Rand Robinson

Geopolitics, trade and competitive strategy. Likes are often bookmarks. Likes and retweets are not necessarily endorsements.

[Rand Robinson @rand_robinson]

@CcibChris It looks very much like one of the bomb bay fuel tanks the Vulcans were optionally equipped with. Some Vulcans were also converted to tankers, but the absence of a Hose Drum Unit on the tail suggests that this was not one of those, at least not at the time the photo was taken.

[Rush Doshi @RushDoshi]

I've watched @amanpour on TV for decades. So I was grateful for the opportunity to sit down with her for 15 minutes.

Our interview aired on @CNN this weekend.

We talked China policy, Trump's approach, and why this decade is the decisive decade in the competition.

[Rand Robinson @rand_robinson]

@Ptr6Vb Thanks for your post. It prompted me to read more about the history of the Maldives and this interesting military operation of which I had been unaware. The Indian Navy gets a tip of the hat too for intercepting a freighter with escaping mercenaries and capturing them.

[freeonis @freeonis_]

ЧЕРВОНІ ЛІНІЇ / RED LINES (animation)

[SR Bolton @spiralnarrative]

I gladly concede that SOF formations & missions grew too rapidly and without suitable restraint over the last 20yrs, BUT the beliefs that all SOF did or does is CT/COIN and that SOF are less needed in strategic competition because the readiness focus is LSCO are both dead wrong.

[Foreign policy @ForeignpolicyWB]

This is Rome 🇮🇹

Massive support for Ukraine.

Massive demonstrations against Putin's regime.

[Annely Kolk @AnnelyKolk]

106 years ago independent and sovereign Republic of Estonia was born thanks to brave 🇪🇪 warriors and people. Today marks 2nd year of Ukrainians brave & fierce fight with unimanigable russian evil for their 🇺🇦 freedom and land.

[Kogutyak Volodymyr @KogutyakV]

10 000 manifestants à #Paris en soutien à l’#Ukraine 🇺🇦🇪🇺

[Їne Back Їversen @IneBackIversen]

Oslo, you sound beautiful today 🥹🇳🇴🇺🇦 #славаУкраїні via: @sjurgs

[Roger Moorhouse 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇮🇱 @Roger_Moorhouse]

Solidarity with #Ukraine.

[Iryna Matviyishyn @IMatviyishyn]

In Prague, thousands of people joined the rally in support of Ukraine. It felt like at least 1/3 of them were locals. Czech President Petr Pavel was there, too, asked to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes

[Evelyn 👊🏼 @Evelyn__020]

Many more people than I had expected, despite it pissing with rain. Slava Ukraini from Amsterdam! #UkraineWillWin

[Karina Felina⚡🌈💙💛🇵🇸 @karinaFellina]

Madrid #standwithUkraine 🇺🇦

[D-Day Fella @ImperialCelt]

Nottingham stands with Ukraine! 🏹🇺🇦

[DrCyber🇩🇰🇺🇦🇪🇺 @DrCyber27]

@20gimsack Nottingham, UK.

[Rand Robinson @rand_robinson]

@WarOnTheRocks *third year

[Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 @GLandsbergis]

During the Munich conference I was asked why I am so gloomy. Well, somebody has to tell it like it is, so here’s how it is: Things are not going well. 🧵

[Rand Robinson @rand_robinson]

@USN_Submariner 578 foot descent in a boat with a 250 foot test depth - AND with a compromised pressure hull. They must have been just seconds away from implosion when they finally got her rising again. Absolutely hair raising.

[Nicholas Drummond @nicholadrummond]

Putin knows he has to conquer Ukraine to survive politically and personally. This means his only viable strategy to succeed in Ukraine is to erode support for Western military aid. He believes this will allow him to win a war of attrition.
Consequently, Putin has developed a narrative that Ukraine will be a "forever war" like Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. He maintains that if we go on sending Ukraine weapons, we are only fuelling a pointless conflict that would otherwise soon be resolved.
To be clear, what Putin is actually saying is that the only way to stop the war in Ukraine is to let him win. But to allow him to triumph would send a clear message to all dictators and authoritarian regimes that aggression is perfectly justifiable.
A terrifying aspect of Putin's strategy is that through a variety of Russian agents already in the USA, Britain, Germany and elsewhere in the West, Putin is paying lobbyists to promote his message. We know that he has previously tried to interfere in Western elections. Right now he is doing everything possible to get Trump re-elected, because he believes Trump is sympathetic to Russia.
Another part of the narrative is that Western for Ukraine support risks Russia collapsing internally, which could be much more dangerous than maintaining the status quo. Which may be true.
There are also efforts to discredit Zelensky and his Government, with accusations of corruption and authoritarianism which as bad a Russia's.
Much of what is being whispered into Government ears has a ring of truth about it. But let's not forget that the most convincing lies are often very close to the truth.
The worst thing about what is going on is that many of the people who have been paid by Putin are respected advisors who should know better. I have seen it firsthand and am appalled by it. Shame on them. Luckily, Western media is starting to pick-up on this.
I just hope politicians on both sides of the Atlantic will not be taken-in by such sedition. We must stay the course in Ukraine until Russia is pushed out. This day is definitely coming. So let's not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Many thanks to @randymot4 for pointing out the same problem in the USA.