Thomas de Waal
@tomdewaal.bsky.social
Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe, all things Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Black Sea. Also Russian poetry.
A great line-up of experts, ahead of @cop30brazil.bsky.social, to consider if Europe still has a leadership role on climate change. Yes, it does, some say, it never had one, others contend!
❔| #TTP: Has Europe Given Up its Leadership on Climate Change? ➡️
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Taking the Pulse: Has Europe Given Up its Leadership on Climate Change?
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to energy transition and ecological protection. Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain its role as a d...
carnegieendowment.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 PM
A great line-up of experts, ahead of @cop30brazil.bsky.social, to consider if Europe still has a leadership role on climate change. Yes, it does, some say, it never had one, others contend!
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
❔| #TTP: Has Europe Given Up its Leadership on Climate Change? ➡️
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Taking the Pulse: Has Europe Given Up its Leadership on Climate Change?
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to energy transition and ecological protection. Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain its role as a d...
carnegieendowment.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:25 PM
❔| #TTP: Has Europe Given Up its Leadership on Climate Change? ➡️
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
COP30 takes place amidst increased pessimism about the world’s commitment to climate action.
Beset by a host of other challenges, can Europe still maintain a leading role?
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Europe is still struggling to cope with the second Trump presidency, writes Stefan Lehne for @carnegieeurope.bsky.social Echoing St Augustine, the message is “Lord, make us autonomous, but not just yet!” But the time to act is now. A great read. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Can the EU Meet the Trump Moment?
The second term of U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing Europeans to strengthen their capacity for collective action. But their biggest challenge comes from within: U.S.-backed radical-right parties...
carnegieendowment.org
November 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Europe is still struggling to cope with the second Trump presidency, writes Stefan Lehne for @carnegieeurope.bsky.social Echoing St Augustine, the message is “Lord, make us autonomous, but not just yet!” But the time to act is now. A great read. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
How did the White House end up brokering a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
In a new article for @foreignaffairs.com, Senior Fellow Thomas de Waal unravels how a shared rejection of Russian dominance in the South Caucasus drove both parties down "an unlikely road to peace."
In a new article for @foreignaffairs.com, Senior Fellow Thomas de Waal unravels how a shared rejection of Russian dominance in the South Caucasus drove both parties down "an unlikely road to peace."
Just published, my piece on the U.S. Armenia-Azerbaijan deal and its prospects. There is a lot of hard work still to be done, I argue, but the shared coincidence of interests that neither country wants Russia as a guarantor has been transformative. www.foreignaffairs.com/armenia/unli...
An Unlikely Road to Peace in the South Caucasus
How common cause against Russia enabled an American deal.
www.foreignaffairs.com
September 23, 2025 at 3:15 PM
How did the White House end up brokering a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
In a new article for @foreignaffairs.com, Senior Fellow Thomas de Waal unravels how a shared rejection of Russian dominance in the South Caucasus drove both parties down "an unlikely road to peace."
In a new article for @foreignaffairs.com, Senior Fellow Thomas de Waal unravels how a shared rejection of Russian dominance in the South Caucasus drove both parties down "an unlikely road to peace."
Just published, my piece on the U.S. Armenia-Azerbaijan deal and its prospects. There is a lot of hard work still to be done, I argue, but the shared coincidence of interests that neither country wants Russia as a guarantor has been transformative. www.foreignaffairs.com/armenia/unli...
An Unlikely Road to Peace in the South Caucasus
How common cause against Russia enabled an American deal.
www.foreignaffairs.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Just published, my piece on the U.S. Armenia-Azerbaijan deal and its prospects. There is a lot of hard work still to be done, I argue, but the shared coincidence of interests that neither country wants Russia as a guarantor has been transformative. www.foreignaffairs.com/armenia/unli...
I was very glad of the opportunity to have a substantial conversation with @neweasterneurope.eu on the Trump deal with Armenia and Azerbaijan talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
Episode 235: Behind the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
In this episode, Alexandra and Adam start off with some discussion on the news, including concerns over the upcoming Russia/Belarus Zapad 2025 militar...
talkeasterneurope.eu
September 16, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I was very glad of the opportunity to have a substantial conversation with @neweasterneurope.eu on the Trump deal with Armenia and Azerbaijan talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
Ivanishvili has created "an illiberal and anti-European system which leaves no political space for either party opponents or civil society activists. Currently, almost all of Georgia’s major opposition party leaders are in prison. We call it a quasi-dictatorship."
Some details to quibble with but the main points are very solid -- GD has the bayonets but in the end will struggle to sit on them.
