Book writing during the World Cup

US IS WINNING THE WORLD CUP!!!!

Germany failed to equip its new EV subsidy scheme with buy-EU/buy-ally clauses. As VW announces a 100.00 layoffs, I doubt Berlin would make the same mistake today — just 4 months later. So it seems like a good moment to re-up Lucas, Nils and my blueprint for a harmonised EU EV industrial policy.

Large chunks of the Mall are now effectively an armed encampment surrounded by tall fencing. In some areas, crowds are herded through security lines to get to features that used to be easily accessible in previous years.

LoL. Love this town

The average life expectancy of a new Russian recruit—from arrival at a training ground to death in a combat zone—lies somewhere between 10 days and three weeks. Once sent onto the battlefield, they survive an average of 20 to 35 minutes. @peterfrankopan.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/25/r...

Love how Boston did the huge Big Dig and then were just like whatevs we will connect the T to the airport by bus.

For the UK to ever rejoin the EU, they must develop a clear appreciation of what they are joining: a federal project. Thatcher was right about that. If the UK thinks there is some Geoffrey Howe “third way” (the notion EU is just econ project) - Brexit will just be repeated.

Put on the AC. You've earned it, Europe! www.economist.com/europe/2026/...

Finally. We’ve done it 🇺🇸

Finally. 🇺🇸 has won.

Significant and highly unusual. Sounds like the refinery in Moscow was really thoroughly destroyed. www.reuters.com/business/ene...

This week marks 10 years since Britain left the European Union. @tommctague.bsky.social joined The #Eurofile to explore the history of the UK-Europe relationship, long-term impacts of Brexit, and what's next. 🎙️ @maxbergmann.bsky.social + @donatienneruy.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/2FIi...

BBC cutting back its foreign network, in this case in CEE/Balkans. Governments spend countless billions on soft power. Can you imagine the cost of the BBC having a stringer in the Balkans vs the benefits it brings not just to BBC viewers but also Britain? Completely mad.

The force posture review that never dies. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Here at the Reflecting Pool where a big chunk ofTrump's blue paint-apoxie has peeled off the bottom of the pool and is bobbling in the water.

1) to continue engaging in a constructive dialogue with our main economic partners, to defend our economic and security interests. That dialogue needs to provide results.

💥 European Council finished at 1.20am - leaders spent 2 hours discussing China Looks like they gave the commission guidance to produce new trade tools Via an EU official - leaders asked the commission with two tasks vis-à-vis China

Read about how the EU could build this approach into its new steel regulation and make it the foundation of steel transition partnerships in this article from S-Curve Economics Senior Research Associate David Kleimann: www.sustainableviews.com/why-embedded...

Super excited to support the national team of Kansas. Let's go Algeria!

Just incredibly tragic news. David was so thoughtful and engaging, such a terrible loss.

Deeply saddened to read of David Kleimann’s passing. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. I have always thoroughly enjoyed our conversations about trade and Europe. He will be missed. 🕊️

The World Cup and international football is too important to be left to some Swiss “nonprofit.” Indoor “hydration breaks” are a joke. It should be “internationalized” and managed by the UN. Same with the Olympics

Screw “mother nature” is an interesting manosphere evolution

Now they're fighting... the Weather Channel

Tough times for DC right now... we don't get the World Cup (Dan Snyder's fault). Instead we get some UFC counter-programming thing.

Please god let this close the portal to Hell the Cubs opened in 2016

"From a U.S. perspective, disengagement from NATO would be a strategic mistake," writes CSIS expert Jonathan Burchell. Read more on why Ankara must serve as a moment of strategic refocusing: https://bit.ly/3SBUoQo

Haiti did CONCACAF proud.

New episode of #RussianRoulette: @maxbergmann.bsky.social and I sat down with Dr. Nina Khrushcheva to discuss her recent trips to Russia, how Russian society is responding to the war in Ukraine, and insights from her new book, Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System. w/@erep.csis.org

World Cup not conducive to book writing.

New @privateeyenews.bsky.social.

The problem here is that France wants a strong common EU foreign policy "strategic autonomy" AND total national control of foreign policy. The only way to make EU foreign policy strong and coherent is for states to give up control. Europe needs to make the trade: sovereignty for power.

“Had Thucydides been an economist looking at the explosion of Chinese exports to Europe, he might have expected a trade war.” My latest for The Economist. economist.com/europe/2026/...

Russia is intensifying its attacks on Europe & the US is withdrawing from its commitments to European security. Europe is stuck between a rock & a hard place. What can European govs do in the next 1-2 years to improve deterrence & readiness efforts? Read suggestions in my new report buff.ly/rwfLU1S

The death of #FCAS what does it mean for common European defence projects? Read this: csds.vub.be/publication/...

Ukrainian drone strikes are impacting the Russian gasoline market again. This will be a space to watch in the coming weeks.

We’re not saying we change from one horse to the other, but [if] one horse is not fast enough . . . let’s try [to] find a second horse” Switzerland weighs Franco-Italian air defence system in response to 5-year delay on US Patriot deliveries @mjruehl.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/ffb7cb56-9...

“The political temptation to slash U.S. oil exports amid high fuel prices is understandable, but likely to backfire in practice,” writes Clayton Seigle. Read more about the consequences of banning gasoline exports: https://bit.ly/4ul2RVv

It often takes forever for Germany to change course, to recognize reality. But when it finally does move, it often does so decisively

Feels like something is moving in Germany. Conservative leader in EPP Manfred Weber “Either we fight back, or China will cripple parts of our industry. The EU must now use its trade policy instruments decisively and without hesitation"

Umm…

New episode of State of Play is out now: Four years into the war, is the balance finally shifting in Ukraine's favor? Together with @maxbergmann.bsky.social, I've joined @willtodman.bsky.social to discuss our trip to Kyiv and how recent developments are altering the course of the war.

Axios headlines over the past week: 5/23: Exclusive: What's inside the Iran deal Trump is close to signing 5/23: Exclusive: Trump says he's "50/50" on Iran deal, decision by Sunday 5/24: White House says Iran deal could take days [more below]

That Ukraine has just proposed talks with Russia is a sign of strength. It also shows what an absolute joke the whole Witkoff-Kushner Trump administration effort was.

This is a huge pathology in American transit. The USA is a great country with many virtues but everyone knows we are not a world leader in trains — just copy other people’s trains!!! Copy the project management, the operations, and the rolling stock itself.

In May, the "Hormuz" effect really showed up in Russian oil-and-gas revenues for the first time. Note that nominal revenue is not that high in comparison to 22-25. This is mainly because of ruble strength. Also, subsidies to refiners are very expensive (to keep domestic prices low).

Europeans face a kind of “Schrödinger’s NATO”: the US appears both committed to, and absent from, the alliance at the same time. Instead of keeping NATO fully reliant on America, Europeans need to create a security architecture underpinned by Europeans themselves. 1/3

AfD-Bundesvorstand Gottschalk holt sich Rat bei Trumps ehem. ICE-Kommandant Gregory Bovino: „Could we do the same in Germany?“ „Absoluteley…I‘m a phone call away“ „Maybe I can invite you to the Bundestag and you give us some ideas for Germany“ „The Germans are very good in this“