Presidency. Trump will not be allowed to rule like Putin and unleash stormtroopers at will. 

12/14/16

This is going to get uglier. Russia will likely appeal. Dutch court

"An Amsterdam court has ruled that ancient treasures on loan to a Dutch museum should be handed to Ukraine and not the Crimea museums they came from.......As Crimea was not a sovereign state, the court ruled that it was for Ukraine to decide where the collection should go."

3/29/17

I'm not  buying #schumer 's version of Putin's focus on the USA November 2016 election, but it appears that his focus on the Ukraine and  Syria may be affecting him at home. Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets on Sunday March 27 to protest against government corruption  Don't know if #pussyriot made an appearance.

4/4/17

Sardonic warning: It took a terrorist attack in St Petersburg, Russia  to give Soros'  well paid crew proof that Trump and Putin are working together. White House statement: "Both President #Trump and President #Putin agreed that terrorism must be decisively and quickly defeated," 

5/4/17

Does Turkey, or should I say Ergodan, get along with anybody? Will they kiss and makeup with Russia? #ergodan and #putin are meeting in  #Sochi to discuss Turkish tariffs on Russian products and Russia's protection of #assad in Syria. 

5/6/17

Russia's telecoms watchdog has blocked China's WeChat- wonder what has #putin put out

5/22/17

#Montenegro is joining  #Nato and #Russia is snarling in the same manner it did with #Ukraine a few years a go. From the Russian Foreign Ministry:

 "We reserve the right to take steps aimed at defending our interests and national security."

6/1/17

#Putin thinks that elements of a U.S. anti-missile system being built in Alaska and South Korea are a challenge to Russia? Is the alleged #trump #putin Bromance over?

7/28/17

I can only laugh at a Newsweek report that Russia’s security services are accusing#Ukrainian spies of trying to recruit Crimeans to ruin the tourist season in #Crimea.

9/12/17

Flashing a mirror at #russia and sadly LOL at this: Russia urges U.S. to start finding way to resolve problems......

11/8/17

#catalonia: Does #Russia, everyone's boogeyman, have a point on the #eu who have ignored Madrid's violent actions against voters who took part in the independence referendum but weren't as quiet about Yanukovych's  crackdown in the #Ukraine on the pro-European protests of 2013 and 2014.

12/14/17

#putin thinks the #usa is too tough on #northkorea- then you should work with China and shut down the fatboy.  He blames the USA for the Olympics ban- maybe you should get your jocks to take less dope. 

1/5/18

 In non -dossier news: #Ukraine agreed to release 306 prisoners in exchange for 74 being held by pro-Russian separatists.

2/23/18: Russain blow in Argentina:  860 pounds of cocaine seized at #Russian Embassy in #BuenosAires Argentina

2/28/18  

Upcoming tour promotion or  did #fsb detainn the members of #pussyriot again. Time for a dossier.  #crimea .

3/8/18

Obviously, #Vlodin , Putin's pal and the speaker of the Russian State Duma, didn't care about PR on INtl Women's Day when he told female journalists who report from the legislature to change their jobs if they face sexual harassment from lawmakers.

4/24/18

A #putin like move backfired in #armenia. #Sargsyan 's party made him Prime Minister after his presidential terms ended. Then he had #Pashinian, his opponent, briefly arrested after a televised meeting. Yesterday  Sargsyan quit, but many Armenians are not sure he won't try to keep power behind the scenes.

5/5/18

Catchy slogan "He is not our tsar," by the Russians who have taken to the streets to decry a fourth term by President Putin, but Putin's punks will pummel these folks.

6/21/18

#burgerking apologized for it promise on #Russian social media of a lifetime supply of whoppers to women who get “the best football genes” by getting pregnant from a World Cup player and “ensure the success of the Russian team for generations to come”.  On so many levels, all I can say is wow and chuckle.

7/31/18

The Jailhouse Rockers: Four members of the Russian activist group #PussyRiot ,who disrupted the #WorldCup Final by running onto the pitch dressed as police officers,  were detained again, just as they walked free from prison after serving a 15-day sentence.

8/6/18

Perhaps, I should take this seriously but a chuckle is all I can offer.  #Russia appoints actor #StevenSeagal to deepen ties with the USA.

9/16/18

Let's see how Trudy handles this one : Russian-Canadien activist and #pussyriot producer #PyotrVerzilov has been transferred to a Berlin hospital after becoming ill from a possible poisoning in Moscow.

10/7/18

#Netanyhu chatted on  the phone with  #putin about Israeli air operations over Syria and they may meet. Moscow is ticked because they think Israel in indirectly responsible for shooting down one of their spy planes.

11/14/18

Finland and Norway are claiming Russia may have jammed GPS signal in the Arctic. Despite the Kremin's denial, Sweden and Finland , non- #NATO members, have been cooperating more closely with NATO and their troops  on the Trident Juncture,  a NATO-led military exercise being held in #Norway . 

11/21/18

Maybe this is the real Russian collusion? #Prokopchuk , a senior Russian interior ministry official,  is the likely new President of #interpol. The "red notices" or warrants may increase against #putin 's enemies list.

11/23/18

South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang has been elected in a bit of an upset as Interpol’s president ahead of #Prokopchuk  ,the controversial Russian candidate. 
12/11/18: #Ukraine will not renew Russian friendship treaty in 2019 amid tensions. End it now!

3/3/19: 

 #EKRE party doesn't play well with others since it  opposes civil partnerships for same-sex couples in #Estonia, calls LGBT Pride celebrations a "parade of perverts," and demands major immigration restrictions. It is set to make major gains(from 8.1% to 17%) in the on-going elections, but I'm a leery of its coziness with Russia, and that it hasn't offered  an answer for  the brain drain, the exit of highly skilled workers. 

