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Ulrike Franke

@rikefranke.bsky.social

Senior Fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations. #Drone politics PhD @ox.ac.uk. Previously at, and now teaching @SciencesPo.bsky.social. Writes about all things #Germany #Defence #miltech. Podcast host at @SicherheitsPod.de & LeCollimateur

48,332 Followers  |  2,239 Following  |  5,983 Posts  |  Joined: 01.07.2023  |  1.9136

Latest posts by rikefranke.bsky.social on Bluesky


Das ist uns immer das liebste Feedback โ˜บ๏ธ

22.02.2026 07:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Apparently, Trump now wants to compete with Denmark on welfare and free health care over Greenland. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

22.02.2026 05:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 324    ๐Ÿ” 61    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 52    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4
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Folge #104 Vier Jahre russischer Krieg gegen die Ukraine | NATO: Was denn jetzt? Tot oder stรคrker denn je? - Sicherheitspod โ€œSicherheitshalberโ€ ist der Podcast zur sicherheitspolitischen Lage in Deutschland, Europa und der Welt. In Folge 104 diskutieren Thomas Wiegold, Ulrike Franke, Frank Sauer und Carlo Masala mit Rebecc...

We recorded episode 104 of our podcast, and while our guest, Rebecca Barth on Ukraine was *truly brilliant*, I think the second part of the podcast is even better because it is exactly the seemingly-super-nerdy-but-actually-truly-relevant stuff we set out to talk about when we started this.

21.02.2026 18:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 117    ๐Ÿ” 18    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

So you donโ€™t know either?

21.02.2026 20:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

No, because they wouldnโ€™t translate my German into Austrian. But they did translate me into Flemish.

21.02.2026 20:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Who decides to use this army?

21.02.2026 19:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Friedrich Merz says fighter jet project fails to meet Germanyโ€™s needs Chancellorโ€™s comments contradict Emmanuel Macron and hint at probable unravelling of the Future Combat Air System

Not gonna lie, I found Merzโ€™s comments on FCAS in this podcast incredibly weird. Like, you canโ€™t jus casually mention, after 9 years and millions of Euros spent that maybe you arenโ€™t looking for the same thing.

21.02.2026 09:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 285    ๐Ÿ” 53    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 21    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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Duitse veiligheidsexperte Ulrike Franke: โ€˜Alle Europeanen zouden wat meer moeten nadenken over de vraag in wat voor wereld we willen levenโ€™ โ€˜Hoe sneller er een staakt-het-vuren of vredesakkoord met Oekraรฏne komt, hoe sneller Rusland waarschijnlijk een NAVO-land zal kunnen aanvallen.โ€™ De Duitse veiligheidsexperte Ulrike Franke over Trump, ...

You can read me in Flemish, if you are so inclined ๐Ÿ˜„

www.demorgen.be/oorlog-in-oe...

21.02.2026 19:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 55    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

โ€œIt is the targets set by the Merz coalition and the lack of response from France that push us into unprecedented territory.โ€

Source: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

21.02.2026 08:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 136    ๐Ÿ” 28    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 12    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Die Rรผckkehr der Anti-Personen-Minen โ€“ an der NATO-Ostflanke โ€“ Augen geradeaus!

Poland, Finland, Balticsโ€ฆ landmines are back

augengeradeaus.net/2025/12/die-...

21.02.2026 18:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 55    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Anyway, please listen to this and tell me that this is the stuff you want to hear because that makes me happy ๐Ÿ˜Š

21.02.2026 18:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 29    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Folge #104 Vier Jahre russischer Krieg gegen die Ukraine | NATO: Was denn jetzt? Tot oder stรคrker denn je? - Sicherheitspod โ€œSicherheitshalberโ€ ist der Podcast zur sicherheitspolitischen Lage in Deutschland, Europa und der Welt. In Folge 104 diskutieren Thomas Wiegold, Ulrike Franke, Frank Sauer und Carlo Masala mit Rebecc...

We recorded episode 104 of our podcast, and while our guest, Rebecca Barth on Ukraine was *truly brilliant*, I think the second part of the podcast is even better because it is exactly the seemingly-super-nerdy-but-actually-truly-relevant stuff we set out to talk about when we started this.

21.02.2026 18:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 117    ๐Ÿ” 18    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3
Preview
Poland withdraws from treaty banning antipersonnel mines and will use them to defend against Russia Poland has officially left the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of antipersonnel mines. Warsaw argues it needs to use land mines to defend its eastern borders against Russian threats.

