In better news, more Ukrainian sanctions on Russia's genocide-fuel #everylittlehelps #SlavaUkraini 👍👏👇

A Ukrainian Victory Strategy This piece started out as a second part to the Ukrainian victory strategy piece I started two weeks ago. It has been sharpened because of two very troubling pieces that have been published in the inte...

Hi All, Just sent out this post. Yes, the Ukrainians have a victory strategy that they are developing for 2026. They actually understand their war far better than the many of the failures in the western analytical community. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

The question is whether they can implement the strategy, not whether they have one.

An insightful column by Peter Pomerantsev in the Financial Times examines Putin’s narrative of an "inevitable" Russian victory - a war whose geopolitical scope extends far beyond Ukraine.

Meanwhile in Russia 👇

Lavrov made a number of statements that clearly illustrate Russia's vision of the current situation

Russia isn’t interested in peace at the moment

"Europe is still trying to dictate its approaches across the Eurasian continent,interfering with natural interactions between Russia&

and the countries of Central Asia,as well as with our partners in the South Caucasus.Europe persistently pushes into the Black Sea region, ignoring the existing Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. The same applies to the Arctic."

▪️ "Some analysts say that the United States will now leave Europe to fend for itself, that they are currently settling something in the Middle East, that another war will be stopped, and that they need to reach an understanding with Russia, removing the Ukrainian issue from the negotiation table."

YouTube video by Russian Media Monitor Pundits admit Russia is not winning

Meanwhile in Russia: both hosts loudly interrupted panelists who conceded that Russia isn't actually winning in Ukraine. Participants argued about whether liquidating Zelensky would change things for the better and urged Trump to kidnap or assassinate him.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsdS...

OTD in 2007 Prez gave His famous Munich speech in which said "relations between NATO and Russia must be developed before Ukraine can NATO".

So Ukraine can join. Not "we got a promise that they can't". An important detail to get wrong.

Notice how the story has shifted.
Up t 2007: It's Ukraine's decision to join
2007-2014: Ukraine join but we have to allow it
2014 -to now: We got a promise they would never join.

Russia wanted to be invited to join NATO, not to apply. Applying is for little countries & is beneath us. We also wanted to have an excuse to liberate other members from themselves by turning NATO into a defensive alliance that attacks itself.

Which is what the Warsaw pact was.

The hidden cost of Putin’s war: A more dependent Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly characterized his all-out war against Ukraine as a struggle for "sovereignty," yet what limited territorial gains Russia has achieved since 2022 pale ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly characterized his all-out war against Ukraine as a struggle for "sovereignty," yet what limited territorial gains Russia has achieved since 2022 pale in significance to the staggering dependence on China that has emerged.

Lavrov cites illegal referendums Russia conducted that were not recognized by the international community.

These statements show Russia's real intentions, not their statements about negotiations. Russia doesn't want to end the war.

Russia has long given up its pretense that it doesn't attack Ukrainian civilians.Now,it's proud of its war crimes&wants to harm Ukrainians more and more

Russian propagandist Solovyev:

"We must destroy it [energy infrastructure], finish it off completely"

Every day,there's new grief in Ukraine caused by Russia.

Russia killed three kids:two 1-year-old boys&a 2-year-old girl,&a 34-year-old man in a drone strike on a residential area in Bohodukhiv,Kharkiv region. Two more people were injured,including a 35-year-old pregnant woman.

More details emerged of the terrible Russian strike on Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region.
A whole family gone, pregnant mom in hospital with multiple injuries.

The family was trapped under the rubble after the Russian strike. Dad, two toddler boys and a little girl killed by Russian terrorism.

Their mom is 35 weeks pregnant, she's in hospital with a blast injury, traumatic brain injury, acubarotrauma, and thermal burns. Doctors are fighting for her life.

This is what Russia does to Ukrainians - destroys. It must be stopped.

Russians attacked Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia region, with drones. Two women, aged 19 and 77, were injured. Private houses were destroyed and damaged.

Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian civilians.

Last night in Russia's genocide war 👇

The bodies of a mother and her 11‑year‑old daughter lay in black bags on the ground‼️

Russia killed them by bombing their home in Sloviansk - a place where they should have been safe.

3 toddlers, 1 other killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv Oblast A Russian strike on Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Oblast, killed four people, including three toddlers, and injured two others, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported overnight Feb. 11.

⚡️3 toddlers, 1 other killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv Oblast.

A Russian strike on Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Oblast, killed four people, including three toddlers, and injured two others, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported overnight Feb. 11.

More than 11,000 subscribers without power in Zaporizhzhia following Russian drone attack A Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia late on Feb. 10 left over 11,000 subscribers without electricity in the city, local officials reported.

⚡️More than 11,000 subscribers without power in Zaporizhzhia following Russian drone attack.

A Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia late on Feb. 10 left over 11,000 subscribers without electricity in the city, local officials reported.

Good morning: this 🧵👇

🇪🇪 Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service knows its stuff and russia well

They have published their 2026 yearbook. Always an interesting read

Here are the top findings:

1. The Kremlin merely feigns interest in peace talks, hoping to restore its bilateral relations with the United States to their previous level and formalise Ukraine's defeat. Despite this illusory thaw, Russia continues to regard the U.S. as its principal adversary.

2. Aspiring to great-power status, Russia seeks to undermine the current international order by courting the so-called "global majority" and pressuring the Commonwealth of Independent States.

3. Russia's attempt to topple Moldova's pro-Western government has failed, but it will not be the last: the Kremlin will almost certainly learn from its mistakes and make another attempt to hijack Moldova's statehood.

4. A U.S.-brokered breakthrough in Armenia–Azerbaijan relations undermines Russia's geopolitical interest. Russia is likely to launch an extensive influence campaign against Armenia in 2026.

5. In Moscow's rhetoric, the Baltic Sea region is now described as the "Baltic–Scandinavian macro-region". Russia uses this label to obscure its efforts to influence countries in this region and re-establish contacts with researchers and policymakers in the area.