Geir Westgaard

Norwegian globalist.(Geo)politics and energy specialist. I share because I care. Retweets are not necessarily endorsements. Slava Ukraini!

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

[Scholz and other European leaders] “clinging to an outdated paradigm will not impress Putin, Xi or Trump, freed from the yoke of the old international order.” https://t.co/dKjwvXcZFq via @ft”

[Javier Blas @JavierBlas]

President Biden has moved from something that sounded like:

I'm determined to fight the existential threat of the climate emergency

To instead something that sounds a lot more like:

I'm determined that America dominates the industry built to stop climate change

#Priorities

[Anders Åslund @anders_aslund]

A few thoughts on the 3 key Russian government changes.
1. Patrushev is as dumb as they come, believing every conspiracy theory. His sacking suggests that Putin wants some reality (which I had not expected).

[Gideon Rachman @gideonrachman]

One ironic consequence of the intensive coverage of campus protests about Gaza is that it seems to have crowded out coverage of what is actually happening in Gaza itself. All sides in the west much more comfortable when the story is mainly about us

[Brendan May @bmay]

I’ve never seen this clip, from a few years ago. The best articulation of simple geopolitical reality I’ve seen in a long time. Even a simpleton could understand it, if only they’d listen.
God I miss grown up, well-read, pragmatic and convincing leaders.

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Av med nisselua!

[Alexander Gabuev 陳寒士 @AlexGabuev]

The fact that 🇷🇺 will receive 28% less for its gas in 🇨🇳 than in Europe, but still seeks to expand gas sales to China, illustrates a dilemma Moscow faces in economic relations with Beijing. Simply put: amid war in 🇺🇦, there is no alternative to dependency on China. 🧵1/14

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Maksim Samorukov: “It is not the gravity of Russia’s problems but how the Kremlin deals with them that has positioned the regime permanently on the brink of collapse.” https://t.co/KyCUHAGPJ1

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

“Putin’s inflexibility and obduracy have been strengthened by his many years spent surrounded by toadies and yes men. Shielded from negative feedback and objective counsel, he is susceptible to tunnel vision, muddled priorities, and emotional outbursts…” https://t.co/KyCUHAGPJ1

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Now more than ever, the Kremlin makes decisions in a personalized and arbitrary way that lacks even basic quality controls…The political elite have grown more pliant in implementing Putin’s orders and more obsequious in pandering to his paranoid worldview https://t.co/KyCUHAGPJ1

[United Updates @UnitedUpdates]

🚨🗣️ Jamie Carragher: “I think that result today has just cost a Manchester United manager his job. I don't see how Erik ten Hag stays. It's just performance after performance. I would imagine that is probably the most embarrassing dressing room of a team that has just won a big game.” [Sky Sports]

Unfortunately, very hard to disagree.

#MUFC

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Lev Parnas: “Trump hates Ukraine. He and people around him believe that Ukraine was the cause of all Trump’s problems.” https://t.co/OEt9Iksk7c

[Branislav Slantchev @slantchev]

It's rare to see such a well-written piece to end up with such disappointing inferences from its own analysis. Kotkin is very knowledgeable of Russian history, and the five potential futures he outlines all make sense. But then...

1/10

https://t.co/DM6GRA769E

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Simone Taglipietra: Europe is about to face a sort of impossible triangle. On the one hand, we want to accelerate the green transition and be competitive while doing that, on the other hand, we want to ramp up defense spending and be fiscally conservative. https://t.co/sPlAwqZuTh

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Today, so-called industrial policy and protectionism are partially closing the country not just to rivals but also to U.S. allies, partners, friends, and potential friends. American policy has come to resemble China’s—right when the latter has hit a wall. https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

“Russia’s foreign policy delivers at best tactical gains, not strategic ones: no enhanced human capital, no assured access to leading-edge technology, no inward investment and new infrastructure, no improved governance,” and no willing treaty allies. https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

“Besides raw materials and political thuggery, the only things Russia exports are talented people.”

https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

“Putin’s regime wields the threat of chaos and the unknown to ward off internal challenges and change. But while keenly sowing chaos abroad, from eastern Europe to central Africa and the Middle East, Russia itself could fall victim to it.” https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

“Russia could become something of a gigantic North Korea: domestically repressive, internationally isolated and transgressive, armed with nuclear weapons, and abjectly dependent on China but still able to buck Beijing.” https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP

[Geir Westgaard @westgeir]

Analysts speak of Russia as China’s vassal.

“A shared commitment to render the world order safe for their respective dictatorships and dominate their regions is driving a de facto vassalage that neither fancies.” https://t.co/DREE0UQ7KP