3/5/19

 The center-right opposition Reform Party won Sunday's election in Estonia displacing  the center-left Center Party, .  #EKRE finished third with 17.8 percent support, nearly doubling its share of the vote, but may not be invited to share power.

3/23/19

What I learned in a  brief conversation  yesterday with a lady from Siberia: Parts of Siberia have a short summer and a mosquito problem. Also, most of those Stalin era prisons in the less inhabitable sections of Siberia have sunk into the earth.

3/29/19

 Saudi Arabia is having a hard time convincing Russia to stay longer than June in an OPEC-led pact cutting oil supply.

4/26/19

 #Poland turned off the taps of Russian crude along the Druzhba oil pipeline through Belarus at its Adamovo hub due to contamination. Maybe #putin needs to spend a little less time with the fatboy from North Korea?

5/16/19

 #Putin warned the USA that Russia was not 'a fire brigade' and could not 'rescue everything' as tension rise between the US and Iran. Sure Vlad, we believe you- sad LOL 

6/1/19

  #Tatprof, a Russian  aluminum producer,is offering bonuses to its female staff for putting on makeup and wearing a dress or skirt to work. Will Trump bring this ides to the USA- just kidding?

7/5/19

  Russian President #Putin meets #PopeFrancis for a third time. I'm going start suspecting collusion if the Russian Orthodox Church extends an invitation for the Pope to visit Russia..

9/7/19

 Call it collusion, blame it on #trump, or accept that it's market driven. #NHL signs multiyear deal with #Yandex to stream all games in Russia.

9/19/19

 In 1689 Peter the Great created a beard tax that allowed Russian men to grow their beard when they please, only with a payment. 

9/26/19

 Same old song and dance: The World Anti-Doping Agency has given #russia three weeks to explain "inconsistencies" in a lab database or risk being excluded from the Olympics and world championships.

12/8/19

 Lotsa luck to Germany in its effort to get help from Putin on  this investigation of an August 23,2019 murder..
Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old veteran of the second Chechen War against Russia, and a possible associate of Georgian Intelligence, was shot at point-blank range by a cyclist in the Berlin neighborhood of #Moabit.

1/15/20

 Putin wants to give parliament power to choose Russia's PM. What's his angle  this time?

2/13/20

#ViktorSviridov ,  former Russian prison service official,  killed himself in court with a gun after he was sentenced to three years in jail for extortion. And stating the obvious about lax court security.

4/28/20

 I found this old joke while reading a story on Russia  setting  a limit of no more than 10 military medals can be worn on parade uniforms. "What would happen if Brezhnev were eaten by a crocodile? The crocodile would be sh—ing medals for two weeks!"

May 6, 2020

You knew it was coming.  Assad has been moving against  his one time ally Makhlouf's, assets to pay  Russia the $3 billion it has spent  pushing back rebels in Syria. Putin-friendly media has been criticizing Assad as weak, unpopular and unable to tackle corruption has added to the pressure.

June 17, 2020

Since removing statues is all the rage, Russia and Czechoslovakia are in a tit for tat game of expelling diplomats that can be traced back to the removal in March, 2020 of a statue of Russian General Konev ,who helped to liberate Czech Republic from the Nazis in 1945, but also led the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The statue was put in storage and may later be placed in a museum. Maybe the Czechs should give the statue back to Russia, its ruler from 1948-1990.

Aug 29, 2020

I'm laughing at “Putin, have some tea,” , the Russian protesters latest chant, a reference to Alexei Navalny who has been ill since drinking a cup of tea at an airport cafe.

Feb 26, 2021

Since trains and wagons have been forbidden to enter or leave North Korea and most international passenger flights are prohibited,  a group of Russian diplomats and their families  entered Russia on a hand-pushed rail trolley today.

April 13, 2021

Russia tells NATO to not accept Ukraine as a member, and tells the USA to keeps its naval ships out of the Black Sea around Crimea. No response from Biden????

July 6, 2021

Latest from Russia: Putin's gangsters support the Myanmar Junta, passed a law requiring  champagne imports to have "sparkling wine " written on every bottle, and continue to irk LBGT daily.

Sept 14, 2021

 Putin attended war game exercises with Belarus, that included the use in a combat environment of two new robotic fighting vehicles that are equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers, at a training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region

Hey Sleepy Joe Biden , how about our friends in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia?

March 6, 2022

Thinking of this line from John Cale's song "Russian Roulette":

The Russian bear is hungry

March 10, 2022

Ok, I'm not an expert on Russia, but wonder if there's some power- hungry boys who can and will assassinate Putin. Internal pressure is bubbling in Russia.

June 28, 2022

Don't forget the weather: The one official crossing between Georgia and Russia on the mountainous  559-mile border between the two countries is closed due to heavy rains. It will re-open after the weather improves and the road has been repaired.

June 30, 2022

I'm learning a great deal about areas near the North Pole since Putin chose to go to war with Europe. I'm wondering if Santa Claus will be allowed to dispense gifts.

Svalbard, midway between Norway's north coast and the North Pole, is part of Norway, but Russia has the right to exploit the archipelago's natural resources under a treaty signed in 1920. However, most of the freight from Russian settlements passes first through a checkpoint into mainland Norway, which is closed to EU sanctioned goods.

Aug 6, 2022

No surprise Pussy Riot trio rockin ‘Free Brittney Griner’ shirt 

July 24, 2024

Read a new "word": Tolokonnikova, the founder of Pussy Riot who fled Russia, lives "geo-anonymously" for safety reasons.