Why the summit in Budapest was not to be: Trump's worrying mental state

Interview of Ukrainian political scientist Vitaly Portnikov to Roman Pryadun in the Obozrevatel, 22.10.2025 (at that time, the Trump - Putin meeting in Budapest was not yet canceled):

"Several reasons why the Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest won't happen and why the US president made it all up. And why it doesn't change anything. An interview with Portnikov

- Regarding Budapest, Trump said the meeting was scheduled to take place in two or three weeks. But the news regarding its preparations is quite different. Lavrov and Rubio failed to agree on negotiations, which was predictable, given that Kremlin representatives unanimously declared "fulfilling the goals of the so-called 'CBO,'" not a ceasefire. But then why are these talks even taking place?

I think the very idea of ​​the Budapest summit was based on Trump's belief that he could negotiate an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war with Putin. Perhaps Trump did indeed speak with Putin about certain territorial concessions on Ukraine's part. Or perhaps, after meeting with Zelenskyy, he realized that Ukrainian troops will not retreat from the positions they hold in Donbas. Therefore, a ceasefire can only take place along the actual demarcation line. We don't know for sure. But the fact is that Russia is not abandoning the positions it has effectively held since 2022. That means first, "resolving the causes of the conflict" and a "peace agreement," and only then will the fighting cease. But Trump insists on the opposite: first a ceasefire, then negotiations. And he cannot afford another foreign policy fiasco like the one we saw in Anchorage. In fact, that is the essence of the current events.  

- Then why all this talk about Budapest? Trump comes out and declares: there's going to be a summit with Putin, get ready, everyone.

It doesn't matter what Trump says. I keep reminding people of this. In fact, the very practice of commenting on his words is already part of the political trap they want to lead us into. Trump already promised a bilateral summit between Putin and Zelenskyy after Anchorage. Then a trilateral one: Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy. None of that happened. As it turns out, he didn't even agree with anyone on anything. He said that India had halved its imports of Russian oil – that also didn't happen. In other words, Trump is making a multitude of statements that have nothing to do with reality.  

- However, these statements are damaging. They undermine the unity and pressure that Europe and Ukraine had been building, because the US is receiving a distorted message: that Trump has "understood" everything about Putin and Russia and is ready to apply pressure.

In fact, Trump couldn't care less what's happening in Ukraine, on the front lines. Yes, he knows that people are dying on both sides. And in this sense, for him, both Russians and Ukrainians are simultaneously victims of war. He wants to stop this killing, as he himself has said repeatedly. That's his position. And only then will he figure out who's right. It's exactly the same logic as in the Middle East.  

- Why, if the tactic of reaching an agreement with Putin doesn't work, is there no real pressure? 

Trump believes that pressure should be verbal, not practical. And, by the way, this could also be his calculation: if he starts acting tough and it doesn't produce results, he'll simply look weak. Because we must understand: even Tomahawks might not change the situation on the battlefield... 

This whole Trump "carousel"—up and down, now for Russia, now for Ukraine—is just a tactic. He wants to force Russia to agree to a ceasefire. And then force Ukraine to accept Russia's terms. That's the whole strategy. Nothing complicated. It's just that Russia hasn't agreed to a ceasefire yet. And Trump doesn't know what to do next.

- Why does Putin need Budapest? He says Russia has the upper hand on the front lines, is pressuring from all sides, is doing well economically, and so on.

Putin needs to keep Trump on balance to avoid new sanctions and additional weapons for Ukraine. This allows him to comfortably wage war for years to come, forcing Ukraine to capitulate and disappear from the world political map. If this requires flattering Trump, calling him, promising a new meeting, Putin will do it. 

 It could all fall apart now, but in a month or two, another call will come, and another meeting will be attempted. And so on—this card can be played until 2029.   

- If there are no concrete agreements, then there will be no Budapest?

Exactly. They won't meet because it would be a fiasco for Trump. What would he do if he walked out of the meeting without any results? It's a plus for Putin, but not a plus at all for Trump...

- It all looks like Trump is simply biding his time and is happy with the status quo – the way things are currently going.   

I don't rule that out either. 

- And Russia's scenario is: "Give us Donbass" – so that Ukraine refuses and Putin can say: look, they don’t want to give in? 

Of course. Firstly, Ukraine won't want such concessions; secondly, if it agrees, it will lead to internal destabilization, which will facilitate its dismantling as a state. The idea is simple: the population will tire of the confrontation, and then it will be possible to "reorganize" Ukraine's statehood. 

- European leaders are preparing to go to Trump again to convince him. Is he really a man convinced by the last conversation? This is already starting to look ridiculous. 

