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Molly McKew Profile picture
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7 Dec, 4 tweets, 2 min read
If you read one thing on Russian military build-up near Ukraine, read this by @Danylyuk. Clear-eyed analysis of Russian actions thru lens of “escalate to deescalate” doctrine & what “strategic deterrence” means to the Kremlin

Via @MilitaryTimes /1

militarytimes.com/opinion/commen…
“Russia’s understanding of deterrence differs significantly from West’s, & is aimed not at avoiding conflict, but at deterring the West & especially the US from participating in it” so Russian use of military force agst other countries comes w/o high risk of US intervention /2
“Even the smallest concessions that can be made to Putin in the current situation will only preserve opportunities for Russia to continue its aggressive wars and blackmail by their conduct to achieve the desired political results...” /3
“The only adequate response to the Kremlin’s criminal behavior should be to use its ‘escalation for de-escalation’—including more sanctions on Russia & its leaders, intensifying defense/security cooperation w/NATO, substantially increasing military & technical asst to Ukraine” /4

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More from @MollyMcKew

Molly McKew Profile picture
7 Dec
From the Kremlin readout of Biden/Putin chat —

Russian “request” that NATO member states not have equal status in the alliance depending on proximity to Russia (naturally 🙄) that is so ironically annoying … /1
The Kremlin goes on and on about how they have every right to move hundreds of thousands of troops and whatever weapon systems to within inches of neighboring states — or often into them when Russia happens to be occupying their territory — because it is “Russian territory” /2
And then they argue lots of places “invite” them to have forces there (also their “right”) /3
Read 5 tweets
Molly McKew Profile picture
6 Oct
Can’t stop thinking of story @badiucao told at @OsloFF about “commemorative watches” for soldiers who participated in the Tiananmen Sq massacre, & his quest to get one as evidence of the atrocity (& his artistic rendering of what the watch really is). /1
Reminded me so much of Soviet/Russian medals for internal crackdowns & invasion of Georgia, Crimea, etc, & how former Soviet nations have fought to get hammer & sickle removed from kitsch sports gear, etc.

It represents oppression & death of millions & too many do not know. /2
While writing this tweet, I noticed Apple does not auto-fill “Tiananmen” — which is pretty pathetic.

Leaving it out of the dictionary doesn’t erase it from history. Remember. /3
Read 6 tweets
Molly McKew Profile picture
4 Oct
Great panel on how regimes come after activists (China, Iran, Venezuela) — “they gather and share techniques about how to f*ck people,” says Melanio Escobar. Many echoes of techniques Russian security services deploy heavily.

#OsloFreedomForum
Samuel Chu: “We can learn from history what is coming next.” Always plan for worst case scenario of what comes next.
Masih Alinejad: “Be strong. Be strong. Be strong. … You can be miserable [when they come after you], or you can make them miserable for coming after you.”
Read 10 tweets
Molly McKew Profile picture
29 Sep
Fun story re debt ceiling and the slow sad decline of the GOP.

It was after the election of the Tea Party contingent in 2010 that these bizarre talking points re debt ceiling, misunderstanding it as like a credit card or something, started getting pushed by more GOP electeds /1
Prior to the tea party class arriving in Congress, raising the debt ceiling was like naming a post office. It just got done because whatever. There isn’t another choice unless you don’t understand what it is and want an economic catastrophe to befall Americans /2
Tea party guys started making this a talking point for “grassroots” Americans, implying debt ceiling was incurrence of debt, the irresponsible thing (as opposed to spending & the budget, and let us please remember at this moment how much Trump admin increased nat’l debt) /3
Read 15 tweets
Molly McKew Profile picture
13 Sep
Sitting in a playground at Walter Reed waiting for friend to get out of appt. Very cute navy doctor walks past. Stops. Comes back. Ogles hideous sponge bob coffee cup my dad gave me.

“Ma’am, I just wanted to inform you that is the ugliest coffee cup I have ever seen.” /1
Me: <<hold up cup, turns around>> “Did you see the other side? It’s impossibly ugly from every angle.”

Visibly confused navy doctor walks on. Stops. Comes back.

“But you know that it’s horrible.”

Me: <<drinks slowly from gawdy cup>> “Yes, that’s actually the point of it.”/2
So confused. “But it’s really terrible.”

Me: “Did you see the font? That might be the worst part.” /3
Read 6 tweets
Molly McKew Profile picture
9 Aug
13 years after Russia invaded Georgia, do we understand *why* it happened?

Part 2 of a series of interviews with Georgians on the frontlines of the war looks at misperceptions & untruths about the war vs choices on the ground

Via @RenewGreatPower /1

greatpower.us/p/the-august-w…
In 2011, Medvedev admitted the invasion of Georgia had been to keep Georgia and Ukraine out of NATO. This is *why* the war happened.

But everyday is a new day for Russia to try to blame the *how* of the war on the Georgians. /2
Russia ‘provoked’ Georgia into a ‘trap.’ ‘Things got out of hand.’

“That’s such a big lie,” says @TemuriYakobashv. /3
Read 11 tweets

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