Edward M. Druce

Diplomatic history for Ambassadors. The intersection of politics/military/finance/intelligence.

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

Bringing incisive clarity to decision-makers: https://t.co/NlrYhXdPxh

[Listening to the Other Side @listeningtother]

Diplomacy from first principles. An entrepreneurial perspective to geopolitics, and prospectus for a new diplomatic outlet. @EdwardMDruce

[Ben Tavener @BBCBenTavener]

Our brief SPIEF interview with Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy who’s been liaising with Donald Trump’s Ukraine enjoys led by Steve Witkoff. Unlike the Russian foreign ministry, which says US interest in Ukr peace process has fizzled out, Dmitriev is more upbeat:

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@BBCBenTavener Great interview. That packed a lot into five minutes.

[Anna Paulina Luna @realannapaulina]

Although a peace deal hasn’t happened yet, using mature diplomacy & maintaining open dialogue with Russia is how this admin will get it done.

Anyone who thinks that refusing to talk to Russia is the best way to resolve the war is WRONG.
🕊️🇺🇸 🤝🏼🇷🇺🤝🏼🇺🇦 🕊️

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@TheEconomist Whoever writes the “world in brief” page has got good sass. 😂 @zannymb

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@TheEconomist @elonmusk 😂

[Tai Lopez @tailopez]

The best advice AI has ever given a human.

[JD Vance @JDVance]

One of the problems we have in public policy is that wonks don’t give any consideration to how their ideas will collide with actual human behavior. Take our Trump Accounts. There are millions of parents who will in theory benefit enormously from this investment in their kids’ future, but the policy does no good if parents never find out how to sign up for it.

From day one of our administration we’ve tried to think outside the box on problems like this. That’s why Elon recruited the best and brightest engineers and designers to help us make government more efficient. Some of those same exceptional design and software talents, under @jgebbia’s leadership, have been working for months at National Design Studio on a different problem: making government programs like the Trump Accounts more user friendly.

With the Trump Accounts we’ve met people where they are. Instead of expecting them to navigate a ton of complicated forms on https://t.co/4MbCJUKklg, we’ve built out a simple, easy-to-use app to sign parents up. The app helps us market the program and sign up users, and deploying it this early does something else: it gives our engineers a pilot program to test out Treasury’s digital back-end systems and iron out kinks in advance of the delivery of the funds later this summer. So, parents, sign up now, and help us invest in your kids for tomorrow.

Because great policy only works when people can actually use it. That is the power of design. When government is easier to understand, easier to navigate, and easier to trust, people benefit. The American experience should be as great as the American promise.

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@ChrisLandauUSA Lincoln did the same thing, and called them “hot letters”.

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@dhh I remember reading some wise words about this once...

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

How big a fan I am/was of Basecamp 3 and 4 (an article that Jason you retweeted at the time): https://t.co/sbu5xXq8f4

I’ll try and adapt in the coming days – but candid first impression: Basecamp 4 was perfectly laid out and, though I don’t think you will, I’m hoping a customer rollback option for 4 can be considered.🤞

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

I get the trade-off of maintaining legacy versions, and that forced version updates are infinitely more streamlined (ongoing).

But hope you’ll consider offering a rollback option to Basecamp 4 for customers who would prefer to stick with it (as you commendably have for Basecamp 2).

Basecamp 4 was 👌
- The old Grid view for Docs and Files, and the magic of being able to drag and drop with that view
- Narrow, mounted Message Board posts, which felt maximally authoritative
- Less prominent Activity Logs, tucked away at the bottom
…Today’s update doesn’t feel like quite the same home.

Total respect/admiration for how hard the team must have worked to make 5 (and I can see many customers love it) – but I do wish I could stick with 4.

[David Sacks @DavidSacks]

The Pope rightly warns that AI must serve human dignity, not become a tool of domination or exclusion.

But if we hand governments sweeping power over AI development in the name of safety, how do we prevent it from being used to censor, surveil, and control citizens — as Orwell foretold in 1984?

This is the real alignment problem.

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.” Who will guard the guardians?

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The oldest questions of human nature and authority don’t disappear in the AI age. They become newly relevant.

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

‘The principle driving the deal is that the more Iran concedes on enrichment and nuclear material, the more sanctions relief it receives, the U.S. official said.
https://t.co/zb1xjUPS3l

“No dust, no dollars. If no highly enriched uranium is given [up], they will get no relief,” the U.S. official said.’ - @BarakRavid

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

Iran deal latest: ‘Both sides would sign a memorandum of understanding that would last 60 days and could be extended by mutual consent.

• During the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz would be open with no tolls and Iran would agree to clear the mines it deployed in the strait to let ships pass freely.

• In exchange, the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue some sanctions waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely. The U.S. official said the faster the Iranians clear the mines and let shipping resume, the faster the blockade will be lifted. Trump’s key principle in the agreement is “relief for performance.”

• The draft memorandum includes commitments from Iran to never pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment program and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

• According to two sources with knowledge, Iran gave the U.S. through the mediators verbal commitments about the scope of the concessions it’s willing to make on suspending enrichment and giving up the nuclear material.

• The draft memorandum also makes clear that the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end.

• The Pakistanis have been the primary mediator, led by Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was in Tehran on Friday and Saturday in an effort to get the deal across the line.

• The White House hopes the final differences will be resolved in the coming hours and that a deal will be announced on Sunday.’

@BarakRavid is, as ever, the reporter to watch.

[Barak Ravid @BarakRavid]

🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷Exclusive: What's inside the Iran deal Trump is close to signing. All the details in my story on @axios
https://t.co/O0aD7W8IBC

[Julia Willemyns @jujulemons]

We’ve grown enormously over the past year, and now we’re looking for someone exceptional to help us take the next leap.

It’s a special role on a special team. Please share with brilliant people - and consider applying yourself!

[lifemaxxers @lifemaxxjourney]

https://t.co/gsjdB3lWHq

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@nmladenov Sharing the video of your Security Council briefing, that I’ve just pulled from YouTube…

[Graham Allison @GrahamTAllison]

Trump-Xi summit starts with Thucydides.

For the first twenty seconds of Xi's remarks, see below.

For more, check out @SCMPNews's coverage of the summit.

https://t.co/tVfoFImsBY

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@simonmontefiore https://t.co/VhQdtggPpv

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@RoyalFamily King Charles III congratulates David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

[Edward M. Druce @EdwardMDruce]

@RoyalFamily King Charles III congratulates David Attenborough on his 100th birthday