Ed Arnold

*gasp*

And yet somehow Macron will still bounce from summit to summit doing his Stars In Their Eyes de Gaulle routine rather than looking like a blindfolded man in a room full of rakes

The Kyiv Independent is proud to announce the U.S. premiere of its first full-length documentary, “Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics,” hosted in collaboration with the Embassies of Sweden and Ukraine.

Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

‘In a normal world, Tony Blair would not be at the centre of a Middle Eastern peace process’ | The News Agents Tony Blair, best known to some for his involvement in George W Bush’s war in Iraq, could play a role in bringing peace to Palestine under Donald Trump’s new proposal. Is he the right man for the job?

"If you had to pick one man in the world who does not have a great reputation for bringing peace to the Middle East, it would have to be Tony Blair."

Why is the former Labour PM part of Trump's Palestine peace deal?

A New Chapter for UK-German Relations The Kensington Treaty, signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in July, has great potential. But, crucially, its success or otherwise will be linked to EU-UK...

"As important as the new bilateralism is, then, it is closely and crucially linked to broader relations between the UK and the EU as a whole"

@jannikewachowiak.bsky.social and @anandmenon.bsky.social analyse warmer UK-German relations for @internationalepolitik.de

ip-quarterly.com/en/new-chapt...

Judging by their speeches, neither Trump nor Hegseth has paid the slightest attention to how actual wars are being fought in the actual world. The “war fighting” and “lethality” they plan is inside their own country and comes from conflicts inside their own minds.

The presentation is crass, but he does have a point. Militaries need to be much fitter than they are and it starts with leadership

This strikes me as optimistic given the timeline.

Assuming the yearly schedule means the next EU-UK summit is in May 2026, this means that the UK gov would be willing to settle the current EU-UK agenda at the same time while Labour (and the Tories) are battered by Reform in the local elections.

Had a meeting with MoD yesterday and did say that while the activity had been focused on Baltics and Baltic Sea, should consider vulnerabilities in the High North....then a drone sighting over a NOR oil installation

Why??? Its like being 5 steps behind on whack a mole

Literally said this yesterday in ameeting with MoD - as NATO reinforces Copenhagen airport, we need to look at other vulnerabilities. Always reacting to Putins tune

Europe wants to turn frozen Russian assets into Ukrainian firepower The €200bn question at the heart of Europe

Europe is looking for ways to use around €200bn of Russian assets it froze at the start of the war to help Ukraine.

It's tricky legally. But the financial engineering bit was figured out decades ago with the help of David Bowie.

My Charlemagne this week.

www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

Unmasked: 13 Russian officers who led ‘war crime’ troops in Bucha It was the bloodiest civilian massacre of the Ukraine war. Pictured for the first time, these officers commanded soldiers accused of rape, torture and execution

Incredibly important investigation in ⁦‪Sunday Times on the people behind one of the worst atrocities Russia has committed

Unmasked: 13 Russian officers who led ‘war crime’ troops in Bucha

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russ...

Cracking regiment on the cover too

Ex-Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.

Oh, hey, look! A UKIP/Reform MEP pleaded guilty to accepting Russian money to promote Russian narratives. Probably the only one, though, right? Right? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Europe is at war with Russia, whether it likes it or not The fighting in Ukraine is only part of Russia’s wider war against the continent as a whole. It’s high time to recognize this reality and act accordingly.

COMMENTARY: Russia has been waging an overt war in Ukraine for over a decade now.

But the fighting in Ukraine is only part of Russia’s wider war against Europe as a whole, whether the bloc likes it or not.

Yes, that may well be the correct interpretation

Ukraine struggles to keep hold of its next generation As Russia's war drags on, it's not only territory and soldiers that Ukraine is losing — a whole generation of young people is gradually disappearing. The school year in Ukraine this year once again b...

As Russia's war drags on, it's not only territory and soldiers that Ukraine is losing — a whole generation of young people is gradually disappearing.

I think this is the right response. Trump will change his mind again (probably after talking to Putin or Orban); & in any case he offered no new US help, in terms of sanctions or military aid. As for "I wish both Countries well" - does that sound like someone working hard for the victory of an ally?

Ukraine’s message to Europe: You are under threat from Russia. We can help As Russia continues escalating its hybrid warfare tactics in Europe, the latest drone incursions into Poland and Estonia represent another bold move that has ratcheted up the temperature. For Ukraini...

For Ukrainians living through the bloodiest land war in Europe since World War II, the message they hope Europe hears is that other countries are under threat, too — and that closer cooperation with Ukraine can protect them.

Ukraine faces deepening military, political and economic problems A report card on Ukraine 2.0

'It is hard to see a route to Ukrainian victory without a much wider, but politically very difficult, level of conscription. Recruits would need to be dragged from civilian industries. Politicians’ sons, now often protected, would have to go" www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

'Roger that' — Poland, Estonia welcome Trump's calls to shoot down Russian jets The endorsements come amid rising tension in NATO's eastern flank following a series of airspace breaches, which have challenged alliance protocols on intercepts, escalation, and collective defense.

⚡️ 'Roger that' — Poland, Estonia welcome Trump's calls to shoot down Russian jets.

The endorsements come amid rising tension in NATO's eastern flank following a series of airspace breaches, which have challenged alliance protocols on intercepts, escalation, and collective defense.

Finger on the trigger: How NATO is responding to Russia’s airspace violations NATO is a defensive alliance, which makes it very cautious about responding with force to Russia’s provocations.

How is NATO balancing deterrence and defense in responding to Russia’s repeated airspace violations? Read this @politico.eu article by @laukaya.bsky.social with my take ✈️

@rusi.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/nato...

Trump’s apparent U-turn on Ukraine cheers Europeans amid deeper skepticism about US policy Elation over Trump’s pro-Ukraine post vied with doubts that he will ever follow through with tougher action against Russia.

I don’t understand the framing of this Politico story at all. Trump’s post is saying Europe is strong enough to back Ukraine on its own…. US is out, hence he closes with “Good luck to all.” This ain’t good.

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

The Baltic Sea is an extremely congested space both at sea and in the air and there are good reasons why the rules of engagement foresee shooting down *anything* as the very last resort. Because of civilian air traffic.

The difference to Ukraine is that their skies are closed for civilian traffic.

Monday morning re-up: Yes, there is a threat from Russia. But mischaracterising it and, more to the point, presenting every potential setback as existential for NATO/the West risks actually inflaming the problem and encouraging Putin to push harder

"Brexit will allow the Parliament more legal autonomy to legislate and regulate independently at the cost of making Britain measurably poorer" would have been a much more accurate and honest framing of the choice facing voters.

High costs and long waits for popular US-made Patriots just drove a NATO ally to pick a European rival Denmark said Russia's war has proved that air defenses are needed urgently. The Patriot wait times and cost made it pick Europe's SAMP/T.

Assiduous avoidance of the word "Greenland" herein: "High costs and long waits for popular US-made Patriots just drove a NATO ally to pick a European rival" www.businessinsider.com/nato-ally-pi...

Shame on Downing Street for going along with this. So much for being committed to a free press

For Germany’s Defense Industry, Getting Bigger Isn’t Enough Germany’s defense industry has grown due to the war in Ukraine. But bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.

My latest column for @wpr.bsky.social 👇

www.worldpoliticsreview.com/germany-arms...