Patrick Porter
@patporter76.bsky.social
Prof, Int Security, @unibirmingham. Contributing ed, @TheCriticMag. @RUSI_org. @CatoFP. @RANDEurope. The Case for Realism, Stanford UP. 🇦🇺🇬🇧
Pinned
Patrick Porter
@patporter76.bsky.social
· May 31
https://sup.org/books/politics…
My book, "How to Survive a Hostile World: Power, Politics and The Case for Realism" w/ @stanfordpress is out in October. Defending the tradition in a time of war, climate crisis & economic dislocation.
sup.org/books/politics…
Now available for pre-order:
https://amzn.eu/d/bJNCT46
sup.org/books/politics…
Now available for pre-order:
https://amzn.eu/d/bJNCT46
Reposted by Patrick Porter
"An iron curtain has descended across the Continent".
On 5 March we'll mark 80 years of Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri.
Join the brilliant @patporter76.bsky.social & @sophgaston.bsky.social to explore its history & the lessons for today
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
On 5 March we'll mark 80 years of Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri.
Join the brilliant @patporter76.bsky.social & @sophgaston.bsky.social to explore its history & the lessons for today
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
Beyond the Iron Curtain: Churchill's Fulton Speech, 80 Years On
Join the Mile End Institute for Prof Patrick Porter's lecture marking 80 years since Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri!
www.eventbrite.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 12:34 PM
"An iron curtain has descended across the Continent".
On 5 March we'll mark 80 years of Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri.
Join the brilliant @patporter76.bsky.social & @sophgaston.bsky.social to explore its history & the lessons for today
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
On 5 March we'll mark 80 years of Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri.
Join the brilliant @patporter76.bsky.social & @sophgaston.bsky.social to explore its history & the lessons for today
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
To mark the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri, I'll be giving a talk at @MileEndInst on Thursday 5th March at 5pm, followed by a response from the great @sophgaston. Come along!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
Beyond the Iron Curtain: Churchill's Fulton Speech, 80 Years On
Eventbrite - Mile End Institute presents Beyond the Iron Curtain: Churchill's Fulton Speech, 80 Years On - Thursday, March 5, 2026 - Find event and ticket information.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
February 7, 2026 at 5:30 AM
To mark the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill's "Sinews of Peace" speech at Fulton Missouri, I'll be giving a talk at @MileEndInst on Thursday 5th March at 5pm, followed by a response from the great @sophgaston. Come along!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Excellent article in the Critic by @patporter76.bsky.social. I made a similar argument at an RSIS conference in Singapore last week - the underlying logic seems to be "spheres for me, but not for thee". If so, suggests more continuity than change in US foreign policy. thecritic.co.uk/the-fear-of-...
The fear of spheres | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine
Periods of international tumult, like the present, need careful analysis. Solutions are no good, obviously, if one wrongly defines the problem. And in turn, careful analysis demands precision with one...
thecritic.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 5:47 AM
Excellent article in the Critic by @patporter76.bsky.social. I made a similar argument at an RSIS conference in Singapore last week - the underlying logic seems to be "spheres for me, but not for thee". If so, suggests more continuity than change in US foreign policy. thecritic.co.uk/the-fear-of-...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Really interesting and eye opening.
Thanks to @novaramedia.com and @michaeljswalker for interviewing yours truly about European Defence in the wake of the Greenland crisis. Based on the article @blagden_david and I wrote in @newstatesman.bsky.social
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
Defence Expert: The Old World Order Is DEAD
YouTube video by Novara Media
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Really interesting and eye opening.
Thanks to @novaramedia.com and @michaeljswalker for interviewing yours truly about European Defence in the wake of the Greenland crisis. Based on the article @blagden_david and I wrote in @newstatesman.bsky.social
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
Defence Expert: The Old World Order Is DEAD
YouTube video by Novara Media
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Thanks to @novaramedia.com and @michaeljswalker for interviewing yours truly about European Defence in the wake of the Greenland crisis. Based on the article @blagden_david and I wrote in @newstatesman.bsky.social
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
youtu.be/8JIv6aMe9zs?...
Nordic Noir: allies cannot finesse or charm Donald Trum into accepting the status quo he despises, Europe's chief protector picking up the tab. To buy time, a negotiated burden shift is worth trying. @blagden_david and I in @NewStatesman
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
www.newstatesman.com
January 18, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Nordic Noir: allies cannot finesse or charm Donald Trum into accepting the status quo he despises, Europe's chief protector picking up the tab. To buy time, a negotiated burden shift is worth trying. @blagden_david and I in @NewStatesman
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
"In the face of Trump’s storm, if Britain and its European allies cannot now bend, they will break".
Good piece by @patporter76.bsky.social and @blagdendavid.bsky.social on the choices for Britain and Europe in the face of Trump's "imperial rampage".
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Good piece by @patporter76.bsky.social and @blagdendavid.bsky.social on the choices for Britain and Europe in the face of Trump's "imperial rampage".
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
www.newstatesman.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:57 PM
"In the face of Trump’s storm, if Britain and its European allies cannot now bend, they will break".
