Joni Askola Profile picture
Finnish PhD candidate @FSV_UK trying to help Ukraine with the @69thSB and by mocking disinformation. Opinions are my own
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Oct 30 8 tweets 3 min read
1/8 Ukraine will mourn Pokrovsk, but Russia will never recover from this war.

It is losing strategically, and the cost grows by the day.

Russia deserves its pathetic fate.

Maps: @TheStudyofWar Image 2/8 Ukraine is about to lose Pokrovsk after well over a year of brutal fighting.

Every city lost is a tragedy for Ukraine, but also a catastrophe for Russia.

Russia pays many times the acceptable military and human cost for every square kilometer it takes Image
Oct 29 8 tweets 3 min read
1/8 What if I told you the greatest threat to American power isn’t China or Russia, but Donald Trump?

Trump and his team are dismantling everything that made the US a global power Image 2/8 As Michael McFaul writes in The Atlantic, the US became a superpower by building alliances, defending democracy, promoting open markets, and leading global institutions.

Trump is actively destroying all four pillars, and much more Image
Oct 29 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 Read this before you praise Musk again.

DOGE was sold as a patriotic plan to cut US spending and debt, but public debt keeps climbing.

So what was the real goal?

Either Musk lied or failed completely. I think this was the heist of the century Image 2/5 DOGE didn’t cut public debt. It’s still rising. Some of the fired staff had to be rehired.

The mission was a total failure, and Musk’s supporters would rage if Democrats did the same. But that was likely never the point.

DOGE was built for one thing: Musk’s personal gain Image
Oct 26 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 Russia's war on Ukraine is as black and white as it gets.

It is not morally complicated. It is one of the clearest cases of good vs evil in recent history.

Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine is the victim. No gray area. No equivalence.

Just a criminal invasion Image 2/5 Russia lied to the world and said it would not attack because it knew it had no legitimate reason.

Since then, it has changed its story a dozen times.

The real reason is imperialism and genocide.

Russia denies Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, a culture, a people Image
Oct 24 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 I keep repeating myself and will until Europe understands.

The faster Ukraine scales up drone and missile production, the faster this war ends.

Europe is doing a lot, but not nearly enough. It is time to go all in Image 2/5 Ukraine needs volume.

Drones and missiles in numbers that overwhelm Russia’s air defense and choke its economy.

That is how you shorten this war Image
Oct 23 6 tweets 2 min read
1/6 Better late than never!

Credit where it's due: Donald Trump has finally imposed sanctions on Russia.

This is the first time he has done so since returning to the White House.

Let’s hope he doesn’t lift them after Putin’s next call Image 2/6 Trump's record on Ukraine has been appalling.

Throughout 2025, he refused to pressure Russia and instead blamed Ukraine, the only side that accepted his demands and the victim of the war Image
Oct 21 9 tweets 4 min read
1/9 Putin cannot afford to end the war in Ukraine. Stopping now would mean accepting a strategic defeat.

Ukraine’s allies have not pressured him enough to give a real incentive to stop.

Europe must act by seizing Russia’s frozen assets and stepping up aid. It’s our duty Image 2/9 Trump keeps falling for Putin’s games to buy time, likely on purpose. We may never know why.

The war isn’t ending because Russia refuses any ceasefire or compromise, and the West has failed to pressure Putin.

Ukraine isn’t the problem. Russia is Image
Oct 20 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 The only way to get lasting peace in Europe is to properly defeat Russia in Ukraine.

That means destroying Putin’s regime.

Nothing short of that will lead to long-term peace Image 2/5 Russia is by far the biggest threat to Europe.

Most other threats are linked to it, financed by it, or backed by it and its allies.

Russia is one of the last imperialist regimes that sees genocide and land conquest as legitimate tools of statecraft Image
Oct 20 7 tweets 3 min read
1/7 Trump continues to buy time for Putin.

Every time he blames Ukraine and refuses to pressure Russia, he buys Putin a few more months to bleed out.

Ironically, he’s not saving Russia by doing so but signing its downfall Image 2/7 Trump sides with Putin. Always has.

He pressures Ukraine, never Russia.

Maybe it’s blackmail. Maybe it’s ideology. Maybe it's because Putin is his idol.

Either way, Europe must expect nothing from him Image
Oct 20 10 tweets 4 min read
1/10 Underrated but urgent:

Europe needs its own social media platforms and better regulation of existing ones.

This is not just a tech issue. It is strategic and existential.

We cannot talk about strategic autonomy without including social media Image 2/10 If we talk about strategic autonomy, we must include social media.

Europe’s enemies and their allies use these platforms to divide and weaken us.

They have a near monopoly over what we use, and we barely respond Image
Oct 18 7 tweets 3 min read
1/7 Tomahawks won’t end Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Ukraine’s own drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles will.

Europe must stop waiting for Trump or Putin to act. They won’t.

