Michal Kranz
@michalkranz.bsky.social
Journalist | Eastern Europe + Middle East | Work in foreignpolicy.com, unherd.com, aljazeera.com, newlinesmag.com, thedailybeast.com, and more
Newsletter: https://theeasternflank.substack.com/
Website: michalkranz.com
Newsletter: https://theeasternflank.substack.com/
Website: michalkranz.com
Pinned
Michal Kranz
@michalkranz.bsky.social
· Nov 20
Now that I've made the move over here, it might be a good time to introduce myself:
I'm a journalist based in Warsaw who covers Poland, the war in Ukraine, and Eastern Europe more broadly, along with forays into Lebanon. In this 🧵, I'll be sharing some of my work that has defined my recent career:
I'm a journalist based in Warsaw who covers Poland, the war in Ukraine, and Eastern Europe more broadly, along with forays into Lebanon. In this 🧵, I'll be sharing some of my work that has defined my recent career:
“These new documents make it clear that Epstein’s activities as a financier, political kingmaker, and liaison for the global elite were part of a larger world of Russian influence that grew out of the corrupt oligarchism of the USSR’s collapse.”My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ag...
Ukraine agreed to a new post-war ceasefire plan, Eastern Europe became embroiled in the Epstein files, and the Baltics eased military cooperation
January 27-February 3, 2026 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:17 AM
“These new documents make it clear that Epstein’s activities as a financier, political kingmaker, and liaison for the global elite were part of a larger world of Russian influence that grew out of the corrupt oligarchism of the USSR’s collapse.”My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ag...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
“The task before Eastern European states along Russia’s periphery now is not just to find a broader set of allies, but to rewrite the entire national security strategy they’ve been depending on since the 90s to maintain their survival.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/eastern-eu...
Eastern Europe without America
In a new and uncertain world order, the region must replace Trump with pragmatism
theeasternflank.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:09 AM
“The task before Eastern European states along Russia’s periphery now is not just to find a broader set of allies, but to rewrite the entire national security strategy they’ve been depending on since the 90s to maintain their survival.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/eastern-eu...
“The task before Eastern European states along Russia’s periphery now is not just to find a broader set of allies, but to rewrite the entire national security strategy they’ve been depending on since the 90s to maintain their survival.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/eastern-eu...
Eastern Europe without America
In a new and uncertain world order, the region must replace Trump with pragmatism
theeasternflank.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:09 AM
“The task before Eastern European states along Russia’s periphery now is not just to find a broader set of allies, but to rewrite the entire national security strategy they’ve been depending on since the 90s to maintain their survival.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/eastern-eu...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
⚡️Zelensky 'counting on' more US air defense missiles, security guarantees following meeting with Trump at Davos.
"We spoke with President Trump about additional anti-air missiles – the PAC-3s, against ballistics, which are what we need," Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I'm counting on a positive result."
"We spoke with President Trump about additional anti-air missiles – the PAC-3s, against ballistics, which are what we need," Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I'm counting on a positive result."
Zelensky 'counting on' more US air defense missiles, security guarantees following meeting with Trump at Davos
"We spoke with President Trump about additional anti-air missiles – the PAC-3s, against ballistics, which are what we need," Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I'm counting on a positive result."
kyivindependent.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:04 PM
⚡️Zelensky 'counting on' more US air defense missiles, security guarantees following meeting with Trump at Davos.
"We spoke with President Trump about additional anti-air missiles – the PAC-3s, against ballistics, which are what we need," Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I'm counting on a positive result."
"We spoke with President Trump about additional anti-air missiles – the PAC-3s, against ballistics, which are what we need," Volodymyr Zelensky said. "I'm counting on a positive result."
Reposted by Michal Kranz
'The plan includes updating the 1951 "Greenland Defense Agreement" between the U.S. and Denmark, which allowed the U.S. to build military bases in the island and establish "defense areas" if NATO believed it necessary.' www.axios.com/2026/01/21/g...
