Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

László Szerencsés @szerlasz.bsky.social · 14h

Outrage one day, admiration the next.

Vučić’s reaction to Turkey's drone sales to Kosovo captures the fragile pragmatism holding Serbia–Turkey relations together.

✍️ My latest in Balkan Insight: balkaninsight.com/2025/10/10/t...

Turkey’s Drone Sales to Kosovo Test its Friendship with Serbia

A shipment of Turkish-made military drones to Kosovo reignited old tensions between Ankara and Belgrade. But after initially accusing Turkey of imperial ambitions, Serbia’s president backtracked, high...

balkaninsight.com

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Communist and Post-Communist Studies @cpcs.bsky.social · 1d

New in Advance Articles:

War and Eurasia’s Ethnic Boundaries: Chinese Intellectuals on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
by Ed Pulford

👉 doi.org/10.1525/cpcs...

This article focuses on responses to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine among establishment intellectuals in the People’s Republic of China, exploring how shifting geographies of power are reshaping ideas around ethnoracial identity in Eurasia. President Vladimir Putin justified the war, arguing that Ukrainians had no legitimate existence separate from Russians. In China where, despite long-standing opposition to countries “interfering in internal affairs” of others, officialdom has broadly supported Putin, intellectuals have engaged seriously with ideas around Russian and Ukrainian “sameness” as grounds for invasion. These distinctive PRC-based perspectives, sampled over the war’s first year from Aisixiang.com, a repository for intellectual commentary on current events, have significant ramifications for understandings of ethnic difference in the “global order.” From this material emerges a world in which certain “great” states possess the right to project possibly mutually incommensurable ethnicizing paradigms domestically and internationally. Tellingly, in the Sino-Russian context, while Putin condemns Lenin’s historic state-building role in “creating” Ukraine, the PRC party-state’s own Leninist legacy (including its categorization of ethnic groups) is irreconcilable with such views. Amid increasingly heated global debates around geopolitics, ethnicity, and race where PRC-based voices are central, scholars must attend to translingual framings of difference and the actions they justify.

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · 2d

The Western left is ridden by Trump envy, not Trump derangement. It's like "Wait a second, it is us that were supposed to be the disruptors of established order! Why did we fail?!"

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World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 2d

Trump is pursuing a thaw in ties with Belarus, but the chance of these efforts paying strategic dividends is slim.

Trump’s ‘Reverse Kissinger’ Gambit With Belarus Is a Dead End

Trump is pursuing a thaw in ties with Belarus, but the chance of these efforts paying strategic dividends is slim.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · 3d

Full disclosure: the substack is linked to my forthcoming book with @oxfordacademic.bsky.social : The Scramble for Europe: Russia, China and Turkey Challenging Regional Order

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · 3d

My substack - Scramble for Europe - is now on. Do subscribe.

open.substack.com/pub/scramble...

Moldova’s vote is one more sign of Russia’s weakness in its ‘near abroad’

Instead of boosting its geopolitical sway, the war in Ukraine has weakened Russia’s hold over its neighbours.

open.substack.com

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · 10d

My latest piece for @foreignpolicy.com

Erdogan’s visit to Washington showed that the United States and Turkey just don’t need each other as much as they used to.

foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/30/t...

U.S.-Turkish Relations Have Gotten Duller, Not Better

Erdogan’s visit to Washington showed that the United States and Turkey just don’t need each other as much as they used to.

foreignpolicy.com

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Clément Plaisant @cplaisant.bsky.social · 10d

Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines plans to launch direct flights to Armenia, as Ankara steps up efforts to normalize relations with its neighbor after decades of hostility.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Turkish Airlines to Start Flights to Armenia as Ties Improve

Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines plans to launch direct flights to Armenia, as Ankara steps up efforts to normalize relations with its neighbor after decades of hostility.

www.bloomberg.com

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ATLAS THINK @atlastc.bsky.social · 15d

atlasthink.org/how-rock-sol... by @dimitarbechev.bsky.social

How Rock-Solid is the UK-US “Special Relationship”? - Atlas Think Club

It will not be an exaggeration that Donald Trump has turned upside down America’s relations with Europe. From strong-arming NATO allies to commit to 5% of GDP in defence spending to raising tariffs, ...

atlasthink.org

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Turkey recap @turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 24d

🎙️ Live webcast today!

