I once heard Tom Stoppard at a foreign policy conference. He was a warm-up speaker to someone important. Of the 15 minutes he had, 14 he spent on the introduction. Then, realizing his time was up, ended abruptly. And yet this is the speech I remember. Not the polished one by the ‘important’ speaker.

This is wonderful and also true. The analogies you draw, the thoughts you suddely have, the roads you pursue, the structures you comprehend, simply because a piece of art or theatre shakes you up and makes you think differently.

Great culture can save lives. Literally. Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard

Excellent stuff here from Tatiana Stanovaya. x.com/Stanovaya/st...

X has changed their policy and now you can see where the accounts are based. Here’s an “influencer from Texas”

😮 Norway finds out that its electric busses - produced by a Chinese firm - can be remotely controlled from China! The good news of this is that the Norwegians realised this because they did a cybersecurity test. We need to think about, and test, stuff like this more. www.focus.de/panorama/wel...

I am not a #Merkel fan (as many of you know), but the headlines following her interview with Partizan are complete nonsense. She does not blame Poland or the Baltics at all.

With less (or no) American capability and capacity, the costs and trade-offs Europeans face are exacerbated, writes @rafaelloss.bsky.social @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social https://bit.ly/4nl9m7P

Join us for the BEARR Trust Annual Lecture 2025 on “Is it all over for the rules-based international order?” with Bobo Lo and @kadriliik.bsky.social moderated by Sir Roderic Lyne. 📅 Tue 14 Oct, 6pm (arrival from 5.30pm) 📍 EBRD HQ, Canary Wharf, London Register and donate👉 bearr.org/2025/08/21/t...

🚨 Academic job alert! We are hiring 12 people at graduate, assistant professor, and full prof level in the 20th century history of Central/Eastern Europe. Our institute is growing, Warsaw is brilliant, and we want young and enthusiastic people. Join us!

My long read for @ecfr.eu and probably the publication im most proud of in all my years doing this. A deep dive into how Russia retrenched in Libya, uses it to project power from Ukraine to the Sahel, and the many lessons Europe or other frontline states can learn from it ecfr.eu/publication/...

To continue producing in-depth analysis, we kindly ask for your support through donations. Thank you for helping us sustain our mission! 3/3 ridl.io/donate/

with exceptional analysts and scholars, publishing over 1,000 exclusive articles. We’re especially proud of our role in amplifying emerging Russian analysts, whose work with Riddle has earned them recognition and opportunities in major Russian and international media. 2/3

Seven years ago today, Olga Irisova and I founded Riddle Russia (ridl.io) with a mission to deliver insightful, high-quality analysis of Russian affairs, tackling topics often deemed “boring” or “too complex.” We’ve been privileged to collaborate 1/3

Russia’s large deployment in Libya has not only cost Moscow nothing—it has financially profited from it. @tmegrisi.bsky.social identifies weaknesses European states can exploit to curb Russia’s influence in Libya. @ecfrmena.bsky.social Full policy brief 👇

Russia has entrenched itself in Libya over the past decade, transforming the country into a hub for its African operations. Russia’s approach to embedding itself in fragile states written by @tmegrisi.bsky.social @ecfrafrica.bsky.social @ecfrmena.bsky.social

What’s the best book about Enlightenment and how that shaped how we think and organize our (collective or individual) lives?

We did this with @kadriliik.bsky.social @dumoulinme.bsky.social and Leo a few days before Trump’s call w/ putin on #Ukraine, so who can say they haven’t been warned ))

London, you are pretty

Sunrise in London

If you are in Bologna, you may still be able to make it:)!

I’d be interested to hear what informed people think of the idea below. Feasible? Politically and economically? on.ft.com/3Ec4sII

Yesterday our experts @jkobzova.bsky.social, @kadriliik.bsky.social, Leo Litra & @dumoulinme.bsky.social discussed on what Europeans can do to help advance a better deal for #Ukraine. If you missed the webinar we got you covered! Here's the recording 👇

Why do they assume there would be a peace deal…?

