Pascal
@pascallth.bsky.social
Europe is limited in how it can respond to events in Venezuela, but we are not powerless and inaction is not wisdom. Yes, let's carefully protect our interests, but on a full assessment of what our interests actually are
My latest:
pascallth.substack.com/p/europe-can...
My latest:
pascallth.substack.com/p/europe-can...
Europe can only defend its interests
Thoughts on Venezuela
pascallth.substack.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Europe is limited in how it can respond to events in Venezuela, but we are not powerless and inaction is not wisdom. Yes, let's carefully protect our interests, but on a full assessment of what our interests actually are
My latest:
pascallth.substack.com/p/europe-can...
My latest:
pascallth.substack.com/p/europe-can...
Managing Trump, no matter how well we may have done it, has not actually helped us adjust to this new world, and has probably hindered us
pascallth.substack.com/p/trump-appe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/trump-appe...
January 5, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Managing Trump, no matter how well we may have done it, has not actually helped us adjust to this new world, and has probably hindered us
pascallth.substack.com/p/trump-appe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/trump-appe...
Well they said they were against bringing freedom and democracy to other countries and, in their defence, Venezuela isn't getting any of that
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
January 5, 2026 at 7:34 AM
Well they said they were against bringing freedom and democracy to other countries and, in their defence, Venezuela isn't getting any of that
The highly defensible/hard to object to demand that should be coming from every European politician now is a rapid timeline for free and fair elections in Venezuela
The government’s had 24 hours to agree a line on this. There are obviously diplomatic reasons they might not condemn things as forcefully as many of us would like.
But this weird “we respect international law but won’t say anything further” line is nonsensical and cannot hold.
But this weird “we respect international law but won’t say anything further” line is nonsensical and cannot hold.
January 4, 2026 at 10:21 AM
The highly defensible/hard to object to demand that should be coming from every European politician now is a rapid timeline for free and fair elections in Venezuela
Reposted by Pascal
⚡️Peace deal must include British, French military presence in Ukraine, Zelensky says.
Peace deal must include British, French military presence in Ukraine, Zelensky says
Any future security guarantees for Ukraine must include the physical presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 3, stressing that forces from France a...
kyivindependent.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:44 PM
⚡️Peace deal must include British, French military presence in Ukraine, Zelensky says.
The European response to US intervention in Venezuela is a reminder that until we have an independent European defence industry, no country in Europe is sovereign
January 3, 2026 at 7:57 PM
The European response to US intervention in Venezuela is a reminder that until we have an independent European defence industry, no country in Europe is sovereign
Russia and China will be considering what precedents have been set for behaviour that they can get away with
January 3, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Russia and China will be considering what precedents have been set for behaviour that they can get away with
Another time to deploy my 'can't rejoin' post
TL;DR the process of rejoining and the process of becoming ready to rejoin are actually the same thing, so it makes no sense to rule out the first on the basis that the second is not complete
pascallth.substack.com/p/can-the-uk...
TL;DR the process of rejoining and the process of becoming ready to rejoin are actually the same thing, so it makes no sense to rule out the first on the basis that the second is not complete
pascallth.substack.com/p/can-the-uk...
January 3, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Another time to deploy my 'can't rejoin' post
TL;DR the process of rejoining and the process of becoming ready to rejoin are actually the same thing, so it makes no sense to rule out the first on the basis that the second is not complete
pascallth.substack.com/p/can-the-uk...
TL;DR the process of rejoining and the process of becoming ready to rejoin are actually the same thing, so it makes no sense to rule out the first on the basis that the second is not complete
pascallth.substack.com/p/can-the-uk...
Reposted by Pascal
BREAKING: President Trump says President Maduro of Venezuela and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country.
January 3, 2026 at 9:32 AM
BREAKING: President Trump says President Maduro of Venezuela and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country.
