Medvedev considers the Alaska meeting a win for Russia.

Blumenthal: "My stomach turned when I heard the president of the United States characterize Vladimir Putin as his fabulously good friend. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal."

This tracks. His core geographic goal right now is to add all of Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia. Add that to a frozen frontline, demilitarization and neutralization of Ukraine, and he gets everything he wants. For now...

Thrilled my good friend Bridget is running for Congress. She's got a great public service ethic, strong principles, and common sense!

A Return to Great Power Diplomacy?
open.substack.com/pub/mglantz/...

Still republishing from USIP.org: Russia Has Relaxed its Rhetoric on NATO’s Nordic Expansion substack.com/@maryeglantz...

I've started a substack to republish everything that was deleted when they shut down USIP.org. Most of these initial posts will be dated, but I'll start some new ones! mglantz.substack.com?r=5kaq75&utm...

We’re still fighting back
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/04...

USIP is an important non-profit, non-partisan, non-executive branch institution established by Congress to help find ways to prevent wars. DOGE is dismantling it.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Wish this were about my Russia analysis (Putin is playing Trump), but glad I could help get the word out about what Trump and DOGE are doing to U.S. institutions. www.reuters.com/world/us/dus...

The Department of Government Efficiency, for example

Working on labeling transcript chunks from the Kremlin for a sentiment analysis project and I came across this gem:

The front line is not about to collapse. Despite AFU being largely pressed out of Kursk, the overall situation from Pokrovsk to Kupyansk improved. The implication being that Ukraine is not in a desperate situation requiring a rushed ceasefire under unfavorable terms. 27/

Apparently my cat also has an unbelievable aptitude for technology....

Meanwhile in Russia: state TV host Olga Skabeeva explained why Moscow anticipates more concessions from the Trump administration in the near future.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIeP...

"The Trump administration could seek to use the plant to help power the extraction of rare and critical minerals that Ukraine holds, according to two senior Ukrainian officials involved in drawing up an agreement with Washington on rare earths and other raw materials."

"The conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin went perfectly to plan, according to the Kremlin’s laughing propagandists who believe they are on the verge of victory in the new Cold War."