I can answer that one: We think Americans have lost their mind

It's difficult to imagine Trump ruling any country other than America. If he did, he would be an international pariah. But because he is the President of the United States, foreign leaders are forced to pretend that he isn't an absolute lunatic. It's really something

Not sure when I've last agreed with Trump, but when it comes to Europeans buying Russian energy, he is right. We're feeding Moscow's war machine while Putin wages war against Ukraine. It's absurd.

Berlin's massive rearmament has to be one of Putin's greatest failures. Germany is getting ready for war

Germany's armed forces are making plans to treat 1,000 wounded troops per day to prepare for a potential war between NATO and Russia www.reuters.com/business/aer...

I don't think it's that complicated. You're looking at a bunch of rich people who want to be more rich

Everyone will continue to play nice because the United States is so powerful, but we're going to see much more of this. Under Trump, America has gone from reliable ally to potential adversary so countries will gradually reduce their dependence. It'll weaken Washington and strengthen its enemies

"BERLIN — Germany's new military procurement plan, obtained by POLITICO, shows that Berlin will steer its massive rearmament drive primarily to European industry, with only 8 percent going for American weapons." www.politico.eu/article/germ...

The White House is completely unpredictable nowadays, so Trump might take on Putin’s offer – especially due to his interest in “denuclearization” and self-image as a great dealmaker. However, we shouldn’t kid ourselves: It's almost common sense in D.C. that more nukes are needed to counter China.

Bluesky isn't perfect, but it's infinitely better than X. No comparison, really

This probably isn't news to anyone here, but Twitter is completely insane. Just saw a post saying Brits probably wish Nazi Germany had won the war. 45,000 likes.

How Dictators Hunt Enemies Abroad thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...

I don't know whether this is due to some cultural difference or history but a large number of Americans genuinely seem to believe that their country couldn't possibly turn into a dictatorship. It's absurd to see from abroad because you can quite literally watch as Trump destroys democracy

If Russia conquers Ukraine, Putin will force millions of Ukrainians to fight against us. The Russians are already brainwashing Ukrainian children

What's the best argument against using Russia's frozen assets to help Ukraine?

"We are pier enthusiasts and were very keen to see the one in Southend-on-Sea, which is 2,158 metres long. There is a little train."

Without money from oil and gas, the Russian regime can't function. The more pipelines and refineries the Ukrainians blow up, the more difficult it becomes for Putin to wage war and survive in power

I just got the cover for the Japanese translation of my book and I love it! We're at 17 languages now, which is just incredible

The United States may turn into an adversarial dictatorship. It will take some time, but we need to be able to defend ourselves without American help

Trump is trying to destroy American democracy. It's too early to tell whether he will succeed, but that's clearly the aim

🥐🥖 - French pensioners have exceptional feature compared to their OECD peers—they earn more than working-age adults • France's situation is unique, both internationally and in country's history • Since 1970 median income of French seniors has grown by around 170% (in real terms)

In foreign policy, this is the single most important consequence of Trump's return to the White House. As the United States insults and threatens its allies, they will start to look for other options. Over time, it will become drastically more difficult for America to maintain its dominance

I used to think that most of the intelligent people saying insane things on Twitter were simply captured by their audience, but it's becoming increasingly clear that quite a few of them have genuinely lost their mind. It's not just about money or clicks, they actually believe it

I'm starting to think Republicans might not actually support free speech

An issue that doesn't get enough attention: It has become much easier for dictators to hunt down their enemies abroad thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...

This week in the newsletter: @nateschenkkan.bsky.social on assassinations, abductions and other forms of transnational repression thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...

A month ago, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin. Since then, Russia has targeted Ukraine's government with a cruise missile, attacked an American factory and launched more than a dozen drones towards Poland. Oh, and Putin still refuses to meet Zelensky on neutral ground

Turns out other countries have agency and when you insult or threaten them, they will look for other options

Since the start of the year, Russia has fired more than 34,000 attack drones and decoys at Ukraine. According to the New York Times, that's nearly nine times the number from the same period last year.

China's population has begun to fall. It's projected to halve before 2100.

Die Europäer sollten sofort aufhören, indisches und russisches Öl, Gas und LNG zu kaufen. Das würde auch Trump unter Zugzwang bringen. Und bei Putin würde es dafür sorgen, dass die Europäer endlich mal ernst genommen werden. www.n-tv.de/politik/Russ...

Ankara is trying to have the CHP's current leadership neutralized, while at the same is also engaged in an intense intra-regime power struggle (centered primarily around the succession question: not only in terms of who will take over but also what will be taken over).

Starting to think the internet might've been a mistake

Was – und wer – bringt Diktaturen zu Fall? @marceldirsus.com ‪zeigt, wie Autokraten ihre Macht sichern – und wie sie gestürzt werden können. Unser Rezensent David Kuehn lobt das Buch als hervorragend recherchiert, durchdacht und ausgesprochen lesbar.‬‬‬

Only a matter of time until people start blaming Poles for being attacked by Russia: If Poland didn't exist, Putin wouldn't be forced to bomb it. But since it does, Poles evidently want war

To me personally, the most depressing thing in all this is that Europeans keep buying Russian oil & gas. Every single day of the year, we keep feeding the Russian war machine. Our Euros are used to stabilize Putin's rule, to kill Ukrainians. And now, to attack Poland.

Ask yourself this: If Putin is willing to risk bombing Poland in NATO, what would he do to Estonia outside of it? The answer to that question is why people from Helsinki to Warsaw to Bucharest want to be in the alliance. That's what NATO is all about: Protection.

Here's your regular reminder why people in Poland, Estonia or Lithuania want to be in NATO. It's not because Washington or Brussels force them to, it's because they're under constant threat of Russian attack. They just want to be safe and free.

Putin is so obsessed with winning in Ukraine that Russia is losing influence almost everywhere else. And instead of becoming more independent, the only option left is to become China's junior partner thehundred.substack.com/p/interview-...

Trump either approved the strike or he was opposed but couldn't prevent it. Neither is likely to inspire much confidence in Middle Eastern capitals

Breaking news: Israel has launched an attack on Hamas targets in Qatar, sharply escalating its war against the Palestinian militant group by striking its political leadership in the Gulf state for the first time. on.ft.com/46sKbu1

And if you enjoy these newsletter, please subscribe. The more subscribers we have, the easier it will be to find new contributors. Already at ~8600, which is pretty great. Thank you!

This week in the newsletter: @hannanotte.bsky.social on Russian foreign policy. What does Putin want? We discuss China, North Korea, Iran and Trump. thehundred.substack.com/p/interview-...

Putin doesn't want peace. He will either be forced to stop or he will keep killing

"Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of Nepal resigned on Tuesday during a second day of raging street protests in the capital in which protesters set fire to government offices and to his and other leaders’ homes." www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

On Trump's ICE: lucid.substack.com/p/why-trump-...

“Companies in the sector have raised €2.4bn since the start of 2022 including €1.4bn in the first seven months of this year alone, up from just €30mn in 2020 and €150mn in 2021” on.ft.com/3VJiU0d

America's greatest advantage in dealing with China are its allies www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...

"The war in Ukraine has become a contest between two hourglasses: one measuring how long Ukraine’s thinly stretched army can keep up the fight, and the other how long Russia’s economy can sustain the invasion without hurting the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime." www.wsj.com/world/putin-...