I was in Dnipro today. A missile hit this building earlier this year. 46 people burned and evaporated.
Dnipro is close to the border and missiles can come any time without warning.
Yesterday, there was an attack and more people died.
But the city lives. 1/
Just next to the destroyed building there is a new development full of live. 2/
There is beautiful architecture and art 3/
People open and operate upscale stores, designed by Ukrainians, and giving a shockingly different vibe. 4/
The authorities put up shelters around the city so that people can get to some kind of safer if there is no warning attack. 5/
The city is clean, garbage collection is working. 6/
They appear to be playful and in good mood. But the moment you talk to them you see trauma, fear, exhausting, commitment, resilience and anger. All at once. 7/
The drinks are innovative. This is a lemonade with raspberries. 8/
Our waiter was giving attitude :))9/
I have not slept well for weeks now, but even my mood got lighten up. 10/
And the colors of the city are beautiful. 11/
Dnipro city is wonderful, and it is horrible crime what Russians are doing to it. There are good people in Dnipro, goof humans, who want to live free. Without Russia. And it will happen. 12X
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NATO Secretary-General Rutte said today: 'Ukraine will be a member of NATO in the future.'
He declined to provide a specific timeline, which means "not soon".
"We are in this, if necessary, for the long haul," he added
Yes, Zelensky disagrees: 1/
Zelensky argues for immediate NATO action, a formal invitation with a later acceptance date: 'An invitation now with membership later will have no political cost, but would be decisive in countering Russian aggression" 2/
NATO now has global ambitions, similar to Russia. As Russia engages Iran, North Korea, and China, NATO cooperates with countries outside of the EU
Today Rutte chaired a defense ministers' meeting in Brussels that included representatives from Asia and Oceania 3/
Russians must have the option to refuse to fight and die in Ukraine. While the Russian government will never allow it, the West can encourage desertion by offering visas and financial support. The first such case was just reported in France 1/
Six Russian soldiers who deserted from the war in Ukraine have been granted temporary visas in France, marking the first major case of a group of deserters being admitted to an EU country 2/
The deserters initially fled to Kazakhstan in 2022 and 2023 before being granted entry to France 3/
When I ask Americans what surprises them most about Russia’s war in Ukraine, they often say it hasn’t spilled over into other countries. But it has—they just choose not to see it:
North Korea sends 10,000 to Russia to fight against Ukraine 1/
This recent troop support signals a clear escalation. North Korea has also been supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and large quantities of artillery shells since at least the fall of 2023 2/
On Oct. 14, Putin submitted a mutual defense treaty between North Korea and Russia to the Russian State Duma for ratification, obligating both nations to provide military assistance in case of an attack, solidifying the Moscow-Pyongyang alliance 3/
I am back in Ukraine and the mood is pitch black. Ukraine feels betrayed.
"Failing that, the West will have years to repent the betrayal of the courageous Ukrainians, whose only crime was their wish to join the Western democratic order" 1/
The RUSI article is softer than the reality on the ground in Kyiv and across Ukraine. Just yesterday, Russia struck Zaporizhya, a major civilian city, with seven guided bombs—each over a ton. This isn’t a front line; it’s an attack on civilians 2/
Russian attacks on civilians have escalated, and the coming winter threatens prolonged blackouts. Some consider leaving, but males face strict mobilization—many expect to be drafted. While some are forced into service, others look for ways to hide or escape 3/
Specific recent incidents include plots against U.S. military facilities in Germany, attempts to gather intelligence on strategic locations like Rzeszow airport in Poland, and a foiled assassination attempt on the CEO of Rheinmetall, Germany's largest arms firm 2/
Intelligence chiefs from multiple countries in the EU warn of a fundamentally changed risk and substantively more aggressive Russian tactics 3/
Peter Pomerantsev: a key vulnerability for Putin is his image of total control. Once those around him stop believing he can manage the war, his power will collapse. Several events have shaken this image, but one has left a lasting mark - Kursk incursion by Ukraine 1/
In August 2024, Ukraine captured 385 square miles of Russian territory in the Kursk region, catching Russia's military leadership by surprise
Ukraine still holds most of this territory 2/
This attack led to a significant drop in online sentiment toward Putin, with unusually direct criticism appearing on Russian social media platforms of military bloggers 3/