It's ridiculous, yes. But there's no other US president yet. And it's not just that he's the ultimate authority. The problem is that he's undergone some serious changes in recent years. Something's happened to his mental health. Look, I thought: if Trump talks about Budapest, it means Putin already understands that to restrain Trump from real action, he needs to make concessions. Now it's clear that's not the case. So, we can assume that Trump is either simply making something up (like in Alaska) or telling his own dreams. And the rest of the world is forced to live in his fictional reality—and no one can stop him. 

I don't rule out the worst-case scenarios—anything from behavioral changes to the onset of dementia. At the same time, no one in his inner circle can say outright, "Mr. President, your condition prevents you from working effectively." They're assenting because it's their career interests. And some of them may be counting on "waiting for his end."

- For his death? 

Something like that."

Russia kills whole Ukrainian families in one fell swoop

A drone attack on Oct. 22, 2025 in the village of Pogreby, Kyiv region, killed three members of the same family: Antonina Zaychenko (38), her only daughter Adelina Negoda (6 months), and her niece Anastasia Negoda (12). The victims and the resulting carnage are shown in the collage below. Source: Obozrevatel.

Russian military officials stated: "In response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike tonight using long-range, land- and air-based precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles, as well as strike drones, against energy infrastructure facilities supporting Ukraine's military-industrial complex... "The strike's objectives were achieved, all designated targets were hit."

The woman and the two children on the above photos were killed by a drone that flew directly into their home (the children's grandmother and grandfather survived because they were in another room). Ukrainian women and children are Russia's "designated targets".

Russia replaces the population of occupied Ukrainian territories

Translating from Faktor, Oct 20, 2025:

"Ghosts of the Empire: Putin Creates ‘New Siberia’ in Ukraine, Repeating Tactics of Tsars and the USSR

Maya Buyuklieva  

Moscow has launched a massive migration program that aims to permanently change the demographic makeup of the occupied Ukrainian territories. Under the guise of "returning local residents," the Kremlin is actually implementing a tried-and-tested imperial tactic - wiping out the local population and replacing it with loyal Russian citizens. This sinister plan, dubbed "New Siberia" by analysts, is not a new idea, but an echo of the darkest pages of Russian and Soviet history, writes United24media.com.

The New Siberia Plan: Baits for Settlers, Punishments for Locals 

According to the Center for National Resistance of Ukraine (CNR), Moscow's renewed migration policy envisages "creating conditions for the return of residents of Donbas, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions." However, the reality is radically different. Instead of facilitating the return of millions of Ukrainian refugees, Russia is organizing the resettlement of Russian citizens from distant regions such as Yakutia and Buryatia.  

This process effectively legalizes population replacement. New settlers receive generous incentives, such as free housing, financial assistance, and privileged access to jobs, especially in the local administration, police, and public institutions. 

At the same time, Ukrainians remaining in the occupied territories are under enormous pressure. Those who renounce Russian citizenship are now classified as "foreigners" in their own homeland. This deprives them of pensions, healthcare, and legal rights, and limits their stay to 90 days per year, a sure path to deportation. 

History Repeats itself: The Ghosts of the Russian Empire and the USSR 

What is happening today is a frightening repetition of methods used for centuries to consolidate imperial control. 

The policy of Tsarist Russia: As early as the 19th century, the Russian Empire purposefully settled Russian peasants in newly conquered territories such as the Caucasus, Central Asia, and even Ukraine itself. The goal was always the same – to reduce the percentage of the local population, suppress resistance, and impose Russian culture and language. 

Soviet tactics: The USSR took this practice to new heights. Stalin deported entire peoples—Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Ingush—and resettled Russians in their place. During industrialization, millions of Russians were sent to non-Russian republics to work in the new factories, forever changing the demographics of regions like Donbas, Latvia, and Kazakhstan. 

Today's "New Siberia" program is a direct successor to this imperial tradition, aiming for "Russification" through demographic, not just military, means. 

The Goal: Identity Erasure and Eternal Control 

The Kremlin’s ultimate goal is clear. By creating a new administration and society loyal to Moscow, Russia seeks to fully integrate the occupied territories and make any future attempt at de-occupation extremely difficult. 

 This is not just a war for territory, but demographic engineering aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity from these lands. By replacing the local population, Moscow is trying to secure lasting control that is not dependent solely on military presence, but is cemented in the very social fabric of the region. This is an attempt to annex not only the map, but also the hearts and minds of the people who will live there."

***

Actually, Russia has applied demographic engineering in Ukraine before, back in Soviet times, when Stalin starved millions of Ukrainians to death during the Holodomor and then replaced them with Russian settlers. This is why the eastern regions of Ukraine are Russian-speaking - a fact that Trump's minion Witkoff uses as an argument to insist that Ukraine cedes these regions to Russia. 

Russia bombs kindergarten

On Oct. 22, 2025 Russia hit a kindergarten in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with 3 Shahed drones. The 2nd store of the building was completely destroyed:

 (Source: Dialog. There you can also see the drone strike captured on video.)

