Nick Vavich
@badgerintweed.bsky.social
Retired Marine Colonel. OEF/GWOT/Balkans Veteran. Husband. Dad to kids, dogs, and cats. Friend of animals anywhere. Reader. NAFO. Pacific Northwesterner. Believer in messy democracy and centrism.
Reposted by Nick Vavich
🇩🇪The German Minister of Economy has arrived in Kyiv.
She emphasized that urgent assistance is needed for the restoration and stable energy supply in Ukraine, and promised to find out how Germany can provide more concrete and effective support.
ㅤ
She emphasized that urgent assistance is needed for the restoration and stable energy supply in Ukraine, and promised to find out how Germany can provide more concrete and effective support.
ㅤ
October 24, 2025 at 7:20 AM
🇩🇪The German Minister of Economy has arrived in Kyiv.
She emphasized that urgent assistance is needed for the restoration and stable energy supply in Ukraine, and promised to find out how Germany can provide more concrete and effective support.
ㅤ
She emphasized that urgent assistance is needed for the restoration and stable energy supply in Ukraine, and promised to find out how Germany can provide more concrete and effective support.
ㅤ
In case you had other ideas…
Meanwhile in Russia: Zakhar Prilepin explained that regardless of any ceasefire, Russia will eventually resume its efforts to take all of Ukraine. He scoffed at Trump's peacekeeping proposals and emphasized that Russia will never be friends with America.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKrS...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKrS...
Zakhar Prilepin says Russia will never be friends with America
YouTube video by Russian Media Monitor
www.youtube.com
September 2, 2025 at 9:59 PM
In case you had other ideas…
Meanwhile in Russia: Vladimir Solovyov and Margarita Simonyan discussed Trump's health and America's diminishing global standing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOy...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezOy...
Vladimir Solovyov and Margarita Simonyan discuss Trump's health and global standing
YouTube video by Russian Media Monitor
www.youtube.com
September 2, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Nick Vavich
And this is how you end up at “everything is genocide”
Tom; deaths that were willfully caused (by whatever means; neglect, targeting, gas chambers, etc) is inhumane and can be used as evidence of genocide. Making excuses will never change events on the ground or the inhumanity of the result.
Arguing over semantics or means doesn't change the facts.
Arguing over semantics or means doesn't change the facts.
September 1, 2025 at 12:43 AM
And this is how you end up at “everything is genocide”
Reposted by Nick Vavich
Cities often are war zones. Where do you think wars take place? Out in the special part of the Earth marked “War zone only?”
And on the other side, "cities are war zones". Serious people should be thoughtful in the words they use. Personally, I think people know this deep down, it's just that society rewards us for doubling down instead of owning up.
September 1, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Cities often are war zones. Where do you think wars take place? Out in the special part of the Earth marked “War zone only?”
Trump is firing the competent people in the national security apparatus because they are competent.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
N.S.A.’s Acting Director Tried to Save Top Scientist From Purge
www.nytimes.com
August 28, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Nick Vavich
"If it were true that Ukraine belongs to Russia in the 2020s because a Russian dictator knows a legend about a Viking in the 860s... millions of people who actually live there would have no voice in their own identity: no choice but to accept the executions, the torture, the kidnapping of children."
"Nothing that happened in medieval eastern Europe bound future states to make war against each other a thousand years later"
My latest essay: "The myths that made Putin’s war"
www.ft.com/content/9731...
My latest essay: "The myths that made Putin’s war"
www.ft.com/content/9731...
The myths that made Putin’s war
The Alaska summit exposed the flawed history and personal vanity that fuel the conflict with Ukraine, argues Timothy Snyder
www.ft.com
August 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"If it were true that Ukraine belongs to Russia in the 2020s because a Russian dictator knows a legend about a Viking in the 860s... millions of people who actually live there would have no voice in their own identity: no choice but to accept the executions, the torture, the kidnapping of children."
Happy National Day, Moldova.
You have shown the world what independence means: the freedom to choose your path and your future.
Today, the pulse of Europe beats with you — and with your journey towards the EU.
You have shown the world what independence means: the freedom to choose your path and your future.
Today, the pulse of Europe beats with you — and with your journey towards the EU.
August 28, 2025 at 8:39 AM
While the world seeks a path to peace, Russia responds with missiles.
The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts.
Russia must stop the killing and negotiate.
The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts.
Russia must stop the killing and negotiate.
August 28, 2025 at 8:38 AM
“It’s worth noting that Karnaukhov’s certainty about regime thinking is well-founded. His senior editors are among those attending weekly sessions at the Kremlin, where they are directed by senior Putin aide Alexy Gromov on how to cover the news.”
Putin–Zelenskyy Meeting Is Impossible, Say Russia’s Propagandists | "Russia propagandists were in a lather of excitement during and after the Alaska summit. The mood has changed." @juliadavisnews.bsky.social
Putin–Zelenskyy Meeting Is Impossible, Say Russia’s Propagandists
Russia propagandists were in a lather of excitement during and after the Trump-Putin Alaska summit. The mood has changed.
cepa.org
August 22, 2025 at 3:57 PM
“It’s worth noting that Karnaukhov’s certainty about regime thinking is well-founded. His senior editors are among those attending weekly sessions at the Kremlin, where they are directed by senior Putin aide Alexy Gromov on how to cover the news.”
