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Washington Is Negotiating a Peace It Cannot Deliver.
For years, you have watched the United States lead attempts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. But what if the country leading the negotiations is not the one holding the strongest cards?
What if the real opportunity for peace ere else all along? And what if recognising that could change the future of Russia, Ukraine and Europe?
The answer is considerably more interesting than another meeting with Putin.
My latest investigation on Gandalv.
Read the full article👇.
gandalv.substack.com/p/washington-i…
For years, you have watched the United States lead attempts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. But what if the country leading the negotiations is not the one holding the strongest cards?
What if the real opportunity for peace ere else all along? And what if recognising that could change the future of Russia, Ukraine and Europe?
The answer is considerably more interesting than another meeting with Putin.
My latest investigation on Gandalv.
Read the full article👇.
gandalv.substack.com/p/washington-i…
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🇳🇴 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is emerging as a potential candidate to lead negotiations with Russia on Europe’s behalf. Interestingly, voices in Russia are also portraying Støre as a credible and potentially acceptable negotiator. With his diplomatic tanding of European security and Norway’s long history of managing relations with Moscow, Støre could offer Europe something increasingly essential: a strong, independent voice at the negotiating table.
gandalv.substack.com/p/washington-i…
gandalv.substack.com/p/washington-i…
Washington Is Negotiating a Peace It Cannot Deliver.
For years, you have watched the United States lead attempts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. But what if the country leading the negotiations is not the one holding the strongest cards?
What if the real opportunity for peace ere else all along? And what if recognising that could change the future of Russia, Ukraine and Europe?
The answer is considerably more interesting than another meeting with Putin.
My latest investigation on Gandalv.
Read the full article👇.
gandalv.substack.com/p/washington-i…
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Gandalv retweeted
Elon Musk claims that Ukraine allegedly violated Starlink's terms of use and used the system on combat drones.
As someone who was inside the process at the Ministry of Defense, I can say with certainty that this is not true.
In February of this year, whitelists were introduced. uld be registered by both military personnel and civilians.
But for any satellite terminal to work while on the move, it had to be added to a special list and connected to the military Starshield system. Otherwise, no satellite communication terminals in Ukraine would work.
In other words, using civilian Starlink for drone missions was technically impossible. All drone missions that required satellite communication could only be carried out using Starshield.
We are very grateful to the United States and SpaceX for access to critically important satellite communications. Ukraine did not violate the terms of use.
As someone who was inside the process at the Ministry of Defense, I can say with certainty that this is not true.
In February of this year, whitelists were introduced. uld be registered by both military personnel and civilians.
But for any satellite terminal to work while on the move, it had to be added to a special list and connected to the military Starshield system. Otherwise, no satellite communication terminals in Ukraine would work.
In other words, using civilian Starlink for drone missions was technically impossible. All drone missions that required satellite communication could only be carried out using Starshield.
We are very grateful to the United States and SpaceX for access to critically important satellite communications. Ukraine did not violate the terms of use.
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Gandalv retweeted
I know everyone was talking about Zelenskyy’s interview on The Diary of a CEO yesterday, but I have to add my two cents.
This was an absolute masterclass in political communication. Just think about the timing, the platform, and the audience. One of the world’s biggest podcasts, reaching millions of people, right ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
While Trump tries to blame Ukraine for rising fuel prices, Zelenskyy goes straight to an enormous international audience and challenges that narrative.
Did anyone really think Trump was the only one who could make headlines every day, throw accusations around, and dictate the narrative? An information war as it is.
Such a smart and powerful move. Whoever came up with this idea deserves a round of applause.
This was an absolute masterclass in political communication. Just think about the timing, the platform, and the audience. One of the world’s biggest podcasts, reaching millions of people, right ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
While Trump tries to blame Ukraine for rising fuel prices, Zelenskyy goes straight to an enormous international audience and challenges that narrative.
Did anyone really think Trump was the only one who could make headlines every day, throw accusations around, and dictate the narrative? An information war as it is.
Such a smart and powerful move. Whoever came up with this idea deserves a round of applause.
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And there is your proof.
82% of Democrats support Ukraine over Russia. So do 52% of Republicans and even 50% of MAGA supporters. Support for Russia? A miserable 1%, 4% and 5%, respectively.
Trump, Hegseth and JD Vance do not represent the American people on this issue. They represent their own interests.
They represent themselves, their egos and a peculiar little faction that seems determined to mistake loyalty to Putin for patriotism.
