Sad news from the US, as Tom Lehrer has passed away and now we've lost the greatest political-musical satirist of all time. Though admittedly this is not a huge genre. And to think he made all his songs in 15 or so years over half a century ago. I'm still listening. youtu.be/EJAD2csTQ8A?...

Elsa ja Helsingin Sanomat kysyivät vaikeita, kiitos siitä! Juhlistin vastaukseni lopussa vielä suomalaista laajan turvallisuuden yhteistyötä, mikä jäi pois näköjään.

Its not just Russia. The push to defund the BBC, the Finnish YLE, US NPR etc is all part of an international illiberal movement, whose leaders sit not just in the Kremlin, but also in the white house and even in the Finnish government.

Excellent read two months before my own parental leave. States ❤️

European rearmament might be a lot easier if we had not scrapped the WEU as a defence alliance 14 years ago. Potential lesson there on terminating international governance structures that could instead be just suspended.

We either pivot hard now for european sovereignty, and support Ukraine, or try to muddle through the Trump term and get pulled into the same decline the US is facing.

Simple steps for european digital sovereignty.

This is starting to look like state capture.

It is not Zelensky and Ukraine that should be thanking the West. It is the West that should be thanking Zelensky and Ukraine.

I said this half jokingly, but now with even Friedrich Mertz comparing interference from the US to that from Russia, we should see a broader defence against disinformation and cognitive warfare, even from the US. Right? Yeah not holding my breath.

Mood at work today:

1-4 On the Trump Admin's approach to Ukraine: Here are the elements of US pressure against Kyiv we've seen: - Time pressure - No NATO prospect - No troops - Proposal to grab UA's minerals with nothing in exchange - No clarity on weapons - USAID support stopped

With the redeployment of EUBAM Rafah after 17 years, the EU is using a civilian mission as a very focused crisis management tool with direct impact through the medical evacuations.

Topical conference, just 10 kilometers from the russian border. At 80 years, I wonder if is it new or old?

I would have maybe waited to hear Trumps inaugural speech before posting this…

Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we stop using the misnomer ‘natural disasters’. Humans have their fingerprints all over the LA catastrophe.

These russian cable cutting ops have at least demonstrated the fragility of international governance. We’ve had treaties protecting submarine cables since the 1880s, yet can’t do much when their not respected.

Good to see that we are finally addressing the regional cliques in EU security and defence, but these differences run deep enough to not be solved with a few meetings and pressers.

Poikkeuksellinen mahdollisuus päästä komentamaan ja nakittamaan meikäläistä, kunhan palaan joskus Suomeen. Toki muutamaa muutakin maailmanrauhan maalailijaa.

RE-ENGAGE is now on Bluesky! We are a Horizon Europe-funded project exploring how the EU can refine its foreign policy toolbox to promote democracy and resilience in its neighbourhood during times of war and geopolitical tensions. Follow us for news, events and publications: re-engaging.eu

Key post for understanding (and advising!) the future of European security. There’s more to #CSDP than just defence 😉

2,5 years in to the war and were still addicted to Russian gas. What a failure.

I agree with both of them. JEF leaders, who met in Tallinn this week, said that Ukraine’s victory is vital to all our security. They’re right - but most European governments, including the UK’s, aren’t acting as though they agree. With Trump about to take office, Europe needs to step up, quickly.

Question for 2025 to follow-up on; is the EU different, or will its contribution to crisis management and peace support further diminish as the Union focuses on its own security? Obviously this has already been a trend since 2015 to some degree.

Looking to see here, who we recognize in Syria…

Lot of discussion on the EU response to developments in Syria. Might be a good time to revisit this report from a few years back, comparing approaches in Iraq and Syria, including #CSDP deployment…

The end of Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development. It also shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran. Our priority is to ensure security in the region. I will work with all the constructive partners, in Syria and in the region.

I’m looking at this in the middle of Brussels and missing the green bits 🥹

If the EU still holds ambition as a global actor, it should take on the mantle of building this movement by practically operationalising the Unions core values in its foreign policy.

Another sign that Europe needs to clean house if it really wants to promote its values in the world. Sorry for the pun.

The fact that the EEAS is unable to reliably stream Kaja Kallases inaugural address to staff to EU delegations is a demonstration of just how basic things we need to improve on.

Hey its us!

Let’s see if the georgian governments pivot impacts the EU monitoring mission. 16 years on the ground.

Exactly the type of practice the EU should also foster through civilian #CSDP missions as part of security sector reform. But for some reason we don’t.

It hasn’t been a fun year. ”The proposed cuts come after the EU’s External Action Service (EEAS), the bloc’s diplomatic arm, blew past its budget for 2024. It was on track to do even worse next year thanks to rising costs and inflation, forcing reductions.”

How unfortunate.

Is there something like "FollowFriday" here on #Bluesky? Or a "Starter Pack Friday" rather? We'll as I have updated this one, I am sharing it, again. #FF #PeaceOperations #CrisisManagement #Peacebuilding #Peacekeeping #EU #UN #AU Tell me if I miss anyone in this massive increase of users lately.

Istanbul governor is punishing everyone by closing metro stations and tram stops in Beyoğlu in order to prevent women from marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Incredibly sad. www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/istanbulda-b...

Fires, first aid and guns: meet the Finnish women training for war with Russia

You can get anything you want…

In case interested; the EU commission is looking for scientific research administrators in several fields. Deadline for applications is December 10th.

With all the negative climate related news lately, I’m reminded of the failure of priorities in the current guidance on environmental and climate aspects in EU civilian #CSDP. Instead of integrating the topic in our SSR mandates, we’re mainly focusing on our own footprint.

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Let’s see how many state parties will respect and support the warrants?

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I’m very curious of the para on cooperation in CSDP in the partnership declaration. Japanese personnel in EU CSDP operations?

While the focus is still very much on the armed conflict in Ukraine, we should recognize the wider and more longlasting societal and value struggle that the fighting is a part of. Well supported and engaged civil society is a key pillar in that struggle.

I guess it’s time to give bluesky another try. 🤗

Had a chat with the DCAF about youth, peace and security. I’m still amazed how state-centric peace operations and other crisis management interventions still are, considering the demographics of many countries where they operate.