What arsenal of Democracy doing?
@1santa-mozzarella.bsky.social
What China's escalation doing?
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Back in November we held a TTX to test European responses to conflict over Taiwan. Here are the results 👇🏻
❗New CSDS In-Depth Paper❗
No better way to end the year than with lessons learned from a recent TTX we organised at CSDS on Taiwan. Tomasz Szatkowski, Octavian Manea, Luis Simón and Giulia Tercovich walk you through Europe's reactions to conflict! A must-read!
Read
csds.vub.be/publication/...
No better way to end the year than with lessons learned from a recent TTX we organised at CSDS on Taiwan. Tomasz Szatkowski, Octavian Manea, Luis Simón and Giulia Tercovich walk you through Europe's reactions to conflict! A must-read!
Read
csds.vub.be/publication/...
December 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Back in November we held a TTX to test European responses to conflict over Taiwan. Here are the results 👇🏻
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
Reuters exclusive says that China has a secret EUV lithography machine in Shenzhen, reverse-engineered by ex-ASML employees: www.reuters.com/world/china/....
Exclusive: How China built its ‘Manhattan Project’ to rival the West in AI chips
In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have built a prototype of a machine capable of producing cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence, smartphones and...
www.reuters.com
December 17, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Reuters exclusive says that China has a secret EUV lithography machine in Shenzhen, reverse-engineered by ex-ASML employees: www.reuters.com/world/china/....
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening
My report ahead of a sensitive discussion of foreign ministers on Monday
My report ahead of a sensitive discussion of foreign ministers on Monday
EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening
Multiple sources confirm increase in Beijing backing before China-Russia ties are discussed by ministers from the EU’s 27 members on Monday.
www.scmp.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:02 PM
EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening
My report ahead of a sensitive discussion of foreign ministers on Monday
My report ahead of a sensitive discussion of foreign ministers on Monday
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
Reality
Lots of people are going on about cheap electricity in China and how this will allow it to win the AI race with the US. Here's the thing about that electricity: it's from burning fossil fuels like coal with huge CO2 emissions. There is no "green" China...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/chinas-ele...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/chinas-ele...
December 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reality
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
My column: The ‘Useful Idiots’ From America Whom Putin Is Playing Like a Flute www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/o...
Opinion | The ‘Useful Idiots’ From America Whom Putin Is Playing Like a Flute
www.nytimes.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
My column: The ‘Useful Idiots’ From America Whom Putin Is Playing Like a Flute www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/o...
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
…verboten to conventional Navy commanders may not appear that way to Team 6 or other JSOC commanders who have been fighting on land for 25 years and running drone strikes on land for 15. Another of the many dangers of using JSOC for every problem.
December 1, 2025 at 7:56 PM
…verboten to conventional Navy commanders may not appear that way to Team 6 or other JSOC commanders who have been fighting on land for 25 years and running drone strikes on land for 15. Another of the many dangers of using JSOC for every problem.
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
That obviously doesn’t excuse LOAC violations, and it doesn’t mean that no LOAC violations occurred during JSOC’s strike campaigns on land. But in Team
6 you have a command that, despite being part of the Navy, is in many ways untethered from its naval roots. Actions that would seem obviously…
6 you have a command that, despite being part of the Navy, is in many ways untethered from its naval roots. Actions that would seem obviously…
December 1, 2025 at 7:54 PM
That obviously doesn’t excuse LOAC violations, and it doesn’t mean that no LOAC violations occurred during JSOC’s strike campaigns on land. But in Team
6 you have a command that, despite being part of the Navy, is in many ways untethered from its naval roots. Actions that would seem obviously…
6 you have a command that, despite being part of the Navy, is in many ways untethered from its naval roots. Actions that would seem obviously…
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
JSOC and SEAL Team 6 have spent a decade-plus orchestrating drone strikes on land, including when Bradley was the Team 6 commander overseeing Somalia/Yemen strikes—and reattacks to kill survivors, who in a land context are not as categorically hors de combat as at sea, were routine during them:
December 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
JSOC and SEAL Team 6 have spent a decade-plus orchestrating drone strikes on land, including when Bradley was the Team 6 commander overseeing Somalia/Yemen strikes—and reattacks to kill survivors, who in a land context are not as categorically hors de combat as at sea, were routine during them:
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
Leavitt attempts to bend reality by saying the same thing over and over.
Q: You said that second strike was in accordance with the law of armed conflict, but the Navy's own manual says that firing on survivors from a wrecked vessel is an example of a war crime
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
LEAVITT: I would reiterate that the strike was conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict
December 1, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Leavitt attempts to bend reality by saying the same thing over and over.
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“Xi is not interested in a big deal or a détente because he judges that time is on China’s side, that China will be in an even stronger position in the years to come, and that a deal now would only constrain Beijing,” writes Jonathan Czin.
How Xi Played Trump
Beijing gambled and is now reaping the rewards.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
“Xi is not interested in a big deal or a détente because he judges that time is on China’s side, that China will be in an even stronger position in the years to come, and that a deal now would only constrain Beijing,” writes Jonathan Czin.
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The bigger change is presentation, historically, these emails were visually chaotic: sudden colour changes, ALL CAPS, screenshots pasted at random. Classic signs of disordered thinking. Now they’re neat, structured, and grammatically consistent. The delusion hasn't changed, but the formatting has.
November 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The bigger change is presentation, historically, these emails were visually chaotic: sudden colour changes, ALL CAPS, screenshots pasted at random. Classic signs of disordered thinking. Now they’re neat, structured, and grammatically consistent. The delusion hasn't changed, but the formatting has.
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
How about a counter proposal?
— Putin surrenders himself to ICC (along with other war criminals)
— Russia withdraws to pre-2014 territory
— Russia funds rebuilding of Ukraine
— Russia returns all those kidnapped or captured
— Russia indemnifies families of all those killed
— Putin surrenders himself to ICC (along with other war criminals)
— Russia withdraws to pre-2014 territory
— Russia funds rebuilding of Ukraine
— Russia returns all those kidnapped or captured
— Russia indemnifies families of all those killed
New: I can confirm hasty US-Russia proposal being pushed to Ukrainians via Dmitriev-Witkoff to Umerov. It would amount to Ukraine’s capitulation, with people familiar saying it’s Kremlin’s maximalist demands.
-Ukraine army cut 1/2
-Give up certain weapons
-Give up Donbas
-Zelensky displeased
More tk
-Ukraine army cut 1/2
-Give up certain weapons
-Give up Donbas
-Zelensky displeased
More tk
November 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
How about a counter proposal?
— Putin surrenders himself to ICC (along with other war criminals)
— Russia withdraws to pre-2014 territory
— Russia funds rebuilding of Ukraine
— Russia returns all those kidnapped or captured
— Russia indemnifies families of all those killed
— Putin surrenders himself to ICC (along with other war criminals)
— Russia withdraws to pre-2014 territory
— Russia funds rebuilding of Ukraine
— Russia returns all those kidnapped or captured
— Russia indemnifies families of all those killed
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
New: We've translated in full a 1988 KGB training manual on how to infiltrate U.S. government facilities in the Middle East and North Africa. Something of a Russian growth industry these days, you might say. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...
How Russian Spies Infiltrate U.S. Institutions
Read a 1988 KGB textbook on how to recruit agents working for the U.S. government abroad.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:16 PM
New: We've translated in full a 1988 KGB training manual on how to infiltrate U.S. government facilities in the Middle East and North Africa. Something of a Russian growth industry these days, you might say. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
A Russia Special Flight Squadron aircraft (RA96014) has just landed in Hangzhou, China. Two more (RA96024 and RA96025) appear to be on their way.
November 2, 2025 at 11:14 PM
A Russia Special Flight Squadron aircraft (RA96014) has just landed in Hangzhou, China. Two more (RA96024 and RA96025) appear to be on their way.
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The global debt overhang is driving the debasement trade. Markets fear high debt levels will be inflated away and the usual places where markets hide - like Germany - no longer offer protection, because German yields are rising as much as everywhere else...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/the-global...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/the-global...
November 1, 2025 at 11:44 AM
The global debt overhang is driving the debasement trade. Markets fear high debt levels will be inflated away and the usual places where markets hide - like Germany - no longer offer protection, because German yields are rising as much as everywhere else...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/the-global...
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/the-global...
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Pro-China propaganda posts are especially prevalent recently, so here's a quick reminder that Russia's war machine would have collapsed long ago were it not for all the help Russia gets from China. Putin is just Beijing's stooge. It's really China that's waging war on Western Europe via Ukraine...
November 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Pro-China propaganda posts are especially prevalent recently, so here's a quick reminder that Russia's war machine would have collapsed long ago were it not for all the help Russia gets from China. Putin is just Beijing's stooge. It's really China that's waging war on Western Europe via Ukraine...
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal’s energy joint venture in India purchased Russian oil transported on sanctions-listed vessels, according to an analysis of satellite imagery, shipping data and customs records by the FT on.ft.com/3WZkFHh
October 29, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal’s energy joint venture in India purchased Russian oil transported on sanctions-listed vessels, according to an analysis of satellite imagery, shipping data and customs records by the FT on.ft.com/3WZkFHh
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Whoever is now funding the U.S. military with $130m, presumably chose not to help fund Ukraine’s defence all this time?
October 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Whoever is now funding the U.S. military with $130m, presumably chose not to help fund Ukraine’s defence all this time?
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It is time for the United States to develop a new strategy for countering China’s advantages in the Pacific, argues Seth Jones. “Washington needs to prioritize defeating and deterring Beijing, much as it focused on the Soviet Union during the Cold War.”
The Pentagon’s Missing China Strategy
Washington still lacks a credible military plan for deterring Beijing.
www.foreignaffairs.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:10 PM
It is time for the United States to develop a new strategy for countering China’s advantages in the Pacific, argues Seth Jones. “Washington needs to prioritize defeating and deterring Beijing, much as it focused on the Soviet Union during the Cold War.”
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“A European diplomat briefed on the White House meeting described the meeting as a mess and said Trump also ‘went on and on’ about ‘his grievances of not having gotten the Nobel Peace Prize.’”
Another embarrassing performance. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Another embarrassing performance. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
In tense meeting, Trump told Zelensky to concede land, meet Putin’s demands
In an often fraught encounter, Trump told Zelensky to accept Putin’s terms to end the war, according to people familiar with the meeting.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:25 PM
“A European diplomat briefed on the White House meeting described the meeting as a mess and said Trump also ‘went on and on’ about ‘his grievances of not having gotten the Nobel Peace Prize.’”
Another embarrassing performance. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Another embarrassing performance. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
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If there is a peaceful regime transition in Venezuela, the Russian kit they have should be sent to Ukraine forthwith.
October 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
If there is a peaceful regime transition in Venezuela, the Russian kit they have should be sent to Ukraine forthwith.
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Europe needs to prepare to defend itself with less America. One challenge, is how to replace the potential loss of US ground forces. Poland, Germany, etc are doing their bit. But Europe needs a bolder approach. We call for Italy-Spain to lead a new European ground force
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
October 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Europe needs to prepare to defend itself with less America. One challenge, is how to replace the potential loss of US ground forces. Poland, Germany, etc are doing their bit. But Europe needs a bolder approach. We call for Italy-Spain to lead a new European ground force
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
Nineteen years ago, on October 7, 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was assassinated by Putin's hitmen.
She was the first to tell the truth about Russia's mass crimes in Chechnya, which foreshadowed those in Syria, Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere. They could have been prevented.
Almost no one listened to her.
She was the first to tell the truth about Russia's mass crimes in Chechnya, which foreshadowed those in Syria, Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere. They could have been prevented.
Almost no one listened to her.
October 7, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Nineteen years ago, on October 7, 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was assassinated by Putin's hitmen.
She was the first to tell the truth about Russia's mass crimes in Chechnya, which foreshadowed those in Syria, Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere. They could have been prevented.
Almost no one listened to her.
She was the first to tell the truth about Russia's mass crimes in Chechnya, which foreshadowed those in Syria, Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere. They could have been prevented.
Almost no one listened to her.
Reposted by What arsenal of Democracy doing?
China is providing Russia with satellite intelligence data for missile strikes on Ukraine, including targets owned by foreign investors, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reported.
October 4, 2025 at 8:13 AM
China is providing Russia with satellite intelligence data for missile strikes on Ukraine, including targets owned by foreign investors, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reported.
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Yes, that may well be the correct interpretation
Donald Trump’s apparent shift in support towards Ukraine is more likely to have been washing his hands of the war. If so, Ukraine and its European allies will have to face Russia alone
Fixing the rot in Ukraine
Things are going wrong away from the front line. Europe needs to help
econ.st
September 24, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Yes, that may well be the correct interpretation