The most remarkable thing about these figures is that even MAGA voters are ten times more likely to support Ukraine than Russia.
America has not become pro-Russian. Its leadership has simply become spectacularly unrepresentative of the country it claims to speak for.
82% of Democrats support Ukraine over Russia. So do 52% of Republicans and even 50% of MAGA supporters. Support for Russia? A miserable 1%, 4% and 5%, respectively.
Trump, Hegseth and JD Vance do not represent the American people on this issue. They represent their own interests.
They represent themselves, their egos and a peculiar little faction that seems determined to mistake loyalty to Putin for patriotism.
The most remarkable thing about these figures is that even MAGA voters are ten times more likely to support Ukraine than Russia.
America has not become pro-Russian. Its leadership has simply become spectacularly unrepresentative of the country it claims to speak for.
"In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, who do you sympathize with more?"
Democrats
🇺🇦 82%
🇷🇺 1%
GOP
🇺🇦 52%
🇷🇺 4%
MAGA
🇺🇦 50%
🇷🇺 5%
(The Economist/YouGov)
Buying diesel and lifting sanctions from Russia - masterful gambit, president Trump!
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One of the largest financial questions in any Ukrainian peace settlement is already sitting under European jurisdiction: around €210 billion in immobilised Russian central-bank assets.
Immobilised does not mean confiscated, and Europe cannot simply spend the principal. But its future cannot be settled by an American envoy offering investment opportunities over lunch.
European institutions must authorise any lawful arrangement involving those assets, and Ukrainians must shape the reconstruction it supports.
These are homes, substations and railways somebody destroyed. Before discussing who might profit from rebuilding them, establish who owes compensation, who can authorise the funding and whose country is being rebuilt.
Immobilised does not mean confiscated, and Europe cannot simply spend the principal. But its future cannot be settled by an American envoy offering investment opportunities over lunch.
European institutions must authorise any lawful arrangement involving those assets, and Ukrainians must shape the reconstruction it supports.
These are homes, substations and railways somebody destroyed. Before discussing who might profit from rebuilding them, establish who owes compensation, who can authorise the funding and whose country is being rebuilt.
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This footage is from the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Look at that little Ukrainian boy, walking towards the border in tears, surrounded by families fleeing a Russian invasion. Now consider the extraordinary moral bankruptcy of Trump, Rubio, Hegseth and Musk, whose message to Ukraine increasingly amounts to: “Fuck Ukraine. Russia gets our sympathy.”
Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff apparently sees Putin as some sort of humanitarian. Quite remarkable. Most people can distinguish a humanitarian from a man whose army bombs hospitals and forces children to flee their homes. Apparently, this requires a level of intellectual sophistication beyond certain members of the American establishment.
It hardly takes a magnificent imagination to work out which side these gentlemen might have found more accommodating in 1939.
“Never again” was supposed to mean something. It wasn’t a decorative slogan to be dusted off once a year while making excuses for the next dictator.
And to those who admire Russia as some glorious defender of Western civilisation, perhaps try learning something about the country. Russia has millions of Muslim citizens. It is hardly the anti-Muslim paradise some of its Western admirers imagine. Nor does Putin’s dictatorship represent the democratic freedoms they claim to cherish.
But then, understanding history, geography or basic human decency does rather spoil the pleasure of having absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
That little boy understood who the aggressor was. Remarkable how many supposedly powerful adults still struggle with it. x.com/Microinteracti…
Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff apparently sees Putin as some sort of humanitarian. Quite remarkable. Most people can distinguish a humanitarian from a man whose army bombs hospitals and forces children to flee their homes. Apparently, this requires a level of intellectual sophistication beyond certain members of the American establishment.
It hardly takes a magnificent imagination to work out which side these gentlemen might have found more accommodating in 1939.
“Never again” was supposed to mean something. It wasn’t a decorative slogan to be dusted off once a year while making excuses for the next dictator.
And to those who admire Russia as some glorious defender of Western civilisation, perhaps try learning something about the country. Russia has millions of Muslim citizens. It is hardly the anti-Muslim paradise some of its Western admirers imagine. Nor does Putin’s dictatorship represent the democratic freedoms they claim to cherish.
But then, understanding history, geography or basic human decency does rather spoil the pleasure of having absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
That little boy understood who the aggressor was. Remarkable how many supposedly powerful adults still struggle with it. x.com/Microinteracti…
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I'm an American, a U.S. Army veteran, and I live in Europe.
