Major miscalculation of @Rheinmetall CEO’s view fails to grasp it’s the combination of “low” tech civilian with conventional weapons & tactics that makes Ukraine’s fight innovative But what drives civilian engagement? - we have a NEW paper about that tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…

Przeworski on Democracy In this paper, Adam Przeworski offers a summary of this ideas on democracy. For those who are interested in Przeworski’s ideas, this paper is a helpful overview. Download: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7269…

Ukrainians forces have recently announced a successful counterattack in the Lyman area. Operation Vivaldi weakens Russia’s ability to take Donetsk In this post I ask if this is a turning point and what it tells us about this stage of the land war. samf.substack.com/p/operatio…?

The Ukrainian exhibition "Sacred Treasures from Kyiv" has opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. For the first time in the United Kingdom, seven artefacts from the 17th–18th-century collection of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were presented. Among them are an icon, a silver-bound altar Gospel, liturgical vessels for the Eucharist, and a silver-gilt chalice depicting the Crucifixion. Also on display are two gilded silver Holy Gates. All of these are unique examples of Ukrainian Baroque craftsmanship, which not only represent our sacred art but also serve as tangible evidence of the antiquity of Ukraine’s history. I am pleased that the British public can see at least some of the beauty of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which the Russians have already attempted to destroy through their attacks.

Despite Trump’s claims... An assessment by Ukraine’s @KSE_Institute found the US-Iran war had a far bigger impact on global diesel and gas oil supplies than Ukraine’s drone strikes. It estimated Gulf exports fell by 152mn barrels between March and August, compared with a 68mn-barrel drop in Russian exports over the same period. “The cumulative loss from the Persian Gulf was therefore around 2.2 times larger,” it said. ft.com/content/d6f98d2e-9f0c…

Russia is intensifying its air strikes. The winter ahead could become a serious test for Ukraine. That is exactly what Putin wants. What must be done? And how can Russia be stopped? At a special meeting of the Kyiv Security Forum @ksfopenukraine Security Council with General David Petraeus and Ambassador Kurt Volker, we discussed the key decisions needed to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. These include providing Ukraine with additional air defence interceptors and long-range strike capabilities, tightening sanctions, and increasing pressure on the Kremlin’s finances. The opening of the KSF European Office in Brussels was also announced during the meeting. This is an important step towards strengthening cooperation between Ukraine, the EU, and the wider Euro-Atlantic community. I am grateful to #KSF Security Council members Kurt Volker @kvolker and David Petraeus, as well as Marcin Bużański @mbuzanski, Director of the KSF European Office, for this important discussion. My position remains unchanged: we need not piecemeal decisions, but scale – more weapons, more interceptors, and more sanctions. Watch the video to hear the participants’ perspectives: piped.video/watch?v=D2uOK13p…

Have been thinking it was surprising Conservatives never went for this before given absence of inheritance tax in many similar countries (Canada, Scandinavia, Australia)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has imposed sanctions on his former press secretary turned critic Iuliia Mendel, according to a presidential decree published Sunday evening. Mendel has increasingly peddled numerous falsehoods and rumors about Zelenskyy and Ukraine that echo Russian state propaganda since she was sacked before the full blown war began. Recently she pushed many of these in an interview with Tucker Carlson that was widely derided, especially in Ukraine. She left Ukraine several months ago and resides in the US.

I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning. What we can say for sure is that this is the kind of random and senseless attack Ukrainians are enduring every day - even on civilian railways. So far Putin has been responsible for the deaths of 1700 staff of Ukrzaliznytsia - Ukrainian Railways. They and their daily passengers are absolutely heroic. When are we going to give them the air defences they need? Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine? There is more than €140 billion in a Belgian bank account - and about £10 billion in London. Britain could show a lead. The Ukrainians are going to win - that much was clear from the last three days in their wonderful country. But we will get this dreadful war over much faster if we all get serious and give them what they need and deserve.

This was a message of a very specific nature not least to those (like myself) who have taken the train Carl is speaking about. I had work business in Toronto on Friday so I wasn’t traveling from Kyiv today. But this war crime - is a very specific message. Poland must react.

