Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿

Strategy, Investment & M&A Strategic operator across the U.S. and UAE. Building long-horizon solutions. Balanced by fly fishing and time with my daughter.

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible."

~ Bertrand Russell

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

@EducationistK It’s a golden opportunity to capture a large market in the current geopolitical climate. Clever move. China & Russia are watching and thinking.

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

And pay for them too …

[Dr. Brahma Chellaney @Chellaney]

The government's claim that the ceasefire was a bilateral decision is largely aimed at protecting Modi’s image, amid growing domestic perception that he caved to U.S. pressure. Yet if India truly resisted American demands, that only deepens the strategic blunder of halting military operations just as Indian forces had gained the upper hand. The turning point came on the morning of May 10, when Indian strikes crippled key Pakistani air bases — only for operations to be abruptly halted hours later.

[Dr. Brahma Chellaney @Chellaney]

The Ukraine war has pitted the world's two largest nuclear powers against each other, creating global dangers. Yet Trump used India's brief military operation against Pakistan to fear-monger. The reason? The US, along with China, helped Pak to build nukes. https://t.co/GqsFk8dwL3

[Dr. Brahma Chellaney @Chellaney]

After seeking to move the nearly $1 billion Teesta River project from India to China, Bangladesh reportedly is planning to revive with Chinese assistance the old British-era airbase at Lalmonirhat. Both projects, located near the Indian border, carry significant implications for India's security.

An active Lalmonirhat airbase would greatly enhance China's ability to conduct aerial surveillance and reconnaissance on Indian military installations, troop movements and critical infrastructure, including in India's strategically vital Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck). Any military presence or increased air activity near this corridor is a major concern for India, as its disruption would effectively cut off the Indian northeast from the Indian mainland.

In a conflict scenario, even if not directly used by Chinese combat aircraft, Lalmonirhat could serve as a logistical hub for China, facilitating the movement of personnel, equipment or intelligence assets in the region.

[World of Statistics @stats_feed]

🇮🇳 India GDP 2000: $468 billion

🇮🇳 India GDP 2023: $3.57 trillion

🇮🇳 India GDP 2025: $4.27 trillion

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

@fgautier26 @EricArchambaul7 @MLP_officiel @EmmanuelMacron @Elysee @gouvfr Why am I mentioned in your post? I have not expressed any opinion about any of this. Suggest you delete my name from a topic I am not engaged in.

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

@MikeWaltz47 … and we will get it faster if we ”build” a multi-layered AI driven Golden Dome. I can prove it.

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

@MikeWaltz47 Legacy based or something that actually can protect? At lower cost, lower cost to kill, lower life cycle cost and future safe? A Big 6 or an innovative Golden Dome?

[United States Space Force @USSpaceForce]

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7), the U.S. Space Force’s dynamic unmanned spaceplane, successfully deorbited and landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on Mar. 7, 2025 at 02:22 a.m. EST. #X37B #USSF

[Habanos SA Oficial @Habanos_Oficial]

The grand humidor auction has become one of the most awaited moments of the Habano Festival. Each humidor at this #25FestivalHabano is a unique piece, created with the highest dedication by the best artisans and designed to preserve the most emblematic vitolas of Habanos, S.A.

[Habanos SA Oficial @Habanos_Oficial]

The most awaited launch by the Cohiba Behike lovers has arrived: BHK 58 is born to complete this magical line. This exclusive vitola, which elevates the aromatic and taste experience to extraordinary levels, comes in a special 10-unit box with NFC technology.

[Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs]

🚨🚨 High-level Trump sources tell me the White House is now uncertain if they can get the Russians and Ukrainians to stop fighting because this episode with @ZelenskyyUa raised questions about whether he can move forward toward a peace deal. It also raises questions about whether US will pause aid to Ukraine. But Trump is NOT seeking regime change in Ukraine. No discussions about who in Ukraine might be a better leader than Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian officials have reached out this afternoon to senior White House officials desperate to get the deal back on track. But that will not happen today, I'm told. Trump is unwilling to talk to Zelenskyy further today.