And I'll tell you something that might upset a few people back home.
👇
And I'll tell you something that might upset a few people back home.
👇
I'm an American, a U.S. Army veteran, and I live in Europe.
And I'll tell you something that might upset a few people back home.
I want my fellow Americans to enjoy the same rights, freedoms, and quality of life that millions of Europeans already enjoy.
I want Americans to have access to affordable healthcare without worrying about going bankrupt because they got sick.
I want American students to pursue higher education without burying themselves in decades of debt.
I want Americans to enjoy stronger digital privacy laws, meaningful consumer protections, paid parental leave, and guaranteed paid vacation.
I want police officers held to rigorous standards of accountability, where de-escalation is emphasized and deadly force is genuinely a last resort.
I want Americans to understand that freedom isn't just about what the government cannot do to you. It's also about having the security and opportunity to actually enjoy your life.
And before someone starts screaming about socialism, understand something.
European countries are capitalist democracies. They have private businesses, entrepreneurs, private property, competitive markets, and individual liberties. They've simply made different decisions about what protections their citizens should enjoy.
Europe isn't perfect. No place is. But pretending America has nothing to learn from other democracies is ridiculous.
I served my country. I love my country. And I don't believe patriotism requires pretending that America is the best at everything.
In fact, I believe the exact opposite.
Real patriotism means wanting your country to improve, even when that means admitting another country does something better.
I don't want Americans to have fewer freedoms.
I want them to have MORE.
More protections. More opportunities. More security. More accountability. More freedom to live their lives without being financially destroyed by illness, education, or circumstances beyond their control.
And having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I know that much of this is possible.
We should stop asking why Americans can't have these things and start asking why they're expected to settle for less.
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Gandalv retweeted
In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a South African-American(!) businessman and social media figure, Elon Musk (@elonmusk). He's best-known for being the wealthiest man in the world, running Tesla Inc., SpaceX & Twitter, and for parroting Kremlin's propaganda narratives.
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Gandalv retweeted
Always fun to see the actual elite trying to warn us about ”the elite”
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Gandalv retweeted
Ukraine losing access to Starshield raises serious concerns for our national security—like who controls critical capabilities the U.S. government has spent billions to procure & how decisions to restrict them are made. I'm demanding answers from the Department of Defense & SpaceX
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Gandalv retweeted
The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there. The speed has not been restored. And the delivery of interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed. We’re waiting for interceptors that were already agreed on. But they are still not problem, because the Russians attack us almost every single day.
All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front. We keep defending positions. Things have become harder – partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits. But our frontline is still holding and I am proud of how strong our people are.
From an address at the Hudson Institute. (2/3)
All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front. We keep defending positions. Things have become harder – partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits. But our frontline is still holding and I am proud of how strong our people are.
From an address at the Hudson Institute. (2/3)
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Gandalv retweeted
"I think Americans may not fully understand how betrayed America's allies feel right now."
Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister of Canada, joined ABC News Live to discuss her new book dubbing America as the world's "Unreliable Boyfriend."
Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister of Canada, joined ABC News Live to discuss her new book dubbing America as the world's "Unreliable Boyfriend."
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Gandalv retweeted
Mark Carney on Elon Musk throttling Starlink: "I search for the right adjective to describe whoever took this decision or group of people took this decision against a country that is literally fighting for the lives of the citizens against naked aggression."
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Imagine the first week after a ceasefire in Ukraine. The signatures are dry. The cameras have gone home. European leaders are congratulating one another.
Then a drone hits a Ukrainian power station.
Moscow denies responsibility. Kyiv produces evidence. European governments demand consultations.
Who investigates? Who decides? And what happens before the next drone arrives?
That is the moment when you discover whether the negotiators designed a peace agreement or merely arranged a ceasefire ceremony.
The real test of peace is not the handshake. It is the first violation.
Then a drone hits a Ukrainian power station.
Moscow denies responsibility. Kyiv produces evidence. European governments demand consultations.
Who investigates? Who decides? And what happens before the next drone arrives?
That is the moment when you discover whether the negotiators designed a peace agreement or merely arranged a ceasefire ceremony.
The real test of peace is not the handshake. It is the first violation.
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Never mess with Europeans.
Reports from Moscow indicate that balloons carrying suspended explosives or small drones are approaching the Russian capital. #Russia
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