Stephen Jones & Gabriel Chubinidze on why Ivanishvili's rule may well crumble.
cacianalyst.org/publications...
Stephen Jones & Gabriel Chubinidze on why Ivanishvili's rule may well crumble.
cacianalyst.org/publications...
September 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Ivanishvili has created "an illiberal and anti-European system which leaves no political space for either party opponents or civil society activists. Currently, almost all of Georgia’s major opposition party leaders are in prison. We call it a quasi-dictatorship."
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
Check out the latest episode of Talk Eastern Europe!
Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
Episode 235: Behind the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
In this episode, Alexandra and Adam start off with some discussion on the news, including concerns over the upcoming Russia/Belarus Zapad 2025 militar...
talkeasterneurope.eu
September 15, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Check out the latest episode of Talk Eastern Europe!
Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/epi...
On #Georgia, its rapid descent into authoritarian rule and the EU's struggle to respond. My piece today for Carnegie, with advice for Brussels: don't punish ordinary people by cancelling visa liberalization @carnegieeurope.bsky.social carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Time for EU Decisions on Georgia
Since last year’s election, Georgia’s ruling party has rolled back democracy and sabotaged the country’s EU accession process. To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the union and its member state...
carnegieendowment.org
September 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
On #Georgia, its rapid descent into authoritarian rule and the EU's struggle to respond. My piece today for Carnegie, with advice for Brussels: don't punish ordinary people by cancelling visa liberalization @carnegieeurope.bsky.social carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
Since last year's election, Georgia's ruling party has rolled back democracy & derailed its EU accession process.
To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the EU should focus punitive measures on a small group in the elite, writes @tomdewaal.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the EU should focus punitive measures on a small group in the elite, writes @tomdewaal.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Time for EU Decisions on Georgia
Since last year’s election, Georgia’s ruling party has rolled back democracy and sabotaged the country’s EU accession process. To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the union and its member state...
carnegieendowment.org
September 4, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Since last year's election, Georgia's ruling party has rolled back democracy & derailed its EU accession process.
To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the EU should focus punitive measures on a small group in the elite, writes @tomdewaal.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
To avoid penalizing pro-European citizens, the EU should focus punitive measures on a small group in the elite, writes @tomdewaal.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
My article on how the Philharmonic Orchestra in #Odesa/#Odessa has played on through all the travails of wartime, and the story of its amazing American conductor, Hobart Earle, who has been with them since 1991.
In today’s FT magazine (sorry, behind a paywall). www.ft.com/content/9dc6...
In today’s FT magazine (sorry, behind a paywall). www.ft.com/content/9dc6...
How Odesa’s Philharmonic Orchestra played on through the war
A Ukrainian orchestra and their American conductor withstood Russian missiles to bring music to the city
www.ft.com
July 12, 2025 at 12:38 PM
My article on how the Philharmonic Orchestra in #Odesa/#Odessa has played on through all the travails of wartime, and the story of its amazing American conductor, Hobart Earle, who has been with them since 1991.
In today’s FT magazine (sorry, behind a paywall). www.ft.com/content/9dc6...
In today’s FT magazine (sorry, behind a paywall). www.ft.com/content/9dc6...
oc-media.org/azerbaijani-... Outrageous news from Baku as young scholar and peace activist Bahruz Samadov is given a 15-year jail sentence for "treason." I'm afraid I hear that the news is even worse: Bahruz tried to take his own life by hanging in his cell over the weekend. He must be freed.
Azerbaijani researcher Bahruz Samadov sentenced to 15 years on charges of treason
Samadov, who has also contributed to OC Media, frequently wrote about authoritarianism in Azerbaijan.
oc-media.org
June 23, 2025 at 2:33 PM
oc-media.org/azerbaijani-... Outrageous news from Baku as young scholar and peace activist Bahruz Samadov is given a 15-year jail sentence for "treason." I'm afraid I hear that the news is even worse: Bahruz tried to take his own life by hanging in his cell over the weekend. He must be freed.
Here's an essay I wrote for my college magazine about how it took me 35 years to translate Mandelstam's Tristia, the joys and tribulations of poetry translation and Osip M's amazing mysterious verse, which resonates anew with every generation. heyzine.com/flip-book/fl...
June 18, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Here's an essay I wrote for my college magazine about how it took me 35 years to translate Mandelstam's Tristia, the joys and tribulations of poetry translation and Osip M's amazing mysterious verse, which resonates anew with every generation. heyzine.com/flip-book/fl...
