If members of the so called educated 'elite' have fallen for the 🇷🇺 regime, how to remain hopeful that the mass of ordinary Russians will demand democracy in near future ? "Trahison des clercs"...
Former ambassador of Belgium (ret.) to Ukraine (2011-2014) and Colombia (2017-2021). Memories of Soviet tanks are part of my Czech roots (remember 21.8.1968 ?) Here mainly to denounce Putin's 🇷🇺 war on 🇺🇦. Building resistance with team @DefendDemocracy 🇪🇺
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If members of the so called educated 'elite' have fallen for the 🇷🇺 regime, how to remain hopeful that the mass of ordinary Russians will demand democracy in near future ? "Trahison des clercs"...
🖤 #ГероямСлава 🇺🇦
Swiss exports to the US are beginning to fall. Switserland argued with Trump and got 39% tariffs. www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/u...
This photo will haunt Keir Starmer for a long time
"Always !" Especially when a major world power intentionally demolishes international law and peace. #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Obviously『C』...but I rather preferred the twitter version 🙄!
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Today's violation of Estonia's airspace by Russian military aircraft is an extremely dangerous provocation. This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and further escalates tensions in the region. The EU stands in full solidarity with Estonia (1/2)
Over the past month, Russia has escalated its aggression, striking civilian and EU sites in Ukraine and violating EU airspace. It’s time to give peace a real chance. In response, we are increasing pressure with our 19th package of sanctions ↓ link.europa.eu/WYYwh3 #StandWithUkraine
I wrote about whether the U.S. will leave the UN for @foreignpolicy.com (...probably not 😨) and how having a "semi-detached" Washington affect the world organization. foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/19/t...
At last, a proper summing up of the catastrophe that #Peru is going through. Don't expect the #USA to push now for democracy there. #PeruLibre 🇵🇪
Moscow thinks it can keep its war going. We are making sure it pays the price for it. Today, we present our 19th sanctions package. Every sanction reduces the Kremlin’s ability to wage war. We won’t stop putting pressure on Russia until it ends its war.
Tearing children from their families and deporting them to re-education camps is beyond description. We will not let Russia weaponize childhood itself. We are also going to make is easier to sanction individuals involved in the abduction and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.
"The first element is a no-fly zone (NFZ) over central and western Ukraine." Demanded since 24.2.22 : why are our militaries not doing *their job*❓️ #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Pathetic...
"Colombiaanse oud-militairen veroordeeld voor moord op tientallen burgers." Ook voor de lange termijn regeling van andere bloedige conflicten in de wereld blijft het uiterst belangrijk dat het vredesproces in 🇨🇴 stand houdt, met #UNO 🇺🇳 steun. #NoImpunity #JusticiaTransicional
“We are not working on building an AI agent. We are working to protect Signal from the invasion of AI agents that threaten privacy and that are being implemented in irresponsible ways”
'For were not the Munich agreements part of this fetishized “stability” and this illusion of “dialogue”? Did Chamberlain and Daladier not succumb to this moral fatigue that preferred to sacrifice Czechoslovakia rather than confront radical evil?' 📌One more vital analysis by @deskrussia.bsky.social
"For Russia, the existing Central Asia rail network serves three purposes: a symbol of its Soviet history, a lifeline for sanctions evasion and a geographical re-routing of trade to the East." As investor, the #EU should push for more national control by local governements.
"Where do we go from there ?" #WeAreUN 🇺🇳
Ukraine has steadily increased its indigenous production of both low-end and higher-end long range strike systems, offering an increasingly potent combination, writes Kareem Korayem.
‼️ Von der Leyen announces 19th EU sanctions package against Russia after talks with Trump
Weer schuilen in metrostation: 'Elke dag dat ik overleef, is verlies voor Rusland'. #СлаваУкраїні 🇺🇦
A Russian drone hits a #university building in #Kharkiv Senseless and barbaric daily terror Imagine your university gets a hit like that #Ukraine
1/ 25 years ago today, September 16, 2000, journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, founder of Ukraiinska Pravda, was abducted and murdered. His fearless reporting exposed corruption and helped shape independent Ukrainian media.
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Propaganda is repetition. From dictatorships to modern politics, the tactic is the same: repeat a lie until it feels like a fact, even to the one telling it. Repetition doesn’t persuade, it erodes truth.
Unacceptable ? Still happening in total #impunity for 🇷🇺 ❕️ Until when ❔️
Will our governements finally back promising new technologies ❔️ ⤵️ Time is running out. #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Good job, Elon Musk! 🤣🤣🤣
🗳️ Today is #DemocracyDay. Built on voting, speaking up, and staying informed. We’re not just celebrating it. Together, we’re nurturing it every day. Democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law are the backbone of our European Union.
On International #DemocracyDay, Defend Democracy is launching WebWatch, our tech watchdog. First up, we will monitor, analyse and expose the (lack of) digital and information integrity of the Netherlands' elections on 29 October 2025. #EUsky #TK25 #tech
Great reading of "Honzlová" now available on Czech Radio (app 'mujRozhlas'), to both laugh and cry about life under communist dictatorship.