Greenland proposal Trump endorsed respects Denmark's sovereignty: sources
Trump said the U.S. needed to own Greenland. Under this deal, it wouldn't.
www.axios.com
January 22, 2026 at 3:08 PM
'The plan includes updating the 1951 "Greenland Defense Agreement" between the U.S. and Denmark, which allowed the U.S. to build military bases in the island and establish "defense areas" if NATO believed it necessary.' www.axios.com/2026/01/21/g...
“As a new world order is born out of the tragedy of Ukraine, Lukashenko understands not only that Trump might end his ostracism from the West, but that this is his best shot to transform himself from Putin’s underling into his right-hand man.” My latest for @unherd.com: unherd.com/2026/01/luka...
Lukashenko: Trump’s favourite strongman
unherd.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:15 PM
“As a new world order is born out of the tragedy of Ukraine, Lukashenko understands not only that Trump might end his ostracism from the West, but that this is his best shot to transform himself from Putin’s underling into his right-hand man.” My latest for @unherd.com: unherd.com/2026/01/luka...
Poland's new anti-drone system will be the first of its kind in Europe, and will be operational well before the EU drone wall. But Poland is setting the tone of NATO strategy against Russian gray zone warfare in more ways than one. My first analysis for @cepa.org: cepa.org/article/pola...
Poland Prepares for Drone War With Russia
Europe needs to tackle Russia’s hybrid warfare, a Polish deputy defense minister warned as he unveiled new anti-drone systems.
cepa.org
January 21, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Poland's new anti-drone system will be the first of its kind in Europe, and will be operational well before the EU drone wall. But Poland is setting the tone of NATO strategy against Russian gray zone warfare in more ways than one. My first analysis for @cepa.org: cepa.org/article/pola...
If NATO falls apart, or if Europe creates alternate structures to replace it, Ukraine and all of NATO’s east will have to fundamentally reorient their security calculus, leading to new hyper local defense partnerships, especially in the Baltic. My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/trumps-gre...
Trump's Greenland threats sideline Ukraine, Belarus and Hungary join Trump's 'Board of Peace,' and Bulgaria's president resigns
January 14-20, 2026 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:41 PM
If NATO falls apart, or if Europe creates alternate structures to replace it, Ukraine and all of NATO’s east will have to fundamentally reorient their security calculus, leading to new hyper local defense partnerships, especially in the Baltic. My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/trumps-gre...
“While it is telling that Kushner and Witkoff were present at the talks in Paris, Trump’s assertion that Russia will not re-invade Ukraine speaks to his continued refusal to accept that Putin still seeks the capitulation of Ukraine.” My latest roundup: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/trump-acce...
Trump accepts Ukraine security guarantees, Lukashenko arrests 100s of new prisoners, and Moldova's president endorses reunification with Romania
January 6-13, 2026 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:47 AM
“While it is telling that Kushner and Witkoff were present at the talks in Paris, Trump’s assertion that Russia will not re-invade Ukraine speaks to his continued refusal to accept that Putin still seeks the capitulation of Ukraine.” My latest roundup: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/trump-acce...
“Putin has long seen Trump and his Ukraine peace process as a vehicle to formalise a new division of the world, and regards Trump’s move in Venezuela to be a decisive step in that direction.” My latest in @unherd.com on Russia’s long-term plans: unherd.com/2026/01/what...
What Putin does next
unherd.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:22 PM
“Putin has long seen Trump and his Ukraine peace process as a vehicle to formalise a new division of the world, and regards Trump’s move in Venezuela to be a decisive step in that direction.” My latest in @unherd.com on Russia’s long-term plans: unherd.com/2026/01/what...
My latest piece for Persuasion on the Berlin talks and the horrific choice Zelenskyy and Ukraine now face: www.persuasion.community/p/ukraines-i...
