I enjoyed this wide-ranging discussion of what Europe can do in the short term to strengthen its defences. Thanks to @armida.bsky.social & Michael Richter.
Absolutely right. Russia has observed no red lines (not even those laid down by international humanitarian law and the laws of war); so why on earth should Ukraine's Western partners force Kyiv to handicap itself? UA is doing better now it's ignoring nervous Westerners & targetting what it needs to.
Excellent! European leaders meeting Zelenskyy in the UK today need to read this: stop talking about negotiations, step up the military and economic pressure on Putin.
An important piece of work by my @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social colleague @armida.bsky.social . The apparent collapse of the FR-GE-ES FCAS aircraft project shows again the gap between Europe's rhetoric & its performance in rearmament. This paper offers some potential quick wins.
Congratulations to Ukraine and Moldova. Incredible to think that the sequence of events that led to this point began in 2013 when Putin pressured the then-Ukrainian president into backing out of an EU Association Agreement because he didn't like Ukraine getting any closer to the EU.
@centreeuropeanref.bsky.social puts it bluntly in a new study: Germany is the epicenter of the 'China Shock 2.0.' Unlike in the 2000s, Beijing is no longer just targeting the fringes of the global market, but is now aiming directly at the industrial heart of the German economy.
buff.ly/ofTqdEW
I fully agree. Worth emphasising that it was the PM’s commitment at the NATO summit last year that the U.K. would spend 3% by 2030, not John Healey.
Ian Bond
John Healey is right. The UK is spending too little & failing to learn from Ukraine’s experience of modern war. And the Treasury shows no sign of interest in whether the UK can defend itself or not. A PM's priority should be to ensure the country's national security.
“Against the background of declining US engagement in defending Europe, what is Europe doing to prepare to defend itself? @cerianbond.bsky.social asked @armida.bsky.social in the latest @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social podcast, listen here: buff.ly/yKHfhrU
🔎 This analysis on Xpert.Digital explains why Germany has become the “epicenter of the China Shock 2.0.” 🚨 It shows how massive Chinese subsidies, overcapacities, and an undervalued exchange rate…
John Healey is right. The UK is spending too little & failing to learn from Ukraine’s experience of modern war. And the Treasury shows no sign of interest in whether the UK can defend itself or not. A PM's priority should be to ensure the country's national security.
Ian Bond
Peter Ricketts
Centre for European Reform
FREDERIKSEN: One of the things where I have disagreed with some of my colleagues is all the red lines that have been put on Ukraine, because I don't think you can win a war with red lines.
You remember in the beginning, we were willing to give away some of our F-16s.
Wow. UK defence sec'y John Healey resigns. His resignation letter says DIP settlement he was given "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country" and that UK would be spending just 2.68% of GDP in 2030.
My latest for @policymag.bsky.social
“we should not be looking for a change of heart in the Kremlin, but for signs of a systemic failure [..]
Until then, hopes for a “negotiated settlement” serve only to prolong the bloodshed. Russia will not take an off-ramp; it needs to be defeated.”
Video
Kate from Kharkiv
Ian Bond
On one hand, we have President Volodymyr Zelensky’s open letter to Vladimir Putin, a document that invites the Russian president to a face-to-face meeting to
EU Member States agree unanimously to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday
www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
Shashank Joshi
Wow. UK defence sec'y John Healey resigns. His resignation letter says DIP settlement he was given "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country" and that UK would be spending just 2.68% of GDP in 2030.
Maria Popova
www.consilium.europa.eu
President of the European Council, António Costa, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, issued a joint statement on the agreement to open the first accession negotiations clu...
Europe needs to rapidly improve its deterrence.
A new @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social / Hanns Seidel Foundation paper by @armida.bsky.social outlines key steps European governments can take in the next 1-2 years to accelerate rearmament, readiness and deterrence efforts.
Read here: buff.ly/rwfLU1S
Centre for European Reform
Steve Peers
I don't believe he'll use nukes unless he thinks a) they'll enable him to achieve his aims through Ukraine's surrender & b) there will be no serious consequences for his regime. So the West's job - perhaps with help fm China on this, if nothing else - is to ensure he thinks neither a nor b is true.
