What affects us affects cats
On February 21, 2026, The Times reported that Ukraine is not losing its war against Vladimir Putin. President Volodymyr Zelensky is quoted as saying this month: “We are not losing.” Ukraine may not be losing, but neither is it winning. Nor, therefore, is Russia. The war has settled into a grinding stalemate. Both sides …
In order to undermine what appears to be current, quite successful negotiations between Zelensky and Trump in Miami on ending the Ukrainian war, Vladimir Putin is lying about a Ukrainian 91-drone attack on one of his palatial residences. Conveniently, there was no damage to the mansion because all 91 drones were shot down! Highly …
We know by now or should know that Russia has no intention of agreeing a just and lasting peace deal brokered by others (US and Europe). It is as clear as it can be. Putin will only agree capitulation by Ukraine. He does not want to negotiate a deal. He wants an agreement that …
There are signs at Putin’s annual press conference that he has had plastic surgery on his face to look younger. Is this a plausible suggestion? AI responds to this question (Google Gemini). Why do I use AI? Because of speed of production but I always lead the discussion. So this is a partnership! Why …
For more than two decades, oil and gas have been the backbone of the Russian economy. Hydrocarbon exports account for around half of federal budget revenues and provide the hard currency that sustains everything from pensions to military spending. This dependence has served the Kremlin in the short term, but it has left Russia …
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is brutal and unrelenting — a war driven not just by geopolitics but by a cold, calculated desire to punish a nation for daring to break free from Russia’s grip. It’s a ruthless act of vengeance and imperial ambition wrapped into one. But behind the headlines and battlefield maneuvers …
Vladimir Putin launched his war in Ukraine with dreams of empire. What he has achieved instead is the accelerated decline of Russian power, prestige, and trustworthiness on the world stage. His ambition to redraw borders and intimidate NATO has backfired catastrophically. NATO has grown larger and stronger. Ukraine has evolved into a battle-hardened, technologically …
Angela Merkel’s 736-page memoir, Freiheit (Freedom), will be published next week. In this long book, she refers to a 2007 meeting with Vladimir Putin at Sochi, the Black Sea resort. At the time Putin owned a large, lumbering black labrador, Konni, which he allowed to join them during the meeting. He ‘allowed’ (encouraged) his …