 Happily, the 48 children were evacuated in time and were not injured, at least not physically:

 (Source: Dialog)

At least 9 other people were injured, however, and one was killed: a 40-yr-old municipality employee who was at work during the attack, cleaning the street:

The victim Vitaly Sotnik (source: Obozrevatel)
 

 Reuters has a video about the atrocity.

Russian official tells how she broke a kidnapped Ukrainian boy

From the Dialog, Oct 21, 2025:

"Lvova-Belova confessed how she "broke" a Ukrainian boy from Mariupol: "He sang Ukrainian songs all the time"

Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has effectively confirmed the abduction of Ukrainian children, something she had previously repeatedly denied. In an interview, she admitted to "breaking" the will of an adopted boy from Mariupol, forcing him to renounce his Ukrainian identity.  

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian dictator's children's rights commissioner, was issued a warrant by the International Criminal Court for the war crime of illegally deporting Ukrainian children. Despite her constant denials, in a recent interview she openly told the story of a Ukrainian boy from Mariupol whom she "adopted" after the city's occupation. 

According to Lvova-Belova, the child, named Philip, "brought negativity into their family" because he "had a special relationship with Russia." "He didn't want to live in Russia. He said he loved Ukraine and sang Ukrainian songs all the time," the official admitted. 

She added that the teenager expressed irritation toward Moscow, read Ukrainian news, and made no secret of his aversion to everything Russian. Lvova-Belova stated that she "spent a lot of time trying to change him" and ultimately "re-educated" the boy, ensuring that he "stopped thinking about Ukraine."  

According to the "children's rights ombudsman," the boy now allegedly "doesn't want to return to Mariupol." However, her words essentially confirm what the International Criminal Court accuses Lvova-Belova and dictator Putin of: the forced displacement and assimilation of Ukrainian children."

Russia openly rejects any chance of ceasefire

Translating from DonPress, Oct 21, 2025:

"Lavrov responded to calls for an immediate ceasefire

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that any calls for an immediate ceasefire without "eliminating the causes of the Ukrainian conflict" contradict the agreements Putin and Donald Trump reached in Alaska. His words are quoted by Russian media. 

"An immediate ceasefire in Ukraine would mean only one thing: the majority of Ukraine remains under Nazi control," Lavrov stated, continuing the Kremlin's usual narrative." 

***

That's why Ukraine must be given all the help it needs. 

Putin fooled Trump again

From the Time, Oct 21, 2025:

"Trump Is Getting Fooled by Putin Again

by Luke McGee

 

What a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago, Ukraine’s supporters were watching on optimistically, as all signs pointed toward Donald Trump allowing Ukraine to acquire long-range Tomahawk missiles at a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday...

But Trump, whose tone towards Russia had hardened since his Alaska Summit with Putin in August failed to produce any meaningful results, made a U-turn that few saw coming. 

Zelensky’s most recent trip to Washington had a lot more in common with the notorious shouting match that took place in the Oval Office in February. On top of Trump’s withholding of weapons Ukraine needs, he returned to some of his old talking points. Most alarmingly, he insisted that any halt to fighting would mean Ukraine give up the Donbas region to Putin—an area Russia has failed to take total control of, despite 11 years of fighting.

According to a report in the FT, Trump told the Ukrainian leader that if he did not bow to Putin’s will, Ukraine would be “destroyed.” The meeting reportedly descended into a bad-tempered shouting match, with Trump throwing away maps of the frontline, repeatedly swearing, and echoing a Kremlin talking point that the invasion is a “special operation, not even a war.”

Trump held a surprise two-and-a-half-hour phone call with the Russian President Vladimir Putin while Zelensky was on his way to America. 

During that call, Trump reportedly agreed to a second face-to-face summit with Putin, this time in Budapest. Hungary is one of Putin’s few allies in the West, and its Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly dug his heels in on Western efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. To say it will be an embarrassment not just for Ukraine but many of its European allies is an understatement...

The sight of Putin standing alongside the most powerful man in the world in a NATO country will instead likely be used as Kremlin propaganda—and another sign that Trump has once again been played for a fool by Putin.

For all the positive noises that have come each time Trump has made commitments to Ukraine, or encouraged NATO allies to spend more on defense, or apparently started to see Putin for who he really is, the facts speak for themselves. A BBC Verify report in August found that the number of Russian attacks on Ukraine has doubled since Trump’s inauguration. In recent weeks, mounting drone incursions have even brazenly entered NATO skies. 

Trump’s desire for the war to end seems sincere. He has also made no secret of his wish to win a Nobel Peace Prize. But if the war in Ukraine ends with the nation’s future largely in the hands of its invader, the very idea that Trump is deserving of the prize would be a dishonor.