Teneo's @wolfpiccoli.bsky.social joins Recap radio to discuss Turkey's economy and how markets rate political risk.

Audience questions welcome. Livestream starts at 0900 BST / 1100 TRT:

LIVE SOON: How markets rate political risk in Turkey with Wolfango Piccoli

Starting Sep 16 at 4:00 AM EDT

open.substack.com

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Russia-Ukraine Daily News @rvps2001.bsky.social · 24d

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 U.S.-funded research has identified more than 210 sites where Ukrainian children have been taken for military training, drone manufacturing and other forced re-education by #Russia, as part of a large-scale deportation programme.

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

#Ukraine #RussianWarCrimes

Russia expands forced re-education of deported Ukrainian children, US research shows

U.S.-funded research has identified more than 210 sites where Ukrainian children have been taken for military training, drone manufacturing and other forced re-education by Russia, as part of a large-scale deportation programme.

www.reuters.com

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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 25d

US President Donald Trump finally labeled Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, further demonstrating a hardening of his position toward Moscow.

Trump finally calls Russia the ‘aggressor’ in war on Ukraine

After resisting the label for months, the U.S. president goes there.

ow.ly

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · 29d

You are in for a treat.

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Sep 10

You are a man of taste (and hopefully, of wealth).

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Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · Sep 10

This escalation has been expected by many of us since at least the point when it became clear that Trump would be re-elected. I hope European NATO has a plan to respond, given the ample warning they've had to develop one, because this won't be a one-off. 🧵

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · Sep 10

⚡️ 'Extremely dangerous' — European leaders condemn Russia after drones shot down over Poland.

'Extremely dangerous' — European leaders condemn Russia after drones shot down over Poland

World leaders condemned Russia on Sept. 10 after Polish forces downed multiple Russian drones in their airspace, marking the first time a NATO member has destroyed Moscow's military assets over its te...

kyivindependent.com

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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · Sep 10

⚡️ 'Extremely dangerous' — European leaders condemn Russia after drones shot down over Poland.

'Extremely dangerous' — European leaders condemn Russia after drones shot down over Poland

World leaders condemned Russia on Sept. 10 after Polish forces downed multiple Russian drones in their airspace, marking the first time a NATO member has destroyed Moscow's military assets over its te...

kyivindependent.com

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Sep 9

Thanks for the book. It also chronicles a generation of scholars whose legacy lives on - Sam Huntington, Stanley Hoffmann (godfather of my DPhil supervisor's children btw), Kissinger etc.

Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Sep 9

I cannot recommend enough the Brzeziński biography by @edwardluce.bsky.social It is a riveting read: rich, thorough, well-informed and erudite. Ed Luce made me read some of Zbig's own books, notably The Soviet Bloc: Unity and Conflict (1960).

Morning Joe @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social · Sep 8

This Wednesday, September 10, at @92ndstreety.bsky.social in New York — @mika-brzezinski.bsky.social & @joe-scarborough.bsky.social join @edwardluce.bsky.social to discuss his acclaimed biography 'The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski.'

Grab your tickets here 👉 www.92ny.org/event/mika-b...

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Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · Sep 9

Moscow sends “a big delegation” to Syria to woo the government that toppled its ole buddy Assad. If they can make friends with the Taliban, anything is possible.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Russia sends high-level team to Syria to discuss aid, energy

Russia on Tuesday sent a big delegation to Syria, headed by its top energy official, in its most visible effort yet to build relations with the government that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Moscow, late last year.

www.reuters.com

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Morning Joe @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social · Sep 8

This Wednesday, September 10, at @92ndstreety.bsky.social in New York — @mika-brzezinski.bsky.social & @joe-scarborough.bsky.social join @edwardluce.bsky.social to discuss his acclaimed biography 'The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski.'

Grab your tickets here 👉 www.92ny.org/event/mika-b...

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Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · Mar 21

Oleg Gordievsky has died. What makes him so interesting is that he illustrates the stabilising role intelligence can play: he helped Reagan & Thatcher understand the USSR was genuinely worried about nuclear war, allowing them to take that into account in their policy www.bbc.com/news/article...

Former KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky dies at Surrey home - BBC News

Counter-terrorism police are assisting the coroner, but his death is not being treated as suspicious.

www.bbc.com

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Jun 30

One less contract for Timchenko

Piero Castellano 🇪🇺 @pierocastellano.com · Jun 30

"Citing contract violations and the corporation’s noncompliance, the Syrian government has successfully terminated a 2019 agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz (STG) to oversee the strategically important port of Tartus."
www.maritimegateway.com/russia-no-lo...