Since 2022 Central and Eastern Europe has undergone a fundamental shift away from reliance on Russian gas. Will it last? Join @maxhess.bsky.social, Sergey Vakulenko and me tomorrow for a Carnegie Europe webinar to discuss these issues. It will be insightful! carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
Securing Energy Independence: The Future of Eastern Europe’s Gas Supply
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, nearly all of Central and Eastern Europe has cut its reliance on Moscow’s gas. While regional cooperation and expanded LNG access have helped diversify supplie...
https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/05/securing-energy-independence-the-future-of-eastern-europes-gas-supply?lang=en¢er=europe
June 4, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Since 2022 Central and Eastern Europe has undergone a fundamental shift away from reliance on Russian gas. Will it last? Join @maxhess.bsky.social, Sergey Vakulenko and me tomorrow for a Carnegie Europe webinar to discuss these issues. It will be insightful! carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
www.foreignaffairs.com/azerbaijan/p... Zaur's piece on Azerbaijan is excellent, authoritative, comprehensive and asks the hard questions about the country's future @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social
The Precarious Power of Azerbaijan
A delayed peace with Armenia endangers a new regional order.
www.foreignaffairs.com
May 27, 2025 at 9:48 AM
www.foreignaffairs.com/azerbaijan/p... Zaur's piece on Azerbaijan is excellent, authoritative, comprehensive and asks the hard questions about the country's future @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social
Please read, share and repost this brave piece of journalism by Will Neal @willneal.bsky.social about Georgia and the dealings and Russia connections of London-based Hunnewell Partners which owns Imedi TV amongst other assets, is a close partner of Georgian Dream.
bylinetimes.com/2025/03/31/m...
bylinetimes.com/2025/03/31/m...
Moscow’s Ties to the Georgian Regime Ran Through Kensington and Chelsea
Leaked documents reveal how UK firm Hunnewell Partners, controlled by alleged enablers of Georgia’s ruling oligarch, facilitated a top Putin crony’s attempts to exploit the collapse of a more than $1....
bylinetimes.com
May 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Please read, share and repost this brave piece of journalism by Will Neal @willneal.bsky.social about Georgia and the dealings and Russia connections of London-based Hunnewell Partners which owns Imedi TV amongst other assets, is a close partner of Georgian Dream.
bylinetimes.com/2025/03/31/m...
bylinetimes.com/2025/03/31/m...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
As the South Caucasus undergoes a strategic realignment, the EU & Turkey have an opportunity to recalibrate their engagement.
Converging interests might foster cooperation if long-standing assumptions are set aside, writes @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Converging interests might foster cooperation if long-standing assumptions are set aside, writes @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Why the EU Needs Turkey in the South Caucasus
As the South Caucasus undergoes a strategic realignment, the EU and Turkey have an opportunity to recalibrate their engagement. Converging interests in connectivity, stability, and regional integratio...
carnegieendowment.org
May 22, 2025 at 12:24 PM
As the South Caucasus undergoes a strategic realignment, the EU & Turkey have an opportunity to recalibrate their engagement.
Converging interests might foster cooperation if long-standing assumptions are set aside, writes @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Converging interests might foster cooperation if long-standing assumptions are set aside, writes @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social.
carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
💡Registration is open for the 2025 Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Conference, The Next Generation of Foreign Policy.
📅June 11, 11am-5pm EDT, in-person. Open exclusively to students and young professionals.
Learn more and register here: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
📅June 11, 11am-5pm EDT, in-person. Open exclusively to students and young professionals.
Learn more and register here: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
May 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
💡Registration is open for the 2025 Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Conference, The Next Generation of Foreign Policy.
📅June 11, 11am-5pm EDT, in-person. Open exclusively to students and young professionals.
Learn more and register here: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
📅June 11, 11am-5pm EDT, in-person. Open exclusively to students and young professionals.
Learn more and register here: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
"Can Turkey and Armenia Normalize Relations?" with @tomdewaal.bsky.social and Garo Paylan via @carnegieeurope.bsky.social. [3/5]
Can Turkey and Armenia Normalize Relations? | Europe Inside Out
Rym Momtaz, Thomas de Waal, and Garo Paylan examine why the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations remains stalled and how Europe might help revitalize the process.
europe-inside-out.simplecast.com
May 18, 2025 at 6:49 AM
"Can Turkey and Armenia Normalize Relations?" with @tomdewaal.bsky.social and Garo Paylan via @carnegieeurope.bsky.social. [3/5]
Another biographical gem from Cavid
Just wrote an article about a French naturalist, botanist, orientalist, spy, and anti-slavery advocate who was employed by the Russian Empire to introduce new cultivation techniques to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-...
