León Castellanos-Jankiewicz

T-Rex: We divide up the oceans into different oceans, but c'mon - it's all the same ocean! T-Rex: *GASP* T-Rex: Wait, this applies to everything!

T-Rex: We divide up the planet into different countries, but it's all the same planet! And we divide us all up into these groups, but WE'RE ALL THE SAME SPECIES! Dromiceiomimus: I'm not. T-Rex: Okay, fine, we're all the same CLADE! A clade, of course, being a monophyletic group of organisms sharing the same common ancestor. Dromiceiomimus: Of course!

Utahraptor: But pterosaurs aren't dinosaurs, so they're not part of the same clade as us. T-Rex: EUGH! T-Rex: Utahraptor, I am TRYING to achieve some sort of ENLIGHTENMENT here, and instead I'm being bogged down in CLADE DEFINITIONS. How about this: we're all LIFE, so we're all in this together. Ruin that!! Utahraptor: This would be much more compelling if I didn't have to devour other forms of life to maintain my own.

T-Rex: Ah, I see the trouble here. I said "ruin that!!" when I should've said "please leave me in ignorance, it's very important for my mental health right now." T-Rex: My mistake!!

that's a big oopsie-doopsie on my part, and i apologize

qwantz.com/index.php?co...

I write today for @euractiv.com about how contradictory national rearmament policies in Europe are playing into Russia's hands:

Excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to engage with a vibrant and supportive community in the arms trade space :

US Conventional Arms Transfer Policy Resources and expert assessment of US Conventional Arms Transfers (CAT) Policy

Yesterday's Trump executive order establishes an "America First Arms Transfer Strategy"... which appears to replace the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy. See updated resource www.forumarmstrade.org/catpolicy.html
EO - www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
factsheet - www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...

New publication: Happy to see our @asilorg.bsky.social Closing Plenary "Can Arms Trade Bring About Peace?" in the Proceedings of the American Society of International Law 2025 Annual Meeting. Thank you to the panelists for their insightful remarks. Full text: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Opinion | Let the Arms Race Begin

New START sunsets in 2 days: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/o...

The Progressive Post - Does peace still have a chance? feps-europe.eu/wp-content/u...

The way to accelerate science is to SLOW it down.

Fewer papers please! We’re drowning in meaningless text.

One GREAT paper per lab per decade is more than enough.

q.e.d 👇

The Authorized Trade in Small Arms: Latin America from a Global Perspective Situation Update: Latin AmericaBased on UN Comtrade data, reported global small arms and light weapons (hereafter ‘small arms’) exports rose sharply from USD 5 billion in 2019 to USD 9.2 billion in 20...

Ammunition remains the most traded small arms category worldwide, accounting for 35% of the value of reported global imports for the period 2019–24. Read more in this Situation Update from 2025, part of a collaborative project supported by SNIS: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/aut...

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Technology and the (future) Human in War x2 Ref: 43027 & 43028 (Fixed Term) - Job page - University of Sussex Job Search

Two postdoctoral researcher roles at the University of Sussex for a project on "Technology and the (future) Human in War": jobs.sussex.ac.uk/job/36e1adc2...

"European Rearmament and U.S. Weapons Reliance" by León Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Senior Researcher, Asser Institute for International and European Law in The Hague @leoncastjan.bsky.social #TrumpAtOneYear www.forumarmstrade.org/trump_yearon...

one year since David Lynch passed, happy friday and RIP big dawg

Rebalancing the Transatlantic Defense-Industrial Relationship: Regional Pragmatism in Northeastern Europe Facing acute threats, states in Northeastern Europe are pioneering a pragmatic model of defense-industrial cooperation that offers lessons for managing transatlantic dependencies in an era of uncertai...

"Instead of using new resources to build pathways for deeper European cooperation, consolidate demand, and reduce strategic dependencies, Europe’s decisionmakers are spending these resources in ways that reinforce fragmentation." carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

Exclusive: Russia likely placing new hypersonic missiles at former airbase in Belarus, researchers find Deployment of the Oreshnik would underscore the Kremlin’s growing reliance on the threat of nuclear weapons as it seeks to deter NATO members from supplying Kyiv with weapons.

"Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based expert on Russia’s nuclear forces, said he was skeptical deploying the Oreshnik would provide Moscow with any additional military or political advantages other than reassuring Belarus of its protection." www.reuters.com/world/europe...

📣 Call for applications!

We are currently accepting applications for the Milena Jesenská Fellowship, a three‑month residency for cultural journalists from across Europe, offering a monthly stipend, workspace, and access to the IWM community.