It’s Europe’s duty to help Ukraine scale up and win Image 2/7 Last night showed again:

Europe, not the US, will be key to ending this war.

Trump offers nothing beyond the status quo, and even that will be hard to hold. It’s likely the best we can get.

Europe must stop waiting for Trump to act Image
Oct 16 4 tweets 2 min read
1/4 Trump fell for it again.

He spoke with Putin just one day before meeting Zelensky and agreed to meet him in Budapest to discuss peace.

Budapest is Putin’s turf.

This is a delay tactic to stop Trump from selling missiles to Ukraine Image 2/4 Putin is buying time. Trump is giving it to him.

Instead of pushing forward with weapons for Ukraine, Trump is now chasing another empty summit.

This is how Russia avoids consequences and stalls support Image
Oct 16 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 Ukraine has intensified its strikes and has now started hitting Russia’s power grid.

Russia has targeted Ukraine’s grid for years.

How will this shift impact the war and how Russians see it? Image 2/5 Both sides are fully committed to long-range strikes.

These are now the fastest way to shift momentum and accelerate the end of the war.

Ukraine is targeting oil refineries, defense production, and military infrastructure.

Russia targets everything, including civilians Image
Oct 15 6 tweets 2 min read
1/6 Russia and Ukraine are in a race against time.

Ground movements now matter less than long-range strikes.

The side that scales up missile and drone production faster will win this phase of the war, and it will be Ukraine.

Russia is in deep trouble Image 2/6 Ukraine has intensified its strike campaign in recent months.

Russia has too. Geran production is at record highs.

But Russia relies heavily on Shaheds, and Ukraine will eventually hit the Yelabuga drone factory Image
Oct 15 7 tweets 3 min read
1/7 Finland has the most advanced total defense model in Europe.

It is not just for war. It helps in any crisis.

Government, businesses, civil society, and citizens all have roles.

Europe should treat this as a benchmark and start building toward it, not merely on paper Image 2/7 Every big building has a bomb shelter.

Every sector has a contingency plan.

Every citizen knows what to do.

Finland’s model is built on realism, not illusions. It is quiet, practical, cheap, and effective Image
Oct 14 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 Zelensky has just revoked the citizenship of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.

The reason? He allegedly holds a Russian passport.

If confirmed, this could finally bring an end to the reign of one of Ukraine’s most corrupt and controversial leaders Image 2/5 Trukhanov has ruled Odesa since 2014.

He’s been linked to organized crime, smuggling networks, and major corruption cases.

He was arrested in 2023 for embezzling $2.5 million in a fake real estate deal. The case is still dragging on Image
Oct 14 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 With Gaza partially settled for now, Trump is shifting focus.

Zelensky is meeting him this week.

Ukraine wants Tomahawk missiles. Trump sounds more supportive than ever.

But don’t get fooled Image 2/5 Yes, Tomahawks would help.

But there are only a few ground launchers available.

Unless sent in large numbers, they won’t change the war.

Even so, a few would be a powerful signal Image
Oct 13 5 tweets 2 min read
1/5 China spent years quietly building influence in Europe through trade, technology, propaganda, and diplomacy. It worked for China.

But backing Russia’s war in Ukraine was a strategic mistake.

Europe is now rethinking its relationship with Beijing Image 2/5 China refused to condemn the invasion, boosted Russian energy exports, helped dodge sanctions, sold machinery, sent proxy aid, shared intel, and echoed anti-West narratives.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

Europe now sees China not just as a competitor but as a threat to stability Image
Oct 13 8 tweets 3 min read
1/8 Putin's Perspective — If you were Putin, this is the nightmare you’d be living:

You started a useless war that was supposed to last days. It has lasted years.

You thought Ukraine would fold. Instead, it became stronger, more united, and more militarized than ever Image 2/8 You started a useless war.

You made this non-existential war existential. You went all in.

You sacrificed your economy, your military, and your global standing.

And you are further from your goals than before the war began. Pathetic! Image
Oct 13 6 tweets 2 min read
1/6 Russia’s economy is falling apart.

Ukraine’s strike campaign is hitting key sectors hard.

Even before the war, Russia’s economy was fragile: reliant on energy exports, too centralized, corrupt, and facing a labor crisis.

The war made it all worse Image 2/6 The war has made everything worse.

Russia now depends on energy exports and the defense industry.

Civilian sectors are starved of labor.

The economy is shrinking from within Image
Oct 12 4 tweets 2 min read
1/4 How many more successful strikes will it take to break Russia’s economy, and how long will it take?

No one knows for sure, and it could take a long time.

The faster Ukraine scales up drone and missile production, the faster the war will end Image 2/4 Ukraine has hit Russia’s refineries hard in recent months.

Russia’s economy is already suffering from the war.

It is important to stay realistic. Russia still has ways to buy time Image