Henning Hoff

In the light of today’s publication of the Trump II national security strategy, worth re-reading Jacob Ross’ @dgap.org excellent piece in our current issue again. #nss

Very interesting take by @sinemadar.bsky.social ! The new US NSS miscalculation, however, to me lies in the implied retreat from Europe. It would mean that the US no longer is a European/Eurasian power & strategically much diminished as a consequence. A move to assure the loss of global superiority.

Why Europe Should Work Toward Managed Multipolarity US unipolar power politics and US-China strategic competition do not serve Europe. It must actively promote an alternative.

Don't want to read the US National Security Strategy? I have a nicer weekend read for you, hot off the press in @ipq.bsky.social:

ip-quarterly.com/en/why-europ...

At last, Starmer goes on the offensive on this flank. Farage used to be a regular on RT, and his “admiration” of Putin is on record.

UK and Norway to operate together to counter Russian undersea threat through major new defence agreement Combined fleet of at least 13 warships, bolstered by autonomous systems, will hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic as part of new agreement.

Important new defence agreement between the UK and Norway - bolstering Nordic defence, including a joint fleet that also comes with a huge order for the British defence industry:

The EU is trying to improve its economic security. Lots of ideas on the subject can be found in our current issue ip-quarterly.com/en/fall-2025...

Greetings from the mafia state, part 1938 … it’s still strange that so few saw it coming before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A European Peace Plan for Ukraine US President Donald Trump seems prepared to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end at almost any cost. The Europeans need to become more active players.

New from @dgap.org's Stefan Meister: As Donald Trump seems prepared to end Russia’s war against Ukraine at almost any cost, Europeans need to become more active players in the peace plan.

ip-quarterly.com/en/european-...

Macron speaking to the press earlier today. A foot back in the door, or so it seems. The Europeans will need a plan of their own, though.

A European Peace Plan for Ukraine US President Donald Trump seems prepared to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end at almost any cost. The Europeans need to become more active players.

As US envoy Steve Witkoff heads for Moscow again, read Stefan Meister @meistefan1.bsky.social on why the Europeans need their own plan & become more active players ip-quarterly.com/en/european-...

Certainly one way of looking at the founding of a hard-left party in the UK.

How should Britain lead the European response to America’s ‘peace plan’? The Big Ask | No. 47.2025

‘🇬🇧 is in the best position of all to persuade 🇺🇸 that this is not the time to cut a bad deal and hand 🇷🇺 an unprecedented victory,’ writes @henninghoff.bsky.social

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Must-read. The economic dimension to Trump’s “peace initiative”, and basically its rationale.

How should Britain lead the European response to America’s ‘peace plan’? The Big Ask | No. 47.2025

How should 🇬🇧 lead the response to 🇺🇸 ‘peace plan’?

✍️ We asked 5 experts - Dr Przemysław Biskup, @henninghoff.bsky.social,
@lanoszka.bsky.social, @philippelefevre.bsky.social and Dr Timothy Less - in today’s #BigAsk

#BritainsWorld

Ukraine Says It Won’t Give Up Land to Russia Ukraine’s chief negotiator, in an exclusive interview, says conceding sovereign territory is off-limits in peace talks

Exclusive: Surrendering land to Russia to end the war is off-limits, Zelensky’s chief negotiator tells Simon Shuster. “As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up territory.”

I could see upholding EU tech rules, not caving to Trump, cracking down on US tech firms, enforcing the DSA to protect children/democracy, etc as a political winner for the S&D/center left which is looking for some winning issues

Great insights into the Kremlin’s “information operation” of the past few days, helped along by Witkoff (and Trump), by @lukeharding1968.bsky.social

Important to keep the facts of the situation in mind.

The future of the Future Combat Air System as a Franco-German prestige project no longer looks so bright. Perhaps that’s not a bad thing. What Europe needs most urgently are accelerated projects to fill capability gaps; most of them are likely best organized nationally w/ EU-/NATO buy-in.

Hard-hitting and persuasive by Robin Harding www.ft.com/content/f294...

In conversation with @annakatrein.bsky.social Wadephul said the United States remained Germany’s most important partner, France “most important partner in Europe”. E3 (🇩🇪🇫🇷🇬🇧) worked well to provide European “diplomatic muscle”, apparently no immediate need to include 🇵🇱, but ambition to “revive” Weimar

Wadephul’s speech didn’t offer much that was new; basically signaling continuity despite greater rhetorical emphasis on “interests”; “need to adapt our foreign & security policy to new situation”; EU needs to be “hardened”, reformed, enlarged; new to me: ambition to reform ministry/foreign service

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

German foreign minister @aussenminister.diplo.de Johann Wadephul opens #BerlinForum & calls deterrence of Russia one of his priorities: “Russia wants to have the option of waging war against NATO by 2029”

Rubio Insists U.S. Authored the Ukraine Peace Plan

Rubio told senators that the so-called Ukraine peace plan, which reads like a list of Russian demands. was actually given to the Trump team by Moscow, according to a Republican senator. Now Rubio's denying it and insisting it really is a US plan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...

DOGE is gone. So it was only a Trumpian gimmick after all, costing potentially hundreds of thousands of lives around the world and destroying US soft power.

Power Houses Architecture has always been an expression of how countries see themselves. Autocratic countries focus on gigantic projects at home and abroad, while democracies question their architectural styles.

New: @koerber-ip.bsky.social's Nora Müller explores how architecture is used for (geo)political purposes today—from autocratic countries’ preference for gigantic projects at home and abroad, to democracies’ focus on transparency, citizen participation, and openness.
ip-quarterly.com/en/power-hou...

The backstory of the “peace plan”. A Trumpian White House adopted it, a forceful, self-assured European response will eventually bury it.

Lots of good points in this take by @maxbergmann.bsky.social

Quite literally a Russian diktat. Has there ever been a lower point in US diplomacy? @lukeharding1968.bsky.social