It's Putin's birthday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin


born 7 October 1952



Russia’s having a pretty good October, thanks in no small part to Donald Trump


Russian President Vladimir Putin, on top of the world. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Last week, Zelensky announced his support for the Steinmeier formula, a compromise proposal developed by German politician Frank-Walter Steinmeier in which the separatist provinces in eastern Ukraine could be recognized as self-governing after local elections. While Zelensky insisted that the elections would occur only after Russia withdrew from the area, Ukrainians are concerned that the agreement is a concession that will strengthen Russia’s grip in the region.

“The Steinmeier formula means Putin’s formula,” former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said in an interview.

“A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime. And it would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup,” the statement from McConnell’s office read. “I urge the President to exercise American leadership to keep together our multinational coalition to defeat ISIS and prevent significant conflict between our NATO ally Turkey and our local Syrian counterterrorism partners.”

The Guardian, a British newspaper, seized upon that anecdote under the headline, “Trump told Theresa May he doubted Russia was behind Skripal poisoning” — a reference to the former spy, Sergei Skripal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/07/russias-having-pretty-good-october-thanks-no-small-part-donald-trump/