Alexander L. Brotman

Political risk writer, researcher, and analyst with focus on EU, NATO, Russia, and US foreign policy.

[Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 @andrii_sybiha]

I held a meeting with @sikorskiradek today in Warsaw.

Poland is vital for Ukraine, just as Ukraine is for Poland. We share a common enemy—Russia—and a common challenge: Russian aggression. Today, Ukraine is defending not only its own security, but also the security of Poland and the entirety of Europe.

In 2022, during our darkest hour, Poland was the first to extend a helping hand to Ukraine, providing unprecedented support. Ukraine deeply appreciates and will always be profoundly grateful for this.

As President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated, answers can always be found if we are ready to be strong neighbors and if we genuinely want to find those answers. Ukraine remains open to an equal and honest dialogue.

I proposed a package of anti-crisis steps. This includes initiating consultations between our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, organizing a meeting of World War II expert historians who participated in the Polish-Ukrainian Congress of Historians in May, and reaching out to the religious leaders of both nations to leverage their authority in our bilateral dialogue.

We noted that significant progress has been made over the past year and a half in overcoming sensitive issues of our historical past. Exhumations have been unblocked, and the work of the historians' congress has resumed. Ukraine will continue to issue permits for search and exhumation operations.

I reaffirmed to Radek once again that the Ukrainian military's choice of unit name carried no anti-Polish intent.

We respect the history of others, and we expect the same approach toward our own history and independence from our partners.

I separately briefed Radek and the Polish team on the situation on the front lines and the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, particularly our effective long-range sanctions against the aggressor state.

I received assurances that Poland will steadfastly continue to support Ukraine in strengthening our defense capabilities.

We discussed in detail the prospects of military-technical cooperation and exchanged views ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara.

Our discussions also centered on cooperation between Ukrainian and Polish companies, particularly joint projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine. We noted that URC-2026 in Gdańsk was a highly successful event that positively impacted the growth of business cooperation between our countries.

Furthermore, we discussed expediting customs procedures for citizens and businesses, as well as developing border checkpoint infrastructure.

I also thanked the Polish side for their swift response to cases of hatred and xenophobia against Ukrainians in Poland.

I want to thank Radek for a candid and constructive conversation. Our job as diplomats is to maintain dialogue and utilize every tool in the diplomatic arsenal to solve problems. It is time to set emotions aside. Ukraine is fighting an existential battle with the support of our allies and partners.

We possess enough wisdom, lessons from our shared history, and political will to put an end to the applause in Moscow, which rejoices at any rising tension between two of the closest neighbors. History will not forgive us if this opportunity is squandered.

[The Economist @TheEconomist]

German tanks are returning to a region they once razed https://t.co/zbsrSWgTKL

[E-International Relations @E_IR]

New article by Alexander Brotman – Opinion – The Simmering Polish-Ukrainian Memory Wars https://t.co/lWngGwHrQL

[Karim Sadjadpour @ksadjadpour]

Khamenei is dead. The end of an era: "He was felled by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, an American president and Israeli Prime Minister whom he loathed. He lived by “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” He died by death from America and Israel." https://t.co/ANu1FAnyxi

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Really pains me to see this knowing how much Poles historically value their relationship with US and our support for their independence and sovereignty going back over a century

[legal YIMBY alien @YIMBYPoland]

Just brutal. The majority of Poles - one of the most pro-American nations on the planet - now think the US is not a reliable ally.

Only 31% of Poles say Polish-American relations are good, down from 73% in 2022!

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Edinburgh in any weather is pure magic!

[Edinburgh @edinburgh]

Edinburgh after a rain shower is pure magic. 🌧️

📍High Street

 📸IG/mauvxx

#ForeverEdinburgh #EdinPhoto

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Phenomenal piece by @MarkHertling on the importance of continued support for Ukraine and not ceding any territory to Russia. The stakes are incredibly high

[Sarah Longwell @SarahLongwell25]

"To allow Russia to keep any territory where those crimes were committed would not be a compromise. It would be a betrayal."

@MarkHertling on the disgraceful "peace plan" Trump is pushing Ukraine to take — only @BulwarkOnline: https://t.co/YnD3wLWbWm

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

RT @sikorskiradek: Ku pamięci.

[NATO @NATO]

🆕 Nordic and Baltic Allies fund $500m package for Ukraine

🇩🇰🇪🇪🇫🇮🇮🇸🇱🇻🇱🇹🇳🇴🇸🇪 announced that they will fund a joint $500 million package of military equipment and munitions for 🇺🇦 sourced from the 🇺🇸, under NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative

[The Bulwark @BulwarkOnline]

"In a very specific, economic way, he is destroying your ability to succeed." Trump's personal corruption and harmful economic policies aren't footnotes, and resisting them is very important.

Catch @MikieSherrill on today's Bulwark Podcast with @Timodc, out this afternoon!

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Sybir, Geography, and Memory in Northeast Poland - a look at how this corner of Europe shatters geopolitical norms and invites you to embrace a new framework. https://t.co/te9xlpgTDn

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Thank you for your powerful words yesterday - Poland’s leadership in the face of Russian aggression continues to inspire and shape the future of the NATO alliance

[Radosław Sikorski 🇵🇱🇪🇺 @sikorskiradek]

Roger that.

[Donald Tusk @donaldtusk]

We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn���t. And we know it.

[Katja Hoyer @hoyer_kat]

The dynamics of leftwing terrorism in the 70s remain hugely relevant. Then, radical activists decided violence was necessary to achieve change. Parts of the mainstream cheered them on, from campuses and in politics. Seems familiar, I write in Semafor 👇
https://t.co/UFi18tJI9W

[The Bulwark @BulwarkOnline]

"What impressed me most while visiting each Baltic state wasn’t that their governments are clear-eyed and proactive, but that the ordinary citizens were, too." *They* know what's at stake.
https://t.co/zcGdaREorv

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Incredible book about one of my favorite regions, @olivernmoody, and I was also fortunate to read it on the ground in Vilnius and Kaunas!

[Oliver Moody @olivernmoody]

Publication day! BALTIC: THE FUTURE OF EUROPE is now available in UK bookshops (and even Dussmann in Berlin).

Some details on events/accompanying articles below:

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

@AlecStapp Absolutely incredible, one of my favorite countries to visit

[Margus Tsahkna @Tsahkna]

Estonia will allocate 5.4% of its GDP to defence as early as next year.

At today’s @NATO FM meeting in Antalya 🇹🇷, I emphasized the importance of setting a new, ambitious defence spending target for all NATO allies—one that will be agreed at the upcoming Summit in The Hague.

[Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 @GLandsbergis]

Biden didn't start Russia's war, Obama didn't start Russia's war, Clinton didn't start Russia's war, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man didn't start Russia's war, but none of them finished it, and Trump hasn't taken the chance to help Ukraine win it. That is his choice, and his alone.

[Alexander L. Brotman @albrotman]

Thank you Lithuania, a true friend and ally! Incredibly moving to watch

[Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 @Lithuanian_MoD]

We bid farewell to the fallen U.S. soldiers with respect and gratitude. Because, as we have said many times, they are our soldiers too. In this moment of tragedy, we stood together. It is a testament to the strength of unity even in the darkest times.