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Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
@bctallis
Apr 29, 2022 • 8 tweets • 7 min read • Read on X
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The now infamous open letter by 'intellectuals & artists' calling on #Germany to stop supporting #Ukraine [&, effectively, for 🇺🇦's capitulation to #Russia] is very revealing. As well as being patronising as hell & totally wrong I think its shows something else too ... 1/
Many of us have been truly inspired by #Ukraine's incredible struggle to survive, but for others it seems that this rare show of courage, & decency and the valiant defence of country, values, rights & ideals is deeply troubling. Why? ...2/
#Emma #Germany
dw.com/en/war-in-ukra…
Because it shines a light on their own unwillingness to do so. It threatens to reveal the deep cowardice, cynicism & selfish will for an easy life (never mind the suffering of others or the lost potential for progress at home) that is all too common ... 3/
#Emma #Germany
This is combined with a massive superiority complex & the need to be recognised as superior by others. Its deeply ingrained, cherished & is fundamentally threatened by Ukraine's courageous fight, which shows many Europeans what they would not be willing to do themselves 4/
#Emma
Like the obnoxious complaints (in #Germany but also around Western Europe & in the Brussels bubble) about #Ukraine's "excessive nationalism" - supposedly incompatible with the #EU & 'European values' - 'We've overcome all that nasty outdated stuff - but look [down] at them. 5/
It's a way of reinforcing this facade of superiority, but its haunted by the recognition that they themselves would not undertake this struggle & have, in too many ways, given in to cynicism about (geo)politics, ideals & progress more widely. 6/
#EmmaRose independent.ie/regionals/wexf…
Its that attitude of false superiority & patronising selfishness, combined with a lack of will to actually fight (metaphorically & literally) for progress - or to spread its benefits more widely - that is the real danger to #Germany & #Europe's future not - WW3. 7/
#Emma /7
We have to challenge this attitude & make sure it doesn't guide our policy -on the war, on reconstructing & integrating #Ukraine & in our own societies. False superiority won't get us anywhere. Let us be inspired by🇺🇦 & let us act in way that again genuinely inspires others. /end

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More from @bctallis

Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Jul 20
It’s here!
🔥Long awaited new piece on #NeoIdealism is OUT NOW!🔥

➡️ Develops Neo-Idealism as Grand Strategy for the Free World 🌍

I Lay out 8 pillars that we need if we are to build a Neo-Idealist approach in international (& domestic) politics!
👇🧵
macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/upl…



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Why do we need a grand strategy?
Because we, the world’s free societies, face multiple tests of our value & prowess - & severe & urgent threats to our security, prosperity & freedom. Threats to our democratic way of life
- but we’ve not yet got our collective act together. 🧵
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The challenges we face span geopolitics, geoeconomics, climate change, technological transformation & cut across foreign & domestic policy.
We must defend our democracies against external threats
- but also renew them to defeat internal anti-democratic & illiberal forces.🧵
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Read 30 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Mar 21
56bn for Ukraine 🇺🇦
Zero Trust for Germany? 🇩🇪

#Germany is both #Ukraine’s biggest European supporter in absolute financial terms

- AND rightly seen as problem by allies (As well as by many Germans)

Here’s why.🧵

(& no, it’s not just Scholz, the SPD & #Taurus) Image
There's a lot of confusion & conflicting figures flying around, so what support has 🇩🇪 provided to 🇺🇦 in financial terms?

We use🇩🇪Govt figures (because they're unlikely to be underestimates) but pls correct if needed.
We also separate military from other aid
(to 24/02/24).🧵
German military aid to Ukraine
- €12.082bn in military aid DELIVERED
(6.6bn buying equipment for Ukraine
5bn in 2023, 1.6bn in 2022
5.2bn value kit donated from stocks, 282m training UA soldiers)
(16bn more promised for future but we don't include that as its not there yet) 🧵
Read 25 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Feb 18
The fight back has begun.
Everyone has rightly talked about grim mood at #MSC2024
BUT there were major signs that true leaders across Europe have had enough of the gap between words & action
& of key Allie’s failing to stand up for our common interests & for our security. 1/


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Danish PM Mette Fredriksen pledged ALL of her country’s artillery to Ukraine - and called out allies who claim they have nothing left to give - saying that they manifestly do. And when it comes to giving Ukraine what it needs to win they should Just Do It.
news.yahoo.com/pm-says-denmar…
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius emphasised that Ukraine must win & be supported to do so (Olaf Scholz hasn’t said Ukraine should win & acts accordingly) -
& BP argues that as a defender of the free world Germany would have to spend beyond 2%

cnbc.com/2024/02/17/ger…
Read 7 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Jan 31
#Germany, we have a problem.

It seems
the🚦coalition is turning inward & de-prioritising key issues, including Ukraine

There's a mixture of complacency (about Germany's Zeitenwende) & delusion (about 🇩🇪 ability to ignore geopol & do its own thing)

V. Dangerous.
🧵
BLUF: Letting Scholz focus on uncontroversial topics like UA reconstruction (not victory) puts the cart before the horse, distracts from the need to create (& ensure) a stable security order, a stable peace in Europe.

This puts all Europeans, incl Germans at risk.
After all the 🚦 infighting, there is an understandable desire to find points of unity & try to make stable government.

But if that comes at the cost of making the reforms #Germany really needs & sells Ukraine down the river it is a dereliction of duty.
Read 15 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Jan 26
We often hear that 'Failure is not an Option' in Ukraine

But we are making failure a real possibility.

That brings huge danger.

For #Ukraine - and for Europe more widely.

We can still turn this around,
but to do so we need to act strongly - and fast.
A🧵 Image
Too much of the West still hasn't understood that Ukraine's victory is a strategic necessity.

We have a severe strategic deficit. We lack
- clear vision
- strategy to achieve it
- a credible, common strategic threat assessment

see e.g. @andrewmichta
politico.eu/article/west-u…
This means we we are not properly identifying or addressing the threats we face

- from Russia, China & other anti-democratic, illiberal actors.

And we fail to create or seize serious opportunities to advance strategic goals, pursue our interest & protect our values.
Read 29 tweets
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 Profile picture
Oct 29, 2023
I don’t buy that characterisation of the Cold War & think the problem lies elsewhere.

Legacy ‘crisis management’ & ‘war on terror’ thinking is holding us back.

This lacked victory thinking b/c it lacked an organising principle, clear objective

- & eroded our sense of self

1/
There was no single ‘cold war’ - across either time or space.

But, despite the Sino-Soviet split, Ostpolitik & other muddying aspects, there WAS an organising principle:

Contain & Defeat communism
(Win!)

Substitute authoritarianism for communism & it still works

2/
We need to believe we should win, that we deserve to be victorious b/c of the superiority of democracy to autocracy.

And then we can organise to defeat authoritarians & let liberal democracies not only survive but thrive

3/
Read 4 tweets

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