Martin Ehl

Jsem si zahostoval u kolegů z Českého rozhlasu na téma americká roadshow ministra Petra Macinky.

A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans ...

I've been working on this for ages in various countries: the story of the intelligence buildup to Putin's 2022 invasion. How did the US and Britain find out so much, and why were Europe and Ukraine sceptical.

It's a long one:

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Several times a week volunteers gather across the Czech Republic to make 'trench candles' for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.

Watch the 3-min video here:

robjcameron.substack.com/p/light-and-...

Superb essay by @markhleonard.bsky.social @ecfr.eu on new right in the US and Europe, how to understand it, how it is shaped and what could centre do to hold. Must-read! ecfr.eu/publication/...

Anothet attempt, this time by @peterpomerantsev.bsky.social in Financial Times, to explain to frightened Europeans that there are creative ways how defend itself against Russian/American bullying and threats. His idea is to tell and show narratives diferently as Moscow dominates the storytelling.

Relatives of a Ukrainian serviceman who had been listed as killed and even buried heard his voice for the first time after his return from captivity. The moment came after the fighter was freed in a prisoner exchange and contacted his family following years of uncertainty. #Ukraine

French trolling is just superb.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has gotten rid of even the most loyal generals in the army leadership. Why this is bad news for Taiwan and, in fact, the whole world is explained - for example - in today's article in the Wall Street Journal from which I have selected three key paragraphs.

Very descriptive map!

Europe cannot catch up with existing US AI products. Instead Europe should develop new, exportable AI, of course, there is need for new research and funding. Succesful AI researcher, entrepreneur, investor and new Prague tech university rector Michal Pechoucek at #AspenAnnual in Prague

Northern Europe will be more relevant than Southern Europe because it spends seriously on defence. I hope we (CZ) will be with Northern Europe, now we are heading towards Balkans. Former NatSecAdvis Tomáš Pojar at #AspenAnnual in Prague Aspen Central Europe

European leader spoke of shock at Trump’s state of mind after Mar-a-Lago meeting The Slovak PM, a Trump ally, told leaders at last week’s EU summit he was concerned about the way the U.S. president spoke to him, European diplomats said.

Slovak prime minister Fico potraits himself as a big fan of Trump. But...
www.politico.eu/article/dona...

I remember times of kremlinology, guess-game about who is against/with whom inside Soviet and then Russian regime. Now we are here with "whitehousology"?

In five days, Czechs collected 100mil CZK - 4.1 mil EUR or 4.8 USD - in special fund via initiative "Gift for Putin" to help to warm Ukraine. About 60k people participated, part is being used to buy stuff on the spot, part to buy and send equipment ASAP to Ukraine.
www.zbraneproukrajinu.cz

Trump administration weighs naval blockade to halt Cuban oil imports “Energy is the chokehold to kill” the Cuban regime, said a person familiar with the discussions.

It looks like HIS attention shifted southward!
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

The new Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka spoke to foreign diplomats about the government's policy priorities. Here is "the best of" from his speech. A path to trumpism/orbanism opened.

Trump: "I haven't been able to find any windfarms in China."

Reality: China has far more windfarms than any other country on Earth

“I haven’t been able to find any wind farms in China”

Trump stating that he won't use force in Greenland may be an off-ramp aftee the markets spoke yesterday. But it remains to be seen whether he renounces the 10% tariff vs 8 European shares. Best for EU to take preliminary steps tomorrow to prep anti-coercion bazooka. Keep him & markets on their toes

I think deterrence... worked. Europe's response was actually strong. They sent forces to Denmark, they threatened to retaliate with tariffs, they talked about selling US debt, they made markets nervous and it looked like Trump TACO'd... for now.

Military models Canadian response to hypothetical American invasion Armed Forces envision insurgency tactics like those used by Afghan mujahedeen, sources say. But officials and experts stress a U.S. operation is unlikely, and the scenarios are conceptual

Thinking unthinkable: Canada's military models defense against hypothetical American invasion.
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

This will be a historical moment - if it makes an impact on European leaders.

Greenland Leader Tells People to Prepare for Possible Invasion Greenland’s prime minister said the Arctic island’s population and its authorities need to start preparing for a possible military invasion, even as it remains an unlikely scenario, as President Donal...

Prepare for invasion tells Greenland prime minister to his people.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Canadian prime minister openly and honestly described new (old) world order.

🇩🇰🇬🇱🇪🇺🇺🇸 There is no way for the US to acquire sovereignty over Greenland other than through a military intervention

Because all the other pathways require Greenland's support - by parliament and the public through referenda - which the US simply isn't going to get

Europe has cards as described by @tobiasgehrke.bsky.social The question is political will to use them.

The Slovak curse? Even with five car manufacturers, Slovakia will not surpass the car production record achieved with three (pic @dennikn.bsky.social). Among other things, Slovak manufacturers are feeling the impact of US tariffs and a shortage of workers. Is Slovakia's Detroit approaching?

"we cannot have a world in which we have trouble funding our defence because of self-imposed good-guy-rules" !!!

Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen:

"If we have to choose between the US & Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU."

"Greenland does not want to be owned by the US. Greenland does not want to be governed by the US" he later added.

Thinking unthinkable with
@gideonrachman.bsky.social
(interesting and inspiring as usual). Europe should learn its lessons quickly and adapt them to reality, maybe EU army is not such weird idea. But speed and decisiveness are not typical features of European political reality of last years.