The Crossroads of Europe

Steyn Online ^ | 24 Apr 2026 | Mark Steyn

[Rummyfan]

Greetings from Ukraine. I'm in the Kharkiv oblast, which the huge numbers of Russian speakers all around prefer to call the Kharkov oblast. But, whichever your preferred vowel, this oblast is oh, such a blast. Last night, the actual Russians (from Russia, that is) tried to take a town about fifteen kilometres away from where I am. They were repulsed by the Ukrainians, but the artillery fire, drones and bombs from just beyond the horizon gave me a bit of a sleepless night. Or maybe it was the food, which leaves a lot to be desired compared to Lviv or even Kyiv. Still, if you don't care for Russian cuisine, a few restaurants offer glamorous international alternatives (the occasional Georgian dish).

Despite the aerial bombardment, which is less lethal than a weekend in Chicago, our schedule remains as is. So, even though tomorrow I'll still be prowling the delights of the eastern oblasts, our Saturday music show, Mark Steyn on the Town, will air as usual at 5pm London time - which is 12 noon North American Eastern, 6pm in Western Europe and, for our Ukrainian listeners, 7pm Eastern European Summer Time. This week's episode will offer not just blasts from the oblasts, but also from the Polovtsian empire of blessed memory: you can listen from almost anywhere on the planet by clicking the button at top right here.

As you know, I have regarded the US/Israeli war against Iran as an unmitigated disaster, but, to assuage those of a pro-war bent, I have been commencing each column by linking to a more optimistic assessment. Today's, recommended by several readers, is from Michael Doran in The Free Press:

Trump's Economic Noose for Iran

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: putinthewarpig; russiansuicide; russiantrollfarm; unrelentingpessimism; vladtheimploder

[Rummyfan]

I love Mark Steyn but his unrelelnting pessimism - or is it realism? - is getting hard to take.

[frank ballenger]

Sort of like Glenn Beck. Assistant said twice in all these years Beck accidentally allowed for hope in a broadcast.

Fr. Mitch Pacwa said when he used to watch Glenn Beck on his Fox News days it would take him 2 or 3 days of feeling in a down mood of pessimism to get it behind him. A priest. “I finally solved it. I don’t watch or listen to his shows, ever.”