Dariusz Kalan

✍️📷 • Central Europe | Balkans • Motto: Journalism, at its heart, is the art of telling stories.

[Dariusz Kalan @Dariusz_Kalan]

This is not a typical election piece on #Hungary.

For two weeks, I have travelled throughout one of its poorest regions trying to understand why the locals – despite little signs of improvements – keep voting for Orbán.

My long read for @Rept_Democracy:
https://t.co/3Pe1f4aTRj

[Disclose.tv @disclosetv]

NOW - NATO Chief Rutte warns: "We need to be ready... Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board. https://t.co/qC5N14j6HX

[Newsweek Polska @NewsweekPolska]

To on zburzy kruchy porządek na Bałkanach? Mówi o secesji, ale diabeł tkwi w szczegółach https://t.co/CM9oVJTy7g

[Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en]

Russian philosopher Dugin on Ukraine.

Russia doesn't hide its true intentions.

"Ukraine will be ours entirely within a maximum of two years. Possibly much sooner. There will be no sovereignty left there at all, since Ukrainians are absolutely incapable of using it. They never have been and never will be. This is not the case. As far as I know, work is in full swing on a detailed plan for integrating Ukrainian society into the unified space of the Russian World. Work is underway on textbooks, emergency programs for mass treatment and psychological rehabilitation. A project for administrative restructuring is already prepared. Most likely, these territories will receive a new name. Possibly ‘Old Lands.’ But this is still being discussed. As for preserving or abolishing the Russophobic dialect spoken by the Nazis, there is no consensus. I support partially keeping it, but not everyone agrees. We approach this matter very seriously, carefully, and thoroughly. This is not for propaganda, but for major long-term work."

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I spoke with Prime Minister of Poland @donaldtusk.

I shared details of our diplomatic efforts with the U.S. and Europe. It is important for us that all partners who have stood with us since the very start of this war are fully informed about the situation. We are coordinating to ensure Europe is involved in the process.

I thank the Prime Minister and all the people of Poland for their support. We know we can always count on Poland, and we greatly appreciate it.

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

Great powers making a pact to target Poland? Never!

[Clash Report @clashreport]

NEW: Italian prosecutors are investigating claims that wealthy Italians and other foreigners paid to travel to Bosnia in the early 1990s for “sniper safaris,” shooting civilians in besieged Sarajevo from Serb-held positions.

The allegation—based on new testimony gathered by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni—suggests tourists paid different rates to kill men, women, or children.

Source: BBC

[SPIEGEL English @SPIEGEL_English]

Donald Trump's most important security advisers used Signal to discuss an imminent military strike. Now, reporting by DER SPIEGEL has found that the contact data of some of those officials, including mobile phone numbers, is freely accessible on the… https://t.co/OiwUZ1jAio

[The Atlantic @TheAtlantic]

American war planning usually takes place in highly secure facilities. But the Trump administration planned its strikes on the Houthis using a group chat—and accidentally included The Atlantic’s editor in chief, @JeffreyGoldberg. https://t.co/jvBzeJwEuy

[Yanis Varoufakis @yanisvaroufakis]

What began as a student protest is now turning into a dynamic democratic movement. While it is impossible to know how it will pan out, and how brutal the regime's reaction will be, Serb students have re-ignited hope. Kudos! https://t.co/KkQgalXl3k

[Dariusz Kalan @Dariusz_Kalan]

Why are so many women being killed in Serbia? My latest for @BalkanInsight :

[Balkan Insight @BalkanInsight]

On paper, Serbia looks to have made progress on women’s rights and representation, but the rate of femicide and the state’s response show deep-rooted attitudes have yet to change.
Read more: https://t.co/T6cZJUAMWE

[Richard Woodruff 🇺🇦 @frontlinekit]

French senator perfectly describes the Trump situation.

[Seth Abramson @SethAbramson]

This is what ardent NYT _conservative_ Bret Stephens is saying.

Anyone with any sense knows that today was an absolute disaster and disgrace for the United States.

[The Atlantic @TheAtlantic]

“Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy,” writes @RadioFreeTom.

Now “Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think: one of us”: https://t.co/DeSGz8zJGZ

[Dmytro Kuleba @DmytroKuleba]

To those with short memories:

Between 2014 and 2022, Ukraine held about 200 rounds of talks with Russia.

During this period, 20 cease-fire agreements were reached, all of which were quickly violated by Russia.

None of the 200 rounds of talks or the 20 ceasefires have prevented Putin from launching a brutal all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022.

Those who argue that Ukraine should negotiate with Russia now are either uninformed or misled, or they side with Russia and want Putin to take a pause before an even larger aggression.

We should not and will not fall into this trap.

[Senator Adam Schiff @SenAdamSchiff]

“You should have never started it.”

Such ignominious ignorance.

Such betrayal of our ally.

Such a cowardly surrender.

[Euronews Culture @euronewsculture]

📸🇺🇸Anatomy of a shot: The image of Donald Trump taken by AP photographer @evanvucci in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on 14 July has become a defining symbol of an era plagued by political crisis, violence and upheaval in America. ⤵️ https://t.co/XRbND6lYTZ

[Oliver Moody @olivernmoody]

@Dariusz_Kalan and @puhl_jan have an interesting interview with the Polish foreign minister @radeksikorski in @derspiegel this weekend. Some highlights: 1/4 https://t.co/YLDVxbrveX

[DER SPIEGEL @derspiegel]

Acht Jahre lang war Telewizja Polska das Sprachrohr der PiS. Nun soll der TV-Sender wieder neutral berichten. Ein Studiobesuch in Warschau. https://t.co/CgqOHGkK26

[max seddon @maxseddon]

Quite something to complain about how not enough American journalists are reporting on the Russian side of Putin's invasion of Ukraine when two of them – Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva – are *in jail right now* for doing just that