Meanwhile in Russia: Sergey Karnaukhov explained why Putin should never meet with Zelensky and expressed his hope that Russia will destroy the democratic Europe, in concert with the United States. This and more in my latest article, linked below ⤵️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFu3...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFu3...
Sergey Karnaukhov asserts Putin should never meet with Zelensky
YouTube video by Russian Media Monitor
www.youtube.com
August 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
“The partisan movement has become an integral part of the Ukrainian military's successes, acting not only as its eyes but also its hands deep inside enemy territory.“
On the partisan groups that work inside occupied Crimea. Long term occupation will not be easy for Russia www.counteroffensive.news/p/ukrainian-...
Ukrainian sabotage groups operating behind Russian lines
Since 2022, agents of the underground resistance movement Atesh have relentlessly carried out brutal sabotage against the Russian army. Djohar, leading a group of agents, takes us behind the scenes.
www.counteroffensive.news
August 22, 2025 at 3:55 PM
“The partisan movement has become an integral part of the Ukrainian military's successes, acting not only as its eyes but also its hands deep inside enemy territory.“
“Alaska clarified what was unclear only to the obtuse: Putin wants to win the war, Trump wants to end it, and as George Orwell said, the quickest way to end a war is to lose it.”
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Now it is the Old World’s turn to rescue the United States
As Trump met with European leaders on Ukraine, Churchill’s words from days long ago came to mind.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Hard to believe it, but we are progressing quickly towards a full blown imaginary conspiracy, complete with prosecutions
nypost.com/2025/08/19/u...
nypost.com/2025/08/19/u...
nypost.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Trump: "Russia is a powerful military nation whether people like it or not. It's a much bigger nation. It's not a war that should have been started, you don't do that. You don't take on a nation that's 10x your size."
August 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
“Trump was oddly eager to castigate his predecessors for being weak: Crimea, he said, was handed over to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Barack Obama “without a shot fired.” (Should Obama have fired some? No one asked.)”
New from me: Trump thinks Ukraine is to blame for the war and that Russia is right to think of the West as "the enemy."
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Trump Keeps Defending Russia
The president sees the Ukraine war through Kremlin-tinted glasses.
www.theatlantic.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
“Trump was oddly eager to castigate his predecessors for being weak: Crimea, he said, was handed over to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Barack Obama “without a shot fired.” (Should Obama have fired some? No one asked.)”
To make your feed a bit more beautiful today:
A view of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.
A view of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.
August 18, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Greetings from Kyiv.
I opened the morning news.
russians hit a residential building in Kharkiv.
Five people were killed, among them a 1.5‑year‑old girl.
I made a warcoffee.
Damned peacemakers, peacedealers, and other peacenothings.
I opened the morning news.
russians hit a residential building in Kharkiv.
Five people were killed, among them a 1.5‑year‑old girl.
I made a warcoffee.
Damned peacemakers, peacedealers, and other peacenothings.
August 18, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Reposted by Nick Vavich
I beg to differ. Quite a number of units seem to be near the White House.
The @washingtonpost tracked where Trump's forces are patrolling in Washington. Spoiler alert: They're not where the crime is.
August 18, 2025 at 1:57 AM
I beg to differ. Quite a number of units seem to be near the White House.
1/2. The phrase "land swap" is being used to mean "Ukraine concedes land illegally occupied by Russia and also concedes territory that is not even occupied." That is not a swap.
August 18, 2025 at 4:26 AM
We need to be able to say what protests are for. Serbs are protesting for the rule of law and have been doing so in large numbers for a long time.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Violent clashes escalate at anti-government protests in Serbia
Police accused of brutality against demonstrators as unrest continues across cities for fourth night
www.theguardian.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:26 AM
“This war can be brought to an end. The United States has the power to help, but that power must be consciously directed to the benefit of the side that is defending itself, and in accordance with what we know about successful negotiations. “
As Ukrainian and European leaders travel to Washington for discussions in the White House this Monday about ending Russia’s illegal war of aggression, Americans would do well to remember ten principles of negotiation.
snyder.substack.com/p/common-sen...
snyder.substack.com/p/common-sen...
Common Sense about Negotiations
For Americans about Ukraine
snyder.substack.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:26 AM
“This war can be brought to an end. The United States has the power to help, but that power must be consciously directed to the benefit of the side that is defending itself, and in accordance with what we know about successful negotiations. “
Transatlantic unity, support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia is how we will end this war and prevent future Russian aggression in Europe.
August 18, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Russia struck an apartment building in Kharkiv with several drones early this morning, while families inside were still asleep.
A 1-year-old child is among the dead. Two other people have also been confirmed killed.
More than 15 others were injured, including several children.
A 1-year-old child is among the dead. Two other people have also been confirmed killed.
More than 15 others were injured, including several children.
August 18, 2025 at 4:22 AM