Good piece by @patporter76.bsky.social and @blagdendavid.bsky.social on the choices for Britain and Europe in the face of Trump's "imperial rampage".
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Good piece by @patporter76.bsky.social and @blagdendavid.bsky.social on the choices for Britain and Europe in the face of Trump's "imperial rampage".
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Excellent piece I think. I suspect the government will kick the can down the road for as long as they can but PP and DB are right that they cannot do that indefinitely.
@blagdendavid.bsky.social and I in the New Statesman on Britain's predicament over Greenland and beyond. Muddling through to finesse Trump's instincts & save the status quo will not work. Its hard, but time to pick a poison.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
www.newstatesman.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:19 AM
Excellent piece I think. I suspect the government will kick the can down the road for as long as they can but PP and DB are right that they cannot do that indefinitely.
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Porter and Blagden powerfully argue for a fundamental rethink in UK grand strategy. They are ahead of the curve in UK strategic studies, which refuses to accept what is happening in the USA. Porter/Blagden are too pessimistic about Europe's defence industrial capacity; otherwise they are spot on.
@blagdendavid.bsky.social and I in the New Statesman on Britain's predicament over Greenland and beyond. Muddling through to finesse Trump's instincts & save the status quo will not work. Its hard, but time to pick a poison.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
www.newstatesman.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Porter and Blagden powerfully argue for a fundamental rethink in UK grand strategy. They are ahead of the curve in UK strategic studies, which refuses to accept what is happening in the USA. Porter/Blagden are too pessimistic about Europe's defence industrial capacity; otherwise they are spot on.
@blagdendavid.bsky.social and I in the New Statesman on Britain's predicament over Greenland and beyond. Muddling through to finesse Trump's instincts & save the status quo will not work. Its hard, but time to pick a poison.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
www.newstatesman.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:06 AM
@blagdendavid.bsky.social and I in the New Statesman on Britain's predicament over Greenland and beyond. Muddling through to finesse Trump's instincts & save the status quo will not work. Its hard, but time to pick a poison.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Trump's hubristic Machtpolitik versus Realism: am lucky enough to be quoted in @lindakinstler's rich inquest in the @NYTmag:
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/m...
January 10, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Trump's hubristic Machtpolitik versus Realism: am lucky enough to be quoted in @lindakinstler's rich inquest in the @NYTmag:
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/m...
Trump's hubristic Machtpolitik versus Realism: am lucky enough to be quoted in @lindakinstler's rich inquest in the @NYTmag:
nytimes.com/2026/01/09/mag…
nytimes.com/2026/01/09/mag…
January 9, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Trump's hubristic Machtpolitik versus Realism: am lucky enough to be quoted in @lindakinstler's rich inquest in the @NYTmag:
nytimes.com/2026/01/09/mag…
nytimes.com/2026/01/09/mag…
My piece in @TheCriticMag, War with Russia is not inevitable:
thecritic.co.uk/war-with-rus...
thecritic.co.uk/war-with-rus...
War with Russia is not inevitable | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine
There is a dangerous fatalism in the air, in public discussion around Russia, its belligerent ruler Vladimir Putin and the future. Fatalism, simply put, is a belief that a thing is inevitable.
thecritic.co.uk
December 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
My piece in @TheCriticMag, War with Russia is not inevitable:
thecritic.co.uk/war-with-rus...
thecritic.co.uk/war-with-rus...
We hear complacent talk that implies GDP determines power (eg Russia's lower one, a favourite of sunny midwits). Power must be willed & generated. 19th century China had one of the largest GDPs on earth, yet Europeans preyed on it. See my book for more.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
How to Survive a Hostile World | Stanford University Press
The oldest ideas are the best. This book is a defense of an ancient way of thinking about international politics: realism. Patrick Porter, a scholar of international relations, defends the realist app...
www.sup.org
December 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM
We hear complacent talk that implies GDP determines power (eg Russia's lower one, a favourite of sunny midwits). Power must be willed & generated. 19th century China had one of the largest GDPs on earth, yet Europeans preyed on it. See my book for more.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Geopolitieke boekentip: @patporter76.bsky.social
beschrijft in zijn boek wat realisme is als IR-theorie, wat het kan en voor wie het is. Onderstaand 🧵mijn bevindingen
beschrijft in zijn boek wat realisme is als IR-theorie, wat het kan en voor wie het is. Onderstaand 🧵mijn bevindingen
December 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Geopolitieke boekentip: @patporter76.bsky.social
beschrijft in zijn boek wat realisme is als IR-theorie, wat het kan en voor wie het is. Onderstaand 🧵mijn bevindingen
beschrijft in zijn boek wat realisme is als IR-theorie, wat het kan en voor wie het is. Onderstaand 🧵mijn bevindingen
"Realism" isn't just for modern Euro-Atlantic states. As a rich body of work shows, it has wider intellectual pedigree in space & time, & as a practice wider still, right up to today's Asian great powers. Curious? Get my cheap, short book for more.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
December 20, 2025 at 11:42 AM
"Realism" isn't just for modern Euro-Atlantic states. As a rich body of work shows, it has wider intellectual pedigree in space & time, & as a practice wider still, right up to today's Asian great powers. Curious? Get my cheap, short book for more.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
"Realism" is on the lips of politicians, pundits & parties. The ancient tradition speaks to our time: large-scale war in Europe, the rise of China, economic failure & pressure on scarce resources. Curious? My book is short, cheap & punchy. Ideal for Xmas.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
How to Survive a Hostile World | Stanford University Press
The oldest ideas are the best. This book is a defense of an ancient way of thinking about international politics: realism. Patrick Porter, a scholar of international relations, defends the realist app...
