Russia has officially put forward its own “peace plan,” which blatantly contradicts the U.S. proposal.

Here’s a brief summary:

1/n 2/
- Ukraine must not join NATO and must undergo “demilitarization” and “denazification.”
- Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia must be internationally recognized.

And so it begins.

China has officially claimed sovereignty over a disputed island near the Philippines.

1/n 2/ The China Coast Guard landed on Sandy Cay — a small but strategically important sandbank in the South China Sea — planted the national flag, and “exercised sovereign jurisdiction” over the area.

Full response of Ukraine and Europe to Trump’s peace plan:

1/n 2/ Ceasefire:
•Full and unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea.
•Immediate talks with U.S. and European participation.
•Ceasefire monitored under U.S. leadership.
•russia must return all deported Ukrainian children.

You cannot make a deal with a bully.

Once you compromise, he’ll come back and demand more. That’s a truth I learned in middle school.

1/n 2/
A bully — three years older and much bigger than me — demanded money. Hoping he’d leave me alone, I paid.

But it didn’t stop there. He came back again. And again.

Letting russia keep parts of Ukrainian territory would mean genocide for the Ukrainian people.

Some believe that when a country is occupied, life can continue peacefully under a different flag — that people will simply pay taxes to a new government. But that’s an illusion.

1/n 2/ Very often, so-called “peace” is followed by genocide at the hands of the occupier. History offers many examples. One of them was shared with me by a friend, Volodymyr Kukharenko — a tragic story about the Moriori people.

The so-called peace negotiations have been postponed. And I think I know why.

The U.S. was expected to unveil its “peace plan” today in London. But after the main points leaked yesterday, the talks were suddenly delayed.

1/n 2/
Why the delay?

Because the U.S. proposal is completely unrealistic.

According to the plan, russia would get:
• De jure U.S. recognition of Crimea
• De facto control of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia
• NATO veto
• Sanctions lifted
• Economic deals with the U.S.

The past month has been a disaster for Pentagon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been under intense scrutiny following revelations that he shared sensitive military information about planned airstrikes in Yemen through private Signal chat groups.

1/n 2/ These groups included individuals without official government roles, such as his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.

It’s all Biden’s fault. Or Zelensky’s. Maybe even Obama’s. But not Putin’s — no, never.

Putin may have “made a mistake.”

“I have very good relations with him…”

Can you imagine how that sounds to us — living three years in wartime?

1/n 2/ Many of us have lost friends and loved ones, including children, both on the frontlines and in our cities. And those who haven’t been physically hurt carry the emotional scars: fear, guilt, rage, despair. We live with them every day.

The U.S. is increasingly resembling a dictatorship, especially with the suppression of academic freedom.

History has shown that suppressing academic voices leads to devastating consequences — intellectual stagnation and darker times for society at large.

1/n 2/ It is deeply troubling that universities are now bending to the will of the government. Just because we have a morally bankrupt administration does not mean we must become like it.

Pentagon officials have reached out to “an unspecified allied state,” urging them to halt their continued arms supplies to Ukraine. However, that country rejected the request.

Two comments here:

1/n 2/ First, this development was entirely predictable. The U.S. administration’s plan to pressure Ukraine into capitulation is clearly failing. While the U.S. has cut all aid, European countries have stepped up their support.

“Why are Ukrainians still dying?”

Elon Musk asked that haunting question. Many are echoing it.

They say Ukraine can’t win — so why keep fighting?

The answer is timeless: Because freedom is worth dying for.

1/n 2/
I first went to Ukraine just weeks after russian troops were pushed out of Kyiv.
The world expected Ukraine to fall in days.
Instead, civilians — teachers, baristas, students — stood and fought back.
And they won.

North Korea has supplied russia with up to 6 million artillery shells, without which Moscow could not have sustained such an intense war effort.

1/n 2/ Four russian cargo ships have been transporting containers filled with weapons, which are then delivered by train to ammunition depots near Ukraine. At least six shipments have been documented in 2025 alone.

These texts are from russian Telegram channels. Read how “good russians” comment on the news of dead Ukrainian civilians and children in Sumy. This is plain evil and it shows clearly why any negotiations with these people are meaningless.

1/n 2/ “Happy Palm Sunday, ukrofascists! Rejoice, crooked-toothed freaks, that the ukronazi children died in Sumy, grunting and choking on blood in front of their festering parents. This is not a pig farm, this is the cleansing of the world from shit!”
(Elena Alaverda)

The faint-hearted should not read this.

Three years ago, I translated the story of Christina Jolos, who fled Mariupol while it was surrounded by russian forces.

This is not easy to read. But please do. And share it.

The world must know what happened.

1/n 2/
“Yesterday, at our own risk, we left Mariupol under gunfire. We spent the night in a field in the gray zone. It was freezing.

Thank God we are alive.

We are alive to scream that everyone still in Mariupol needs help.”

People Are Scared to Speak Out

Recently, I learned about a Ukrainian woman who received an email from the Department of Homeland Security ordering her to leave the country within seven days or “the federal government will find you.”

1/n 2/ It turned out the email had been sent “in error” and that the U4U program had not been terminated. But the most shocking part was her quiet comment: “I don’t even have a parking ticket. I don’t post on social media.”

“Ruination Day”: The new Economist cover amid Trump’s tariff war.

Trump has launched a global trade war, calling it a “Liberation Day.” As an economist, I know a thing or two about tariffs. So here are some predictions of what we should expect if this tariff war continues.

1/n 2/ First, let’s clarify what tariffs will not do:
- Tariffs will not fix the U.S. trade deficit. That’s simply wishful thinking. Tariffs will reduce both exports and imports, leaving the overall balance of trade largely unchanged.

Here is a short summary of the misnamed Russian-American "peace process" regarding Ukraine from Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale University.

1/n 2/ The US demands that Ukraine accept an immediate unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine agrees.

Why is today’s Trump so different from Trump in his first term?

A sobering explanation from Ukrainian journalist Nadia Palyvoda — and a warning.

It’s not that Trump changed. It’s that the people around him did.

Let’s unpack it.

1/n 2/ In his first term, Trump did things many pro-Ukraine people admired:
— Struck Wagner mercs in Syria
— Sent Javelins to Ukraine
— Sanctioned Nord Stream 2
— Declared Crimea would never be recognized as russian

But here’s the twist: none of that was really his idea.

A message from Pastor Mark Burns after his recent visit to Ukraine:

The war in Ukraine is bigger than Democrats or Republicans, the Left or the Right. Whether you dislike President Trump or President Zelensky, real people are dying here.

1/n 2/ 20,000 children have been kidnapped and stolen to Russia. 300 women were recently raped, as reported by multi-faith religious leaders.

Why did the U.S. shift focus from Ukrainian elections to changing Ukraine’s Constitution?

Maybe because they finally read it.

The original plan was simple:
Zelensky refuses to sign a capitulation? Fine. Replace him through elections — maybe with Zaluzhnyi or someone else.

1/n 2/ But here’s the twist:
Turns out none of the current political figures are willing to sign a capitulation.

Why?
Because it’s unconstitutional.

A sobering message from a history teacher:

I’ve spent years teaching American and international government — from strong democracies like the UK to authoritarian regimes like russia and China.

But lately, the most alarming lesson comes from home.

1/n 2/ One thing I always tell my students:

Democracy doesn’t collapse overnight.

There’s no moment where a leader says, “I’m a dictator now.”

The fall is gradual. Legal. Publicly tolerated. And often cheered on by millions.