Brian Whitmore
powervertical.bsky.social
Brian Whitmore
@powervertical.bsky.social
A blog and podcast about Russian and post-Soviet politics.
Note to @nytimes.com editors: there aren’t “territorial disputes” in Donetsk. Russia illegally invaded and is illegally occupying Ukrainian territory. Stop legitimizing the Kremlin’s framing.
December 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
December 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Always an honor and pleasure to be at ICDS
ICDS was pleased to host a roundtable with Brian Whitmore, Assistant Professor at UT Arlington, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council, and host of the @powervertical.bsky.social podcast.

Discussions centred on his upcoming report "Russian Illusions: How the West Lost the Post-Cold War".
December 20, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Reposted by Brian Whitmore
ICDS was pleased to host a roundtable with Brian Whitmore, Assistant Professor at UT Arlington, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council, and host of the @powervertical.bsky.social podcast.

Discussions centred on his upcoming report "Russian Illusions: How the West Lost the Post-Cold War".
December 15, 2025 at 3:09 PM
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, I speak to Casey Michel @cjcmichel.bsky.social about his new report for The Atlantic Council deconstructing the false narratives Russia has used to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine.
www.powervertical.org/2025/12/19/m...
MYTHS, NARRATIVES, AND WAR
powervertical · MYTHS, NARRATIVES, AND WAR Russia’s war against Ukraine is many things: it’s a war of choice, it’s an illegal war of aggression, and it’s a colonial war. But…
www.powervertical.org
December 20, 2025 at 12:36 AM
In the 12th report in The Atlantic Council's (@atlanticcouncil.bsky.social) Russia Tomorrow series (Casey Mchel @cjcmichel.bsky.social deconstructs the myths and narratives the Kremlin has used to justify its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-seri...
Narrating the war: Analyzing Russia’s narratives for its invasion of Ukraine
The latest report in the Atlantic Council's Russia Tomorrow series examines the Kremlin's narratives about its invasion of Ukraine.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
December 19, 2025 at 7:33 PM
December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This is well worth a read…

open.substack.com/pub/theratio...
From Conservatism to MAGA: The Authoritarian Pipeline
How ideology becomes a perceptual filter
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Warning! Over-the-top-alliteration alert!
December 17, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Germans don’t f**k around when it comes to cleanliness & sanitation!
December 17, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Wise words from former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
open.substack.com/pub/thilves/...
Washington’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Will Be as Successful as China’s
Washington’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy Will Be as Successful as China’s
open.substack.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:34 AM
@pkrugman.bsky.social really nails it here. A must-read post open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
Is This The End of the Free World?
Trump wants to MAGAfy Europe, too
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by Brian Whitmore
This is an exceptional podcast on foreign policy, highly recommended:
December 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, I break down the oligarchic convergence behind the so-called peace plan for Ukraine with Casey Michel @cjcmichel.bsky.social and David Kramer www.powervertical.org/2025/12/05/w...
WAR, PEACE PLANS, AND OLIGARCHY
powervertical · WAR, PEACE PLANS, AND OLIGARCHY When the details of the Trump administration’s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine were released last month — a plan that seemed to give Russ…
www.powervertical.org
December 6, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Reposted by Brian Whitmore
This this this this THIS!!!!!!
The national security adviser is supposed to oversee policy coordination. The secretary of State is supposed to lead on diplomatic negotiations. In theory, neither would be the clean-up crew, because they’re supposed to prevent the mess from happening in the first place.
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 AM