When Rubio and Waltz went into the Roosevelt Room to ask Zelenskyy to leave, Rubio made it clear that any further engagements today would be counterproductive. Waltz told Zelenskyy he had made a tremendous mistake, and it was a grave disservice to Ukraine and to Americans, both.

No phone calls between Trump and Putin have been scheduled. But multiple European officials have called top Trump officials since Zelenskyy left asking how the minerals deal can be salvaged.

Trump fully intended to sign the minerals deal today. Two official binders were prepared -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Ukrainian counterpart and the two presidents were going to sit at a conference table in the East Room and then trumpet their success at podiums.

But there were suspicions before Zelenskyy arrived today that it might fall apart. Because the Trump admin had been pushing for weeks for a minerals deal signing at the ministerial level, and Ukraine had refused. Zelenskyy wanted security guarantees.

US officials thought negotiations would be much harder with **Putin** so today have been been in disbelief that it has been Zelenskyy who has been more difficult, making maximalist demands, sources told me.

[Richard Hanania @RichardHanania]

I watched the entire press conference with Zelensky. There was 40 minutes of discussion up to the argument. Most people saw at most the last ten minutes. The whole video gives the proper context.

When I first watched the argument without the proper context, I thought it was possible that Trump and Vance ambushed Zelensky or were even trying to humiliate him. That's not what happened.

You had 40 minutes of calm conversation. Vance made a point that didn't attack Zelensky and wasn't even addressed to him, and Zelensky clearly started the argument.

In the first 40 minutes, Zelensky kept trying to go beyond what was negotiated in the deal. When Trump was asked a question, it was always "we'll see." Zelensky made blanket assertions that there would be no negotiating with Putin, and that Russia would pay for the war. When Trump said that it was a tragedy that people on both sides were dying, Zelensky interjected that the Russians were the invaders.

For his part, Trump made clear that the US would continue delivering military aid. All Zelensky had to do was remain calm for a few more minutes and they would've signed a deal.

The argument started when Trump pointed out that it would be hard to make a deal if you talk about Putin the way Zelensky does. Vance interjects to make the reasonable point that Biden called Putin names and that didn't get us anywhere.

The Zelensky/Trump dynamic was calm and stable. It was when Vance spoke that Zelensky started to interrogate him. Throughout the press conference to that point, everyone was making their arguments directly to the audience. Zelensky decided to challenge Vance and ask him hostile questions. He went back to his point that Putin never sticks to ceasefires, once again implying that negotiations are pointless. Why on earth would you do this? Then came the fight we all saw.

Zelensky was minutes away from being home free, and he would have had the deal and new commitments from the Trump administration. The point Vance made was directed against Biden and the media, taking them to task for speaking in moralistic terms. This offended Zelensky, and that began the argument.

I've been a fan of Zelensky up to this point, but this showed so much incompetence, if not emotional instability, that I don't see how he recovers from this. The relationship with the administration is broken. Ukraine should probably go with new leadership at this point.

[Collin Rugg @CollinRugg]

Here is the full 50-minute conversation between President Trump and President Zelensky.

There are a lot of politicians claiming Zelensky was "ambushed."

There was a full 40 minutes of dialogue before the "fireworks" started.

The president insisted throughout the first 40 minutes that he was focused on peace.

Zelensky responded by strongly pushing back on a ceasefire with Russia and demanded that Putin pay for the entire war.

JD Vance jumps in at the 40-minute mark to clarify the difference between Trump and Biden and their approach to the war.

This apparently ticked off Zelensky which is when the fireworks started.

[Lars R Norberg 🕉️🇸🇪🇮🇳🇺🇸NATO🇮🇱🇦🇪🇯🇵🇳🇿 @LarsNorberg]

It’s fascinating to see those who were fearful, the ones who have been wrong for the past 40 years, the ignorant, and the corrupt now emerging—shouting, lamenting, and making threats.

[Stefan Vänersand @stefanvanersand]

@carlbildt So, how’s business these days? 😬💵

[Kanwal Sibal @KanwalSibal]

Being too clever by half.