While everything in US politics has been screwed up beyond recognition, at least there are some encouraging signs abroad. There's a possible coup attempt against Putin in progress, FINALLY, after the disastrous Ukraine occupation, and I hope that can finally bring an end to that war. Putin will never give up his campaign, since admitting defeat would personally embarrass him, and the USSR/Russia does have quite the history of coups. In this case, one more might not be a bad thing.

Most repulsive to me is the fact that many atrocities have been committed and documented, from mass killings to mass kidnappings in Ukraine (see Bucha), and yet to Putin what is most important is maintaining his illusion of control over the situation and tacitly condoning what has gone on. At least in my mind he truly is a successor to Stalin, one who believes that whatever the human cost, his goals are paramount and a mark of pride. KGB through and through.

No wonder he and Trump got along so well. Their willingness to sacrifice morals and other peoples' lives roll off of them like water, since both are sociopaths. We managed to get rid of our former sociopathic President; now I'm hoping Russia has the same success and that if so, Putin's replacement can be a decent human being and bring this to an end.