The Russian President is a man who lives by the axiom: give an inch, take a mile. When the Obama Administration let down Syria, Putin was more than happy to intervene there to prop up his ally Bashar al-Assad. The West’s decision to turn the other cheek after Putin annexed Crimea in 2014 may have also emboldened him to launch his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin scoring another summit with Trump is a diplomatic coup. So is Trump’s decision to renege on Tomahawks for Ukraine and swing back to Putin’s way of thinking.

A version of Occam’s razor—that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is probably correct—applies here. If Trump continues to reward Putin and punish Kyiv, Putin will most likely further escalate in Ukraine and test the West...

Those closest to the U.S. President should urge Trump to do more for Ukraine, and stress that his current strategy is making Putin look smarter and stronger than Trump’s America. 

For a man who cares about optics, that may be Ukraine’s best hope." 

 

 

 

 

Putin is paranoidly fixated on the destruction of Ukraine

From UNIAN:

""He's paranoid": Putin will be afraid to fly to Hungary to meet with Trump, says MP 

Tanya Polyakovskaya, 20.10.25 

The world, but especially Ukraine, is currently awaiting a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Will such a meeting actually take place, who needs it and why, and is the issue of Budapest, as the chosen host city, irritating? UNIAN spoke with Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People party and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation.

- Trump and Putin agreed to prepare for their possible meeting in Budapest. In Russia, this news has even sparked talk of settling the war through secret agreements. When might this meeting take place, and what might its results be for Ukraine?

I doubt such a meeting will take place. I think it's a 50-50 chance right now. Holding it in Budapest is a big mistake, because the whole world, and especially Ukraine, associates the word "Budapest" with the Budapest Memorandum. Another meeting and "Budapest" are like Munich, for example, being associated with the Munich Plot of 1938.   

This could also be a pre-election ploy on Orbán's part. He understands he could lose the election. He needs to make some kind of gesture to create the illusion that he's promoting peace and so on. This is very cynical politics. 

It's also unclear where this idea even came from, because President Trump's spokesperson, if I'm not mistaken, said it was the idea of ​​the mother of some journalist who asked the question. So, whose idea it was remains a mystery. And it's a very unfortunate one. 

There's a clear principle that the previous administration adhered to, and I'd very much like Trump to adhere to it: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. That is, if you're holding a summit and discussing an issue, or, especially, making any decisions related to Ukraine, you should at least invite the Ukrainian president. Because resolving Ukrainian issues behind Ukraine's back is very reminiscent of the Munich Agreement.

It's also important to invite European leaders. They have the right; they're helping no less than the United States is now. And this is also a matter of European security. Such a meeting cannot be held without their participation. 

Regarding Budapest, I can't imagine Putin flying through their airspace, because he's a war criminal and a terrorist. He and his plane could be grounded and arrested—there are all grounds for that. For example, there's an arrest warrant from the International Court. Imagine Putin's plane flying through the airspace of a country that's a member of the International Criminal Court and a party to the Rome Statute. They should arrest him.  

Frankly, I think Putin would be afraid to fly to Hungary at all because he's paranoid, he's afraid of assassination attempts, and so on. He's afraid to fly through European airspace. He's afraid because, despite all the problems, Hungary remains a European democracy. A dictator can fly to a totalitarian country, like China or North Korea, and not be afraid. He can fly to a US military base because he knows the Americans can guarantee his safety there. But I doubt he'd dare fly to Budapest.

Moreover, it's not that simple: first, Secretary of State Rubio and Lavrov need to meet. I think Trump doesn't want a repeat of the Alaska fiasco. And if, after this meeting between Lavrov and Rubio, Trump isn't confident that Putin is truly ready for serious negotiations, he might cancel the summit. Because he doesn't want to embarrass himself a second time. And the fact is that Putin is not ready, and apparently never will be, for serious negotiations.

- Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine and its allies have come closer to a possible end to the war with Russia, primarily thanks to Trump's efforts. Zelenskyy noted that this doesn't mean the war will definitely end, but Trump, he said, "has achieved much in the Middle East, and on this wave, he wants to end Russia's war against Ukraine." Specifically, given Trump's fondness for portraying himself as a peacemaker and a strong leader, how do you assess these chances now, and when might the war in Ukraine end, and how?

The war in Ukraine can only end when Putin is no longer in power. As long as he remains in power, he has no interest in ending the war. He is paranoidly fixated on the destruction of Ukraine. For him, this is the most important question of his political and, possibly, physical survival. That's how he sees it; that's his opinion. 

The only thing that can stop the war is frantic pressure on Putin, when he has no other choice. And here a lot depends on America. But the main thing here is political will, the desire to do it. This is what Trump promised. One just needs to be consistent and keep promises. If you promised, you said, "Here's a proposal: an unconditional ceasefire along the front line. And if anyone doesn't agree, then I will impose decisive sanctions." Ukraine agreed, Russia disagreed several times. 

