Jeff Rathke

3. There is always tradeoff between exposing what you know and losing the source because the adversary changes comms and procedures. So these conversations were probably considered expendable but likely aren't the only source/method.

3/3

2. If a Western govt is the source, they are sending a msg: we know Trump Admin is in the bag for RUS and that RUS leaders are manipulating US negotiators. Big embarrassment for US. Could slow the process at least a little while.

2/

Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukra...

Three things stand out about the amazing stories in @bloomberg.com today:

1. Leak probably not from a US or RUS source. Note that Bloomberg also published transcript of a conversation in Russian btw 2 senior RUS officials Dmitriyev and Ushakov.

1/

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Friedensplan für Ukraine: Wie Vance und Rubio um Macht in der US-Regierung ringen Bei den Friedensverhandlungen für die Ukraine geht es auch um Spannungen in der US-Regierung. Worum es in Washington geht, klärt ZDFheute live.

Hab' die Ehre gehabt, bei @zdfde.bsky.social ZDFLive aufzutreten bzgl Russland-Ukriane & Trump-Regierung.

Die Regierung Trump zeigt grosses Verstaendnis fuer die Russischen Forderungen. Diplomatisches Eingreifen von Ukraine und ihre Unterstuetzer: wichtiger denn je.

www.zdf.de/play/magazin...

The 28 points would strip Ukraine of its sovereignty and security. It would reward Putin for his aggression and thereby encourage him to go even further. This is unacceptable.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made clear: “This war can only end with Ukraine’s full consent. It cannot be resolved by great powers over the heads of those under attack.” He stressed that Europe must be part of any solution and warned that Ukraine’s defeat would destabilize the entire continent.

“He Must Have Got This From K.” How a Russian operative used the American media to force a risible “peace deal” into existence

Here is my read of the "peace plan" and how Kirill Dmitriev played the American media to force this thing into being -- with an incompetent White House scrambling to make it seem like this was somehow coordinated and well-planned. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

Selten schräg. Selbst wenn (!) man der These folgt, dass mehr Atomwaffen in den Händen der Guten eine gute Sache wären... wer glaubt eigentlich, dass die Europäer dafür von einer Zustimmung zur "Proliferation" der USA abhängig wären, wie dieser Text nahelegt?

Resilienz und Abschreckung stehen im Fokus der diesjährigen #BSC2025 – mit Schweden als Partnerland. „Es liegt in unserem nationalen Interesse, dass die NATO die stärkste Militärallianz der Welt bleibt“, betonte Staatssekretär von Geyr in seiner Rede. 🔎 diplo.de/2744370

Episode 135: Reenergizing the German Economy The German economy is stagnating, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised an autumn of reforms. But are the government’s policies enough to restore competitiveness? Berenberg Chief Economist…

To jumpstart the economy, Germany needs a new culture of risk, says Holger Schmieding in the latest episode of our Zeitgeist podcast:

Ok, so that just happened...

Great piece from AGI non-resident senior fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger on the AfD, its foreign policy views, and how the party is trying to cultivate ties in the U.S. without changing its closeness to Russia and China. Worth a read! 👇

@amgerinst.bsky.social

Nexperia Crunch Sees Carmakers Asking for ‘China-Free’ Supplies European carmakers are looking into ways to scratch components made with parts from China, spooked by deepening geopolitical spats playing out through chipmaker Nexperia and Beijing’s export controls on rare earths.

European carmakers are asking suppliers to use parts made outside China

“We had some indications already — questions like, ‘how can you supply me without this dependency on China?’” said the head pf Schaeffler AG’s powertrain & chassis division

Trump Organization Is Said to Be in Talks on a Saudi Government Real Estate Deal

1/How to make sense of Saudi-US expose -- golf course licenses and real estate deals for a defense agreement and nuke tech? Enter the world of neo-royalism (www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mxthh...)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/w...

Large far-right German delegation to visit Washington, Trump ally says The invitation to the capital comes as Alternative for Germany politicians seek to build closer ties to the U.S. government.

www.politico.eu/article/larg...