More info & to apply: www.iwm.at/calls/milena...

Flemish government relaxes arms trade rules and invests in defence innovation The Flemish government has approved a new draft arms trade decree to facilitate the legitimate trade in military goods, civilian firearms...

"The export ban on weapons to Israel will continue to apply, while a full permit procedure and thorough end-use inspections will remain mandatory for high-risk destinations, including countries subject to sanctions or affected by armed conflict." www.belganewsagency.eu/flemish-gove...

Happy Solstice! The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. For places north of the Arctic Circle, that means that the sun does not rise all day, right?

Wrong!

There's an asymmetry between day and night,in favour of day, which is more pronounced the further you go from the poles. 1/5

As U.S. Guns Pour Into Canada, the Bodies Pile Up

U.S. gun policies is an international issue. Most crime guns in Canada are trafficked from the U.S. Bad actors in the gun industry enable and profit from it. We need @actiononguns. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/w... Excellebt reporting from @onishinyt @nytimes

Lawfare Daily: The Defense Tech Paradox, with Susannah Glickman | The Lawfare Podcast

How does defense tech undermine the traditional industrial base and legacy weapons manufacturers? Historian Susannah Glickman discusses this interesting proposition via @lawfaremedia.org: shows.acast.com/lawfare/epis...

Europe’s push to arm Ukraine has sparked debates about its defence. Our article of the week outlines two competing visions of EU security: a state-led “war economy” and Silicon Valley-inspired disruptive tech.

By @jocelynmawdsley.bsky.social in @geopoliticsjournal.bsky.social

buff.ly/AC8otpn

Agreement on Defence Export Controls The UK has joined a defence exports treaty with France, Germany and Spain which will make it easier for UK defence businesses to export.

UK joins defence exports treaty with France, Germany and Spain where parties "shall not oppose a transfer or export to a third party" aside from in "exceptional situations". This could increase the risk of downstream damage caused by UK defence products. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Understanding the historical forces driving the expansion of human rights For most of human history, large societies have drawn clear lines between people who belong to the in-group and those who do not. These lines determine who is recognized, protected, or granted status,...

For most of history, societies drew firm lines between those who belonged and those who didn't, shaping who was protected or excluded. Beginning in the Enlightenment, European societies began expanding rights.

A recent SFI working group is examining the historical forces driving this expansion.

I’m a scholar of gun violence. Not even I can process what happened at Brown. - The Boston Globe My typical response to school shootings is to call for policy changes. But I’m afraid the task ahead is bigger than that.

because all i’ve been capable of these days has been talking and texting with my students, and writing

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/17/o...

Opinion | Europe Wakes Itself Up on Defense Some European leaders finally see the dangers clearly, but do voters?

"It’s the season of peace and goodwill—unless you’re a European defense official." www.wsj.com/opinion/euro...

Now out!

"Crowdsourced War" @nyulawreview.bsky.social

We describe a revolution in war fighting that we call “Crowdsourced War.” It's putting civilians at risk around the globe. It is time to adopt new rules to protect civilians from the new risks they face.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

War economy vs European Silicon Valley? The EU's competing sociotechnical imaginaries of defence innovation and industry The war in Ukraine and the US administration's growing disengagement from European security have led to a paradigm shift in European defence. While contestation and negotiation about strategic prio...

Very happy to say that my article with @brunoomartins.bsky.social 'War economy vs European Silicon Valley? The EU's competing sociotechnical imaginaries of defence innovation and industry' has just been published in @cspjournal.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Total bids for the Commission’s SAFE loans reach nearly €190 billion  Demand surpassed the SAFE loan envelope by about €40 billion

Total bids for the Commission’s SAFE loans reach nearly €190 billion 

The Digital in War: From Innovation to Participation The age of technological disruption in warfare is here. Read the complete series (PDF).

The age of networked, technologically disrupted warfare requires new strategies, innovations and regulations

‼️"The Digital in War: From Innovation to Participation" series from @carnegieendowment.org & @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social analyses these evolutions

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We must prepare for war with Russia, says Nato chief in stark new warning Russian could attack Nato within five years, Mark Rutte said, warning allies to start ramping up preparations "now".

Russia could attack Nato within five years, says alliance chief in stark new warning

Russian could attack Nato within five years, Mark Rutte said, warning allies to start ramping up preparations "now".

🎯 New publication: As Europe prepares for war, we argue that current EU rearmament proposals could erode the rule of law. I thank my wonderful co-authors, from whom I learnt a great deal in @tmcasser.bsky.social & beyond.

🔗 Full article (open access): edseq.lexxion.eu/article/EDSE...