Poland withdraws from treaty banning antipersonnel mines and will use them to defend against Russia

apnews.com/article/pola...

21.02.2026 18:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 126    ๐Ÿ” 30    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 6
Preview
Folge #104 Vier Jahre russischer Krieg gegen die Ukraine | NATO: Was denn jetzt? Tot oder stรคrker denn je? - Sicherheitspod โ€œSicherheitshalberโ€ ist der Podcast zur sicherheitspolitischen Lage in Deutschland, Europa und der Welt. In Folge 104 diskutieren Thomas Wiegold, Ulrike Franke, Frank Sauer und Carlo Masala mit Rebecc...

Neue Folge!
Mit super Gast!
Jetzt online!

sicherheitspod.de/2026/02/21/f...

21.02.2026 14:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 133    ๐Ÿ” 30    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

When have I made this about France and Germany?

21.02.2026 15:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The Fr/UK mixup is possible but it overall feels a bit unserious.

21.02.2026 13:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

How often do you reckon I see Friedrich Merz?

21.02.2026 13:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They have already found it, itโ€™s the special fund(s).

21.02.2026 09:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Der Kanzler im Interview Podcast Episode ยท Machtwechsel ยท 18 February ยท 55m

Also, I really wasnโ€™t impressed by the chancellor casually suggesting that the French nuclear deterrent is sea-based only (????) (min 9:50).

And then a few min later he speaks about the French need to carry nukes with FCAS?
Can we take this all a bit more seriously please?

21.02.2026 09:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 94    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Der Kanzler im Interview Podcast Episode ยท Machtwechsel ยท 18 February ยท 55m

Link to the podcast interview (in German)

podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/m...

21.02.2026 09:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 45    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Like, yes, these divergences are real, and have been FROM THE START. But solve them, or finally end this, but these casual statements are just odd.
Also, afaik, the reason the fighter was planned to be crewed was because of the Germansโ€ฆ
This is all a bit amateurish, sorry to say.

21.02.2026 09:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 101    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Friedrich Merz says fighter jet project fails to meet Germanyโ€™s needs Chancellorโ€™s comments contradict Emmanuel Macron and hint at probable unravelling of the Future Combat Air System

Not gonna lie, I found Merzโ€™s comments on FCAS in this podcast incredibly weird. Like, you canโ€™t jus casually mention, after 9 years and millions of Euros spent that maybe you arenโ€™t looking for the same thing.

21.02.2026 09:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 285    ๐Ÿ” 53    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 21    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

@youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com I think you might find this interesting

21.02.2026 09:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 15    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Anyway, Baby is sleeping on me, so I get to catch up on some reading ๐Ÿ˜„

21.02.2026 09:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 64    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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British politics has a small-money problem Cheap to buy, under-regulated, no wonder the UK is vulnerable to corruption by foreigners

โ€œBritish politics is also vulnerable because it isnโ€™t, in practice, governed by the rule of law. Instead, thereโ€™s a code of honour, premised on the ancient notion that politicians are โ€œgood chapsโ€.โ€

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

21.02.2026 09:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 99    ๐Ÿ” 19    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence Insufficient details about the US data intelligence companyโ€™s recent contract have been made public

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

How Palantir captured the UK Ministry of Defence

21.02.2026 08:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 110    ๐Ÿ” 65    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

Few things I can relate to as much as to Babyโ€™s morning naps.
We should all lie down again after having been awake for two hours in the morning. Feels like a very sensible approach.

21.02.2026 08:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 337    ๐Ÿ” 15    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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The never-ending debate of the European Army and why it is unhelpful | Heinrich Bรถll Stiftung Ever since its first proposal in the 1950s, the European army has been a ghost in the system of European Defence debates. But it is an unhelpful and distracting concept for the challenges that the EU ...

That being said, every author who makes a European Army argument but fails to engage with these ๐Ÿ‘‡ issues isnโ€™t really seriously proposing anything.

www.boell.de/en/2024/01/2...

21.02.2026 08:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 70    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Munich 2026 : le calme aprรจs la tempรชte [Le Casque et la plume #18]
YouTube video by Le Collimateur Munich 2026 : le calme aprรจs la tempรชte [Le Casque et la plume #18]

This is an important point which also discussed in our latest Casque et la Plume podcast

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4hx...

21.02.2026 08:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 36    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

โ€œIt is the targets set by the Merz coalition and the lack of response from France that push us into unprecedented territory.โ€

Source: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

21.02.2026 08:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 136    ๐Ÿ” 28    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 12    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

@rikefranke is following 20 prominent accounts