Ukraine’s Impossible Dilemma
Zelenskyy has made the concessions he can, but that may not be enough.
www.persuasion.community
December 18, 2025 at 8:10 PM
My latest piece for Persuasion on the Berlin talks and the horrific choice Zelenskyy and Ukraine now face: www.persuasion.community/p/ukraines-i...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
“Fundamentally the failure of this outreach effort shows that while Russia had led Trump to believe that Putin is interested in talking business, at the end of the day, for Russia, geopolitics is geopolitics”
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
Putin rejects Trump's latest peace push, the EU threatens new sanctions on Belarus, and Poland Germany spar once again over WWII reparations
November 26-December 2, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:24 AM
“Fundamentally the failure of this outreach effort shows that while Russia had led Trump to believe that Putin is interested in talking business, at the end of the day, for Russia, geopolitics is geopolitics”
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
“Fundamentally the failure of this outreach effort shows that while Russia had led Trump to believe that Putin is interested in talking business, at the end of the day, for Russia, geopolitics is geopolitics”
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
Putin rejects Trump's latest peace push, the EU threatens new sanctions on Belarus, and Poland Germany spar once again over WWII reparations
November 26-December 2, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:24 AM
“Fundamentally the failure of this outreach effort shows that while Russia had led Trump to believe that Putin is interested in talking business, at the end of the day, for Russia, geopolitics is geopolitics”
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/putin-reje...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
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November 27, 2025 at 10:10 PM
🇵🇱🇨🇿🇸🇮🇭🇷🇧🇬🇸🇰🇺🇦🇲🇩🇲🇪🇲🇰🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪🇷🇸🇷🇴🇽🇰🇩🇪🇭🇺
Reposted by Michal Kranz
“Having already scared Ukraine into agreeing to the new 19-point plan, the pro-Russian wing of Trump’s cadre of viziers, with Witkoff at its head, is putting all the pieces in place to entrap Zelensky whenever he makes it to the White House.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-is...
Ukraine is walking into a trap
The walls of Trump's peace push are closing in around Zelensky
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:21 PM
“Having already scared Ukraine into agreeing to the new 19-point plan, the pro-Russian wing of Trump’s cadre of viziers, with Witkoff at its head, is putting all the pieces in place to entrap Zelensky whenever he makes it to the White House.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-is...
“Having already scared Ukraine into agreeing to the new 19-point plan, the pro-Russian wing of Trump’s cadre of viziers, with Witkoff at its head, is putting all the pieces in place to entrap Zelensky whenever he makes it to the White House.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-is...
Ukraine is walking into a trap
The walls of Trump's peace push are closing in around Zelensky
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:21 PM
“Having already scared Ukraine into agreeing to the new 19-point plan, the pro-Russian wing of Trump’s cadre of viziers, with Witkoff at its head, is putting all the pieces in place to entrap Zelensky whenever he makes it to the White House.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-is...
“While some of Ukraine’s opponents have pointed to the scandal as proof that Ukraine is an unreliable and corrupt ally, the fact that the scheme was unearthed proves once again that Ukrainian democracy and its institutions are indeed healthy.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-blo...
Russia blows up a rail line in Poland, Ukraine faces the loss of Pokrovsk, and a corruption scandal closes in on Zelensky's circle
November 11-18, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM
“While some of Ukraine’s opponents have pointed to the scandal as proof that Ukraine is an unreliable and corrupt ally, the fact that the scheme was unearthed proves once again that Ukrainian democracy and its institutions are indeed healthy.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-blo...
“This railway explosion offers a glimpse into a near-future status quo that is far more immediate and nearly as dangerous [as a full-scale war]: an anxious state between war and peace in which violence is pervasive without becoming existential.” My latest for @unherd.com: unherd.com/newsroom/pol...
Poland rail bombing signals Russian escalation against Nato
Thanks to the norms of inter-state combat which have governed much of history, we’ve long been conditioned to think of war and peace in binary terms. But what’s happening on Nato’s east shows us that ...
unherd.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:39 PM
“This railway explosion offers a glimpse into a near-future status quo that is far more immediate and nearly as dangerous [as a full-scale war]: an anxious state between war and peace in which violence is pervasive without becoming existential.” My latest for @unherd.com: unherd.com/newsroom/pol...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
“While it’s possible that Russia’s nationalistic war fervor may well collapse under the weight of its economic consequences, only by following through on his claim that Ukraine could still win the war would Trump put real pressure on Russia.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-gai...