Where are the sanctions, where are the weapons for Ukraine? First, this question arises: Trump starts saying he will or might provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. You publicly declare this to the whole world—then you have to somehow implement it. And then he says, "We need them ourselves." This is not consistent, this is not serious. 

 Trump can do it, he can bring peace closer, but to do this, he needs to be consistent and follow through on his promises...

Now, perhaps, we need to rely more on the Europeans, because they feel the threat posed by Russia firsthand. It's been that way in history. During World War I and World War II, the war was already raging in Europe, and the United States tried to maintain neutrality to the last. But then, under pressure of circumstances, they were forced to intervene and punish the aggressor."

***

Merezhko was of course right about the meeting in Budapest - it was canceled. 

Trump is obsessed with giving Ukrainian land to Putin

From the Telegraph / Yahoo!News:

"Trump tells Ukraine: Accept Putin’s demands ‘or be destroyed’

Memphis Barker, October 19, 2025

Donald Trump demanded that Ukraine submit to Vladimir Putin’s peace terms or face destruction in an angry meeting at the White House last week, it has emerged.

The US president, who spoke with his Russian counterpart shortly before hosting Volodymyr Zelensky, warned that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine unless a peace deal was in place.

Shouting and swearing, Mr Trump threw aside Ukrainian maps of the battlefield and pressured Mr Zelensky to surrender the Donetsk region to Russia.

But he went on to deny the reports overnight and called for a ceasefire along the current front line...

Kyiv still holds about a quarter of Donetsk province. The land makes up part of the so-called “fortress belt”, a string of heavily defended towns that blocks Russia from making rapid westward advances towards the capital.

In the White House meeting, Mr Trump echoed Putin’s talking points, despite them contradicting his own recent assessment that Moscow was a “paper tiger”, European officials briefed on the meeting told the Financial Times.

The US president told Mr Zelensky he was losing the war and said: “If [Putin] wants, he will destroy you.”

He was supported by Steve Witkoff, his envoy, who was among those most aggressively urging Ukraine to give up Donetsk, claiming that the region – as well as Luhansk – has a significant Russian-speaking population.

On his return to Washington on Sunday, Mr Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that the two sides “should just stop at the lines where they are, the battle lines”.

He denied that the meeting with Mr Zelensky descended into a shouting match, describing it as “cordial”..."

***

More from Reuters, Oct 20, 2025: 

"Trump urged Ukraine's Zelenskiy to make concessions to Russia in tense meeting, sources say

 ..."It was pretty bad," one of the sources said of the meeting. "The message was, 'Your country will freeze, and your country will be destroyed'" if Ukraine doesn't make a deal with Russia.

A separate source denied that Trump said Ukraine would be "destroyed."

Both sources said, however, that Trump resorted to profanity several times.

Two sources had the impression that Trump was influenced by a Thursday call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During that call, according to The Washington Post, Putin proposed a territorial swap in which Ukraine would cede the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in return for small parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

One of the sources said that U.S. officials proposed precisely that swap to Zelenskiy on Friday.

Ukrainians see major strategic value in the portion of Donetsk and Luhansk that they still hold — they believe giving up that territory would make the rest of Ukraine much more vulnerable to Russian offensives, said one of the people briefed about the meeting. That source argued that giving up western Donetsk and Luhansk would amount to an act of "suicide."

Two of the sources said U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was among those who most aggressively urged the Ukrainians to agree to Russia's swap proposal. Witkoff mentioned that Donetsk and Luhansk have significant Russian-speaking populations, one of the sources said, a point he has made publicly before..."

***

By the same "logic", the USA should cede to Mexico the territories where many residents speak Spanish.

The absurdity of the idea that Ukraine should cede land for peace

From the Dialog, October 20, 2025:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that during his conversation with American mediator Steve Witkoff, pressure was indeed exerted on him to withdraw troops from the Donetsk region.

"I explained to Mr. Witkoff: if tomorrow Putin adds a couple more of our regions to his Constitution, will we have to leave again? This is absurd," Zelenskyy said in an interview with LB.ua and Suspilna."

Trump would have let Hitler keep 3/4 of France

From UNIAN:

"Putin wants to seize all of Donbas without a fight: a veteran reveals his real plan 

Lesya Leshchenko, 10/20/25 

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is unable to seize Donbas militarily, so he is attempting to manipulate his way into acquiring these territories without a fight. Retired Major Oleksiy Getman, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, told UNIAN...

"If we withdraw, it's not like any routes will open up or the Russians will be able to advance unhindered, but it will be more difficult for us to maintain our defense than where we are now. Putin clearly understands perfectly well that he can't seize these territories; he lacks the military resources to do so. Therefore, he's trying to take them without fail. And he's starting to suggest that we give them this or that region,'" the expert explained.  

