Weak Foundation, ©2026 William L. Brown
Though he keeps waging war on Ukraine, making maximalist demands in peace negotiations and posing as a superpower, Vladimir Putin’s regime is facing serious challenges.
Putin’s pet gadfly Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary lost his re-election bid last week, no longer able to sabotage NATO and the EU from the inside on Putin’s behalf. Putin’s Russia has also lost important income sources, Venezuela and Cuba. Iran, now embroiled in war with the US and Israel, was an important client too.
Waiving To a Friend, ©2026 William L. Brown
However, Russia earned billions when US President Trump temporarily waived sanctions against Russia, allowing them to sell oil. The administration also waived an embargo on Russia selling oil to Cuba, a waiver that was renewed April 17.
Big Beautiful Casket, ©2026 William L. Brown
Fourteen US military deaths have been reported so far in Trump’s war on Iran.
Iran’s Taliban rulers are oppressive and deadly. They massacred protestors, apparently by the thousands. They sadistically repress women, who are not allowed to even show their face or speak in public. Iran’s insistence on developing a nuclear bomb makes it a danger to the region and the world. So, why oppose a war against this regime that would remove the threat to the world and possibly free the Iranian people?
It’s not the “why,” it’s the “how.”
One of the reasons to Ukraine is that the Ukrainians do the right thing. They follow the Geneva Conventions, the rules of engagement, and international law. Unlike the Russian invaders, they don’t torture, starve, or kill their prisoners of war, they don’t bomb civilian targets, and they avoid civilian casualties. That’s their policy and for the most part they have held to it. The Russians do the opposite, that’s their policy and their strategy to win: terrorize, rape, murder, torture, bomb civilian infrastructure and homes. Easy to pick a side!
Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s preferred policy is “No stupid rules of engagement.” President Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure, a war crime. He threatened to end their civilization, which would also be a war crime. Their Israeli allies routinely bomb civilian infrastructure and residences, under the suspicious excuse that it’s impossible to attack an enemy in the midst of civilians without collateral damage. Suspicious because “second-world” Ukraine manages to do this daily using their own drone technology, and outdated “first-world” weapons supplied by allies.
Underwater Bear, ©2026 William L. Brown
The UK government denounced Russian “nefarious activity” around underwater fiber-optic cables.
Busy Bees, ©2026 William L. Brown, glory to the hero-bees!
On land, Russia is bedeviled by Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, which are increasing in frequency and distance. The Ukrainians are methodically weakening Russian air-defenses around military targets, then striking those targets. The targets include drone and other weapons manufacturing or storage facilities, oil processing plants (source of funding for the war),
Russia was steadily increasing the number of drones launched at Ukraine per week, up to 2000 droves a week nine months ago, 90% of which were intercepted. It was feared that if the rate continued to increase, that percentage would drop significantly. However, the rate has remained steady and the number of drones has decreased. Speculation is that this is due to destruction of drones on the ground. Russia has released no nformation what would confirm this, of course.
In contrast, the Russian rate of air-defense interception in a recent attack was 27%, as calculated by the hosts of the Ukraine: the Latest podcast.
ZDS, ©2026 William L. Brown
Mentioning Ukrainian President Zelensky’s name sends Trump into a fury. Trump went into such a fury when Zelensky offered to provide drone interceptors to Middle East allies. The US failed to anticipate Iranian drone attacks when they bombed Iran.
Make Russia Small Again, ©2026 William L. Brown
Yes, the red spot is pre-Imperial Russia in the fifteenth century, before it began it’s territorial conquests and colonization across Europe and Asia. It spans eleven time zones and contains 190 subjugated ethnic groups. Russia’s eastern expansion roughly parallels European/United States westward expansion. Like America, Russia is stolen land, but calling it that in Russia can get you imprisoned.
Russia’s imperialistic past is, by law, above reproach. In Russia, unlike the West, there is no soul-searching, official apology, reparation or even discussion about the imperialistic/colonialist past.
Oddly, anti-imperialists in the west and elsewhere have a huge blind spot over Russia. They take to the streets over Gaza, statues, holidays and parks named after ancient colonialists, but ignore the biggest imperialist power on the planet actively waging war to expand its empire and influence. Що? (What?)
You can get this image on a sweatshirt! Royalties go to Ukrainian aid programs.
Below: Consigning my skeetches of Viktor Orbán to the recycling bin of history!
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.