Oct 4

Oct 4 Putin's Pink Temptation

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Public Declarations, Ukraine

“Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Oh honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you”

— Sugar, Sugar, the Archies (1969)

Following today’s demonstration in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, I was headed to the bus stop on Chicago Avenue when the evil Vladimir Putin put temptation in my pathway—at least I think it must have been Putin because who else could be so cruel? What was that pink glow coming from inside Mariano’s?

Yes, the evil Putin was tempting my fortitude: Despite being partially obstructed by flowers and plants, the Stan’s Donuts pink neon sign was beckoning. The glazed, old-fashioned donuts in the glass display case were crying out, “Eat Me.” To resist temptation, I had a passerby lash me to a lamppost, but just like Odysseus, I eventually broke free of the bindings

After making the trek to Ukrainian Village for the 1:00 PM demonstration against Putin and his longstanding efforts to annex Ukraine, I couldn’t resist the siren call emanating from Stan’s. The Ukrainians have withstood nearly five years of war, but I couldn’t resist Stan’s for even a minute. Putin might want to consider dropping Stan’s donuts instead of munitions on Eastern Ukraine. I always surrender to Stan’s

Next week, the Ukrainians will be outside the Wrigley Building at 1:00 PM for the third of four consecutive Sunday demonstrations against Putin and his war of aggression. Fortunately, the nearest Stan’s is several blocks south on Michigan, so I probably will not hear the siren call coming from the case holding those glazed delicatables.

Today, the Ukrainians chose the corner of Chicago Avenue and Leavitt, which is in the heart of Ukrainian Village, for their demonstration against Putin’s aggression. When I arrived, groups of demonstrators were clustered at the intersection’s four corners. By and large, it was a silent vigil, except for Zoryana Smozhanyk, who with bullhorn in hand, was presumably speaking out against Putin’s aggression. I only know two Ukrainian words, “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine), so I can only look at Smozhanyk and surmise what she is saying.

Eight or nine Chicago Police Department officers stood nearby. A police presence is standard protocol for demonstrations held anywhere in the city. After attending dozens of demonstrations against Putin’s failing efforts to conquer Ukraine, I can assure Interim CPD Interim Police Superintendent Fred Waller that there is no need for a police presence during demonstrations by Chicago’s Ukrainians, who are among the most law-abiding and peaceful demonstrators I have encountered. They, for example, march on the sidewalks rather than shutting down traffic by marching in the streets. At the end of each demonstration, they always express their gratitude to the police officers who stood watch.

Every demonstration has a theme, which often is ripped from the day’s headlines; the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam, the bombing of the Donetsk Regional Maternity Hospital Number 3, the annual commemoration of Holodomor, the annual celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day, honoring the Azov defenders, the bombing of the Okhmatdyt Hospital, calling out Donald J. Trump’s deplorable treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the deaths of Ukrainian children.

Today, the signage made reference to Oleshky, a city east of Odessa that was home to 24,000 Ukrainians before Russia invaded the city at the start of the war. According to the Ukrainian government, only 2,000 citizens remain, including 200 children. The Russians are apparently “hunting” civilians using drones. The BBC reported that on September 20, 2026, a drone attack had killed a couple who were carrying a bag of food that they had obtained in the relatively nearby town of Radensk, which is just 14 miles from Oleshky. Imagine having to walk 14 miles for a single bag of groceries.

To stave off a famine, the Ukrainian military has used drones to drop four tons of much needed food in Oleshky. The circumstances are so bad that the civilians have taken to eating weeds in order to survive the Russian-imposed famine. In theory, those food drops bought the civilians another month of survival, but the Russians seized some of the dropped supplies. Even Russia has acknowledged that the civilians face life-threatening shortages of food and medicine, claiming that Russian forces are addressing those shortages. More lies from Putin.

Some residents of Oleshky have tried to flee, using bicycles and motorbikes. They do so at great risk because they don’t know whether the roadways providing escape are mined, or whether the Russians will attack them as they flee.

After nearly five years of war, Smozhanyk and her fellow organizers face the one problem that plagues all movements. As time progresses, turnout for each subsequent event diminishes. In the early days of the war, the Chicago Ukrainian demonstrations easily drew hundreds, if not thousands of demonstrators. The numbers now can be counted in the dozens. Apathy and despair have set in.

Yet, Chicago’s Ukrainians should be up in arms, which explains why some people keep turning out for the demonstrations. Once again, Donald J. Trump is conflating business with war. According to a New York Times article, the Trump Administration is in talks with Putin about ending the war. Recall that Trump said he would end the war on the first day of his second term.

Under the proposed deal being negotiated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Putin would end the war in exchange for a multi-billion oil deal that would result in Russia’s Lukoil Company selling oil fields, refineries, and gas stations to an investment group led by Todd Boehly, a man who contributed to $2 million to Trump’s political campaigns. Other investors would include two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Witkoff and Kushner. While Witkoff and Kushner may not have a direct interest in the acquired assets, their business dealings are tangled up with those who would invest, thereby creating conflicts of interests and the potential for side payments, special allocations, and inflated compensation that could directly benefit Witkoff and Kushner.

Maybe such corruption is what it will take to end the war, but Trump, should proceed with caution. Essentially, a company that apparently is under the control of Putin is exchanging illiquid assets for cash that could be used to further Russian aggression elsewhere. In ending one war, Trump could be creating the conditions for another.

If a deal is struck, the terms must preclude a subsequent attempt by Putin to annex Ukraine. At a minimum, the West must provide Ukraine security guarantees and arms. An international peacekeeping force should be put in place, with troops from NATO countries positioned on the border to deter Putin’s return.

Hopefully at next Sunday’s demonstration, we will see signs condemning the Lukoil deal. What everyone fails to understand about Russia is that without its nuclear arms, it is nothing. Globally, Russia ranks 9th in gross domestic product (GDP), which places it behind Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, France, and Italy. The U.S. has a $32.38 trillion GDP, while Russia comes in at a paltry $2.66 trillion GDP, which places it barely ahead of Brazil ($2.64) and Canada ($2.51). What Trump fails to understand is that when he is negotiating with Putin, he is not negotiating with an equal, but rather a pape tiger.

Despite my reservations and cynical view, the world would be a better place if a Lukoil deal brings peace to Ukraine, but the terms of any deal must assure that Russia is not back at Ukraine’s door in two or three years, using the cash from the sale by Lukoil to finance a new invasion. Some of the proceeds from such a sale should be “garnished,” and then used to rebuild war-torn Ukraine.

Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]