Russia no longer controls the port of Tartus in Syria - Maritime Gateway

Citing contract violations and the corporation's noncompliance, the Syrian government has successfully terminated a 2019 agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz (STG) to oversee the strategic...

www.maritimegateway.com

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Piero Castellano 🇪🇺 @pierocastellano.com · Jun 30

"Citing contract violations and the corporation’s noncompliance, the Syrian government has successfully terminated a 2019 agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz (STG) to oversee the strategically important port of Tartus."
www.maritimegateway.com/russia-no-lo...

Russia no longer controls the port of Tartus in Syria - Maritime Gateway

Citing contract violations and the corporation's noncompliance, the Syrian government has successfully terminated a 2019 agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz (STG) to oversee the strategic...

www.maritimegateway.com

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Jun 29

Good thread. My 5c: globalisation has not reduced the importance of physical space in international politics. In fact, connectivity at the global scale means the maritime domain plays a key role.Not much new, except possibly data cables laid on the seabed. Though: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transat...

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ATLAS THINK @atlastc.bsky.social · Jun 26

atlasthink.org/natos-hague-... by @dimitarbechev.bsky.social

NATO’s Hague Summit: a Post-Mortem - Atlas Think Club

Donald Trump must be feeling content after the summit NATO just wrapped up in The Hague. “Very big news”. That’s how he called the European allies’ commitment to raise the 2% GDP defence spending ta...

atlasthink.org

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Dimitar Bechev @dimitarbechev.bsky.social · Jun 26

Russia has decided to watch the Israel-Iran fight from the sidelines because (1) it is too weak to make a difference, (2) its priority is subjugating Ukraine, (3) it values ties to Israel and wants to restore balance, and (4) Iran isn't as useful anymore.

Nicholas Danforth @nicholasdanfort.bsky.social · Jun 25

A great piece from @dimitarbechev.bsky.social on why Russia didn't come to Iran's aid:

foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/25/r...

Why Russia Is Sitting Out This Round of the Israel-Iran Conflict

As Putin’s dependence on Iran decreases, he seeks to maintain ties with Tehran’s regional rivals.

foreignpolicy.com

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Nicholas Danforth @nicholasdanfort.bsky.social · Jun 25

A great piece from @dimitarbechev.bsky.social on why Russia didn't come to Iran's aid:

foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/25/r...

Why Russia Is Sitting Out This Round of the Israel-Iran Conflict

As Putin’s dependence on Iran decreases, he seeks to maintain ties with Tehran’s regional rivals.

foreignpolicy.com

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Carnegie Europe @carnegieeurope.bsky.social · Jun 19

The Black Sea is pivotal in Russia's war against Ukraine and the wider standoff between Moscow & the West.

To counter the Russian threat in the region, the EU has adopted a new strategy & Turkey is building up its capabilities, says @dimitarbechev.bsky.social.

carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...

The Black Sea Has Become the Fulcrum of Europe’s Security

The Black Sea is pivotal in Russia’s war against Ukraine and the wider standoff between Moscow and the West. To counter the Russian threat in the region, the EU has adopted a new strategy, and Turkey ...

carnegieendowment.org

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David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · Jun 13

"membership is only one option.... countries like Georgia and Serbia can change over time and recommit. But in the meantime, the EU should devote its limited resources to those candidates that are fulfilling its conditions." - @dimitarbechev.bsky.social
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

The EU’s Waning Attractiveness

The Georgian and Serbian leaders’ pivots away from the path to EU accession show the bloc’s waning appeal. To keep EU enlargement on track, Brussels should focus on candidate countries that are making...

carnegieendowment.org

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Carnegie Europe @carnegieeurope.bsky.social · Jun 12

The Georgian & Serbian leaders' pivots away from the EU accession path show the bloc's waning appeal.

To keep #enlargement on track, the EU should focus on candidate countries that are making genuine progress toward membership, says @dimitarbechev.bsky.social.

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

The EU’s Waning Attractiveness

The Georgian and Serbian leaders’ pivots away from the path to EU accession show the bloc’s waning appeal. To keep EU enlargement on track, Brussels should focus on candidate countries that are making...

carnegieendowment.org

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