Trevor Reed’s memoir is not just about surviving a Russian gulag—it’s about what comes after, why Ukraine matters, and the Americans who chose to stand with it anyway.
Thank you, Adam. A family member is a POW in Russian custody right now - has been for over a year. We received two letters, months apart, through the Red Cross. He was alive as of September 2025.
Every day I include in my prayers all those incarcerated in the prisons of Putin's Russia, especially foreigners like your family member. I hope he will come home soon.
Oh, he is not a foreigner - he is Ukrainian. I am a first-generation Ukrainian American. My family still lives in Ukraine. I tried to get them out back in 2014 when Crimea was annexed, but they didn't want to leave - I am the only family member who speaks English. So, my dad and step-mom, their siblings, nieces, and nephews are all still there. We have lost one soldier in the Donetsk Region, still have one soldier and one army medic out there, and one in Russian custody as a POW. We don't know if he will survive or considered for exchange - he is an officer, and Russians aren't eager to exchange officers until they can torture everything they can out of them.
Definitely a book worth reading. The environment in Russia is not at all surprising. Corruption, brutality and fear are clearly evident from your posting as well the dories of others who have been in a similar situation. The resilience of the Ukrainian people and those who have offered to fight alongside them are the real heroes. That is why I fly two flags at my residence. One for the US and another for Ukraine. I fully support Ukraine and are really disappointed with the Trump Administration's position on Ukraine. Maybe after his term ends here in the US, perhaps he can move to Russia to be Putin's right-hand man in the Russian government.
Thank you for continuing to shine a light on all that’s involved with Russian invasion of Ukraine and badness of Russia. So tragic and also tragic is seeing how the current administration is trying to emulate this cruelty and oppression
I am an avid fiction reader. Why? Because reality is so brutal right now, that when I give up the little free time I have I want to escape reality. However, I have to say, Reed's book is worth the read. It is brutal - I can't say that it isn't - but definitely worth the read.
And now there is a picture of Putin alongside his crony (aka the President of the United States) actually hanging in the White House. As an American, it makes me want to cry -
Looking forward to the interview. We are so fortunate that a vast majority of us do not (at least for right now) live with such atrocities. Your statement, “…volunteers go without guarantees…insurance…much support. They go because conscience pulls harder than fear” hits me right in gut. How I wish our elected leaders were cut from this cloth. They aren’t worthy of our trust, across either side of the aisle, with a few exceptions. There are too many cowards and grifters cosplaying as caring public servants. Keep speaking truth. We’ll never stop listening.
When is the interview? I think that it is more than partly the fault of the US government, in particular Trump’s love affair with Putin that is keeping many from coming home where they belong. I hope that everybody incarcerated in one of Russia’s hell holes will be able to come home and soon. But Congress needs to grow a spine first and pressure Trump to do the right thing. Looking forward to the interview.
And the treatment of Russian prisoners of war and opposition to the regime is real. IMO it is a view into the future of our country and where it is headed if we don’t STOP ICE and the Trump Regime. It’s rule by fear and intimidation, with zero consequences for the violation of rights, the Constitution, and rule of law.
TRUMP'S BIGGEST PROBLEM MAY BE WHAT EPSTEIN SHARED WITH PUTIN
Epstein Allegedly Reached Out to the Russians to Share Information About Trump
The following is a reprint of a Substack comment that I issued in November, 2025 based upon U.K. and Russian English language reporting of Epstein files released in November. Now that an enormous quantity of additional Epstein revelations have come to light, searching these files for evidence of Trump’s possible sexual perversions may not be as important as following up on the nature and extent of information that Epstein sought to share with the Russians about Trump in or after 2018 and whether the disclosure of whatever information he eventually did share with them, if any, may have influenced Trump’s decisions and actions as President:
1. In November, 2025, 2 Russian newspapers and the Independent of the U.K. reported that in 2018, while Trump was President, Epstein wrote to former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland asking him to “suggest to Putin that Lavrov ( Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov) can get insight by talking to me,” and claiming that the late Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin had already consulted him (Epstein) to better “understand Trump.”
2. The Epstein files further revealed the fact that a Russian female operative was blackmailing wealthy American businessmen, though no evidence has been uncovered that Trump has been implicated in this.
3. The Epstein files revealed that Epstein furnished advice on how Russia should handle Western sanctions, interest rates, and new currency ideas,
Separately, banking records and Senate summaries show that Epstein moved over a billion dollars in suspicious transactions, including wires involving Russian banks and Russian/Belarusian women tied to his trafficking network.
It would appear that Russia may have had compelling incriminating evidence that implicated Epstein in an assortment of crimes in the U.S. and Russia, which raises the prospect of whether Epstein was offering to share his knowledge about Trump, who was President at the time, with the Russians as a form of “cooperation” to extricate himself from his difficulties with Russia.
Perhaps Mr. Trump may be more concerned about these types of issues coming to light in the most recent Epstein disclosures than the sexually sordid revelations that are being disclosed about a wide assortment of people, all of which may account for his most recent harangues and volatile conduct here and abroad that have served to distract the American public from these revelations.
Speaking of Russia, a European man with connections with military in Belgium says that Russia & China have armed Iran with very sophisticated weapons and also France is contemplating sending troops to Ukraine and Russia says this will escalate the war. FYI
Looking forward to the Interview with Trevor Reed.
Thank you, Adam. A family member is a POW in Russian custody right now - has been for over a year. We received two letters, months apart, through the Red Cross. He was alive as of September 2025.
wow. im sorry, that is rough. Hopefully it ends up ok
We all would like to hope that. But you know how it is - Russia is not exactly known for humane treatment of ... well... pretty much anyone.