www.sup.org
December 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
"Realism" is on the lips of politicians, pundits & parties. The ancient tradition speaks to our time: large-scale war in Europe, the rise of China, economic failure & pressure on scarce resources. Curious? My book is short, cheap & punchy. Ideal for Xmas.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
‘The long party of a peaceful, rich life under America’s overwatch may be coming to an end.’ An outstanding and compelling analysis, however bleak. (A sharp contrast with the blithe ‘nothing to see hear, folks’ article by Niall Ferguson in Saturday’s Times. Complacency as contrarian schtick.)
December 14, 2025 at 2:27 PM
‘The long party of a peaceful, rich life under America’s overwatch may be coming to an end.’ An outstanding and compelling analysis, however bleak. (A sharp contrast with the blithe ‘nothing to see hear, folks’ article by Niall Ferguson in Saturday’s Times. Complacency as contrarian schtick.)
My piece in @TheCriticMag, Prepare for Life without America: Trump's National Security Strategy has put Europe on Notice
thecritic.co.uk/prepare-for-...
thecritic.co.uk/prepare-for-...
Prepare for life without America | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine
A Holocaust survivor once said, “If someone says they want to kill you, believe them.” A similar logic holds generally in the harsh world of international politics. If a superpower…
thecritic.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 3:11 AM
My piece in @TheCriticMag, Prepare for Life without America: Trump's National Security Strategy has put Europe on Notice
thecritic.co.uk/prepare-for-...
thecritic.co.uk/prepare-for-...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
Well-timed article by
@patporter76.bsky.social
@patporter76.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Well-timed article by
@patporter76.bsky.social
@patporter76.bsky.social
My debut in cricket writing, of a kind, with political parallels, in @TheCriticMag. England's "Bazball" as "Year Zero" dogma, with the self-destructive tendency it brings. Hat-tip to my favourite writers in the field, @geofflemon.bsky.social, @collinsadam.bsky.social
thecritic.co.uk/bazball-and-...
thecritic.co.uk/bazball-and-...
Bazball and the perils of “year zero” thinking | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine
Consider the words of Ben Stokes, English test cricket captain and champion of the cavalier, offensive “Bazball” style of play. He was speaking in the wake of the thrashing Australia dealt them in…
thecritic.co.uk
December 4, 2025 at 2:34 AM
My debut in cricket writing, of a kind, with political parallels, in @TheCriticMag. England's "Bazball" as "Year Zero" dogma, with the self-destructive tendency it brings. Hat-tip to my favourite writers in the field, @geofflemon.bsky.social, @collinsadam.bsky.social
thecritic.co.uk/bazball-and-...
thecritic.co.uk/bazball-and-...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
A very insighful tour d'horizon of the ongoing Ukraine war and probable lessons to be drawn at the strategic, operational and diplomatic levels. The emphasis is on sober analysis rather than rash speculation. Highly recommended.
November 27, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A very insighful tour d'horizon of the ongoing Ukraine war and probable lessons to be drawn at the strategic, operational and diplomatic levels. The emphasis is on sober analysis rather than rash speculation. Highly recommended.
My piece in @TheCriticMag on the warnings to be heeded from the war in Ukraine, about the shape of conflicts to come:
thecritic.co.uk/ukraine-what...
thecritic.co.uk/ukraine-what...
Ukraine: what have we learnt? | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine
As the scholar and novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen once wrote, “All wars are fought twice, the first on the battlefield, the second in memory.” Ukraine’s war with Russia is not yet over, of course.
thecritic.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 8:25 AM
My piece in @TheCriticMag on the warnings to be heeded from the war in Ukraine, about the shape of conflicts to come:
thecritic.co.uk/ukraine-what...
thecritic.co.uk/ukraine-what...
Reposted by Patrick Porter
A fabulous read: it excises recent distortions but also long-standing idealisations of Churchill's thinking about foreign affairs. What is revealed is a Churchill much more complex and nuanced.
November 14, 2025 at 4:45 PM
A fabulous read: it excises recent distortions but also long-standing idealisations of Churchill's thinking about foreign affairs. What is revealed is a Churchill much more complex and nuanced.
Lad
A fabulous read: it excises recent distortions but also long-standing idealisations of Churchill's thinking about foreign affairs. What is revealed is a Churchill much more complex and nuanced.
November 14, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Lad