Europa kan beter onderhandelen met Rusland dan wapens sturen naar Oekraïne, denkt de Belgische premier Bart De Wever, die daarmee gelijk zijn onderhandelingspositie verzwakt.
De Wever speelde Rusland eerder in de kaart met zijn weigering om Russische bevroren tegoeden te gebruiken voor Oekraïne.
Thus the centre right in Belgium long imagined that they were enthusiastic about European security, democracy, and government efficiency, until the day of danger wrung from them the confession that they are enthusiastic only about cheap fossil fuels.
Oekraïne verraden heeft inderdaad het nadeel dat het de indruk wekt dat je Oekraïne verraad.
This always seems to me a big danger for EU unity - once the US starts easing it's sanctions on Russia, the pro-Putin politicians will start arguing it would be an economic necessity for the EU to follow suit
"Zo werkten Russen die betrokken waren bij de SP-campagne ook samen met het Kremlin en de Russische militaire inlichtingendienst GROe."
Ik gaf een korte toelichting bij @vrtnws.be over het "onderzoek" van Nathan Cofnas, naar aanleiding van een open mail getekend door meer dan 400 UGent'ers (bij de laatste telling). Hierbij een draadje met voorspellingen over het publieke debat én hoe je niet te laten strikken door mist-spuiers 🧵
Make no mistake: soaring oil prices are secondary for #Russia. The real target of the #Putin regime is to bring down oil sanctions - through their willing helpers in Washington, Budapest and other places.
www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/13/m...
Trump tells donors they’ll receive his national security briefings in return for money: www.cnn.com/2026/03/13/p...
Trump is saving putin.
🇷🇺🇭🇺 Meet Hungarian politician Péter Magyar – same name as the opposition leader, tons of photos with Viktor Orbán and his cabinet members, running as an "independent" in a West Hungarian constituency. A Russia-style spoiler candidate, designed to deceive voters. More on 444.hu: 444.hu/2026/03/12/v...
The Hungarian govt is escalating its anti-Ukrainian actions and disregard for law. I hope they get absolutely trounced at the polls.
Europeans need to rearm and invest more in defence. That involves making difficult choices about public spending, in a context where far-right parties will exploit grievances about cuts to public services.
So how should governments build a national consensus on defence? 🧵
www.cer.eu/publications...
FT broadens the report last week by VSquare that Russian political technologists are aiding Orban’s campaign. Putin ok’d plan for “the Social Design Agency, a Kremlin-linked media consultancy under western sanctions, to bolster Orbán’s Fidesz party by flooding social media”
At this point, it seems that the safest assumption is that the Trump administration simply doesn't care if the Russians are sharing information on US military assets with Iran. Putin can do what he likes, however damaging to the US, with no fear of a US response.🧵
It would be strategic lunacy for Europe to support the US/Israeli war on Iran. It is an illegal war that comes with huge costs: regional spillover, higher energy costs, helping Putin in Ukraine. It risks drawing Europe into a new regime change quagmire
ecfr.eu/article/stra...
Hacking internet-connected civilian security cameras for recon has become a standard operating procedure of modern warfare. First for Russia and Ukraine, now for Israel and Iran.
Your insecure internet-of-things surveillance system is now their targeting system.
www.wired.com/story/from-u...
Met @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social en @bartschuurman.bsky.social betoog ik in @volkskrant.nl dat de druk op de liberale democratieen in de EU, vanuit zowel het Kremlin als vanuit Washington, en met steun van uiterst rechts in Europa, systematisch wordt onderschat www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...
Here's your regular reminder that you don't have to defend the Iranian dictatorship to oppose the war. Multiple things can be true at once
Too many who should know better are backing this war. It wouldn't be happening if a) Trump were a remotely serious president who knew the risks of embarking on something whose aims he still can't specify, and b) Netanyahu wasn't embracing regional chaos as his get out of jail free card.
Everyone, including Israel itself, would be so much better off had Israel traded a truckload of its short-term tactical brilliance for an ounce of long-term strategic wisdom. Or at least understood that they are not substitutes and that abundance of one cannot compensate for the lack of the other
Again, for emphasis: russia has not agreed to ANYTHING. Nearly 100% of the media coverage presents the current situation as: if Ukraine agrees to giving up Donbas, there will be peace. That is not the case! Stop acting as if it were.
Interesting talk 👇
Yet another war in violation of international law. Without the pretence of seeking UN approval.Unleashed while talks ongoing, making a laughing stock of diplomacy. Trump’s foreign policy is sickeningly predictable, with the only predictable effect being a decline of US power
This is how the "NATO expansion provoked Ru" crowd tries to wiggle out of evidence falsifying their theory again! After Finland/Sweden's NATO accession provoked no reaction from Ru, they said it didn't count because Ru's afraid specifically of Ukr in NATO. Now that taking Ukr NATO membership off...
The pro-russian part of the European political spectrum essentially brings together the Eastern European far right (AfD counts as EEuropean, imo) and the Western European far left. Supporting russia's fascist regime makes sense for the far right but what the hell is the far left smoking?
'Als Bart Schols een paar weken geleden in het bijzijn van Soundos El Ahmadi aan dat soort victim blaming had gedaan, dan was hij wellicht niet in één stuk naar huis gegaan.' Over de passage van professor Tom Sauer in 'De afspraak' www.humo.be/tv/zelfs-jos...
Very clear statement by Russian official that the goal is to control Ukraine. Giving Russia a slice of the Donbas won’t satisfy Russia or end the war.
Disastrous naivite. You either do security with Ru or against Ru. You can't have it both ways. The first way failed miserably as early as 2008. Clinging on to the idea that seeking Pu's agreement would lead to anything but Ru paralyzing/controlling Ukraine is delusional.
💥BREAKING: Viktor Orbán ordered the military deployed to guard “key energy facilities,” citing a possible Ukrainian “attack” to disrupt Hungary’s energy system. The move fuels fears of a staged national security emergency or false-flag incident ahead of the April 12 elections. This is really scary.
I suppose I should be grateful that the US didn't join Russia in voting against like last time. I note that Hungary also abstained, showing (again) that as long as Orban is in power it will be a very unreliable ally.
