The full text of Merz oped on Russian assets is available here without FT subscription:

„The assumption that ego management can be transmuted into lasting policy gains is wrong.“ My colleague Jeremy Shapiro has it exactly right. www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Putin just announced that Russia is ready to comply with the quant. limits of #NewSTART for one year after its expiry www.kommersant.ru/doc/8058884?...

Still the best explanation of Russian tactics and the difficulty of deterrence. From: Yes, Prime Minister.

Qatar has now been bombed by both Iran and Israel, while hosting a major US base. This has serious implications on the meaning - or lack thereof - of hosting US military as well as just how inconvenient it is to be a mediator in this day and age.

On the DoD security assistance cuts to Europe, there is a reasonable case that US sec assistance should not be going to European Union countries. I think the aid was justified given Russia's invasion but a phase out is a sensible. The EU is wealthy and aid s/d largely go to poorer countries.

Just in case you like in-depth analytical angle on Russia, think about donating to ridl.io ridl.io/donate/

[email protected] calls for immediate support, otherwise they are going to crash. I got to say - they are the best independent Russian media that does extensive coverage of everything that you need to know about Russia. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

In Helsinki, the court case against the #EagleS captain and 1st and 2nd officers started yesterday. Iltalehti reports that 🇫🇮 police wiretapped the crew after detaining them and intercepted instructions by the operator to tamper with evidence: www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/a/f4... (Google transl. text)

Time to re-watch Borgen.

Putin hat in Alaska versucht, das Thema Ukraine gegenüber Trump nicht als ausschlaggebend für US-Russland-Beziehungen zu präsentieren. Für Trump ist die bilaterale Beziehung zu Putin etwas, das er gerne verbessern würde. Die Ukraine ist dabei ein Hindernis. Er will einen Deal, um sagen zu können,

„We have a land war on European continent. We are fully dependent on US. None of the EU members was ready to risk further escalation“. The way @sabineweyand.bsky.social explains EU-US-deal is exactly right. She explains EU‘s trade-offs & rationale — and doesn‘t put lipstick on a pig. (SZ-Dossier)

Interesting development in Germany, where the developer of a large offshore wind farm has abandoned its plans to use wind turbines from China in favour of a European solution. The project was seen as a litmus test for the new German government's approach to China. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

post-Alaska follow-up on yday's thread: #Putin visibly content w/ red-carpet treatment & no immediate threat of #US sanctions. Trump delighted by the optics of a mtg of two superpowers. Contrast w/ how he treated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office could hardly be higher /1

The #Alaska meeting was a partial but significant victory for #Putin. He secured diplomatic rehabilitation from the U.S. president, whom he manipulated with ease, and demonstrated that he will not yield to pressure—even from #Washington.

Says Putin, the expert for fair and free elections.

"We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles. That they will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue." And the US president is just standing there...

Just watched yesterday’s remarks and it is beyond me how anybody can still pretend that NATO is fine. Trump says NATO „owes US $2 billion“ and he clearly sees no value in having Europeans at the table with Putin. www.youtube.com/live/Lbuhxmt...

On top of organising the Europeans - US video call, Merz invites Selenskyj to Berlin for the closer coordination.

Is it just me who gets strong Gotham City vibes and thinks of Nolan‘s Batman trilogy?

Aside from the fact that this Putin - Trump summit is taking place over 6 months into Trump’s presidency, this is essentially what most expected for Trump’s second term: A one on one with Putin without Ukraine and EU in the room, unclear agenda and major risks for Ukraine

For Putin Ukraine is more important than Russia‘s relationship with the US. For Trump the relationship with Russia is more important than Ukraine.

Schon komisch, dass es Wörter gibt, bei denen ich mir nie merken kann, wie man sie richtig schreibt, obwohl ich es schon 1000fach nachgeschaut habe. Eine Art partielle Dyslexie. Bei mir z.B. beim Wort „rhetorisch“. Kennt das noch wer?

What happens when he discovers the rest of Medvedev’s tweets?

The EU’s acceptance of Japan-style 15 percent tariffs—and its decision not to use tariffs or anti-coercion instruments as a retaliatory measure—says less about the bloc’s economic strength relative to the U.S. and more about its reliance on the U.S. as a net security provider.

