Stephen Benham

Professor, Musician, Conductor, Eastern European Cultural Specialist. I tweet about foreign policy, faith, music/string education, and the #Pens.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@RadioFreeTom Does Russia have the capacity to make any meaningful move against the Baltics? It’s a fear for sure in this crazy time, but it seems like they are quite short on soldiers, weapons, and machinery.

[George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway3d]

The verdict of a prominent conservative website and magazine:

"A 79-year-old man who has long dealt in chaos is now being consumed by that chaos. His episodes are becoming more frequent, his good days further apart. What he has lost is not a sense of decency or decorum—he never had those—but any remaining sense of self-control.

"Everyone around him can see it. Yet, whether from ambition, cowardice, or weary acceptance, they keep looking for ways to rationalize his behavior. The tragedy is no longer Trump’s. It is now America’s."

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@andrewmichta @united Andrew, I agree with you. I'm a million miler with @Delta and customer service has gotten worse. AI bots on call lines are responsible for that. Delays are normal and frequent flier programs get worse. Upgrades have disappeared. I now shop for the best fare regardless of airline.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@JamesMartinSJ And to see @Franklin_Graham there, applauding, as this twisted theology is communicated as Gospel truth breaks my heart. How can you not cry out in that moment when she is comparing Trump to the Son of God?

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@DanLamothe The ships will also be orange then…

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@RapidResponse47 @SecRubio He's learning to talk just like Trump. Everything is hyperbole. It's never been better. Life is great. But you can't trust anything he says.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

If we care about global stability, democratic values, and the safety of our allies, we should oppose any plan that rewards the aggressor and sacrifices the victim. This plan does exactly that. It is not peace. It is surrender. /End

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

Trump’s “peace plan” isn’t peace at all — and Americans should be extremely concerned.

It rewards the aggressor, punishes the victim, and forces Ukraine to surrender sovereign territory. It hands Russia veto power over NATO and undermines decades of European stability. 🧵

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

Real peace requires sovereignty, justice, and security—not capitulation. This plan achieves none of these. It is a blueprint for renewed conflict and long-term instability.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

The proposal would normalize territorial conquest, shatter U.S. credibility, and invite future wars—not only in Europe, but anywhere authoritarian regimes believe they can act without consequences.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

It also gives Russia enormous economic rewards: sanctions relief, global partnerships, G8 re-entry, and U.S.–Russia business deals. All while Russia continues occupying Ukraine and committing war crimes. This teaches dictators that aggression is profitable.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@Gerashchenko_en In a world where so few have access to electricity I don’t see a way that they can keep robots charged long enough to do any good. And, of course, work is one of the things that gives people a sense of self worth.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

What are the chances that Trump delayed to this point not to save face by avoiding an embarrassing vote, but to enable the DOJ to redact mentions of his name in the #EpsteinTrumpFiles ?

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@USEmbassyKyiv @USAmbNATO Since when did the US gov start using NewsMax as a reliable and authoritative source? Ugh.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@steven_pifer What do you think is it that causes people like @SecRubio and @LindseyGrahamSC to suddenly compromise their values, beliefs, and convictions when they come into Trump’s orbit? Russia was the enemy. Apparently, not anymore?

[BBC News (World) @BBCWorld]

Nato scrambles jets as Russian drones threaten Polish airspace in Ukraine attack https://t.co/mJ8z9dcSgV

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

A joint prayer in the St. Sophia’s Cathedral for peace for our people, for peace for Ukraine. We pray for our warriors, for the future of our state – a safe and peaceful future.

[Stephen Benham @SJBenham]

@USEmbassyKyiv @SecRubio To what are you committed? We've seen no real action yet. Where are the promised sanctions? Remove the limits on weapons (see WSJ). Actions speak louder than words. Do something. Don't just talk about thinking about doing something.