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Germany of Standard Missile 6 Block I and Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.5 billion."

media.defense.gov/2025/Nov/14/...

Poland sets up first-ever military satellite launch “We are developing the capacities of targeting, and … we are joining a group of countries that have such capacities," a senior Polish official said.

“We are developing the capacities of targeting, and … we are joining a group of countries that have such capacities," a senior Polish official said.

A decision 10 years late, but nevertheless correct by Chancellor Merz. Unfortunate that neither Scholz nor Merkel were willing to take this on. As with defense capabilities and economic vulnerability, Germany is finally digging out from far too many years of geopolitical and geoeconomic complacency

"At the #agigala in New York, two management giants demonstrate that competition does not mean hostility." Thanks to The Pioneer for highlighting AGI's Global Leadership Award and transatlantic greatness: www.thepioneer.de/originals/th...

European NATO countries scrap plan to buy Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AWACS The United States withdrew from the AWACS replacement program in July, removing the strategic and financial base of the program, the Netherlands’ MoD said.

The United States withdrew from the AWACS replacement program in July, removing the strategic and financial base of the program, the Netherlands’ MoD said.

Part of a bizarre performance which included comparing himself, “a kind of dissident”, to Kara-Murza sitting next to him (the latter was not happy).

Great conversation with Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist at Berenberg, and @amgerinst.bsky.social about the German economy and the policies of Chancellor Merz's government to try to reverse 5+ years of stagnation. Have a listen!

Can anything halt the decline of German industry? Europe’s manufacturing champion is in free fall. Economists are suggesting radical steps to save what is left

Fact o day: Since the start of 2025, Germany has been running a trade deficit in capital goods with China over a rolling 12-month period. That is a first since records began in 2008.
on.ft.com/4nTHK9z via @financialtimes.com

Die AfD vertritt außenpolitisch regelmäßig russische Interessen. Sie verneint, dass von Putin eine Gefahr für uns ausgeht, obwohl er - für jeden ersichtlich - tagtäglich einen hybriden Krieg gegen Deutschland führt und in unserem Land sabotiert, spioniert und mordet.

That’s a lot.

67% of Germans say that “When in doubt, we can and should no longer rely on military assistance from the US.”

Study: www.moreincommon.de/wp-content/u...

New German sub-hunting plane to operate out of Norway, Iceland The aircraft will serve to ensure no Russian submarines are able to enter the open Atlantic undetected, German officials said. 

The aircraft will serve to ensure no Russian submarines are able to enter the open Atlantic undetected, German officials said. 

The newly elected Bundestag ultimately passed the 2025 budget in September 2025. The disjunctures of spending at a reduced rate don't get in the way of the main lines of government activity (including investment). All things considered, not a bad system when viewed right now from Washington! 3/3

This was the case at start of 2025 b/c previous govt lost its majority in Nov 2024 and couldn't pass budget. The Finance Minister sets the spend rate, which in this case was 90% of the level that the outgoing gov't proposed for 2025, for the first 6 months of the year. 2/

Picking up @donmoyn.bsky.social re: Germany and avoiding lapses in budgetary authority. GER Basic Law (constitution) stipulates that in absence of approved budget at the start of year, there is "provisional budgeting" (vorläufige Haushaltsführung) so the govt can meet all legal obligations 1/

Rund 500 Millionen Euro für Entwicklung und Beschaffung von Drohnenabwehrflugkörpern freigegeben Der Haushaltsausschuss des Bundestages hat in seiner heutigen Sitzung rund 490 Millionen Euro für die Entwicklung und Beschaffung von Drohnenabwehrflugkörpern des Typs DefendAir von MBDA Deutschland f...

Germany spends €490 million on developing and fielding the DefendAir (formerly SADM) "anti drone" missile. Serial production for the 5 km range class missile envisioned for 2029. Will very likely be integrated on Skyranger.
www.hartpunkt.de/rund-500-mil...