Crisis and control in Gaza and the West Bank: ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...

More batshit crazy stuff from the State Department

Das Gesetz, das faktisch das System der Anti-Korruptionsbehörden NABU und SAPO zerstört, ist ein ziemlicher f* up. Oder ein Schuss in den eigenen Fuß, um es diplomatischer zu sagen. ukrainian-studies.ca/2023/04/12/t...

What could possibly go wrong? www.newsweek.com/russia-trump...

This one will go down in history of journalism, and it's appropriately ironic that it's a small-c conservatism outlet that's been excusing GOP and big money for decades that comes out swinging at Trump like almost nobody else.

Noise cancelling AirPods in der S-Bahn. Unbezahlbar.

What the hell are secondary tariffs?

Can confirm that this has been read by pretty much every official involved in working out what to do. Also on the US side.

Wie schon bei der Kanzlerwahl fragt man sich, ob da eigentlich vorher niemand miteinander redet?

Dachte der Bundestag wär kein Zirkuszelt.

70 Jahre Deutschland in der NATO und die musikalische Begleitung des Festakts erfolgt durch die Musikkorps der Bundeswehr und der Streitkräfte Litauens gemeinsam. Schöne Geste.

Ich war wieder in meinem Lieblingspodcast. Diesmal live in Hamburg, mit @annakatrein.bsky.social und Peter Dausend. Wir haben über Daddy Trump und die NATO gesprochen. Und darüber, ob man mit 5% den Art. 5 Schutz kaufen kann. podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/d...

Jennifer Kavanagh says it as it is. Trump has lost interest in Ukraine. responsiblestatecraft.org/ukraine-loss...

I understand all the outrage about the Pentagon‘s decision. But did people *really* believe that Trump was serious when he vaguely promised to think about Patriot supplies to Ukraine while talking to that reporter?

#Podcast: In der aktuellen Folge #BAdWweltbewegt geht es um die Herausforderungen des russischen Imperialismus für #Europa. Eine Veranstaltung des Schelling-Forums der BAdW in Würzburg mit @jpuglierin.bsky.social, @schulzewessel.bsky.social und @carlomasala1.bsky.social 🎧https://tiny.badw.de/OwjdQ

Do you all remember the Ukrainian reporter at the NATO summit? Well: „White House confirms it has halted weapons that Ukraine was scheduled to receive, including PAC3 Patriots, 155mm artillery rounds, GMLRS, Stinger, AIM-7, and Hellfire missiles.“

podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/p... Hörempfehlung von mir: @sabfis3.bsky.social ist nicht nur eine große Kennerin Russlands, sondern auch eine tolle Gesprächspartnerin. Beides hört man hier.

Kurz nach der Präsidentschaftswahl gibt es keine Beruhigung in der polnischen Politik. Es scheint, als ob die Parteien schon den Wahlkampf vor der Parlamentswahl 2027 gestartet hätten - beschreibe ich die aktuelle Lage im Auslandsdienst des Polnischen Rundfunks www.polskieradio.pl/400/7766/Art...

Nukleare Abschreckung: bleibt sie stabil, worauf muss sich Europa einstellen? Zweifel an der Verlässlichkeit der🇺🇸, 🇷🇺nukleare Drohungen, Ende der Rüstungskontrolle. Wie sieht die Zukunft der Abschreckung in Europa aus?Was können Frankreich&UK? Unsere Analyse👇 internationalepolitik.de/de/ueberlebe...

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On a more serious note, Trump knows that by publishing this he not only makes the praise public, but also the act of kissing the ring and bowing before the king. It can be debated on whether this is a good strategy. But it certainly degrades the Europeans publicly to the rest of the world.

Are you also asking yourself from time to time (or actually *daily*) how on earth we ended up here?

There is the need to keep the US engaged. And then, there is also this.

Raises the question: and „at best“? Plus, last time I checked there was still a war against Ukraine.

To put the meeting’s length in perspective: there are 32 country representatives there. The meeting is 2 1/2 hours. If every one speaks *only once*, for only *5 minutes*, the meeting is over. Sure will be a substantial debate.