On this International #DemocracyDay, at #DefendDemocracy we are excited to launch WebWatch, our tech watchdog! Follow @webwatch.bsky.social ! More info: defenddemocracy.eu/webwatch-tec...
"In defiance of the Soviet regime occupying her homeland..." From Toronto 🇨🇦 Her books are on our bookshelves. R.I.P. Zdena Salivarova
Can anyone trust Musk?
En in #Zeebrugge ❔️ Tot wanneer ❔️ #нетвойне
Musk is inciting violence on London's streets.Tommy Robinson is financed by US tech bros. These are all very direct attempts to destabilise the British state. Starmer needs to stand up to this. A government that doesn't defend its country's values against these blatant attacks is not doing its job.
"Yesterday my home city of London saw its biggest far-right march since Oswald Mosley organised the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s." What has happened to Britain ❔️
In her #SOTEU speech, @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu picked up an idea for a reparations loan that Lee Buchheit, Hugo Dixon and @nathalieloiseau.bsky.social recently proposed in an article for ECFR. Here's is how the authors think it should work: ecfr.eu/article/ukra...
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Every hostile projectile entering #NATO airspace should be destroyed at once. Only a matter of *credibility*. #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
The violation of Romanian airspace by Russian drones is yet another unacceptable breach of an EU Member State's sovereignty. This continued reckless escalation threatens regional security. We stand in solidarity with Romania. I am in close contact with the Romanian government.
“Russia is jamming people's GPS across the region, which ought to be something that's totally unacceptable, but instead it's being normalised " PM : "normalisation" concept was introduced by #USSR leadership after 1968 occupation of #Czechoslovakia. Now it is integral part of 🇷🇺 cognitive warfare.
Russia is a terrorist state
⚠️ *Cognitive warfare* by 🇷🇺 unfolding *at this moment*. Do our politicians have a clue ? #Preparedness #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Zo verliep de verdediging van het Poolse luchtruim met Nederlandse F-35's. "...voor de eerste keer hebben ze geschoten." Goed gedaan, #Nederland ❕️ 🇭🇷 💫
Many Europeans think Europe provides security to Ukraine. But the opposite is equally true: Europe increasingly relies on Ukraine for iets security (with Ukraine taking the US’ place)
Wonder what the cover of The Economist will be this week ❔️ #Poland
NATO is “preparing” defensive measures? I thought that such a strategy had already been not only discussed but also adopted and was ready for implementation? NATO exists to be a defensive alliance.
Don't let up. Russia will get out of Ukraine when Putin loses power. Russian people, hurry the f$$k up. Make Putin go far, far away.
"For Hungary, there is a significant economic benefit, while for Putin, the project provides a means of exerting control over Hungary, creating a dependency so significant that Budapest could be left unable to make policy decisions without taking Russia’s position into account." Better *not*. #ECJ
Anyone got any more questions about whether Donald Trump would do anything if the worst happens and Russia turns against NATO allies in Europe? Ukraine is Europe’s greatest ally now, and we need each other as dearly as never before.
Already happening 'de facto' ? #FactsMatter #нетвойне
"Je hoort de echo van de oorlog hier constant", een bezoek aan getroffen Pools dorpje na drone-incident.
Expect bungling and worse. open.substack.com/pub/nicholas...
Significant to me is the timing: right after the putin met with Xi in China. Not accidental, IMO.
Yes, freeing 52 political prisoners matters, but lifting U.S. sanctions on "Belavia" is flat-out wrong. It rewards lukashenka and effectively aids russian aviation with parts and tech. Human rights can’t justify helping the aggressor.
On 9/11 we remember every life lost. It was the only time NATO invoked Article 5. Ukraine’s parliament declared solidarity and offered moral, technical & military support. Over 5,000 Ukrainians served in Iraq, the 3rd-largest Coalition force.
Today we disbursed €1bn in macro-financial assistance to 🇺🇦. As President von der Leyen announced in #SOTEU, €6bn of MFA loans will be frontloaded to meet urgent military needs. The loan is being repaid from proceeds of immobilised Russian state assets. → europa.eu/!KrXD7c #StandWithUkraine
Meanwhile in Russia: state TV host Olga Skabeeva and First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Alexey Zhuravlyov were thrilled with Donald Trump's stance, predicting that nothing will happen in response to the drones flying into Poland. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy-2...
Putin is not worried about Trump’s reaction. This was Trump’s response online Wednesday to the latest Russian transgression: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” Here we go? That is not a message designed to get Putin’s attention. wapo.st/4gmMfY3
Today, after 25 years and 5 days of existence, the domain agentura.ru— where we’ve investigated Russian secret services all this time—has been taken down. Not by the FSB, as we expected, but by Hostinger, a Lithuanian hosting company that cited sanctions. THREAD 1/7
🎯 Quod non.