📆 Remember to register for our upcoming webinar on Jan 29, at 9.30 CET! Our experts @jkobzova.bsky.social @kadriliik.bsky.social Leo Litra & @dumoulinme.bsky.social will talk about what the Europeans can do to help advance a better deal for #Ukraine ⬇️ https://buff.ly/40xVZqX

📆 29 January ; 9:30-11:00 CET Join our webinar on how Europeans can shape a future negotiation in a way that is more favourable to Ukraine’s and their own interests With: 👤 @jkobzova.bsky.social 👤 @kadriliik.bsky.social 👤 @LeonidL 👤 @dumoulinme.bsky.social 🔗 Sign up: buff.ly/40xVZqX

On Wednesday, we’ll try I to talk about what the Europeans can do to help advance a better deal for #Ukraine. Given that except Macron, there’s been almost no one to come up with new ideas on what to do, the space for ideas is wide open.

Join us on Jan 29 at 9.30 AM CET Our experts @jkobzova.bsky.social @kadriliik.bsky.social Leo Litra & @dumoulinme.bsky.social will discuss what the EU can do to shape future negotiation in a way that is more favourable to Ukraine’s and their own interests. Register here ⬇️ shorturl.at/l427j

Liquid part of Russia's National Welfare Fund end-2024 $39 bn, down from $113 bn at end-2021. War requires its funding.

34 years ago, 21-01-1991, 100,000 Moscovites marched in support of people of Lithuania and Latvia in the largest political demonstration in decades - against the brutal assault by the USSR forces on the emerging national governments. I am proud that I was 1 of these 100,000.

Have been offline for the past 6 hours, and I just refuse to go and find out what I have missed.

Russia perceives the US as a weakening power, with dwindling hopes for a new world order under Trump. This view, along with the breakdown of arms control agreements, shapes Putin's approach to Ukraine and heightens tensions. Read @kadriliik.bsky.social's policy brief! ecfr.eu/publication/...

So, welcome to the world of Russia-watchers! We have spent years discussing who feeds Putin all that crap he seems to believe. www.ft.com/content/8e91...

Well worth the read- by the always excellent @kadriliik.bsky.social

Ann article @ecfr.eu to make you ponder (and worry) from @kadriliik.bsky.social. ecfr.eu/publication/...

While Moscow once viewed Trump as a partner in forging a post-American world, it now sees him as a symptom of US decline. Read what it means for Putin’s calculus on Ukraine in @kadriliik.bsky.social's policy brief 📝 ecfr.eu/publication/...

The Kremlin's view of a declining US and a mercurial Europe shapes the prospects for a Trump-Putin deal. Read @kadriliik.bsky.social new policy brief. ecfr.eu/publication/...

That feeling when I am still up to my next in work, but incoming mail is ever more about holiday wishes. Grrr…

European governments’ hesitation to pursue strategic security goals in Ukraine risks leaving them absent from peace negotiations, undermining both Kyiv’s position and Europe’s role in shaping a stable European security order. @dumoulinme.bsky.social @camillegrand.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/ukra...

Kusjuures, see ei ole mingi nali. Nad lähevadki segi. Kaks päeva tagasi ma sain Enefitilt kirja. Vastasin neile võõriti - nagu nad oleks Elektrum. Siis sain veast aru ja vastasin uuesti - eeldades, et nad on Elering. Kui ma sellest veast aru sain, siis ma enam uuesti vastata ei jaksanud…

Writing about Russia these days: multiple links do not open in multiple EU MS. Others run v slowly& intermittently. And some of my old favorite articles by Russian writers are simply no longer where they used to be: links gone dead. Compliance with the Kremlin’s ‘undesirable’ designations, I guess.

X now reminds me of Portobello road late on Saturday evening.

“This system is like a car with six gears going forward and none in reverse. Their core organisational principle is never admit a mistake.” www.ft.com/content/89a9...

What’s the word for buying books you really want to read in languages you understand a little, but not sufficiently? (And that latter fact you optimistically ignore at the time of buying, but it becomes apparent once you try to start reading…)

For those interested in Russian politics and society, here is our new podcast series hosted by @kadriliik.bsky.social: on.soundcloud.com/U5dSq

🎧New podcast! How has the bureaucratic system adapted to the requirements of the war? To analyse the role of Russian bureaucrats @kadriliik.bsky.social is joined by Mikhail Komin and Ekaterina Schulmann. ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...

🎧New podcast mini-series! Our new podcast, “Under the Overcoat” will explore the deeper trends beneath the surface ofdaily politics. For a closer look at history, our host @kadriliik.bsky.social is joined by Ksenia Luchenko, @kirland.bsky.social & Mikhail Komin. ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...

Head of Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill says nuclear weapons in Russia were created under the protection of St. Seraphim of Sarov, helped Russia to preserve its freedom and independence www.kommersant.ru/amp/6282620