It must be heartbreaking for you and your family at this time. I pray that your family member is released and returns safely.
Every day I include in my prayers all those incarcerated in the prisons of Putin's Russia, especially foreigners like your family member. I hope he will come home soon.
Oh, he is not a foreigner - he is Ukrainian. I am a first-generation Ukrainian American. My family still lives in Ukraine. I tried to get them out back in 2014 when Crimea was annexed, but they didn't want to leave - I am the only family member who speaks English. So, my dad and step-mom, their siblings, nieces, and nephews are all still there. We have lost one soldier in the Donetsk Region, still have one soldier and one army medic out there, and one in Russian custody as a POW. We don't know if he will survive or considered for exchange - he is an officer, and Russians aren't eager to exchange officers until they can torture everything they can out of them.
Definitely a book worth reading. The environment in Russia is not at all surprising. Corruption, brutality and fear are clearly evident from your posting as well the dories of others who have been in a similar situation. The resilience of the Ukrainian people and those who have offered to fight alongside them are the real heroes. That is why I fly two flags at my residence. One for the US and another for Ukraine. I fully support Ukraine and are really disappointed with the Trump Administration's position on Ukraine. Maybe after his term ends here in the US, perhaps he can move to Russia to be Putin's right-hand man in the Russian government.
I don't think Putin would want him; he's not smart enough.
That’s true.
With all my heart, I hope he comes home safely and soon.
Thank you for continuing to shine a light on all that’s involved with Russian invasion of Ukraine and badness of Russia. So tragic and also tragic is seeing how the current administration is trying to emulate this cruelty and oppression
I am an avid fiction reader. Why? Because reality is so brutal right now, that when I give up the little free time I have I want to escape reality. However, I have to say, Reed's book is worth the read. It is brutal - I can't say that it isn't - but definitely worth the read.
I've been reading a lot of fiction and nonfiction these days. Nothing connected to world events. That's one way I disconnect.
And now there is a picture of Putin alongside his crony (aka the President of the United States) actually hanging in the White House. As an American, it makes me want to cry -
Sounds like a wonderful accounting of everything Bad that is going on over there. I do look forward to your interview with Trevor!
Looking forward to the interview. We are so fortunate that a vast majority of us do not (at least for right now) live with such atrocities. Your statement, “…volunteers go without guarantees…insurance…much support. They go because conscience pulls harder than fear” hits me right in gut. How I wish our elected leaders were cut from this cloth. They aren’t worthy of our trust, across either side of the aisle, with a few exceptions. There are too many cowards and grifters cosplaying as caring public servants. Keep speaking truth. We’ll never stop listening.
When is the interview? I think that it is more than partly the fault of the US government, in particular Trump’s love affair with Putin that is keeping many from coming home where they belong. I hope that everybody incarcerated in one of Russia’s hell holes will be able to come home and soon. But Congress needs to grow a spine first and pressure Trump to do the right thing. Looking forward to the interview.
And the treatment of Russian prisoners of war and opposition to the regime is real. IMO it is a view into the future of our country and where it is headed if we don’t STOP ICE and the Trump Regime. It’s rule by fear and intimidation, with zero consequences for the violation of rights, the Constitution, and rule of law.
TRUMP'S BIGGEST PROBLEM MAY BE WHAT EPSTEIN SHARED WITH PUTIN
Epstein Allegedly Reached Out to the Russians to Share Information About Trump
The following is a reprint of a Substack comment that I issued in November, 2025 based upon U.K. and Russian English language reporting of Epstein files released in November. Now that an enormous quantity of additional Epstein revelations have come to light, searching these files for evidence of Trump’s possible sexual perversions may not be as important as following up on the nature and extent of information that Epstein sought to share with the Russians about Trump in or after 2018 and whether the disclosure of whatever information he eventually did share with them, if any, may have influenced Trump’s decisions and actions as President:
1. In November, 2025, 2 Russian newspapers and the Independent of the U.K. reported that in 2018, while Trump was President, Epstein wrote to former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland asking him to “suggest to Putin that Lavrov ( Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov) can get insight by talking to me,” and claiming that the late Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin had already consulted him (Epstein) to better “understand Trump.”
2. The Epstein files further revealed the fact that a Russian female operative was blackmailing wealthy American businessmen, though no evidence has been uncovered that Trump has been implicated in this.
3. The Epstein files revealed that Epstein furnished advice on how Russia should handle Western sanctions, interest rates, and new currency ideas,
Separately, banking records and Senate summaries show that Epstein moved over a billion dollars in suspicious transactions, including wires involving Russian banks and Russian/Belarusian women tied to his trafficking network.
It would appear that Russia may have had compelling incriminating evidence that implicated Epstein in an assortment of crimes in the U.S. and Russia, which raises the prospect of whether Epstein was offering to share his knowledge about Trump, who was President at the time, with the Russians as a form of “cooperation” to extricate himself from his difficulties with Russia.
Perhaps Mr. Trump may be more concerned about these types of issues coming to light in the most recent Epstein disclosures than the sexually sordid revelations that are being disclosed about a wide assortment of people, all of which may account for his most recent harangues and volatile conduct here and abroad that have served to distract the American public from these revelations.
Speaking of Russia, a European man with connections with military in Belgium says that Russia & China have armed Iran with very sophisticated weapons and also France is contemplating sending troops to Ukraine and Russia says this will escalate the war. FYI
Thanks for the recommendation. Book ordered!
I’ll be adding this to my reading list
Just ordered the book and definitely want to watch this interview!! Thanks!