“The Trump administration’s realist rhetoric is more justification than motivation,” writes @mikercarpenter.bsky.social. Instead of balancing power against its great-power rivals, the United States is “directing its most aggressive policies at democratic allies.”
Putin is making Russia small again:
”Our model suggests that Russian casualties are now between 1.1m and 1.4m, of whom 230,000-430,000 are dead. That would mean one in 25 Russian men between the ages of 18 and 49 may have been killed or severely wounded since the start of the full-scale war.”
NEW: In addition to MARINERA and HYPERION, three other tankers recently in Venezuelan waters — and previously hit by U.S. sanctions for shipping Iranian/Russian oil —are now officially flying the Russian flag. More: www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
☠️ The Economist: Russia lost 1% of its pre-war male population in Ukraine.
In total, Russian losses in dead and wounded amounted to between 1 million and 1.35 million soldiers.
Over the past three years, Russia has been able to occupy an additional 1.45% of Ukrainian territory.
Danish pilots keep reporting sightings of little green men aboard civilian vessels coming from Russia. Unfortunately the authorities don’t want to discuss these sightings. But a veteran pilot with decades of experience is willing to talk.
Full story here:
danwatch.dk/militaerunif...
Dutch intelligence suspends sharing arrangements with the US after concluding that high level intel was routinely being shared by the White House with their friends in the Kremlin. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...
Trump posts AI video showing him literally dumping shit on America
🥴🤡Trump envoy Witkoff pressed the Ukrainian delegation on handing over Donetsk region to Russia during a meeting on Friday, - WP.
He used the Kremlin's key argument that the region is predominantly Russian-speaking.
Russian Navy tug ALEKSANDR FROLOV directed jamming towards a Danish helicopter and a patrol ship a few days ago.
This was reported by NATO command Brunssum on X. The post was quickly deleted and NATO is now tight lipped.
A FROLOV stayed around Fehmarn Belt for 9 days.
In efforts to end the #RussiaUkraineWar, talk is accelerating about a European “reassurance force” for Ukraine.
Amb. @mikercarpenter.bsky.social on “its highly questionable viability”:
www.justsecurity.org/119673/ukrai...
🚨 BREAKING: Russia has struck the EU delegation building in Kyiv.
Read the developing story: ow.ly/N2RW50WNllP
🚨 New episode: Who is playing who? Trump, Putin and the Alaska 'Peace Summit'
Will the leaders take a step towards a landmark peace deal, or will this go down as a diplomatic disaster?
Listen now on Global Player or wherever you get your pods 🎧
@markurban.bsky.social @mpolymer1.bsky.social
“Earned on the battlefield”? Seriously?
Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What's Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions theonion.com/histori...
“Instead of prolonging the war by giving Ukraine too much military assistance, Kyiv’s foreign allies have prolonged it by giving too little, and often with significant delays,” argues @mikercarpenter.bsky.social.
Ukraine cannot win without “a fundamental shift in Western strategy, one that combines a large boost in military assistance with more robust economic measures to constrain Russia’s war economy,” argues @mikercarpenter.bsky.social.
Amazing. NYT has more confirmation that Trump's decision to bomb Iran was motivated in large part by the way the Israeli strikes were "playing" on Fox News, which drove him to want credit for it
Thank you so much for your support! Here’s a link to chip in: secure.actblue.com/donate/bb-bs...
I was on @cbcnews-rss.bsky.social today to discuss the Trump administration’s next steps on Iran. Whatever decision he takes, he will alienate a part of his base.
Ambassador Bridget Brink is an amazing and selfless public servant who has always stood for what’s right. I’ve had the privilege to work with her since 2007, when we first met. She is a true patriot and cares about what matters: improving the economy, fighting corruption, US national security.
Well that’s a way to start the meeting. Let’s talk about my bud Vlad and blame Obama for Russia not being part of this group anymore. 🤦🏽♂️
Good Lord. God Bless PM Mark Carney for his position standing there listening to this 💩 and not elbowing him in the throat. 🤦🏽♂️
🧵
My small country, Estonia, population 1.3 million sent 2003-2014 over 2500 soldiers. 9 were killed in the line of duty. 109 wounded, half of them so seriously they could no longer lead a normal life.
In Iraq 2003-2009 we had more than 440 soldiers. 2 were killed. 18 seriously wounded.
1/n
Hi All, I released my weekend update a few hours ago, and the Ukrainians turned around and launched what is arguably the most successful operation of the war--so I updated it with all the information I could get. Russian strategic airpower received a mighty blow. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
Russia's demands were "detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed," a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.
This isn’t getting nearly enough attention.
Estonian navy is stopped at intercepting a shadow fleet vessel because a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 violated Estonian air space. This reduces even the implausible deniability to 0, which Russia has been relying on with the shadow fleet.
