Russia/Ukraine/East Europe editor, The Washington Post. Ex-chief Brussels correspondent, POLITICO Europe. Previously: NYT in Moscow, DC, New York.
Feb 26, 2022 • 14 tweets • 5 min read
Spending time in Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, heart of Ukraine's iron-mining region, I understand his need to make people laugh. This is not a place of creature comforts but hardworking people; iron ore broken from rock; steel forged by fire. 🧵 1/ politico.eu/article/ukrain…
The main football stadium, now undergoing total renovation as part of Zelenskiy's "Great Construction" infrastructure campaign is called "Metalurg" - "Metallurgist." He named his comedy band "95 Kvartal" after a district in the city, which is more than 90km long. 2/
Feb 8, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
So reviewing Putin statements tonight as Macron stood by: He declared Crimea is Russia and threatened to go to war with NATO over it. He said Ukraine should be forced to implement Minsk accords using a vulgar reference alluding to rape. He offered to grant Poroshenko asylum 1/
He insisted Kyiv is massing troops of its own & trying to "solve" Donbass by military means. He scoffed at idea of NATO as a "defensive" alliance citing Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Libya etc. Am i forgetting anything? Macron, btw, made virtually no effort to answer any of this. 2/2
Feb 6, 2022 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
NATO: "Considering the substantial, unprovoked, unjustified and ongoing Russian military build-up...we call on Russia to immediate de-escalate the situation in a verifiable, timely and lasting manner." 1/
NATO: "The reversal of Russia's military build-up in and around Ukraine will be essential for substantive progress." 2/
Jul 5, 2019 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
Smart thread here by @rdanielkelemen. Few caveats from perch w/ up-close view: (a) those saying France + V4 took down @ManfredWeber I think are conflating Weber as Spitzenkandidat & Weber for Parliament president (per Osaka deal), i.e. France killed Spitz; V4 killed Osaka plan 1/
(b) Weber past relation w/ Orban was liability but not as big liability as weak candidacy overall i.e: perception he lacked gravitas (when critics cited no exec experience often they meant he didn't project exec authority); weak debate performances (Timmermans commanded stage) 2/
Feb 16, 2019 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
#Romania Prez @KlausIohannis hit w/ #Brexit q at @MunSecConf, first looked like he wanted to die. Shifted in seat. Took deep breath. & then totally killed it. Hit all #EU talking points- Regret for #UK vote; unity of 27; Withdrawal Treaty best possible deal; Brits' indecision 1/
"We found a good agreement.I consider it a very good agreement. We approved it," he said. "So now we are in the phase where we are waiting for the British approval. Well, here things became more complicated as we all know. There are a number of discussions in their Parliament 2/
Feb 1, 2019 • 11 tweets • 7 min read
There's actually serious geopolitical reason this "adoption" issue keeps coming up. @KremlinRussia Putin signed law banning adoption Russian orphans by #US citizens to retaliate for #Magnitsky Act by which Russians face sanction for human rights abuses 1/ nytimes.com/2012/12/28/wor…
#US Congress adopted Magnitsky over @BarackObama admin objections. White House feared diplo retaliation. But Congress was dead-set on replacing cold war-era Jackson–Vanik amendment. Putin claimed in parallel that he was powerless to stop @dumagovru from imposing adoption ban 2/
Jan 21, 2019 • 17 tweets • 5 min read
Amid reports that #UK PM @theresa_may hopes to renegotiate the "backstop" provision on the Northern Ireland border, let's recall that she already made clear what she wants in her letter to #EU leaders before disastrously losing the #Brexit Withdrawal Treaty ratification vote. 1/
"This could be mitigated by changes to the backstop itself," she wrote to @eucopresident & @JunckerEU "Proposals for a way in which the UK could choose to exit the backstop unilaterally were it ever to come into force, or for a hard time limit... 2/
Dec 13, 2018 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
#EU leaders issue five paragraph statement in long-shot bid to change 100+ minds in #UK Parliament "The Union stands by this agreement and intends to proceed with its ratification. It is not open for renegotiation.
2. The European Council reiterates that it wishes to establish as close as possible a partnership
with the United Kingdom in the future. It stands ready to embark on preparations immediately
after signature of the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure that negotiations can start as
Dec 11, 2018 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Even for the UK, which sometimes has trouble hearing Brussels, it doesn't get much clearer than this. @EU_Commission President @JunckerEU "The deal we have achieved is the best deal possible. It’s the only deal possible.
There is no room whatsoever for renegotiation."
... @JunckerEU "Of course there is room, if used intelligently, there is room enough to give further clarification, and further interpretations without opening the Withdrawal Agreement. This will not happen. Everyone has to know that the Withdrawal Agreement will not be reopened.
Sep 23, 2018 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Air boxing by top #UK officials is amazing. Who punching at? Unlike in London, #Brexit never been much fight in Brussels, more lament. When some urged penalty in financial settlement, EU ignored & just tabbed up #'s. Citizen rights a 2-way street. Other stuff mainly logistical..
Point again is not to take any side, but merely point out Brussels has had consistent principles, goals & negotiating positions from the start. London still has no consensus on final objective. No one I know in #EU has advocated for "no deal" but some in #UK actually do that...