“While the parade is a coded warning that the West must rearm, we should perhaps be relieved the scoundrel nations still think that big parades designed to terrify will do the job for them.” The politics of a military parade, by Peter Caddick-Adams engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
This is Europe as one community. This is the Europe that I love. This is the Europe that we must protect at all costs. And we must do that together. Read the full #SOTEU speech delivered by President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu here → europa.eu/!NNWdhF
"If Poland is willing to intercept drones over its territory, then Poland and NATO should offer to extend that protection to the Western part of Ukraine. It is technically feasible, and the decision is one of political will." ➡️ 🇷🇺 escalation must be stopped, not encouraged.
Still not *our war* ❔️
Russia will push NATO further and further. Next time there will be more drones and maybe they will hit a field somewhere. Then they will hit an old factory building. Then it will become normalized etc. This is what decades of appeasement has led to.
How did reciting pro-Russian ideas work out?
Oh well, let #NATO respond then...
For how long have so many been calling for closing the sky over 🇺🇦 ? Since 24.2.22, actually. "Escalation management" was the mantra then. And now ?
As there are reports that Russian drones are in Poland and NATO scrambled jets to respond, RIA Novosti's main story right now is "Pentagon to cut funding for US military readiness in Europe" Screw Russia and anyone who supports this
Russia sending drones into Poland isn’t an accident. Putin wants to test NATO’s red lines, spread fear, and show his war can spill over borders. Escalation, distraction from his failures in Ukraine and intimidation of the West, that’s his playbook. #RussiaIsATerroristState
Russia has not broken Ukraine’s resolve. It is not breaking ours either. We now have met 80% of our 2 million rounds of ammunition target. We aim for 100% by October. Extract of my intervention in #EPlenary on Ukraine ↓
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Russian fuel exports slump again:🚨 Last week of August: light products down 14% to 666k tons, heavy ones down 22% to 882k tons. Nearly a quarter of refining capacity offline (24%) — fallout from 🇺🇦 strikes hitting hard.
Is this the revival of the old tactics of former EE communist regimes by #Putin 's 🇷🇺 : stripping citizenship from "illegaly" exiled to make them suffer on all counts ? Despicable. #нетвойне
1/ On September 8, 1514, near Orsha, the combined Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian army under Kniaz Kostiantyn Ostrozky dealt a crushing defeat to Muscovy’s forces. Ostrozky used brilliant tactics: crossing the Dnipro overnight, feigned retreat, and devastating artillery fire that broke Muscovy’s lines.
Details of the recent Russian attack on Kyiv - they planned for it to be MUCH WORSE
Une révolution aux frontières de l'Ukraine: hier, la compagnie ferroviaire nationale a inauguré une section de 22kms de voie ferrée à écartement européen de 1435mm - et donc différent de l'écartement russe/soviétique de 1520mm. Grâce à cette ligne, achevée en avance 1/
Still wondering how and why you are being harassed by calls from #Poland ? Your phone number might as well been handed over/sold to 🇷🇺. That's the kind of "security" offered by shameless #Meta. #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Ask a #Finn 🇫🇮 : "Russia won't stop until it is stopped."
Come on #Budweiser beer CZ, you can surely do better ❕️ #нетвойне
“It sounds crazy, but you calculate your risks about being just killed or poisoned,” (Soldatov) said. “To be poisoned is much worse because it’s not just about you. You die slowly, which means it’s not just you that suffers but all your relatives."
"Now, however, everyone will have to acknowledge the elephant in the room: it was the war that put the 2025 federal budget into a truly catastrophic state." #нетвойне
Terrifying prospect for those who have *experienced* Russia in those countries since #WWII. No bottom for #US decline under DJT ❔️
Trump claims he is ready to move to the second stage of sanctions against Russia, — Reuters Which is… (let me guess) 🥁 🥁 🥁 …dropping them!
Russia launched 805 Shahed-type long-range drones in a single attack. Current output is about 90 per day and set to rise to at least 115 by year’s end, including with major Chinese support. 1/2
Last night, Russia launched one of the largest drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, targeting government buildings and civilian homes alike. Once again, the Kremlin is mocking diplomacy, trampling international law and killing indiscriminately.
Met meer dan 800! drones en ander oorlogstuig brak Rusland alweer een record in de agressie tegen Oekraïne. Tot zover de "snelle vrede" waarvoor Trump ging zorgen. De Oekraïense premier maakte dit filmpje in de aangevallen regeringsgebouwen in Kyiv.
The new "normal" weekend night in #Kyiv, now so "normal" that BE media don't even report this mayhem ❔️🖤 #StopRussiaArmUkraine 🇺🇦
Keep on rockin' in the free world #Kyiv
The urge to get a piece of action once you become the US president is irresistible.
Over the past 24 hours, russian shelling and airstrikes on Donetsk Oblast killed four civilians, according to Ukraine’s National Police. Don’t let it fade into the noise.
See what they do, not what they say. #нетвойне
The War Department was abolished for a reason. Bringing it back won’t make America stronger, writes Dr Walter Ladwig in the latest RUSI Commentary.
1/ 📢 Today, the Commission concluded that Google abused its dominant position in the display advertising technology industry. Digital advertising funds much of the online free content and services we rely on today. Google controls many of the tools that make this industry work 💻 📱
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Those unsustainable numbers show how they (mis)treat their own population, which will ultimately bring about the #downfall of Putin's regime. #нетвойне