Best Of

‪Anne Applebaum‬ ‪@anneapplebaum.bsky.social‬
·
49m
Surprise! The Russians, who have repeatedly said they don't want a ceasefire, have once again said they don't want a ceasefire

https://bsky.app/profile/anneapplebaum.bsky.social/post/3lkazc7hdkk2t

Zelenskyy has played this rather well. He agreed to something that he must have known was never going to fly and in exchange he has got his supplies and his intelligence back all whilst he has got the Europeans to massively step up their support for Ukraine and Ukraine's future. When you are trying to deal with childish simpletons such as he to put up with in the Oval Office that is a really good result.

The next stage is to use the increased support from both the US and Europe to start driving the Russians back.

The issue that the Americans don't really seem to have gotten their head around is that Russia has taken 600,000 casualties (that's about one-in-five 18 to 24 year olds), and needs to show a "win".

It’s an example (like a lot of wars), of the sunk cost fallacy.

It’s like Napoleon’s attempt to conquer Spain and Portugal. As French losses mounted, so he believed one more push would secure victory.

‪Anne Applebaum‬ ‪@anneapplebaum.bsky.social‬
·
49m
Surprise! The Russians, who have repeatedly said they don't want a ceasefire, have once again said they don't want a ceasefire

https://bsky.app/profile/anneapplebaum.bsky.social/post/3lkazc7hdkk2t

Zelenskyy has played this rather well. He agreed to something that he must have known was never going to fly and in exchange he has got his supplies and his intelligence back all whilst he has got the Europeans to massively step up their support for Ukraine and Ukraine's future. When you are trying to deal with childish simpletons such as he to put up with in the Oval Office that is a really good result.

The next stage is to use the increased support from both the US and Europe to start driving the Russians back.

The issue that the Americans don't really seem to have gotten their head around is that Russia has taken 600,000 casualties (that's about one-in-five 18 to 24 year olds), and needs to show a "win".

Another issue Americans haven't got their head around is just how cost-effective the Ukrainians are. USA has poured trillions into containing Russia since the WW2, only for the Ukrainians to do a much better job and all USA has to do is supply some surplus kit and a comparatively trivial amount of cash (with the Europeans providing most of that).

Good afternoon

Lib dem correct on saying no amount of change can be effective without social care, which the government has put on hold and despite suggesting cross party talks nothing has happened

It simply is too difficult apparently but it just cannot be avoided

Absolutely - care and the NHS are utterly entwined despite the efforts to pretend they are not.

My party has identified that the current system is broken. I want us to go much much further. You can't fix the system by cutting bits of it away - we need a new system.

The Liberal Party brought us the welfare state - both its earlier WWI version and then the Beveridge report to create the modern version still with us today. We need a 21st Century Beveridge Report...

Today is the vote in the Bundestag on reforming the debt brake. It's still unclear if it will get the 2 thirds majority needed.

If the Russians agree to the ceasefire Ukraine has accepted it may not be needed for the moment anyway

Nonsense

Putin has said he won't even accept European and NATO peacekeepers, it would likely be Turkish, Brazilian, Indian troops etc enforcing any ceasefire.

It would just be future deterrence NATO nations needed to increase their militaries for

Sorry to be picky but Turkey is in NATO so you could have Australian or New Zealand troops I suppose though I agree more likely are Brazilians, Nigerians or Indians. To be honest, if someone else is paying for them (who?), I imagine some countries would be happy to have their soldiers billeted somewhere else at someone else's expense.

Putin gets on with Erdogan so would probably accept Turkish troops, the Russians already rejected Australian involvement

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/10/russia-warns-australia-deploying-peacekeeping-troops-to-ukraine-would-lead-to-grave-consequences

It is time that the Russians are told to FUCK OFF over what they will and won't accept. The suggestion that they should be able to veto who is president and what nationality of troops are allowed in a sovereign country is beyond outrageous. Every concession is a reward for their aggression. Europe needs to keep all sanctions in place and continue to isolate Russia where possible. More appeasement only encourages the aggressor.

I am afraid you can't tell a nation which has the largest number of nuclear missiles on earth to 'F Off.'

To get a ceasefire you need Ukranian AND Russian agreement and if that means only allowing peacekeeping troops from mainly non NATO nations so be it. Ukraine has already accepted the Trump administration's ceasefire terms so if Russia accepts too that is where we are whatever Europe does

Extrapolate your argument. If a ceasefire can only come with Russian agreement, for fear of nuclear war, that effectively gives free reign to Russia to set the terms.

No NATO troops in Ukraine, or you're nuked.
Zelensky out, or you're nuked.
Estonia is Russia, or you're nuked.

We have to stand up to the wee twat eventually. That should've really been 2014. Or MH17. Or Salisbury. Each time we prevaricate, he pushes a bit further. The only person who gets this is Erdogan.

Today is the vote in the Bundestag on reforming the debt brake. It's still unclear if it will get the 2 thirds majority needed.

If the Russians agree to the ceasefire Ukraine has accepted it may not be needed for the moment anyway

Nonsense

Putin has said he won't even accept European and NATO peacekeepers, it would likely be Turkish, Brazilian, Indian troops etc enforcing any ceasefire.

It would just be future deterrence NATO nations needed to increase their militaries for

Sorry to be picky but Turkey is in NATO so you could have Australian or New Zealand troops I suppose though I agree more likely are Brazilians, Nigerians or Indians. To be honest, if someone else is paying for them (who?), I imagine some countries would be happy to have their soldiers billeted somewhere else at someone else's expense.

Putin gets on with Erdogan so would probably accept Turkish troops, the Russians already rejected Australian involvement

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/10/russia-warns-australia-deploying-peacekeeping-troops-to-ukraine-would-lead-to-grave-consequences

It is time that the Russians are told to FUCK OFF over what they will and won't accept. The suggestion that they should be able to veto who is president and what nationality of troops are allowed in a sovereign country is beyond outrageous. Every concession is a reward for their aggression. Europe needs to keep all sanctions in place and continue to isolate Russia where possible. More appeasement only encourages the aggressor.

Most Americans, of course, are right. Tariffs will hurt the average American by increasing inflation and increasing the cost of input materials for American manufacturing. The tariffs on steel and aluminium are particularly stupid in this respect.

But hey, you vote for an idiot, you get idiocy. Its not like they weren't warned, even if those in their own bubbles didn't hear it.

But so many Trump voters were not warned. Their media told them the opposite applies. I find it hard to blame low information voters where the information they receive is carefully curated lies.

I can understand the frustration with Americans who look at the industries they once had and want them back. Why are car parts crossing the Canadian and Mexican borders several times before being assembled onto Murican cars? Why not just do all of it in Murica?

The you get the reality check. You can - but are Murican consumers able and willing to pay the additional cost? That dumb news anchor who's response to the car dealership[ factually pointing out that costs will go shooting up and consumers won't afford it was to rant about how its Europe's fault for not buying them.

This is Murican exceptionalism. What's right for Georgia must be right for anywhere, right? So build ladder frame massive trucks with minimal safety features and massive low power high consumption V8s under the hood. Ain't no replacement for displacement, right?

Lets assume that some MAGA industrialist starts a business to make all the parts needed for a Dodge Ram actually in Murica. They become a closed economy. With minimal imports and exports, building things that nobody else wants - and besides they've become a pariah state where importing that truck would be as welcome as importing a Tait brother.

Its crazy, its stupid, but its the only information that millions upon millions have been fed. Which is why we think "they were warned". Nope. Not if your news comes from Fox and Newsmax.