Valerie Morkevičius
@vmorkevicius.bsky.social
Assoc Prof Political Science @ColgateUniv. Author of Realist Ethics: https://bit.ly/RealistEthics Ramblings here from a just war perspective on #security & #infowar. Personal views only.
Important dissention on the legality of strikes
Top military lawyer raised legal concerns about boat strikes
The lawyer at U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the operations against alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela, disagreed that the strikes are legal and was overruled, according to six sources...
www.nbcnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:25 AM
If the news from Ukraine has you feeling anxious tonight, there's something very concrete you can do to help:
Friends,
Winter will come to Ukraine very soon. After the Russian attacks,we spend hours without electricity.Sometimes there's no heating and/or water,as well.Several schools&a hospital from Kyiv region have asked me to help them with generators.
Power Up Ukraine are true friends of Ukraine⤵️
Winter will come to Ukraine very soon. After the Russian attacks,we spend hours without electricity.Sometimes there's no heating and/or water,as well.Several schools&a hospital from Kyiv region have asked me to help them with generators.
Power Up Ukraine are true friends of Ukraine⤵️
November 19, 2025 at 7:29 PM
If the news from Ukraine has you feeling anxious tonight, there's something very concrete you can do to help:
Seems to be what TASS is saying too...
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
November 19, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Seems to be what TASS is saying too...
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
Smells like 1938.
But worse really, because then at least the UK brought France along.
It's quite something to hold secret talks with the aggressor, leaving out your closest allies -- not to mention Ukraine.
www.axios.com/2025/11/19/u...
But worse really, because then at least the UK brought France along.
It's quite something to hold secret talks with the aggressor, leaving out your closest allies -- not to mention Ukraine.
www.axios.com/2025/11/19/u...
Scoop: U.S. secretly drafting new plan to end Ukraine war
"We feel the Russian position is really being heard," Russia's envoy told Axios.
www.axios.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Smells like 1938.
But worse really, because then at least the UK brought France along.
It's quite something to hold secret talks with the aggressor, leaving out your closest allies -- not to mention Ukraine.
www.axios.com/2025/11/19/u...
But worse really, because then at least the UK brought France along.
It's quite something to hold secret talks with the aggressor, leaving out your closest allies -- not to mention Ukraine.
www.axios.com/2025/11/19/u...
Look, don't get me wrong -- I'm glad that most Americans think all human beings have basic rights.
But I'm deeply, deeply troubled (tho' not surprised) that over a quarter of Americans think the government can decide that some people have no rights.
But I'm deeply, deeply troubled (tho' not surprised) that over a quarter of Americans think the government can decide that some people have no rights.
According to new Reuters poll, only 29% of Americans support using the U.S. military to kill suspected drug traffickers without a judge or court being involved. 51% oppose. www.reuters.com/world/us/jus...
www.reuters.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Look, don't get me wrong -- I'm glad that most Americans think all human beings have basic rights.
But I'm deeply, deeply troubled (tho' not surprised) that over a quarter of Americans think the government can decide that some people have no rights.
But I'm deeply, deeply troubled (tho' not surprised) that over a quarter of Americans think the government can decide that some people have no rights.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
If you can't trust the JAGs or the chain of command, who you gonna call? www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
And, yes, this counts as a crisis in civil-military relations.
What counts as a crisis? All kinds of things, but when members of the military think they may be asked to do illegal things? Yeah.
And, yes, this counts as a crisis in civil-military relations.
What counts as a crisis? All kinds of things, but when members of the military think they may be asked to do illegal things? Yeah.
November 15, 2025 at 7:32 PM
If you can't trust the JAGs or the chain of command, who you gonna call? www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
And, yes, this counts as a crisis in civil-military relations.
What counts as a crisis? All kinds of things, but when members of the military think they may be asked to do illegal things? Yeah.
And, yes, this counts as a crisis in civil-military relations.
What counts as a crisis? All kinds of things, but when members of the military think they may be asked to do illegal things? Yeah.
A very important detail all posters should keep in mind for the next few months.
I love Wag the Dog, it’s one of my favorite movies, not least because it was made as a Clinton joke and works even better as a Bush joke. The “We are the World” dig holds up, as does Dustin Hoffman’s Robert Evans impression.
But it’s about faking a war as a distraction, not a real diversionary war.
But it’s about faking a war as a distraction, not a real diversionary war.
November 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
A very important detail all posters should keep in mind for the next few months.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
Nostalgia is a vast opportunity for political predation.
"What is certain, and felt instinctively by almost everybody, is that things cannot go on in their present way" – The Times, May 1975
“It is difficult to imagine a previous period when such an all-pervasive hopelessness was exhibited at all levels of British life” – Professor Stephen Haseler, 1975
“It is difficult to imagine a previous period when such an all-pervasive hopelessness was exhibited at all levels of British life” – Professor Stephen Haseler, 1975
November 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Nostalgia is a vast opportunity for political predation.
I am trying to write today and this is not helping.
Delighted to announce I have found my first published academic article clearly written by ChatGPT. Full of non-existent references. What are we even doing anymore?
November 14, 2025 at 10:50 AM
I am trying to write today and this is not helping.
Drones over military bases, drones over arms factories. In France alone, there's been several incidents since September. /1
www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...
www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...
November 14, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Drones over military bases, drones over arms factories. In France alone, there's been several incidents since September. /1
www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...
www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
Last night was the worst bombing I have experienced in Kyiv since the war began. 7 hours of non stop aerial attacks across the city.
November 14, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Last night was the worst bombing I have experienced in Kyiv since the war began. 7 hours of non stop aerial attacks across the city.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
⚡️ Russia plans to import 12,000 North Koreans to work in its massive Shahed drone plant, HUR says.