Joseph-Elzéar Morenas - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
May 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Another biographical gem from Cavid
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
🎧 | Turkey & Armenia are divided by decades of unresolved tensions & a closed border.
In a new episode of #EuropeInsideOut, @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @tomdewaal.bsky.social, & Garo Paylan discuss whether the countries can normalize relations.
To listen: europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
In a new episode of #EuropeInsideOut, @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @tomdewaal.bsky.social, & Garo Paylan discuss whether the countries can normalize relations.
To listen: europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
May 14, 2025 at 9:48 AM
🎧 | Turkey & Armenia are divided by decades of unresolved tensions & a closed border.
In a new episode of #EuropeInsideOut, @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @tomdewaal.bsky.social, & Garo Paylan discuss whether the countries can normalize relations.
To listen: europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
In a new episode of #EuropeInsideOut, @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @tomdewaal.bsky.social, & Garo Paylan discuss whether the countries can normalize relations.
To listen: europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
It's the move that benefits (almost) everyone but still does not happen... Who better to discuss the search for Armenia-Turkey normalization with than Garo Paylan? I enjoyed our discussion with @rmomtaz.bsky.social for the Carnegie Europe podcast europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
Can Turkey and Armenia Normalize Relations? | Europe Inside Out
Rym Momtaz, Thomas de Waal, and Garo Paylan examine why the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations remains stalled and how Europe might help revitalize the process.
europe-inside-out.simplecast.com
May 14, 2025 at 9:27 AM
It's the move that benefits (almost) everyone but still does not happen... Who better to discuss the search for Armenia-Turkey normalization with than Garo Paylan? I enjoyed our discussion with @rmomtaz.bsky.social for the Carnegie Europe podcast europe-inside-out.simplecast.com/episodes/can...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
Yesterday we published our investigation into torture & death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna.
Now, what I & several Guardian colleagues have been working on for past few months: inside one of Russia's worst torture prisons for Ukrainians
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Now, what I & several Guardian colleagues have been working on for past few months: inside one of Russia's worst torture prisons for Ukrainians
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Inside Taganrog: beatings, electrocution and starvation at prison where Ukrainians were tortured
Russia is holding an estimated 16,000 civilians in arbitrary detention at 180 separate facilities. Taganrog was the most notorious.
www.theguardian.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Yesterday we published our investigation into torture & death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna.
Now, what I & several Guardian colleagues have been working on for past few months: inside one of Russia's worst torture prisons for Ukrainians
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Now, what I & several Guardian colleagues have been working on for past few months: inside one of Russia's worst torture prisons for Ukrainians
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
Today, researcher & @charlesuni.cuni.cz PhD candidate Bahruz Samadov is spending 30th birthday behind bars in Azerbaijan, where critical scholarly work is criminalized, labeled as treason. There shld be more academic voices demanding Bahruz's freedom. #FreeBahruz
www.psapopulism.org/blog/news/fr...
www.psapopulism.org/blog/news/fr...
Free Bahruz Samadov
International Academic Community Calls for the Release of Young Azerbaijani Scholar Bahruz Samadov
www.psapopulism.org
April 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Today, researcher & @charlesuni.cuni.cz PhD candidate Bahruz Samadov is spending 30th birthday behind bars in Azerbaijan, where critical scholarly work is criminalized, labeled as treason. There shld be more academic voices demanding Bahruz's freedom. #FreeBahruz
www.psapopulism.org/blog/news/fr...
www.psapopulism.org/blog/news/fr...
Reposted by Thomas de Waal
President Trump’s apparent belief that Ukraine will inevitably lose its war against Russia if it doesn’t accept a peace deal may not be in line with the battlefield reality.
@alexgabuev.bsky.social and @michaelkofman.bsky.social explain for the @ceip-politika.bsky.social podcast:
@alexgabuev.bsky.social and @michaelkofman.bsky.social explain for the @ceip-politika.bsky.social podcast:
Does Ukraine Need a Ceasefire at Any Cost? With Michael Kofman
Carnegie Politika is a digital publication that features unmatched analysis and insight on Russia, Ukraine and the wider region. For nearly a decade, Carnegie Politika has published contributions…
buff.ly
April 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
President Trump’s apparent belief that Ukraine will inevitably lose its war against Russia if it doesn’t accept a peace deal may not be in line with the battlefield reality.
@alexgabuev.bsky.social and @michaelkofman.bsky.social explain for the @ceip-politika.bsky.social podcast:
@alexgabuev.bsky.social and @michaelkofman.bsky.social explain for the @ceip-politika.bsky.social podcast: