My new piece in Foreign Policy - how Russia tried but failed to stop Bulgaria from joining the Eurozone. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/15/b...

We just adopted our 19th sanctions package. It targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others. The EU is curbing Russian diplomats’ movements to counter the attempts of destabilisation. It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war.

From Putin with love "A Russian missile slammed into an American electronics factory in a remote corner of far western Ukraine early Thursday, causing extensive damage and more than a dozen injuries, according to Ukrainian officials."

They did their job. They convicted criminals. They’ve been fired: apnews.com/article/jan-...

Now-Chancellor Friedrich Merz has the chance to make good on his promise to shift Germany from fragmentation to coherence. Will he accomplish the ‘Zeitenwende’ his predecessor could not? @sophiabesch.bsky.social and @lianafix.bsky.social write for @foreignpolicy.com ⬇️

Fantastic run down of all the great things happening in the pro-democracy movement and beyond. I do worry that these mass movements need to better articulate democratic resilience and have a pro-social vision for democracy’s future. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...

Thousands of small grants to libraries and scholars were cut. Instead, "the agency announced it would be redirecting $17 million of its funding to create the National Garden of American Heroes, a patriotic statuary park" www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/a...

"Trump is now underperforming his polling during his first term. In other words, after his first hundred days he is more unpopular than any other president in the history of public opinion polling." @dandrezner.bsky.social

In each of the four lawsuits, federal judges quickly blocked the most consequential elements from each executive order.

Where and how are European countries going to discuss the European security architecture, and coordinate their activities and efforts? Is it now time to dust off the idea of a European Security (and Defence) Council? Professor Richard G Whitman explores these questions in the latest RUSI Commentary.

The Future of US Bases in Europe | “Keeping in mind that US forces are not in Europe to protect Europeans. They’re there for our strategic interests.” @general-ben.bsky.social

The Future of US Bases in Europe | “What folks need to understand is our military bases in Europe provide the US strategic depth.” Stephen Twitty

Tens of thousands of Anti-Trump protesters met at Bryant Park and are marching in Midtown Manhattan. "Protect Migrants, Protect the Planet - Marcha por los migrantes y por el planeta" Our City, Our Fight! Nuestra ciudad, Nuestra lucha!

Disinformation and manipulations starts from the top

When I first called it a coup, many thought I was exaggerating. Now it's clear that's exactly what's happening. We break it down on the latest episode of The Oath and The Office. @johnfugelsang.bsky.social #coup podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

"Our economy works best when trade is subject to the rule of law, not the whims of one man. Courts can bolster that vital principle by striking down Trump’s egregious tariff power grab." @IlyaSomin.bsky.social discusses the lawsuits challenging President Trump's IEEPA tariffs.

“…the DEI witch hunt, if not quickly halted, will deprive the government of expertise and experience and cause the next generation to shun public service.” An important analysis from @lrobinson.bsky.social and @cfr.org's Women and Foreign Policy Program. www.cfr.org/blog/trumps-...

This is the kind of thing that, if true, leads to life sentences for treason

'If Russia’s Northern Fleet were to tighten control over the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap, the Royal Navy would face a strategic chokepoint that could sever transatlantic supply lines' writes Anthony Heron in the latest RUSI Commentary.

At a disconcerting moment of global democratic backsliding, Korea provides an instructive case of how basic norms of the rule of law and constitutional democracy can be restored, writes John Delury.

A tremendous honor to join my @cfr.org colleagues Mike Froman, @shannonkoneil.bsky.social, and @lianafix.bsky.social on stage in New York last night, discussing the very easy and straightforward topic of "The United States: At Home and Abroad." www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK8q...

Morning Briefing: FBI reportedly 'cut staffing in an office focused on domestic terrorism,' while DHS recently warned that domestic extremists 'threaten energy infrastructure.'

Our ad with @splcenter.org: www.commoncause.org/wp-content/u...

If Trump and the GOP extend their 2017 tax cuts, the top 1% will make out like bandits — taking home an extra $165 per day. But the bottom 60% will get shafted — getting only an extra $1.10 per day in exchange for massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. It's reverse Robin Hood.

"Continued access to any payment systems by DOGE members, even ‘read only,’ likely poses the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.” From a Treasury threat intelligence dept email www.wired.com/story/treasu...

Featuring: Dan HoSang, @lindsayowens.bsky.social s.bsky.social, @davidaustinwalsh.bsky.social, @toddntucker.bsky.social, @hollisbrusky.bsky.social sky.social, & @dessiezagorcheva.bsky.social And inspired by a recent post by @ajbauer.bsky.social:

New: After an eighteen-month investigation, @theins.press has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Russia’s GRU paid tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban to target American, coalition, and Afghan military forces. Unit 29155 was behind this operation. theins.press/en/politics/...

Study confirms that mainstream parties signaling willingness to govern with radical right legitimize RR parties with higher propensity to vote for RR as a result. Main stream parties do not gain electorally. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

"One of the main hallmarks of autocracy is rampant corruption. The corruption in a second Trump administration will make the American people's heads spin (the new AG will look the other way)." George Conway, The ReidOut, MSNBC

My latest on Kash Patel and the FBI: www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

You mean corruption in Team Trump... I'm shocked, shocked...

Excellent timely forthcoming book

This is not a mandate.

This is destructive and nihilistic. DNI is an extremely complex position in the bureaucracy with tremendous responsiblities. The person holding it should have decades of relevant experience. There is absolutely no way that this does not damage US institutions, and therefore its national security.

Putin's aide saying the quiet part out loud Patrushev: "To achieve success in the election, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. As a responsible person, he will obliged to fulfill them."

Creeping Putinization of Bulgaria. My latest article: cepa.org/article/the-...

My latest piece looking into the efforts of the new Bulgarian government to fight corruption and Russian influence in the country cepa.org/article/krem...

On this day, two years ago

My piece on Putin's spies masquerading as clergy cepa.org/article/pray...

Putin's new social distancing table Meeting w/ Russian religious leaders in the Kremlin on Wed.

Some good news out of Poland: Big turn out in Polish elections, PiS lost its majority

March 14, 2023

Armenia has accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court after lawmakers on Tuesday ratified its founding documents, effectively obliging the former Soviet republic to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he ever returns to the country.

Highly recommended: Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social

Exit poll shows Progressive Slovakia in the lead Michal Šimečka’s Progressive Slovakia: 23.5% Robert Fico’s Smer: 21.9% www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...