Boris Staal
bwrs89.bsky.social
Boris Staal
@bwrs89.bsky.social
PhD candidate at University of Amsterdam | Historian | Russian revolutionary history | Eastern Europe.

Amsterdam
Reposted by Boris Staal
Toen de asielwetten van Faber besproken werden in de Tweede Kamer was er veel rumoer - terecht - over strafbaarstelling illegaliteit.
Maar wat er in die wetten staat over gezinshereniging, dát is waar t grootste menselijk leed zal gaan zitten. En D66 en CDA willen daar grotendeels aan vasthouden.
Over de invoering van het tweestatusstelsel - de meest radicale hervorming van het Nederlands asielbeleid in 25 jaar - schrijft de Raad van State, in keurige Raad-van-State-taal: jullie zeggen dat het moet van de EU, maar dat is nonsens, jullie willen t gewoon om gezinsherening te kunnen blokkeren.
December 5, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Reuters followed the fortunes of a group of raw recruits who enlisted as part of Ukraine’s drive to refresh its depleted ranks. None of the 11 are still fighting reut.rs/4own9bJ
Band of brothers: how the war crushed a cohort of young Ukrainians
Reuters followed the fortunes of a group of raw recruits who enlisted in the spring as part of Ukraine’s drive to refresh its depleted ranks. None of them are still fighting.
reut.rs
December 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 28, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Russia is pitching a peace-through-business plan to a Trump team envoy Witkoff, offering sanctions relief and U.S. investment in exchange for Ukraine freezing the front line and giving up NATO. A must-read really given the ongoing circumstances.

www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
No person has been closer to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine than Andriy Yermak — and no absence may matter more.

My analysis with @fabricedeprez.bsky.social on today’s massive political shakeup in Kyiv.
www.ft.com/content/56f7...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy loses brother-in-arms in Kyiv power shift
President’s departing aide centralised decision-making in a way no other official had done in Ukraine
www.ft.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
"Iedereen doet maar wat": de chaotische zoektocht van het Witte Huis naar een vredesakkoord tussen Rusland en Oekraïne
vrtnws.be/p.VLGLeD97m
"Iedereen doet maar wat": de chaotische zoektocht van het Witte Huis naar een vredesakkoord tussen Rusland en Oekraïne | VRT NWS: nieuws
Gelekte telefoongesprekken tussen Amerikaanse en Russische onderhandelaars leggen bloot hoe amateuristisch de entourage van Donald Trump te werk gaat in de zoektocht naar een vredesakkoord tussen Rusl...
vrtnws.be
November 26, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
November 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Duitse familiebedrijven moeten kiezen tussen principes en militaire orders
Duitse familiebedrijven moeten kiezen tussen principes en militaire orders
De Duitse regering laat het geld voor defensieorders flink rollen. Duitse familiebedrijven heroverwgen hun principile houding om niet aan militaire productie te doen.
fd.nl
November 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Monday morning re-up: the proposed Ukraine deal framework (while we wait and see what revisions followed the US-Ukraine meeting) and the 1825 Decembrist Revolt, and what it may say about the situation today
In Moscow's Shadows 225: A Chance for Peace in Ukraine?

In the 1st half, I look at the proposed Ukraine peace deal (and what it's not).
In the 2nd, I spin off Rabow-Edling's excellent book on the 1825 Decembrist Revolt to consider its modern resonances.

www.buzzsprout.com/1026985/epis...
In Moscow's Shadows 225: A Chance for Peace in Ukraine? - In Moscow's Shadows
In the first half of the podcast, I look at the proposed Ukraine peace deal, which is only a foundation for proper negotiations, especially in terms of what it is not.In the second, I spin off Su...
www.buzzsprout.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Moscow's guilty men in the White House are trying to destroy Ukraine and weaken Europe.

open.substack.com/pub/arthursn...
Another Day, Another Russian-US Attempt to Betray Ukraine and Destroy Europe
The Putin-Trump surrender plan will lay the groundwork for Russia to expand its attacks on other parts of Europe
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Trump has approved a 28-point plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. “The deeply troubling details now circulating show what Trump wants: to help the Russian president,” Phillips Payson O’Brien argues, “and to weaken Ukraine, perhaps fatally.”
Trump’s Devastating Plan for Ukraine
The White House is giving Putin permission to try again.
bit.ly
November 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Het Oekraïense parlementslid Oleksiy Goncharenko heeft het volledige Amerikaanse vredesplan gedeeld. Wat staat erin?

🧵 1/x

Bron: www.facebook.com/alexeygoncha...
Олексій Гончаренко
28 пунктів мирного плану США - про що йдеться 1. Безпека та політичний статус України - Підтвердження суверенітету України. - Україна отримує гарантії безпеки від США, але з умовами. - Україна...
www.facebook.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Rusland legt elke keer dezelfde eisen op tafel. VS luisteren elke keer weer. Het is gedoemd om te mislukken.

Het berust steeds op een wereldbeeld waarin Oekraïne niets te zeggen heeft, een klein spelertje in een wereld van grootmachten.
New: I can confirm hasty US-Russia proposal being pushed to Ukrainians via Dmitriev-Witkoff to Umerov. It would amount to Ukraine’s capitulation, with people familiar saying it’s Kremlin’s maximalist demands.
-Ukraine army cut 1/2
-Give up certain weapons
-Give up Donbas
-Zelensky displeased
More tk
November 19, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
New: I can confirm hasty US-Russia proposal being pushed to Ukrainians via Dmitriev-Witkoff to Umerov. It would amount to Ukraine’s capitulation, with people familiar saying it’s Kremlin’s maximalist demands.
-Ukraine army cut 1/2
-Give up certain weapons
-Give up Donbas
-Zelensky displeased
More tk
November 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Terwijl Trump achter gesloten deuren een ‘vredesplan’ met Poetin heeft bekokstoofd, gaat de tweede rustig door met het vermoorden van Oekraiense burgers.
#BREAKING Death toll from Russian strike on western Ukraine city of Ternopil rises to 25: interior ministry
November 19, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Well, once again it was shown that Trump's "support" for Ukraine was a con. He has been working with Putin in secret to craft a "peace" deal which the US and Russia will now try to shove down Ukrainian and European throats. Just sent out this free piece. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
Trump Was Working With Putin The Entire Time
And Now Europe and Ukraine Will Pay The Price
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
‘Dangerous nostalgia’: did Spain’s ‘pact of forgetting’ after Franco leave new generation open to far right?
‘Dangerous nostalgia’: did Spain’s ‘pact of forgetting’ after Franco leave new generation open to far right?
Events to mark the 50th anniversary of dictator’s death are intended to remind Spaniards, particularly the young, of the dangers of fascism
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Of ze nou die PVV’er kiezen of de kakker van de VVD, maakt niks uit. (Crypto)fascisme is de grootste gemene deler.
November 18, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Slowakei: Zehntausende demonstrieren gegen Robert Fico: Die Menschen in der Slowakei wünschen sich von ihrer Regierung mehr direkte Demokratie und mehr Solidarität mit der Ukraine. Nun demonstrieren sie massiv gegen Regierungschef Fico. Auslöser war auch ein Stück Kreide.
Slowakei: Zehntausende demonstrieren gegen Robert Fico
Die Menschen in der Slowakei wünschen sich von ihrer Regierung mehr direkte Demokratie und mehr Solidarität mit der Ukraine. Nun demonstrieren sie massiv gegen Regierungschef Fico. Auslöser war auch ein Stück Kreide.
www.spiegel.de
November 18, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Take the wedding rings? Gold fillings? Does this remind anyone of anything?
The Sun has been told Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will on Monday propose confiscating jewellery, watches, necklaces from asylum seekers to meet asylum costs

This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
November 17, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Oekraïne door naar de play-offs voor ‘Trumps’ WK. Hongarije ligt er uit. Daar gaat Orbáns kans om met de grote leider op een podium te schitteren terwijl hij de FIFA Vredesprijs in ontvangst mag nemen.
Voetbal is vaak vreselijk; het aanstellen, tijdrekken, misdragingen van fans en de corrumperende werking van het grote geld, maar dan gebeurt zoiets en is het voor even weer een heerlijk spel.
Ireland winning goal and end of match with Irish commentary
November 16, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
🇺🇦 The widow of the first victim of the Chernobyl disaster was killed in a Russian drone strike on her apartment block.

Read the full story here ⬇️
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/bluesky-tmg/wife-chernobyl-killed/
November 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
I have an essay in @nybooks.com about a compelling new book by Paul Preston, a masterful British historian of 20th- century Spain. Deepest thanks to the remarkable editorial staff at the Review for all their help.

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
‘We’ve Got to Kill and Kill and Kill’ | Dan Kaufman
As Francisco Franco’s reputation grows on the far right, a new history of his regime reminds us of its unrelenting violence toward Jews.
www.nybooks.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
the thing about predicting russia's collapse is eventually you'll be right you just have to wait anywhere from a few weeks to seventy years
November 14, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Boris Staal
Big trouble in ‘Little Berlin’: the tiny hamlet split in two by the cold war
Big trouble in ‘Little Berlin’: the tiny hamlet split in two by the cold war
A new museum in Mödlareuth tells the story of how a settlement of only 50 people straddled Bavaria in West Germany and Thuringia in the east
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:32 AM