Reposted by Pascal
BREAKING: Residents in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas reported loud explosions and aircraft overflying the city in the early hours of Saturday morning, with multiples areas experiencing power outages
Caracas Residents Report Loud Explosions, Aircraft Overflying
Residents in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas reported loud explosions and aircraft overflying the city, with multiple areas experiencing power outages.
bloom.bg
January 3, 2026 at 6:52 AM
BREAKING: Residents in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas reported loud explosions and aircraft overflying the city in the early hours of Saturday morning, with multiples areas experiencing power outages
We can be almost certain this is true given it's what Russia just attempted with the claim of an attack on Putin's residence
Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service has warned that the Kremlin is likely to carry out a false flag attack inside Russia or inside the Ukrainian territories it illegally occupies to derail peace talks mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine warns Putin plans false flag attack inside Russia to derail peace talks
Ukraine’s secret service warns of a staged high-casualty attack, potentially targeting a church in the run-up to Russian Orthodox Christmas.
www.politico.eu
January 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
We can be almost certain this is true given it's what Russia just attempted with the claim of an attack on Putin's residence
I'd be interested to know what has driven this shift in Spain, which is pretty major
A counter-reaction to Trump?
A counter-reaction to Trump?
Where do Europeans stand on the Ukraine war at the end of 2025?
% in each country who say they want Ukraine to win, and care that it does so
🇬🇧 70% (+3 from Mar)
🇪🇸 66% (+9)
🇵🇱 65% (new)
🇩🇪 54% (+2)
🇫🇷 40% (-10)
🇮🇹 33% (-1)
(Only 1-7% say same for Russia)
yougov.co.uk/internationa...
% in each country who say they want Ukraine to win, and care that it does so
🇬🇧 70% (+3 from Mar)
🇪🇸 66% (+9)
🇵🇱 65% (new)
🇩🇪 54% (+2)
🇫🇷 40% (-10)
🇮🇹 33% (-1)
(Only 1-7% say same for Russia)
yougov.co.uk/internationa...
January 2, 2026 at 9:20 AM
I'd be interested to know what has driven this shift in Spain, which is pretty major
A counter-reaction to Trump?
A counter-reaction to Trump?
Old enough to remember when the United States government sanctioned European citizens for the crime of promoting the regulation of these platforms
so x dot com’s ai generated CSAM and they admitted it may violate US law and … i haven’t seen in anyone in power say much at all or call to stop using the platform
January 2, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Old enough to remember when the United States government sanctioned European citizens for the crime of promoting the regulation of these platforms
Reposted by Pascal
Happy 40th anniversary of EEC accession to Spain and Portugal. A resounding success story not just for Iberia but for Europe as a whole 🇪🇸🇵🇹🇪🇺
Hace 40 años España entró en las Comunidades Europeas. Reforzábamos Europa y Europa nos dio solidaridad y progreso.
Hoy, una España fuerte y democrática supone una Europa fuerte y democrática. Por eso, trabajamos por una Europa unida, potente y que dé un salto de soberanía.
Hoy, una España fuerte y democrática supone una Europa fuerte y democrática. Por eso, trabajamos por una Europa unida, potente y que dé un salto de soberanía.
January 1, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Happy 40th anniversary of EEC accession to Spain and Portugal. A resounding success story not just for Iberia but for Europe as a whole 🇪🇸🇵🇹🇪🇺
Happy new year - may 2026 be the year Russia is driven out of Europe 🇪🇺🇺🇦
January 1, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Happy new year - may 2026 be the year Russia is driven out of Europe 🇪🇺🇺🇦
Reposted by Pascal
It's official: Bulgaria is in the euro-zone.
An excerpt from an atypically emotional NYE address by the Central Bank governor:
"Thank you, friends. We are home.
This is not a protocol. It is a feeling.
In this sense, the euro is not just an economic solution...
www.bnb.bg/AboutUs/Pres...
An excerpt from an atypically emotional NYE address by the Central Bank governor:
"Thank you, friends. We are home.
This is not a protocol. It is a feeling.
In this sense, the euro is not just an economic solution...
www.bnb.bg/AboutUs/Pres...
December 31, 2025 at 11:30 PM
It's official: Bulgaria is in the euro-zone.
An excerpt from an atypically emotional NYE address by the Central Bank governor:
"Thank you, friends. We are home.
This is not a protocol. It is a feeling.
In this sense, the euro is not just an economic solution...
www.bnb.bg/AboutUs/Pres...
