Keir Giles

No, I very much doubt all of it was, and the translation need not necessarily have been by AI.

Sadly, no, no crystal ball required, just paying attention to what was happening and being willing to admit where it would lead.

Patience please. The thread asking Russian speakers what they notice about the text is coming later.

It was obvious to anybody that was willing to pay attention: "Trump’s promise to transform both America’s relationships with the rest of the world and the country itself raise a long-term prospect that for many has seemed unthinkable: that the world’s liberal democracies would find themselves competing with three major autocratic powers, Russia, China and the United States."

Just popping this from a year and a half ago back on here again, especially for anybody that was startled by the contents of Trump's US National Security Strategy.

amzn.to/4cFI1b6

Thank you! The first one is particularly reassuring but perhaps they should add the word “yet” at the end.

Thank you. Yes, I think it’s more of a feature in “certain” European languages than it is in British English at least. So I’m interested to know if it’s a natural thing for a native speaker of American English.

Yes... it's more the meaning and context than the grammar that I was wondering about.

There is a reason for the questions but I'm hoping to poll a few more answers first!

Please do share any ones that are worth it - the paywall always means I can't read my own stuff!

It's a simple typo, but it doesn't argue that there has been a great deal of proofreading of this document.

Bonus question. How long does it take you to tell if there is anything wrong with this sentence?

4/3

"Spiritual health". I've seen that before, a lot, but not in English.

Have you come across the word "spiritual" used in this manner before, and if so where?

3/3

Repeated examples of the US National Security Strategy using the word "certain" in a way which may be natural for American English but I would like to know what Americans think.

Is it normal and natural in American English to use the word "certain" in this way?

2/3

I have a couple of quick questions on language for American friends and colleagues. These are serious, genuine questions, as in I really don't know the answer but am interested to find out.

1/3

Europe needs to stop its magical thinking and ready for war with Russia Europe is still paralysed by denial over the threat it faces from Putin, writes Keir Giles. Unless European leaders change tack, they will be a soft target for Moscow

Ah, I appear to have once again written my op-ed for the Independent about Europe needing to be ready to face Russia without the support of the United States. It's getting harder and harder to find different words to say it each time.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...

Yes. Something has changed in what NATO is willing to say. Now we just need to wait and see if anything has changed in what NATO is willing to do.

NOT THAT WASHINGTON, in case non-Brits blink at this.

No, I know exactly why this came up in my search results, it's because just like me, the algorithm thought at first glance that it was just another list of Pete Hegseth names for military operations.

Screenshot from linked article complaining about Witkoff

I do think all this ongoing criticism of the US choice of whom to send to Moscow for the "peace talks" that weren't is really a little unfair. After all, if it was a fool's errand, then Steve Witkoff was the perfect man for the job.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...

The trafficking networks sustaining Russia’s war of attrition As Putin seeks to avoid another politically damaging mobilisation, the temptation to draw on Moscow's extensive global trafficking networks will only grow.

ICYMI: Russia's war manpower crisis has spawned global trafficking networks targeting vulnerable populations across the Global South. My recent analysis for @engelsbergideas.bsky.social traces how Moscow's attrition strategy evolved into systematic exploitation.

engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...

Ahhhhh I had no idea what you meant but now I am listening to the start of the programme and it is indeed called “The Context”!

Rutte saying Trump is the only person who can "break the deadlock" on Russia's war on Ukraine.

I'll be on BBC News channel at just after 2000 UK time to talk about this absolute twaddle.

Dim-Wit is officially renamed as Dastardly and Muttley.
@keirgiles.bsky.social

True, they could be hiding behind his enormous brain.

Mike Martin on TV in front of books. Only one of them is mine. Something should be done.

Shocked, SHOCKED to find that Mike Martin MP, author, member of the UK Parliament’s Defence Committee, and all-round deep war-thinker, has only ONE (1) of my books on his luxuriously populated interview bookshelf.

The answer was well-meaning, but slightly vague. I’d rather not quote verbatim as I have already dragged this perfectly pleasant producer enough!

Surely “says” not “thinks”?

Text from a TV news channel asking me to talk about the “huge news from Putin overnight”.

Dear viewers, I have asked on your behalf exactly which part of what we heard from Putin yesterday was a surprise.

I should probably take a look then!

As if we hadn't talked enough already today about Dastardly and Muttley getting back together in Moscow, I'll be on TalkTV with Petrie Hosken from (all times UK) 2230-2243, then BBC Five Live with @colinmurray1.bsky.social from 2245 until they pull the plug on me.

No matter how often it is repeated, what Moscow thinks "peace talks" and "ceasefire agreements" are for still confuses some Western counterparts.

Russia repeatedly gets what it wants because the other side focuses on ending the war, but Russia instead wants to win it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...

I agree with @keirgiles.bsky.social that there are probably other reasons why cable cutting has stopped. One could be that Russia got what they wanted. But this touches the classic problem of proving deterrence: it's very hard to prove why something bad didn't happen.