Russia gains in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Trump grants Hungary a sanctions waiver, and Poland and Romania deploy a new anti-drone system
November 4-10, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:38 PM
“While it’s possible that Russia’s nationalistic war fervor may well collapse under the weight of its economic consequences, only by following through on his claim that Ukraine could still win the war would Trump put real pressure on Russia.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-gai...
“While it’s possible that Russia’s nationalistic war fervor may well collapse under the weight of its economic consequences, only by following through on his claim that Ukraine could still win the war would Trump put real pressure on Russia.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-gai...
Russia gains in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Trump grants Hungary a sanctions waiver, and Poland and Romania deploy a new anti-drone system
November 4-10, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:38 PM
“While it’s possible that Russia’s nationalistic war fervor may well collapse under the weight of its economic consequences, only by following through on his claim that Ukraine could still win the war would Trump put real pressure on Russia.” My latest: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-gai...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
My latest news roundup from yesterday analyzing the most important events from last week, along with under-covered stories like Latvia’s vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on protecting women and Serbia’s promise to hold early elections: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-mov...
Russia moves against Ukraine's Pokrovsk, Orbán asks Trump for a sanctions waiver, and the US reduces its troop presence in Romania
October 27-November 3, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 PM
My latest news roundup from yesterday analyzing the most important events from last week, along with under-covered stories like Latvia’s vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on protecting women and Serbia’s promise to hold early elections: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-mov...
My latest news roundup from yesterday analyzing the most important events from last week, along with under-covered stories like Latvia’s vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on protecting women and Serbia’s promise to hold early elections: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-mov...
Russia moves against Ukraine's Pokrovsk, Orbán asks Trump for a sanctions waiver, and the US reduces its troop presence in Romania
October 27-November 3, 2025 in Eastern Europe
theeasternflank.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 PM
My latest news roundup from yesterday analyzing the most important events from last week, along with under-covered stories like Latvia’s vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on protecting women and Serbia’s promise to hold early elections: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/russia-mov...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
Despite his new sanctions, Trump is sure to flip back to Putin’s side on Ukraine once he sees that strong-arming Kyiv will be his quickest path to getting what he truly wants — a new Russo-American partnership on trade, resources, and more. My latest in @unherd.com: unherd.com/2025/10/trum...
Trump still can’t resist Putin
unherd.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Despite his new sanctions, Trump is sure to flip back to Putin’s side on Ukraine once he sees that strong-arming Kyiv will be his quickest path to getting what he truly wants — a new Russo-American partnership on trade, resources, and more. My latest in @unherd.com: unherd.com/2025/10/trum...
Despite his new sanctions, Trump is sure to flip back to Putin’s side on Ukraine once he sees that strong-arming Kyiv will be his quickest path to getting what he truly wants — a new Russo-American partnership on trade, resources, and more. My latest in @unherd.com: unherd.com/2025/10/trum...
Trump still can’t resist Putin
unherd.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Despite his new sanctions, Trump is sure to flip back to Putin’s side on Ukraine once he sees that strong-arming Kyiv will be his quickest path to getting what he truly wants — a new Russo-American partnership on trade, resources, and more. My latest in @unherd.com: unherd.com/2025/10/trum...
Reposted by Michal Kranz
“With the US and the EU stepping up their pressure not only in Europe, but globally, the oil and gas front has become the most important and likely most impactful theater in the entire war.”
My latest on Trump’s sanctions and Ukraine’s drone war: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ha...
My latest on Trump’s sanctions and Ukraine’s drone war: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ha...
Ukraine has become an energy war
The global oil and gas trade is now the front on which the War in Ukraine may be won
theeasternflank.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 9:24 PM
“With the US and the EU stepping up their pressure not only in Europe, but globally, the oil and gas front has become the most important and likely most impactful theater in the entire war.”
My latest on Trump’s sanctions and Ukraine’s drone war: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ha...
My latest on Trump’s sanctions and Ukraine’s drone war: theeasternflank.substack.com/p/ukraine-ha...