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Anders Åslund Profile picture
@anders_aslund
Mar 11, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
A few thoughts on Putin's war.
1. Putin has not been provoked. He simply wants war as in Georgia 2008 and Crimea 2014 or Syria 2015. Wars are good for his domestic popularity - rose to 88% in 2008 and 2014 - and they help hm justify more domestic repression.
2. Putin is stating clearly that he is not in war against Ukraine but against the West - the US, Europe and NATO. It is a delusion to think that the West can stay out of Putin's war. The West should instead think of how and when to fight Putin.
3. Logically, Putin's war ends when he is ousted/killed or when he runs out of soldiers, arms or money. Neither is likely to happy any time soon.
Conclusion: Make all kinds of sanctions as tough as just possible & deliver lots of arms to Ukraine.
4. Many observers think that Putin is so mad that he can use chemical, biological or nuclear arms. This makes it vital to stop him soon.

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More from @anders_aslund

Anders Åslund Profile picture
Feb 13
There are actually many positive features of Pam Bondi's handling of the Epstein-Trump affair.
1. She has made clear that she as US Attorney General opposes the rule of law.
2. She has given the affair maximum publicity by mishandling it so grossly. /1
3. Bondi's crudeness turns all decent people against her & Trump.
4. Bondi's denial of the facts, raises the demand for truth. Investigations will continue.
5. The Epstein files will dominate international media for months & the mid-term elections. /2
6. Lots of culprits are being exposed & decent employers sack them, primarily abroad, where the worst are being prosecuted.
7. If any rule of law survives in the US, the DOJ will be forced to indict US culprits. /3
Read 4 tweets
Anders Åslund Profile picture
Jan 30
Every day, Trump denigrates the US to a worse banana republic:
"Donald Trump sues the IRS and Treasury for at least $10bn
Lawsuit stems from the disclosure of the US president’s tax documents during his first term" /1
ft.com/content/7488b3…
This is absurd in many ways.
1. How can a president sue his Ministry of Finance & tax authority? That should be prohibited.
2. The only cause is that somebody published Trump's tax returns, which he had promised to publish himself. /2
3. In the Nordic countries, unlike the US the least corrupt countries in the world, ALL TAX RETURNS ARE PUBLIC. That is called transparency that checks corruption.
4. As usual, Trump demands outrageous damages for no harm to repress the freedom in the US. /3
Read 4 tweets
Anders Åslund Profile picture
Dec 22, 2025
It looks as if Witkoff & Kushner are achieving nothing in their "peace" talks with Russia & Ukraine. The reasons are many:
1. Putin has made no concessions, not even accepting ceasefire.
2. Putin does not recognize the existence of Ukraine:
Try that first! /1
3. The Trump dimwits think it is a territorial negotiation, while it concerns the existence of Ukraine.
4. Trump & Witkoff want Ukraine to give up the remaining 1/4 of Donetsk region that Russia has failed to concur during 11 years. How disgustingly pro-Russian! /2
5. The US is just irrelevant in Ukraine: Trump has given Ukraine NOTHING, insultied Ukraine & Zelensky & knows nothing.
6. Worst of all, Witkoff & Trump support Putin.
7. Disgustingly, the Trump dimwits think they can make money on Russia & Ukraine. /3
Read 4 tweets
Anders Åslund Profile picture
Dec 5, 2025
Trump's new national security strategy is truly his,l but no strategy. Key insights:
1. No objection against Russia or its war of aggression in Ukraine.
2. "As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, European relations with Russia are now deeply attenuated..
whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl…
...many Europeans regard Russia as an existential threat. Managing European relations with Russia will require significant U.S. diplomatic engagement, both to reestablish conditions of strategic stability across the Eurasian landmass, and to mitigate the risk of conflict between Russia and European states."
The US is no longer an ally of Europe but a mediator between Europe & russia.
3. "It is a core interest of the United States to negotiate an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, in order to stabilize European economies, prevent unintended escalation or expansion of the war, and reestablish strategic stability with Russia, as well as to enable the post-hostilities reconstruction of Ukraine to enable its survival as a viable state."
Trump wants to end Russia's war against Ukraine to help Russia!
Read 7 tweets
Anders Åslund Profile picture
Nov 30, 2025
This week has offered many stark insights:
1. The US is by far the most corrupt Western country.
2. Trump's administration works for its own enrichment with Russia, sacrificing Ukraine (WSJ below).
3. The US must play no role on Ukraine-Russia issues. /1
wsj.com/world/russia/r…
4. Europe must offer Ukraine all the financing & arms it needs to defeat Russia.
5. Europe can only finance Ukraine sufficiently by seizing the Russian state assets in the West ($300bn), which Witkoff & Kushmer want to embezzle for themselves. /2
6. Trump has effectively taken away all US guarantees from NATO, so Europe has to arm asap to stand without the US.
7. Ukraine & Europe must stop asking for US security guarantees, because Trump does not do guarantees. /3
Read 5 tweets
Anders Åslund Profile picture
Nov 19, 2025
The essence of the Ukrainian corruption scandal is old Soviet-type kickbacks on procurement at a major state company, Energoatom.
This corruption scheme was allowed to persist because Energoatom remained state-owned; an old Soviet stooge maintained control &... /1
...enticed new people to join.
The kingpin was Andriy Derkach, who controlled Energoatom from around 2002 -2022 from the parliament, government or management. He graduated from the FSB Academy in Moscow in 1993. His father Leonid was a top KGB officer & headed SBU. /2
Andriy Derkach was a Yanukovych loyalist & MP from 1998-2023. He worked with Paul Manafort & Rudy Giuliani to undermine Joe Biden.
In 2020, the US sanctioned Derkach as a Russian intelligence agent.
In Jan 2023, the Ukrainian Rada stripped Derkach of his Ukrainian citizenship./3
Read 5 tweets

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