On Bluesky @gregoryfeifer.bsky.social. Director: Institute of Current World Affairs. Author: Russians, Great Gamble, Spy Handler. Writing about Boris Nemtsov.
What should Europe do after the US has gone astray?
1. Arm as fast as possible! Move swiftly to 3% of GDP in defense expenditures!
2. Seize Russian sovereign assets in Europe & transfer them to Ukraine! Buy enough arms so that Ukraine can defeat Russia!
Ukraine recaptures a frontline village near #Pokrovsk, as Russia's advance in the east slows down. My report on Sunday from Kyiv https://t.co/bgVxKr2XzK
I’m in Munich and people keep asking me to decode Vance’s speech. OK: In Vance English “free speech” means “Let Musk run your elections” and “democracy” means “let Russia run your elections.” Now move on. 2025 is about what Europeans do, not what Americans say.
Simply horrifying even after all the calculatedly cruel quips the Butcher of Moscow has spewed over the last quarter-century. Now he's assuming Brezhnev's geriatric aspect, chilling to watch.
A smirking Putin today justified the bloodiest European invasion since WWII by saying he was bored and wanted some “action.”
“When everything is stable, we get bored. We want some action.”
Bingo. Dictators that control 100% of the domestic information space never lose. They simply define whatever happens as another victory. "Putin needs an off-ramp from Ukraine," "needs to save face," was always BS and Syria shows why.
That didn’t take long. Remember all the faux outrage at the State of the Union when Biden called out Republican plans to cut Social Security? Well, here we are.
https://t.co/HoKIQorMgg
How the West should think about Russia's war against Ukraine:
1. The West must help the brave Ukrainians DEFEAT Russia. That requires at lest $100bn more in financial support, which can effortlessly be achieved by seizing the $300 bn of Russian Central Bank reserves in the West.
I'll say it again: there's no valid legal/financial reason not to seize the entire €300 b. from the Russian Central Bank, €200 b. of which is in the EU, managed by Euroclear.
200 b. will enable Kyiv to buy weapons on a massive scale without asking EU taxpayers.
#MakeRussiaPay
Дежурства продолжаются…
Москва, Большой Москворецкий мост (Немцов мост)
Мемориал Бориса Немцова
Дневное дежурство 31 октября 2024 года
На счетчике 3534-й день
https://t.co/vBkZpDGeVt
Shaheds above Kyiv now, the rattle of machine gun fire from Ukraine's air defences, Trump on his way to the White House, the moped-like whine of an early morning Russian air raid, a whiff of betrayal in the air. Oh, and winter is coming. Bleak times
Congratulations to 🇱🇹's former Prime Minister Andrius @KubiliusA on being confirmed as the new 🇪🇺 Commissioner for Defence and Space. Your leadership will be crucial in strengthening Europe's security and resilience.
Tomorrow in Budapest a Germany whose government has just collapsed and a French government dependent on Marine le Pen will be lectured by @PM_ViktorOrban on the virtues of newly elected @realDonaldTrump
while #Ukraine desperately needs all the support we can give.
Ach, Europa.
Seize the Russian assets!
Ukraine can produce arms of its own for $30 billion next year. Financing is now more important than arms deliveries. Europe can do that.
Europe with 500 million people (EU+UK) must realize that it is on its own against Russia (140mn people).
This is just right. Europe can no longer rely upon the US security umbrella. It must stand up to Russia and for Ukraine on its own.
With Trump, the US cannot be relied upon.
Now that Trump has been elected, US military aid for Ukraine will soon dry up. If we have any intention of not letting Putin win, the EU and UK must now seize the $300 billion of Russian central bank reserves and use that money to support Ukraine. https://t.co/vMnjYodwJP