💯 Every world power in human history has cultivated dedicated expertise about the world outside of its borders. Cutting area studies is the signature leading indicator of imperial decline.

Social sentiment in #Russia continues to trend down. In April VCIOM "Satisfaction with life" really collapsed. Economic costs of the war have been felt by most Russians only starting in 2025.

Average russian and apparently a man who hasn't seen news for 5 years is looking for answers why is Ukraine striking at Moscow "What bad things have we done to you?" The disconnect is honestly wild

For the next 4 days this account is a Lake District (England) tourism account. Day 1: 1) Sizergh castle & gardens 2&3) Gummer’s How, view of Lake Windermere 4) The Sportsman pub in Ambleside, where we watched Arsenal take 1 step closer to 🏆 in classic fashion (1-0 to the Arsenal)

ONE. TO. GO.

I say without hyperbole that this is the most brazenly corrupt action in US Presidential history. That it does not immediately lead to impeachment is a dangerous sign of how far the rule of law has declined.

Reminder: (From the Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool)

OTD in 2002 Prez said it was Ukraine's decision to join NATO if it wanted. Which is *very* strange thing to say if you got a promise from NATO that Ukraine wasn't going to be allowed to even apply. Or maybe the idea we got one is bullshit.

The "return on investment" with tenured faculty is having accomplished experts who are experienced teachers there to teach the students. It's sort of a basic point about colleges, you'd think the people on a board of trustees would get that.

the inability to face this among IR analysts and geopolitical pundits is in large part because the strongest lens for understanding Trump are personal psychology, gender, and race, all of which have traditionally been weak points of understand in the field.

War termination 101: As expectations change so do minimum demands.

Mediazona and Meduza updated their overall estimate of the actual number of Russia’s KIAs, based on probate records, reflecting the number of male Russian citizens, 18–59, who died since the start of the full-scale invasion to the end of 2025. The number: 352,000. en.zona.media/article/2026...

It's good to come together on important days of the year to celebrate your country's heritage, though not sure an exhausted gerontocracy running the country into the ground is a national tradition to preserve.

Ukraine supporter and Arsenal fan, might have to watch all of his movies (think I've only seen some of the Marvel ones).

Welcome to the new Post-Soviet Affairs feed! Post-Soviet Affairs is the home for cutting-edge research on Russia, Eurasia, and the wider post-Soviet space. Follow us for fresh research, analysis, articles, special issues, calls for papers, and updates from our authors.

Hooding your doctoral students is one of the best parts of the professor gig. Drs. Pedram Maghsoud-Nia and Raza Raja @supolisci.bsky.social @maxwellsu.bsky.social

Zelensky has decided to allow Russia to have a parade in Moscow. This is top-level trolling.

Imagine a world where the public overwhelmingly disapproves of the president and his party, but literally cannot change national leadership because that party has rigged the maps in their favor. That's an election that fails the most basic test for democratic legitimacy.

I always dreamed of getting a PhD so I could spend half my work week struggling to investigate AI use in essays

I frequently see references to some alleged "hawk" or "hardliner" who might come to power after Putin, including twice today in major outlets. As if Putin hasn't created a highly repressive regime and launched the largest war in Europe since WW2, a war that has killed ~500K people so far.

"An official review had confirmed the presence of 'prohibited information,' the statement said, without specifying what material had triggered the designation." 🙄

100% (but NB “failure” is pretty slippery). IMO even those who thought Moscow would be able to seize Kyiv quickly thought RU had bitten off more than it cld chew. Trying to occupy, pacify, administer, control a country as large and (by then) hostile and determined as UKR was a reckless gamble.

Russia struck two Ukrainian cities today, killing at least 17 — 12 in Zaporizhzhia and 5 in Kramatorsk. An aerial bomb hit Kramatorsk's center; the Zaporizhzhia strike hit industrial facilities and sparked fires that spread to nearby residential buildings and businesses. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

A few thoughts on the @istories.bsky.social story about "a report by an intelligence service of a European Union country on the real situation in the Kremlin and the condition of Vladimir Putin." 🧵 1) The basic idea that Putin is more concerned about his personal security seems plausible. 1/10

Excellent 🧵

Thread. NB: “Unexpected upheavals do happen, including in RU, but they are very difficult to foresee… Putin is all in on his recolonial war, but fear about internal stability could convince him to seek at least a pause.” Agree but IMO more likely he does smthg reckless. True also of Trump.

A few thoughts on the @istories.bsky.social story about "a report by an intelligence service of a European Union country on the real situation in the Kremlin and the condition of Vladimir Putin." 🧵 1) The basic idea that Putin is more concerned about his personal security seems plausible. 1/10

Exclusive footage of rehearsal for the Moscow Victory Day parade

Over the past 2.5 years, Russia has kept adapting its battlefield strategy. Ukraine has continuously adjusted in response. Russia’s battlefield strategy in Ukraine has plateaued.

If Russia’s next democratic chance is to succeed, reforms must be accompanied by a robust process of transitional justice, and everyone, from Putin on down, responsible for committing crimes against our own people and the peoples of other countries must be held fully accountable.

Flying into DC, got an overhead view of the early stages of Trump’s plan to turn the Reflecting Pool into the Donald J. Trump National Mall Swimming Pool.

TSA agents allegedly insisted that Pavel Talankin check the gold-plated award into the plane’s cargo hold, claiming it “could be used as a weapon” in the cabin.

Curious how every time he talks to Putin he spouts Russian propaganda afterwards for days and days. (Total US aid to Ukraine since Feb 2022 is about $135 billion, not $350 billion)

Russia has less Ukrainian territory now than they did in the spring and summer of 2022.

Ukraine is so 'defeated' that russian three-day military operation is now in year five 🤡

Putin has always been ready to make a deal - as long as it is entirely on his terms and involves Ukraine giving up its territory, its people, and its security. 🤦

MLK/Obama: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Roberts Court: Challenge accepted.

Turns out if you have a really common name you can absolutely clean up in the Anthropic copyright settlement.

Don’t know or care about any of the details but this has a very Abramovich vs Berezovsky vibe to it. May they both lose and have their assets confiscated.

Donnie boy and Vlad in a race to see who is more divorced from reality.

Alternative design suggestion...

How Volodymr Zelenskyy manages to survive in a literal war without a ballroom to keep him safe is just shocking to me.

"Nothing to do with drones"

If you were horrified watching elected leaders run & scramble because of gun violence, just imagine how my daughter Jaime felt in school running from an active shooter before she was killed. Now, become a part of the solution & only vote for people determined to address gun violence in America.

"Putin abducted 20,000 Ukrainian children." Thousands of teddy bears installed in US as a tribute to 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted from their homes. Inscription “BRING KIDS BACK” appeared on 70-meter wall in Washington to draw attention to this massive Russian war crime.

Moscow Times and demographer Alexey Raksha say that Russia's birth rate has hit a 200-year low. Here's 1 of his graphs for the last 70 years. Meanwhile, Putin continues his war of recolonization that has killed over 300,000 Russians. ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/04/23/r...

❗️EU Council finally approves €90 billion loan for Ukraine and adopts the 20th package of sanctions against Russia This was announced by the President of the European Council, António Costa.

My colleagues Gail Bulman and @bdtaylor-su.bsky.social on the shortsightedness of eliminating foreign language programs in an ever-diversifying world dailyorange.com/2026/04/lett...

A cri du coeur from me and a colleague about the big cuts in foreign languages at Syracuse Univ, published in our student paper. This is not what a major research university should be doing. I find the cuts in Russian particularly painful (the program is more than 80 years old).