Eugene Finkel
@efinkel.bsky.social
Professor, Johns Hopkins SAIS. Study horrible things that happen to OK people, write books, overuse sarcasm. Lviv-Haifa-Jerusalem-Madison-New Haven-Washington-Bologna.
Pinned
Can we please stop these naive arguments about drugs vs. oil. It is absolutely obvious that BRICS expansion is the real cause
It’s not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
January 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Can we please stop these naive arguments about drugs vs. oil. It is absolutely obvious that BRICS expansion is the real cause
Just imagine being an IR Realist this morning
January 3, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Just imagine being an IR Realist this morning
Reposted by Eugene Finkel
And then ICE will capture and deport Maduro
January 3, 2026 at 10:08 AM
And then ICE will capture and deport Maduro
And then what?
Maduro has been captured by the U.S. according to Trump
January 3, 2026 at 9:41 AM
And then what?
No matter how it ends, the biggest winner of this is Putin.
January 3, 2026 at 7:27 AM
No matter how it ends, the biggest winner of this is Putin.
Wow, those perfidious drug boats managed to drag themselves quite far inland
January 3, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Wow, those perfidious drug boats managed to drag themselves quite far inland
Reposted by Eugene Finkel
Folks who understand Iran: on a scale of 1-10, how dangerous is this wave for the regime?
December 31, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Folks who understand Iran: on a scale of 1-10, how dangerous is this wave for the regime?
2025 Roundup: It hurt
December 31, 2025 at 12:48 PM
2025 Roundup: It hurt
I find the thought of Ukraine's attack on Valdai deeply troubling. It's like harming the most sacred shrine and pilgrimage site that the believers in the NATO Expansion Fault Gospel, the worshipers of the Constructive Engagement religion and the practitioners of Russian gaslighting have ever had!
December 30, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I find the thought of Ukraine's attack on Valdai deeply troubling. It's like harming the most sacred shrine and pilgrimage site that the believers in the NATO Expansion Fault Gospel, the worshipers of the Constructive Engagement religion and the practitioners of Russian gaslighting have ever had!
I am not sure how exactly "strong", "security" and "guarantees" go into the same sentence as their expiry date , but that is probably just me. Also, Putin plans on living until he is 150
December 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I am not sure how exactly "strong", "security" and "guarantees" go into the same sentence as their expiry date , but that is probably just me. Also, Putin plans on living until he is 150
I give up
Trump: "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. It sounds a little strange but President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices."
December 28, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I give up
Are you excited for the next round of stupid, outrageous, and inconsequential waste of time to get us all busy and embarrassed for the next 24 hours?
Ukraine talks live: Donald Trump holds call with Vladimir Putin ahead of Zelenskyy meeting
Follow our FT live blog here: as.ft.com/r/4e5bda0b-c...
Follow our FT live blog here: as.ft.com/r/4e5bda0b-c...
Ukraine talks live: Donald Trump holds call with Vladimir Putin ahead of Zelenskyy meeting
[FREE TO READ] US president to meet Ukrainian counterpart in Florida
as.ft.com
December 28, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Are you excited for the next round of stupid, outrageous, and inconsequential waste of time to get us all busy and embarrassed for the next 24 hours?
I would really love to see how Mearsheimer spins this
The European Union is “the main obstacle to peace” in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today ahead of a fresh round of peace talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump.
EU is ‘main obstacle to peace’ in Ukraine, says Russia’s foreign minister
Sergey Lavrov’s comments come as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy heads to talks with Donald Trump in Florida.
www.politico.eu
December 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I would really love to see how Mearsheimer spins this
Happy Greatest Geopolitical Catastrophe of the 20th Century Day to all who celebrate!
December 26, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Happy Greatest Geopolitical Catastrophe of the 20th Century Day to all who celebrate!
Reposted by Eugene Finkel
Damn. People, somehow I finished a new book. It reads well too. So relieved. It's always good to finish stuff. Stay tuned.
December 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Damn. People, somehow I finished a new book. It reads well too. So relieved. It's always good to finish stuff. Stay tuned.
Christmas came early to the Russia scholars with Santa declassifying the Bush-Putin meeting transcripts.
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
December 25, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Christmas came early to the Russia scholars with Santa declassifying the Bush-Putin meeting transcripts.
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
All I want for Christmas is no more stupid peace plans
December 24, 2025 at 10:57 AM
All I want for Christmas is no more stupid peace plans
Wouldn't it be nice to sit back and wait for the Russian economy to implode. But are we ready for the non-trivial possibility that, choosing between collapse and massive escalation Putin would choose to escalate. No, this is not an argument for appeasing Putin, it's an argument for preparing for war
Russia’s economy keeps driving its war, but it could break in 2026
Problems in the oil sector, a possible banking crisis and consumer woes lie ahead for Russia’s economy as four years of heavy military spending come due.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Wouldn't it be nice to sit back and wait for the Russian economy to implode. But are we ready for the non-trivial possibility that, choosing between collapse and massive escalation Putin would choose to escalate. No, this is not an argument for appeasing Putin, it's an argument for preparing for war
NATO and American imperialism made him do it.
December 20, 2025 at 6:03 PM
NATO and American imperialism made him do it.
Reposted by Eugene Finkel
"The emergence of Witkoff as envoy to the Kremlin is partly a story of Putin maneuvering to nudge aside America’s diplomats and clasp hands with its billionaires." Because the billionaires lack experience, can be manipulated. and have obvious conflicts of interest.
Everything in this story is remarkable, besides this part:
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
Witkoff’s Other Backer in His Unlikely Diplomatic Ascent: Putin
The Kremlin release of an American prisoner and a Saudi backchannel bolstered the rise of Trump’s longtime friend.
www.wsj.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:27 PM
"The emergence of Witkoff as envoy to the Kremlin is partly a story of Putin maneuvering to nudge aside America’s diplomats and clasp hands with its billionaires." Because the billionaires lack experience, can be manipulated. and have obvious conflicts of interest.
Everything in this story is remarkable, besides this part:
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
Witkoff’s Other Backer in His Unlikely Diplomatic Ascent: Putin
The Kremlin release of an American prisoner and a Saudi backchannel bolstered the rise of Trump’s longtime friend.
www.wsj.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Everything in this story is remarkable, besides this part:
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
"For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia"
They are so lucky that we are so stupid. Gullible. Unprofessional. Corrupt. Naive.
Between people of whom we know nothing, I presume
Rubio on Russia-Ukraine: "It's not our war. It's a war on another continent."
December 19, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Between people of whom we know nothing, I presume
The indefatigable @mikeeckel.bsky.social watched it all so that the rest of the sane world won't have to. We still have no idea if he is going to invade NATO, but at least we know that he is in love. A useful info, as far as Kremlinology goes
Today is Putin's (mostly) annual nationally televised call-in show/news conference, where he holds forth for hours, answering questions, basking in praise, offering broadsides, bromides, and hints about Kremlin policy. Here's the line of journalists to get into the event.
December 19, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The indefatigable @mikeeckel.bsky.social watched it all so that the rest of the sane world won't have to. We still have no idea if he is going to invade NATO, but at least we know that he is in love. A useful info, as far as Kremlinology goes
On The Historical Unity of American and Venezuelan Oil
Trump on Venezuela: "Getting land, oil rights, whatever we had -- they took it away because we had a president that maybe wasn't watching. But they're not gonna do that. We want it back. They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. They threw our companies out. And we want it back."
December 17, 2025 at 10:47 PM
On The Historical Unity of American and Venezuelan Oil