Next Thursday, September 17 12:00pm-1:00pm @HarrimanInst and @NYURussian co-present the first session of the "Ukraine in Focus" series: "Ukrainian Society at War: Resilience and Exhaustion" featuring @oonuch. More details here: ow.ly/yZ9j50ZLwtS

The first session of "Ukraine in Focus," co-sponsored by @NYURussian, is happening next week! Olga Onuch (@oonuch) will discuss Ukrainian society in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. ow.ly/yZ9j50ZLwtS 🗓️ Thursday 9/17, 12-1:00PM

Prime Minister Carney and President Zelenskyy signed the 100 Year Partnership Declaration, setting out their intention to elevate the Canada-Ukraine relationship into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Read their joint statement: pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/…

My Kyiv smells as frontline war cityr44-deaths, destruction, fires, blood, pain, tears. But we R trying to carry on work, fight, faith & hope - the 🌎 sees it as resilience. But resilience requires not only resolve, but tools, which R available with parters-we R counting on you!

Statement by Prime Minister Carney on the visit of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to Canada: pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/…

Extremely proud of our daughter @Yaroslava_Myro as she graduates from UCL today. 🎓 Raising a new generation of Ukrainians who will help rebuild, transform and lead Ukraine towards a prosperous future — as a strong, modern and successful member of the EU and NATO. Her generation will have a huge role to play in shaping Ukraine of tomorrow. 🇺🇦

Today, a special onboard menu was prepared for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s special train — featuring Crimean Tatar cuisine, an integral part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Uz is revealing behind-the-scenes footage and the special train’s onboard menu for the first time.

Delighted to arrive in Brussels as next UK Ambassador to the EU. It was an honour to present true copies of letters of credence from His Majesty The King at the @eu_eeas today. Looking forward to meeting partners across the city and working on this important relationship 🇬🇧 🇪🇺

A Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, across from St. Sophia Cathedral, President Zelenskyy said. “The drone was aimed directly at the office of the Head of the Security Service in that building,” he adds.

🇺🇦 Truth, trust, no bureaucracy: Ukraine's new command doctrine Ukraine's new Commander-in-Chief @CinC_AFU just published the principles that will govern how he leads the Armed Forces — not a strategy document, but a leadership doctrine. Mykhailo Drapatyi's core premise: you can't choose between fighting today's war and building tomorrow's army. Ukraine has to do both simultaneously. "We must both fight and become better every single day — adapting is how we secure our advantage." His stated priorities: Stabilize the front — preserve combat capability, integrate new ones, seize the initiative wherever possible Build a balanced human capital system — recruitment, training, rotation, and discharge that keeps the force combat-ready while treating soldiers fairly Unity of effort — no branch, unit, or structure's interest outweighs the outcome of the whole Accelerate adaptation — learn faster than the enemy Transform the Armed Forces — command systems, doctrine, digital and unmanned capability, logistics — modernization isn't a postwar task, it's happening now Mission Command — push authority down, integrate capability across every domain Take care of soldiers, families, and veterans — honor the fallen with dignity Preserve trust — of the Ukrainian people and international partners What he demands from every commander: Tell the truth. Understand your commander's intent. Act decisively within it. Take calculated risk and own the consequences. Preserve combat capability. Protect your troops from unnecessary risk. Know your people. Develop the next generation of leaders. Learn faster than the enemy. Innovate. Fight jointly — no branch wins alone. Communicate simply. Build disciplined, professional teams with zero tolerance for corruption or abuse. Protect the trust of the Ukrainian people. What he demands from every staff: Exist to serve the troops, not to generate work. Cut bureaucracy relentlessly. Decide faster than the enemy. Give commanders honest military advice — silence weakens decisions. Anticipate, don't just react. Push decisions to whoever understands the situation best. "The standard for every staff is simple: be smaller where possible, faster where necessary, and more useful every day." His closing line to the entire force: "War is never free of mistakes. A good-faith decision made under uncertainty is part of war. Negligence and concealing the truth are not. The price of a mistake is our people's lives — so every one must be honestly acknowledged, examined, and learned from, so it doesn't happen again." "We must win a durable and just peace, and build a military strong enough that no future aggressor ever again considers attacking Ukraine an acceptable path to its goals." 👇Full document: Commander-in-Chief's Principles Source: @GeneralStaffUA, September 2, 2026 #Ukraine #UAF #DefenceReform #MissionCommand #LearnFromUkraine

Every time you pick up a copy of Dostoyevsky, I want you to remember this story: Russian strikes destroy 12 million books ahead of Ukraine's first week back at school. bbc.com/news/articles/cly5v8…