Russia has actively recruited, hoodwinked and kidnapped workers for its war machine from across the developing world.
Russia has actively recruited, hoodwinked and kidnapped workers for its war machine from across the developing world.
Russia plans to import 12,000 North Koreans to work in its massive Shahed drone plant, HUR says
Russia has actively recruited, hoodwinked and kidnapped workers for its war machine from across the developing world.
kyivindependent.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
⚡️ Russia plans to import 12,000 North Koreans to work in its massive Shahed drone plant, HUR says.
Russia has actively recruited, hoodwinked and kidnapped workers for its war machine from across the developing world.
Russia has actively recruited, hoodwinked and kidnapped workers for its war machine from across the developing world.
When all your friends are telling you something's a bad idea, maybe it's time to listen.
Notable from France's Foreign Minister:
"We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law."
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
"We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region, because they violate international law."
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:07 PM
When all your friends are telling you something's a bad idea, maybe it's time to listen.
Assuming they're rational, of course.
Because moving stuff around is expensive if you're just after photoshoots.
(But then again, if one assumes rationality, they wouldn't have moved this much to southcom in the first place, as US' concerns about Venezuela aren't really solvable by blunt force.)
Because moving stuff around is expensive if you're just after photoshoots.
(But then again, if one assumes rationality, they wouldn't have moved this much to southcom in the first place, as US' concerns about Venezuela aren't really solvable by blunt force.)
they wouldn't have moved this much to southcom if they didn't expect to use it.
November 12, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Assuming they're rational, of course.
Because moving stuff around is expensive if you're just after photoshoots.
(But then again, if one assumes rationality, they wouldn't have moved this much to southcom in the first place, as US' concerns about Venezuela aren't really solvable by blunt force.)
Because moving stuff around is expensive if you're just after photoshoots.
(But then again, if one assumes rationality, they wouldn't have moved this much to southcom in the first place, as US' concerns about Venezuela aren't really solvable by blunt force.)
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
The Trump administration is pushing to strip language from a UN resolution.The text recognizes Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condems Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other regions, detailing the worsening human-rights situation in occupied territories.Now,the US wants those references removed
Trump Administration Pushes to Weaken Ukraine Resolution on Russian Occupation at UN, Sources Tell Kyiv Post
Western allies are warning that the White House push to strip references to “territorial integrity” and “aggression” will undermine the international consensus.
www.kyivpost.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The Trump administration is pushing to strip language from a UN resolution.The text recognizes Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condems Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other regions, detailing the worsening human-rights situation in occupied territories.Now,the US wants those references removed
The UK is absolutely correct on this, both legally and morally.
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The UK is absolutely correct on this, both legally and morally.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
Oh my god
#KeepEyesOnSudan
#KeepEyesOnSudan
“We're seeing a level of proliferation of bodies & body piles from space that's unlike anything I've ever seen…”
Human rights investigator Nathaniel Raymond explains how more people could be killed within a week in Sudan, compared to the past two years in Gaza.
🔗 zeteo.com/p/sudans-dea...
Human rights investigator Nathaniel Raymond explains how more people could be killed within a week in Sudan, compared to the past two years in Gaza.
🔗 zeteo.com/p/sudans-dea...
November 9, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Oh my god
#KeepEyesOnSudan
#KeepEyesOnSudan
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
Kyiv carries on without light.
November 9, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Kyiv carries on without light.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
The laws of war are not mere niceties. They are lessons from centuries of blood agreed upon to keep the world more stable.
Violating them isn’t hero cop who cuts through red tape to get things done, it’s psycho cop who crosses lines in ways even the rule benders find appalling and must be stopped.
Violating them isn’t hero cop who cuts through red tape to get things done, it’s psycho cop who crosses lines in ways even the rule benders find appalling and must be stopped.
November 8, 2025 at 2:39 PM
The laws of war are not mere niceties. They are lessons from centuries of blood agreed upon to keep the world more stable.
Violating them isn’t hero cop who cuts through red tape to get things done, it’s psycho cop who crosses lines in ways even the rule benders find appalling and must be stopped.
Violating them isn’t hero cop who cuts through red tape to get things done, it’s psycho cop who crosses lines in ways even the rule benders find appalling and must be stopped.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
If Trump and Orban were interested in understanding war, they’d know sustained offense is harder than defense, and that rewarding Russia’s aggression likely won’t bring peace, it’d encourage more aggression.
But they’re interested in seeing Putin succeed and validating their own culture war views.
But they’re interested in seeing Putin succeed and validating their own culture war views.
Orban: "The only pro-peace government is the US and Hungary. All the other governments prefer to continue the way because many of them think Ukraine can win on the frontline, which is a misunderstanding of the situation."
November 7, 2025 at 7:58 PM
If Trump and Orban were interested in understanding war, they’d know sustained offense is harder than defense, and that rewarding Russia’s aggression likely won’t bring peace, it’d encourage more aggression.
But they’re interested in seeing Putin succeed and validating their own culture war views.
But they’re interested in seeing Putin succeed and validating their own culture war views.
This.
These operations would be unlawful even if those murdered had all been criminals. But it's important to show just how much deception is involved from start to finish in this gruesome charade.
The AP tracked down details of some of the people killed in President Trump's military strikes on drug smugglers he describes as narco-terrorists.
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
November 7, 2025 at 8:25 PM
This.
Reposted by Valerie Morkevičius
Real talk: the Military Ethics people are gonna need a Come to (Insert Divinity) soon. I'm deeply unhappy at how we have conducted ourselves. And I take responsibility here.
MTF.
MTF.
November 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Real talk: the Military Ethics people are gonna need a Come to (Insert Divinity) soon. I'm deeply unhappy at how we have conducted ourselves. And I take responsibility here.
MTF.
MTF.