An excerpt from an atypically emotional NYE address by the Central Bank governor:
"Thank you, friends. We are home.
This is not a protocol. It is a feeling.
In this sense, the euro is not just an economic solution...
www.bnb.bg/AboutUs/Pres...
Breaking up the EU is a policy pursued by our enemies
The Polish government has asked the EU to take action against TikTok over a series of videos showing AI-generated young women calling for Poland to leave the EU.
"There is no doubt this is Russian disinformation," says the government's spokesman.
"There is no doubt this is Russian disinformation," says the government's spokesman.
Poland calls for EU action against AI-generated TikTok videos calling for "Polexit"
notesfrompoland.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Breaking up the EU is a policy pursued by our enemies
Reposted by Pascal
Russia successfully put the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government on the agenda in the US. Now they're going to do all they can to avoid real democratic elections from taking place
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
Russia does not want elections in Ukraine
At least not real ones
pascallth.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Russia successfully put the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government on the agenda in the US. Now they're going to do all they can to avoid real democratic elections from taking place
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
Russia successfully put the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government on the agenda in the US. Now they're going to do all they can to avoid real democratic elections from taking place
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
Russia does not want elections in Ukraine
At least not real ones
pascallth.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Russia successfully put the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government on the agenda in the US. Now they're going to do all they can to avoid real democratic elections from taking place
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
pascallth.substack.com/p/russia-doe...
Trump's response to the Russian claim of a Ukrainian attack on Putin's residence isn't just a problem for Ukraine, it's a warning for all NATO members of how the US government could react to a false flag attack by Russia
December 29, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Trump's response to the Russian claim of a Ukrainian attack on Putin's residence isn't just a problem for Ukraine, it's a warning for all NATO members of how the US government could react to a false flag attack by Russia
Reposted by Pascal
⚡️Russian state media quotes FM Lavrov saying Moscow will reconsider its negotiating position in light of alleged attack by Ukrainian forces on Putin's residence in Novgorod.
Zelenskyy responds in voice note to reporters, saying it's "lies," Russia laying groundwork to attack govt buildings in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy responds in voice note to reporters, saying it's "lies," Russia laying groundwork to attack govt buildings in Kyiv.
December 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
⚡️Russian state media quotes FM Lavrov saying Moscow will reconsider its negotiating position in light of alleged attack by Ukrainian forces on Putin's residence in Novgorod.
Zelenskyy responds in voice note to reporters, saying it's "lies," Russia laying groundwork to attack govt buildings in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy responds in voice note to reporters, saying it's "lies," Russia laying groundwork to attack govt buildings in Kyiv.
This matches one of the issues with the US national security strategy, where Washington-based activists have drafted positions without considering how voters in Europe might respond
pascallth.substack.com/p/magas-cake...
pascallth.substack.com/p/magas-cake...
December 29, 2025 at 11:54 AM
This matches one of the issues with the US national security strategy, where Washington-based activists have drafted positions without considering how voters in Europe might respond
pascallth.substack.com/p/magas-cake...
pascallth.substack.com/p/magas-cake...
This is just announcing Russia's steps for creating vassal states - move in by force, make them dependent on you for key pillars of the economy, threaten to pull the plug if they ever do something you don't like
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 29, 2025 at 7:16 AM
This is just announcing Russia's steps for creating vassal states - move in by force, make them dependent on you for key pillars of the economy, threaten to pull the plug if they ever do something you don't like
For peaceful purposes no doubt
⚡️Russia aims to recruit over 400,000 soldiers in 2026, Ukraine's military intelligence chief says.
Russia aims to recruit over 400,000 soldiers in 2026, Ukraine's military intelligence chief says
Russia has fulfilled its mobilization goals in 2025 and has set its mobilization target to recruit 409,000 Russian soldiers in 2026, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Suspiln...
kyivindependent.com
December 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM
For peaceful purposes no doubt
Reposted by Pascal
Putin, again dressed in military uniform, said he plans to continue the war because “the heads of the Ukraine regime are not in a hurry to solve this conflict with peaceful means."
December 27, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Putin, again dressed in military uniform, said he plans to continue the war because “the heads of the Ukraine regime are not in a hurry to solve this conflict with peaceful means."