Michael Gentile
@michaelgentile.bsky.social
Professor in human geography at the University of Oslo. My current research interests surround the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Putin belongs behind bars.
The fog in Zaporizzhia was amazingly thick yesterday. While walking around I kept thinking about how the Russians could exploit these weather conditions. Apparently they did in Pokrovsk. www.corriere.it/esteri/diret...
www.corriere.it
November 11, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The fog in Zaporizzhia was amazingly thick yesterday. While walking around I kept thinking about how the Russians could exploit these weather conditions. Apparently they did in Pokrovsk. www.corriere.it/esteri/diret...
"Viktigt att erkänna motpartens kanske icke-legitima legitima säkerhetsintressen."
Stranne och Parsi har skrivit en rätt obegriplig artikel med många svåra ord. Det här är någon sorts nyckelpoäng. www.parabol.press/ukrainakrige...
November 9, 2025 at 9:42 AM
"Viktigt att erkänna motpartens kanske icke-legitima legitima säkerhetsintressen."
Yay!
Russian Belgorod is also in a black out. It's probably out of solidarity (not really)
November 9, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Yay!
It's good news, but Russia's still got North Korea, Iran, perhaps even China.
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, made an official statement: Russia is no longer producing more ammunition than all NATO Allies combined.
Let that sink in. Until recently, Moscow had the advantage.👇
Let that sink in. Until recently, Moscow had the advantage.👇
November 6, 2025 at 7:58 PM
It's good news, but Russia's still got North Korea, Iran, perhaps even China.
Imagine a big city. With all the street lights switched off, zero cars and zero people. The night is chilly. Add a full moon. And a large halo around it. It's poetic, chilling and mesmerizing at the same time. 1/
November 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Imagine a big city. With all the street lights switched off, zero cars and zero people. The night is chilly. Add a full moon. And a large halo around it. It's poetic, chilling and mesmerizing at the same time. 1/
This is very very dark. I just got to Kharkiv a few hours ago and I am learning that the northern Donetsk oblast administration is effectively shutting down. Trains won't be running - indefinitely. 1/
Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast's iconic front-line rail stop, closed for 'indefinite period'
Trains that ran to Kramatorsk will now have their final destination in the city of Husarivka in Kharkiv Oblast.
kyivindependent.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:21 PM
This is very very dark. I just got to Kharkiv a few hours ago and I am learning that the northern Donetsk oblast administration is effectively shutting down. Trains won't be running - indefinitely. 1/
Reposted by Michael Gentile
Donald Trump showing his appreciation for his Black soldiers, by Godfrey the comedian.
November 1, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Donald Trump showing his appreciation for his Black soldiers, by Godfrey the comedian.
Finally got to reading this book. It is outstanding and the main argument that history is just continuing (rather than repeating itself) is compelling. In other words: Russia is just continuing to do what it's always been doing, bar a few short and hesitant interruptions.
October 31, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Finally got to reading this book. It is outstanding and the main argument that history is just continuing (rather than repeating itself) is compelling. In other words: Russia is just continuing to do what it's always been doing, bar a few short and hesitant interruptions.
Reposted by Michael Gentile
No one could have predicted this
🇺🇦 Almost 100,000 young Ukrainian men have fled the country in just two months after President Zelensky relaxed travel restrictions for those aged 18 to 22, - The Telegraph
October 30, 2025 at 10:06 AM
No one could have predicted this
But if you DID finance Ukrainian (para or non) militaries, that would have been cool. The Russian opposition needs Ukrainian victory to move forward. And a non-imperial new national concept. One that accepts that Russia is Russia, Ukraine is Ukraine, Moldova is Moldova, etc.
The statement included the usual fabrications about armed overthrow and financing Ukrainian paramilitaries. We are not doing any of this.
But buried in their accusations was dissatisfaction with our dialogue at PACE.
But buried in their accusations was dissatisfaction with our dialogue at PACE.
October 31, 2025 at 6:58 PM
But if you DID finance Ukrainian (para or non) militaries, that would have been cool. The Russian opposition needs Ukrainian victory to move forward. And a non-imperial new national concept. One that accepts that Russia is Russia, Ukraine is Ukraine, Moldova is Moldova, etc.
Excitement surrounding Halloween seems to have collapsed this year, at least in Sweden. It appeared some 15 years ago, maybe 20, imported from the US. Is this yet another sign of Trump's destruction of American soft power?
October 28, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Excitement surrounding Halloween seems to have collapsed this year, at least in Sweden. It appeared some 15 years ago, maybe 20, imported from the US. Is this yet another sign of Trump's destruction of American soft power?
Agree that the lack of transparency is a bigger problem than the fact itself. Which is bad enough.
If members of the United States military are truly being paid their salaries by a private individual, the American people should know who that individual is. Now.
October 25, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Agree that the lack of transparency is a bigger problem than the fact itself. Which is bad enough.
I absolutely agree with this statement, even though it is a bit situational. If you take Ukraine in 2014, oligarch mobilization (through funding various batallions) was what saved much of the country. Sure, it may have been a decision based on business considerations for some, but still...
The amount is meaningless — less than one day of salary. But the principle is important: once the armed services are paid by the oligarchs, they become a private militia, and we no longer have a country.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
Trump Administration Live Updates: Pentagon Accepts $130 Million Donation to Help Pay Troops During Shutdown
www.nytimes.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:30 PM
I absolutely agree with this statement, even though it is a bit situational. If you take Ukraine in 2014, oligarch mobilization (through funding various batallions) was what saved much of the country. Sure, it may have been a decision based on business considerations for some, but still...
Euphemistic madness.
What the fun is this bullshit line, it's not a "striking departure" it's flagrantly illegal!
October 24, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Euphemistic madness.
If the quackistocrat(TM) does decide to go for something like this, it would be nothing short of an act of war: www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
If the quackistocrat(TM) does decide to go for something like this, it would be nothing short of an act of war: www.reuters.com/world/americ...
This is truly unbearable.
A kindergartener
October 24, 2025 at 8:10 PM
This is truly unbearable.
It will be sooooooo exciting to find out what pathbreaking decisions will be taken in Budapest.
Both Lavrov and Peskov have now rejected any ceasefire deal or talks. The media needs to report this clearly and widely. Russia rejects peace. Front-page. Straightforward headlines.
October 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
It will be sooooooo exciting to find out what pathbreaking decisions will be taken in Budapest.
The hyped ceasefire in Gaza sure didn't last long. Almost as if it had been proposed by the Russians. Perhaps the quackistokrat president of the US could learn something from this for his dealings with Muscovy. But learning stuff - or understanding it - aren't his strong side, unfortunately.
October 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
The hyped ceasefire in Gaza sure didn't last long. Almost as if it had been proposed by the Russians. Perhaps the quackistokrat president of the US could learn something from this for his dealings with Muscovy. But learning stuff - or understanding it - aren't his strong side, unfortunately.
If any of this is true, Trump has gone back to being Russia's ally: www.unian.ua/world/zustri.... Also, it would confirm, once again, that he's the dumbest president the US have ever had... and by a huge margin.
Трамп переконував Зеленського прийняти умови Путіна та віддати йому весь Донбас, - FT
За інформацією видання, під час зустрічі з президентом України американський лідер "постійно лаявся".
www.unian.ua
October 19, 2025 at 9:55 PM
If any of this is true, Trump has gone back to being Russia's ally: www.unian.ua/world/zustri.... Also, it would confirm, once again, that he's the dumbest president the US have ever had... and by a huge margin.
The stable genius used to be like a 12-year old. Now he's regressed to being more like a 7-year old.
Statsmannamässigt.
Trump posts AI video showing him literally dumping shit on America
October 19, 2025 at 9:04 AM
The stable genius used to be like a 12-year old. Now he's regressed to being more like a 7-year old.
President DJT sounds clueless and completely incompetent: www.bbc.com/news/videos/.... Imagine being Ze and having to listen to this stupidity while acting as if everything were fine.
BBC questions Trump on Ukraine at Zelensky meeting
The BBC's Bernd Debusmann Jr and Myroslava Petsa were in the room with Trump and Zelensky for talks on Russia's war against Ukraine.
www.bbc.com
October 18, 2025 at 9:50 AM
President DJT sounds clueless and completely incompetent: www.bbc.com/news/videos/.... Imagine being Ze and having to listen to this stupidity while acting as if everything were fine.
So unexpected!
It sounds very much like Putin just played Trump like a three-ruble balalaika - again.
[Q]: What did you tell him [Putin] about the Tomahawks? Did you discuss the Tomahawk missiles?
President Trump: Well, we talked about it a little bit, didn't say much. But I do say to you: you know, we need Tomahawks for the United States of America, too. We have a lot of them, but we need them.
President Trump: Well, we talked about it a little bit, didn't say much. But I do say to you: you know, we need Tomahawks for the United States of America, too. We have a lot of them, but we need them.
October 17, 2025 at 12:15 AM
So unexpected!
"Great progress was made." I guess Putin will just have to press Trump's snooze button in Budapest in order to get five more 2-week minutes.
Trump and Putin are amazingly best friends again, will meet in Budapest to settle the war. They will try to screw Ukraine I’m sure
October 16, 2025 at 7:35 PM
"Great progress was made." I guess Putin will just have to press Trump's snooze button in Budapest in order to get five more 2-week minutes.
Hegseth-level covert.
October 16, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Hegseth-level covert.
I dislike Huntington's clash of civilizations thesis, but this quote from his 1993 article strikes me as particularly prophetic: "“A Western democrat could carry on an intellectual debate with a Soviet Marxist. It would be virtually impossible for him to do that with a Russian traditionalist. (1)
"
"
October 15, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I dislike Huntington's clash of civilizations thesis, but this quote from his 1993 article strikes me as particularly prophetic: "“A Western democrat could carry on an intellectual debate with a Soviet Marxist. It would be virtually impossible for him to do that with a Russian traditionalist. (1)
"
"