He believes Putin wants Trump to say that it's necessary to prevent people from dying, meaning he's playing on emotions. 

"Putin tells him, 'We could have seized it, but there would be losses. Why,' he says, 'we'll do it anyway, so let them give it up voluntarily...,'" Getman explained. 

He emphasized that there's no rule that other countries consider something seized aggressively as property. 

"Let's imagine that politician Roosevelt (Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd US President from 1933 to 1945, a Democrat – UNIAN) had said that what Hitler seized should be left as is, but we need to come to an agreement. It's impossible to imagine such a situation. But Trump is doing it. It's the same thing, a very similar situation. Someone seized something, and then-President Roosevelt said, 'Well, he seized it, so he seized it, he controls 78% of France, so let it be. Let's stop the war along the line of contact. The main thing is that people don't die,'" the expert emphasized."

Former Russian secret service agent tells how Russia stole Crimea, and admits that most Crimeans didn't need this

Translating from the Obozrevatel:

"Most Crimeans didn't need this: a former FSB officer explained how Russia's operation to seize Crimea was prepared

Maria Drofich, 20.10.2025

FSB General Alexander Tatko, who at the time held the position of First Deputy Head of the Second Service of the FSB, played a key role in the preparation and implementation of the illegal seizure of Crimea by the aggressor state Russia. It was he who organized the events on the peninsula. 

Former FSB officer Alexander Fedotov spoke about this in an interview with The Insider. According to him, most Crimean residents showed no interest in these events. 

The Crimea annexation operation was led by FSB Lieutenant General Alexander Yevgenyevich Tatko, who held one of the highest positions in the agency's Second Division. Initially, the goal was to help then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych cling to power during the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv, in particular by recruiting militants from the Kharkiv-based organization "Oplot." However, after Yanukovych failed to maintain control, Moscow made a decision on Crimea. 

Since November 2013, Tatko has visited Crimea three times on extended business trips, each lasting approximately a month. After his last trip, a "referendum" was held in Crimea, and Tatko finally returned to Moscow.

His absence was carefully concealed: a service car drove daily to the FSB building to create the illusion that the general was at work. In reality, he was directly overseeing the annexation of the peninsula on the spot.  

Tatko placed his primary reliance on local Crimean figures, particularly Sergei Aksyonov, who wielded influence due to his past. It was through these "authorities" that the pseudo-referendum was organized, leaving the people with virtually no choice. According to the former officer, most residents of the peninsula preferred to remain aloof from politics, unsure of what would happen next and unwilling to see such changes.

"Most people wanted to stay away from politics and just stay home because no one understood what would happen tomorrow. And most certainly didn't need these changes in their current form," Fedotov noted. 

Voting was conducted under the supervision of "combined Crimean defense regiments," which included local residents and mercenaries without Russian military uniforms. People were forced to go to the polling stations, warned that those who didn't vote would be "put on special watch."  

No documentary traces of the operation were allowed. Only verbal agreements, secret phone calls, and the transfer of envelopes marked "in person only" were used. This was done to ensure that no one could officially prove the referendum's illegality in the future.

According to the source, Tatko had extensive experience in foreign operations—previously, he headed a department that operated in Syria, supporting the Bashar al-Assad regime. Despite his high rank, he remained a low-profile figure, making him a convenient choice for operations that required the highest level of secrecy."

Why Ukraine must not surrender Donetsk region

From the Institute for the Study of War, October 19, 2025:

"...Ceding Donetsk Oblast to Russia would set conditions for Russia to renew its aggression against Ukraine from more advantageous positions at a time of its choosing..."

Hegseth's Russian tie

From the Telegraph / Yahoo!News:

"Pete Hegseth’s tie causes diplomatic spat

Cameron Henderson, October 19, 2025

 

 

A diplomatic spat has broken out after Pete Hegseth was accused of wearing a pro-Russian tie to meet Volodymyr Zelensky.

The US secretary of war wore a white, blue and red striped tie during the Ukrainian president’s visit to the White House on Friday, leading to observations that he was matching the Russian flag.

Tass, the Russian state-owned news agency, said Mr Hegseth “stood out” from his colleagues by wearing a “tie in the colours of the Russian tricolor”.

“Hegseth’s tie, featuring bold white, blue, and red stripes arranged in the same order as on the Russian national flag, stood out among the otherwise restrained attire of the US delegation,” it wrote.

“While the United States’ own flag includes the same colours, the sequence and design made the choice particularly striking. Trump and the other officials opted for plain, solid-colored ties.”

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s economic envoy, stoked controversy further by sharing an image of Mr Hegseth’s tie captioned with the Russian flag – widely interpreted as tacit approval.

Ron Filipkowski, the editor of Meidas Touch, a Left-wing media company, wrote on X: “Looks like the Russians like his Russia tie. It’s not red-white-blue either. It’s red-blue-white. Like the Russian flag. For a meeting with Zelensky.”

However, JD Vance, the US vice-president, attempted to quell the speculation, responding on the same social media platform: “Or maybe he was wearing the colours of America.”

It was noted that Mr Hegseth did have an American flag pocket square in his suit jacket.

The sartorial choice was made amid fears Mr Trump’s position on Ukraine has shifted after he delayed providing Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep inside Russia.

Instead, Steve Witkoff, the US president’s lead negotiator, pushed Mr Zelensky to hand over the entire Donetsk region to Russia in order to end the war in Ukraine, it has emerged...

Gary Kasparov, the Russian chess grandmaster and staunch critic of the Kremlin, wrote on X: “The problem with the Trump administration isn’t their Russian ties, but their ties with Russia.”

Mr Hegseth has previously called for Ukraine to accept losing territory to end the war."

Before and after Russia attacked

From Yahoo - two heartbreaking pairs of "before and after" photos of Ukrainian urban landscapes.

Kharkiv: 

 Borodyanka:

 

Trump was not going to give Ukraine Tomahawks anyway

From the Obozrevatel: 

"Igor Eisenberg, Blogger, Professor of Computer Science 

Trump Never Intended to Give Ukraine Tomahawks 

October 19, 2025

The 47th president will always cling to any straw to avoid introducing any new sanctions against Russia and providing Ukraine with new military aid (the purchase of American weapons by European countries for transfer to Ukraine cannot be called American aid – it is aid from European countries with the consent of the United States). 

He can say all he wants that he's "disappointed in Putin," that he "doesn't like" Russia launching another missile attack on Ukraine, that he's "almost made a decision" about Tomahawks, but when the KGB major senses that his protégé in the White House is becoming too emotional in his statements, his aides inform the White House that he wishes to speak with the US President. A phone call and a conversation follow. And for the second time, even an invitation to meet. And the 47th president's mood immediately changes, he begins talking about "business projects" with Russia and "Trade" with it (Trump capitalizes this word; the quotation marks indicate it's a quote), and that he believes that "President Putin wants peace."

This could be repeated ad infinitum. Because Donald Trump sees the Russian dictator as a role model and idol, and Putin is associated with his dream of his own authoritarian rule. He may resent Putin when he ignores him and doesn't respond to his words. But let Putin contact the White House (in this case, it's crucial that the initiative comes from Putin), and even invite its occupant to a meeting, and all the resentments disappear.  

The 47th president doesn't know the wisdom of Soviet political prisoners about how to deal with the Cheka: "Don't trust, don't fear, don't beg." And so the 47th president methodically violates all three parts of this wise commandment—he trusts, he fears, and he begs. But even if he had heard this wisdom, he would hardly understand what it means. 

What does the 47th president even understand about what's going on in the world if, after meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, he tweeted (October 17, 4:46 p.m. Eastern Time):

"The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was very interesting, and cordial, but I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing, and make a DEAL! Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide! No more shooting, no more Death, no more vast and unsustainable sums of money spent. This is a War that would have never started if I were President. Thousands of people being slaughtered each and every week — NO MORE, GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES IN PEACE!"

You might ask, what about international law? How can one fail to distinguish between the aggressor and the victim of aggression? These are rhetorical questions when applied to the 47th president. In his system of coordinates, where everything is determined by "deals," "you give me what I give you," anything goes. And a deal with the devil is as commonplace for him as a deal to build another tower in his name with someone else's money, part of which he is supposed to receive for the use of his name. He simply cannot think in any other terms.

Just as he can't stop repeating that the world wouldn't even exist if he were president. You don't need a psychiatrist to understand that, at a subconscious level, he wants to remain in power forever, and his subconscious generates this meme as a justification for his eternal power.  

And about two aspects of the real state of affairs. 

 It's clear that he had no intention of handing over any Tomahawks to Ukraine. He was only talking about them to provoke Putin's response, such as a phone call (and then a meeting offer). Technically, handing over the Tomahawks doesn't seem feasible today, since only two land-based Typhoon batteries for their launch exist today. They're being manufactured, a complex process that only began in 2024, and it takes time. But until there are sufficient quantities, it's hard to imagine the US exporting them. 

There are, however, other missiles, the AGM-158 JASSM, which can be launched from F-16s, and which Ukraine has been requesting from the United States since the first F-16s entered service with the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukraine's acquisition of these missiles is much more realistic, but not at a time when the 47th president is buoyed by Putin's call and anticipating a possible imminent meeting.

And hence the second aspect. Will the meeting in Budapest take place? Of course, Trump would very much like it to happen. But, apparently having learned from the experience of the disastrous and shameful meeting in Anchorage for him and the United States, this time the 47th president agreed to a meeting between Secretary of State Rubio and Lavrov, and some other American representatives with representatives of the evil empire, before his meeting with Putin. It follows that Trump was convinced this time that another disastrous meeting would reflect poorly on his image in the eyes of world leaders. That he needed to be a winner. And to do that, he needed to find out whether Putin would agree to a ceasefire before going to Budapest to meet with him..."

***

As we all know by now, the meeting was canceled.   

 

 

Russia emboldened by Trump's refusal to give Ukraine Tomahawks

From the Institute for the Study of War:

"Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 18, 2025

The Kremlin reiterated its commitment to Russia’s war demands that amount to Ukraine’s full capitulation in response to US President Donald Trump’s October 17 proposal for peace in Ukraine. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev responded on October 18 on his English and Russian language social media accounts to Trump’s October 17 call for both Russia and Ukraine to each “claim victory” in Ukraine.[1] Medvedev claimed that this call is not applicable to Russia and that Russia needs a victory “with the conditions everyone knows.”[2] Medvedev is likely referring to the Kremlin’s consistent pre-war demands to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Ukraine, Ukrainian neutrality and NATO abandoning its open-door policy, and limiting the size of Ukraine’s military as such that Ukraine could not defend itself against future Russian aggression.[3] 

Kremlin officials and mouthpieces broadly reacted to the October 17 meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by cautiously reiterating Kremlin informational lines that aim to divide Ukraine from Western support and justify continuing its war in Ukraine.[4] Russian officials expressed cautious optimism about Trump’s reported decision against provisioning Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles at this time, but Medvedev hedged that US weapon deliveries will continue to Ukraine, however.[5] Russian Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) Head and Duma Deputy Leonid Slutsky claimed on October 18 that Trump’s reported decision against providing Tomahawks to Ukraine was due to his October 16 call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Putin offered to meet with Trump in Hungary, claiming Trump’s reported decision as a victory for Putin.[6] Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO and key Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev reiterated his October 16 and 17 US-Russian bilateral economic proposals following the Trump-Zelensky meeting, continuing efforts to incentivize economic cooperation in exchange for Trump giving up the peace effort and allowing Putin to continue his war in Ukraine without US pressure.[7]"

Leavitt: America is tired of the war in Ukraine

From Ukrinform, Oct 18, 2025:

"The White House has stated that U.S. President Donald Trump continues to work hard in the pursuit of peace, but American patience with Russia’s war against Ukraine is running thin.

According to Ukrinform, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt made the remarks on Fox News.

Leavitt reminded that on October 17, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House and had a long conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin beforehand.

“The President of the United States has said to both sides of this war: ‘This has been going on for far too long. Far too many innocent people have been killed. And the United States of America is growing very weary and tired of this war,” Leavitt said.

She added that Russia and Ukraine need to recognize the realities on the ground and come to a peace agreement.

“Because President Trump’s patience and the patience of the American people is growing very thin with this war,” the White House spokeswoman emphasized."

***

Things worth mentioning:

- The American people, which is allegedly losing patience, does not suffer from the war.

- It is the Ukrainian people that suffers, because America disarmed Ukraine with false promises of safety (the Budapest Memorandum), and then let Russia attack it with impunity.

- The administration for which Ms. Leavitt works stopped all aid to Ukraine and instead is selling it to profit from the war. 

- As always, Trump's administration does not make a difference between the aggressor and the victim.

In fact, it is Putin's fanboy Trump and his yes-men who are tired of the war, ordinary Americans think that America should keep supporting Ukraine (hattip: Obozrevatel:

 

Trump refused to give Ukraine Tomahawks because Ukraine refused to capitulate

From the CNN, Oct 18, 2025:

"Trump declines to give Ukraine long-range missiles as he and Zelensky are split over future of war

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Kristen Holmes

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were split over the future of the war in Ukraine following their third sit down at the White House Friday. 

Trump and Zelensky met for several hours alongside their top aides Friday in what was described to CNN by several people familiar as a tense, frank and, at times, “uncomfortable” discussion.

Trump made clear to Zelensky in a “direct and honest” conversation that — for now — the Ukrainian leader would not receive the long-range missiles that can reach far into Russia that he was seeking. One official said Trump was under the impression that Ukraine is seeking to escalate and prolong the conflict and is worried about potential losses during an upcoming harsh winter..."

***

The harsh winter is already here, and Russia continues to inflict heavy losses upon Ukrainian civilians, which presumably makes Trump happy, because, you know, he has a wonderful relationship with Putin, and it is only Zelensky who escalates.

 

 

 

Bulgaria welcomes the euro, and the euro area welcomes Bulgaria

Happy New Year 2026!

Today, after years of preparation, Bulgaria finally joined the euro area. This was honored by the European Central Bank with beautiful light effects on its headquarter in Frankfurt:

 Screenshots from the video: