Grigore Pop-Eleches
@grigopop.bsky.social
Professor of Politics and Int'l Affairs at Princeton University
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
Ru has tried to murder Zelensky numerous times. Pu reportedly promised Israeli ex-PM Naftali Bennet to spare Zelensky's life in exchange for Ukr surrender. So do not juxtapose Maduro's kidnapping to the fact Zelensky is still in Kyiv. Ru keeps trying and failing to kidnap/assassinate Zelensky!
January 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Ru has tried to murder Zelensky numerous times. Pu reportedly promised Israeli ex-PM Naftali Bennet to spare Zelensky's life in exchange for Ukr surrender. So do not juxtapose Maduro's kidnapping to the fact Zelensky is still in Kyiv. Ru keeps trying and failing to kidnap/assassinate Zelensky!
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
There are some horrible analogies flying around today. A reminder: the US kidnapping of Maduro in no way justifies, vindicates, or lifts responsibility from the Ru govt or the Ru people. Their war against Ukraine continues to be an unprovoked act of aggression with war crimes and genocidal intent.
January 3, 2026 at 4:20 PM
There are some horrible analogies flying around today. A reminder: the US kidnapping of Maduro in no way justifies, vindicates, or lifts responsibility from the Ru govt or the Ru people. Their war against Ukraine continues to be an unprovoked act of aggression with war crimes and genocidal intent.
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
This from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Venezuela is both 100% correct and completely laughable:
"An unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, the respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law."
mid.ru/en/foreign_p...
"An unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, the respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law."
mid.ru/en/foreign_p...
mid.ru
January 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
This from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Venezuela is both 100% correct and completely laughable:
"An unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, the respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law."
mid.ru/en/foreign_p...
"An unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, the respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law."
mid.ru/en/foreign_p...
Trump is rapidly achieving levels of personalism and a cult of personality that it took Romania's #Ceaușescu and Turkmenistan's #Niyazov many years to achieve.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
Trump announces new "Trump class" of Navy battleships
President Trump announced plans to build a new "Trump class" of battleships, part of the Pentagon's new "Golden Fleet."
www.cbsnews.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Trump is rapidly achieving levels of personalism and a cult of personality that it took Romania's #Ceaușescu and Turkmenistan's #Niyazov many years to achieve.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
UNC’s CSEEES was such a bright part of my time at UNC. It not only supported my research, but also felt like home. Such a loss for UNC, its students, and Eastern European and Eurasian studies in the US.
December 18, 2025 at 1:08 AM
UNC’s CSEEES was such a bright part of my time at UNC. It not only supported my research, but also felt like home. Such a loss for UNC, its students, and Eastern European and Eurasian studies in the US.
Looks like this story is gaining momentum: over 650 judges have signed a petition confirming the charges in the documentary.
tvrinfo.ro/creste-numar...
tvrinfo.ro/creste-numar...
December 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Looks like this story is gaining momentum: over 650 judges have signed a petition confirming the charges in the documentary.
tvrinfo.ro/creste-numar...
tvrinfo.ro/creste-numar...
The question now is whether the outrage and reform pressures get enough momentum before the story is swept under the rug by those with a stake in perpetuating the culture of impunity.
December 11, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The question now is whether the outrage and reform pressures get enough momentum before the story is swept under the rug by those with a stake in perpetuating the culture of impunity.
In other news, Romania is being rocked by the revelations about the political capture of judicial institutions and the successful neutralization of anti-corruption institutions in an excellent new documentary. Well worth watching!
recorder.ro/documentar-r...
recorder.ro/documentar-r...
DOCUMENTAR RECORDER. Justiție capturată
După câțiva ani în care Justiția a dispărut aproape complet de pe agenda publică, societatea românească s-a trezit în fața unei realități greu de digerat, în
recorder.ro
December 11, 2025 at 2:24 PM
In other news, Romania is being rocked by the revelations about the political capture of judicial institutions and the successful neutralization of anti-corruption institutions in an excellent new documentary. Well worth watching!
recorder.ro/documentar-r...
recorder.ro/documentar-r...
Great NYT exposé on how the Trumps, Tucker Carlson, and former Romanian PM Victor Ponta, helped free the accused child trafficker, rapist, and manosphere icon, Andrew Tate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
How a Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking Was Freed
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Great NYT exposé on how the Trumps, Tucker Carlson, and former Romanian PM Victor Ponta, helped free the accused child trafficker, rapist, and manosphere icon, Andrew Tate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...
Trying their best to kill US tourism (in addition to its democracy). Brought to you by the people complaining of free speech restrictions under Biden.
www.cbsnews.com/news/us-tour...
www.cbsnews.com/news/us-tour...
Tourists from 42 countries will have to submit 5 years of social media history to enter U.S. under Trump plan
The Trump administration is proposing to ask visitors from countries with visa-free travel to the U.S. to submit five years of their social media history before they can enter.
www.cbsnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Trying their best to kill US tourism (in addition to its democracy). Brought to you by the people complaining of free speech restrictions under Biden.
www.cbsnews.com/news/us-tour...
www.cbsnews.com/news/us-tour...
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
Leave it to a Claremonter and Orban propagandist to claim that "three and a half decades of American-style liberal international order" have been more of a threat to Europe than Hitler and Stalin.
Opinion | Trump Is Not Attacking Europe. He’s Attacking Something Else.
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Leave it to a Claremonter and Orban propagandist to claim that "three and a half decades of American-style liberal international order" have been more of a threat to Europe than Hitler and Stalin.
Precisely...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
‘Dishonors the decades-long bipartisan commitment’: Democrats slam Trump for his European takedown
In a Monday sitdown with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns, Trump expressed skepticism that Ukraine would prevail in its war against Moscow.
www.politico.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Precisely...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Of course it makes more sense to try to do business with dictators and war criminals than to engage with your democratic allies to support a country fighting for its survival.
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Trump's frustration with Ukraine and Europe boils over
The president is clearly eager to move beyond the war, but a peace deal remains elusive.
www.politico.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Of course it makes more sense to try to do business with dictators and war criminals than to engage with your democratic allies to support a country fighting for its survival.
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
It makes perfect sense coming from one of the most corrupt international organizations. But maybe this will slow down Trump's haste for "peace" at all costs in Ukraine?
Donald Trump: US president named inaugural Fifa Peace Prize winner
US President Donald Trump receives the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize before the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
share.google
December 5, 2025 at 7:19 PM
It makes perfect sense coming from one of the most corrupt international organizations. But maybe this will slow down Trump's haste for "peace" at all costs in Ukraine?
Very timely (and interesting) article by Milan Svolik in World Politics.
Got Theory? Milan Svolik does. His research explores the question, ‘When and how do #voters punish #politicians for subverting #democracy?” Read more about how he differentiates between #vote switching, #backlash, and #disengagement in his full article: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...
December 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Very timely (and interesting) article by Milan Svolik in World Politics.
Good lesson in how to channel anger productively...
December 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Good lesson in how to channel anger productively...
Exhilarating performance by Pussy Riot in Brooklyn last night!
December 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Exhilarating performance by Pussy Riot in Brooklyn last night!
It is puzzling indeed that Ukraine is not jumping for joy at the opportunity to give up most of what they fought for almost 4 years just to give Trump a PR win in time for Thanksgiving.
www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...
www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...
Ukraine war: Trump says Ukraine ungrateful as officials meet to convince Kyiv to accept peace proposals
Ukraine's allies have expressed concern that the plan favours Russia, but Zelensky says Kyiv's interests could be included.
www.bbc.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It is puzzling indeed that Ukraine is not jumping for joy at the opportunity to give up most of what they fought for almost 4 years just to give Trump a PR win in time for Thanksgiving.
www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...
www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...
Even if Zelensky can be strong-armed into accepting the plan, it lacks basic legitimacy for the majority of Ukrainians. And it is naive to think that it will do anything but embolden Putin (and confirm his beliefs that the West lacks the determination to stop him.
November 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Even if Zelensky can be strong-armed into accepting the plan, it lacks basic legitimacy for the majority of Ukrainians. And it is naive to think that it will do anything but embolden Putin (and confirm his beliefs that the West lacks the determination to stop him.
Trump's "peace' plan for Ukraine is not only morally unacceptable but myopic and no basis for a lasting peace. goodauthority.org/news/ukraini...
Ukrainians don’t think much of Putin’s ‘peace’ plan.
Our surveys from earlier this summer show overwhelming opposition to a Russian land grab.
goodauthority.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Trump's "peace' plan for Ukraine is not only morally unacceptable but myopic and no basis for a lasting peace. goodauthority.org/news/ukraini...
It's nice when science reaffirms our natural inclinations.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
The Most Efficient Traveler Isn’t a Bird or a Fish—It’s You on a Bike
A famous graphic, now updated, compares locomotion in the animal kingdom
www.scientificamerican.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:43 PM
It's nice when science reaffirms our natural inclinations.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...
Hard to believe that even Putin's endorsement wasn't enough for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com
October 10, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Hard to believe that even Putin's endorsement wasn't enough for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Grigore Pop-Eleches
Check out my new piece on Moldovan 🇲🇩 elections with @grigopop.bsky.social
Despite Russian meddling, Moldova’s pro-Europe party wins a majority.
Russia’s social media campaign fell short.
Read: goodauthority.org/news/despite...
Russia’s social media campaign fell short.
Read: goodauthority.org/news/despite...
Despite Russian meddling, Moldova’s pro-Europe party wins a majority
Russia’s social media campaign fell short.
goodauthority.org
October 5, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Check out my new piece on Moldovan 🇲🇩 elections with @grigopop.bsky.social
But DA's success arguably came at the expense of the other pro-Russian parties, especially Dodon's "Blocul Patriotic" and Ceban's "Alternativa".
September 29, 2025 at 1:14 AM
But DA's success arguably came at the expense of the other pro-Russian parties, especially Dodon's "Blocul Patriotic" and Ceban's "Alternativa".
One unexpected bright spot for Russian manipulation tactics was the ability of "Democrația Acasă" to get into parliament with 5.6%. DA was endorsed by Romanian ultranationalist leader, George Simion, and its leader, Vasile Costiuc, ran on the AUR list in last year's Romanian parliamentary elections.
September 29, 2025 at 1:09 AM
One unexpected bright spot for Russian manipulation tactics was the ability of "Democrația Acasă" to get into parliament with 5.6%. DA was endorsed by Romanian ultranationalist leader, George Simion, and its leader, Vasile Costiuc, ran on the AUR list in last year's Romanian parliamentary elections.