Michael Gentile
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michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile
@michaelgentile.bsky.social
580 followers 250 following 1.1K posts

Professor in human geography at the University of Oslo. My current research interests surround the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Putin belongs behind bars.

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Political science 52%
Economics 17%
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michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 8h
Nuclear deterrence won't stop an attack on the Baltics. For that you need a credible defence on the ground.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 8h
Not Kara-Murza,.
kateinkharkiv.bsky.social Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 9h
Garry Kasparov at Halifax Security Forum:

"For 4 years, Ukraine has been fighting for the whole of Europe. NATO was created to fight one war — not to go to Afghanistan, not to go to Syria — one war: to save free Europe from Russian aggression.

Reposted by Michael Gentile

kateinkharkiv.bsky.social
Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 9h
Garry Kasparov at Halifax Security Forum:

"For 4 years, Ukraine has been fighting for the whole of Europe. NATO was created to fight one war — not to go to Afghanistan, not to go to Syria — one war: to save free Europe from Russian aggression.

Reposted by Norbert Schwarz, Steve Peers, Göran Bolin , and 2 more

timothysnyder.bsky.social
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 13h
Witkoff is not buying the Russian narrative. He is selling it.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 19h
Question is, at this point: psy-op, or spy-op?

Reposted by Michael Gentile

euanmacdonald.bsky.social
Euan MacDonald @euanmacdonald.bsky.social · 19h
“The Insider can reveal the document contains specific language that appeared almost exactly word-for-word in an earlier text — one drafted solely by Dmitriev not long after Trump’s second inauguration.”

Trump's White House fell for Kremlin psy-op.
theins.ru/en/politics/...
Made in Moscow: The “U.S. peace plan” for Ukraine was substantially formulated months ago by Kremlin operative Kirill Dmitriev
Since it was first published on Nov. 20, the much-discussed 28-point plan for ending the war in Ukraine has borne all the signs of a Kremlin information operation. In fact, many of its most…
theins.ru

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 1d
UA and the US seem to have agreed to some sort of revised peace plan. If RU agrees, crocodiles can fly. My bet is that they will "study it." Followed by a counter-offer that is identical to the 28 points of their original proposal (which they call the "Trump plan" to flatter the quack president).

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 1d
This means that UA troops will have to retreat from Myrnohrad to avoid complete encirclement. Hopefully it isn't too late. www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...
Russians control most of Pokrovsk – Ukrainska Pravda
Most of the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast is under the control of Russian forces.
www.pravda.com.ua

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 1d
To clarify: Sweden is full of uranium ores that can be extracted if necessary. There used to be at least one mine, but they shut it down because of acceptable import alternatives. But there is a discussion about restarting this activity.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 1d
It works in Scandinavia too, at least for private persons with solar panels.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 1d
Private persons can even profit from solar in Scandinavia. And when that doesn't work, there's wind power, hydro and (non-renewable, but almost as if) nuclear (in the worst of cases, the uranium from the latrer can be supplied domestically).

Reposted by Michael Gentile

davidheniguk.bsky.social
David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 1d
Just as Trump has not changed the global economy with his tariffs, he also hasn't changed the defence world with his foreign policies. His erratic self-aggrandising mob-tribute conduct has exposed and exacerbated many existing trends more than anything else.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 2d
To me, this sounds like they haven't gotten that far after all. It's the "politically sensitive elements" (i.e., the treasonous parts of the original Russo-Krasnovian plan) that are the problem after all.
[Krasnov = Trump, for those who are not aware]
henryjfoy.ft.com Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 2d
💥 US and Ukraine have drafted a new 19-point peace deal in Geneva, but left the most politically sensitive elements to be decided by the countries’ presidents, Kyiv negotiator Sergiy Kyslytsya tells @christopherjm.ft.com

"Very few things are left from the original version"

on.ft.com/48w8tnY
US and Ukraine draft new 19-point peace plan but defer biggest decisions
[FREE TO READ] The most politically sensitive elements left for Trump and Zelenskyy to discuss
on.ft.com

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 2d
Exactly.

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Michael Gentile, David Darmofal

henryjfoy.ft.com
Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 2d
💥 US and Ukraine have drafted a new 19-point peace deal in Geneva, but left the most politically sensitive elements to be decided by the countries’ presidents, Kyiv negotiator Sergiy Kyslytsya tells @christopherjm.ft.com

"Very few things are left from the original version"

on.ft.com/48w8tnY
US and Ukraine draft new 19-point peace plan but defer biggest decisions
[FREE TO READ] The most politically sensitive elements left for Trump and Zelenskyy to discuss
on.ft.com

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 2d
Yes, and there is one more dimension that is incredibly insulting: the various "anti-nazi" clauses mean, in fact, "anti-nation". How will it be possible to memorialize the war and its victims under the Russian ultimatum, a.k.a. the Trump peace plan?
popovaprof.bsky.social Maria Popova @popovaprof.bsky.social · 2d
The amnesty is perhaps the most offensive part of the unworkable Trump proposal.
united24media.com UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 2d
⚡️ Ukraine is investigating a staggering 178,000 Russian war crimes as Trump’s peace plan raises fears it could grant amnesty to Russian troops.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 2d
Indeed the understatement of the month.

Reposted by Göran Bolin, Maksym Polyakov, Michael Gentile

reshetz.bsky.social
Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 @reshetz.bsky.social · 2d
To put it mildly

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Michael Gentile

popovaprof.bsky.social
Maria Popova @popovaprof.bsky.social · 2d
The amnesty is perhaps the most offensive part of the unworkable Trump proposal.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 2d
What RU maps look like. Whatever the outcome of the "peace plan", RU would certainly re-attack to gain its "territories temporarily occupied by Ukraine" (i.e. Zaporizhzhia, Kherson as well as the rest of Donbas). The same was true during teh LDNR years when UA "temporarily occupied LDNR territory."
keirgiles.bsky.social Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 2d
Russia is redrawing the borders of Europe (and if you think I am only speaking figuratively, take a look at today's Russian maps of Ukraine and Georgia). Putin says this is to correct the "historic, strategic mistakes" that caused those borders to be drawn in the first place.

6/12
Russian map showing redrawn borders of Ukraine and Georgia

Reposted by Michael Gentile

keirgiles.bsky.social
Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 2d
Russia is redrawing the borders of Europe (and if you think I am only speaking figuratively, take a look at today's Russian maps of Ukraine and Georgia). Putin says this is to correct the "historic, strategic mistakes" that caused those borders to be drawn in the first place.

6/12
Russian map showing redrawn borders of Ukraine and Georgia

Reposted by Michael Gentile

keirgiles.bsky.social
Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 2d
- so you tend only to hear the "dangerous provocative NATO expansion" line from people who were so soaked in Russian propaganda narratives in the past that they cannot leave them behind in the present even though Russia itself has done so.)

3/12

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
Indeed.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
In this I certainly agree with you.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
One of the points of the "peace plan" implies that this stuff would be forgiven - amnesty to all (war criminals). It's just so revolting.
kateinkharkiv.bsky.social Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 4d
Footage has surfaced online showing unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war executed while lying face down, accompanied by the approving shouts of those filming the scene.

This is not an isolated atrocity, it is russia’s pattern. Execution. Torture. Destruction.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
Not to mention the fact that Russia can use the "demilitarized area" as a springboard anyway. Knowing that Russia breaks every single agreement, we can take for granted that this is what is going to happen.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
There are so many caveats regarding the security guarantees that this makes the Budapest memorandum seem like a perpetual covenant. Also, no one could ever trust the Trump regime to actually live up to its commitments.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
Without formal recognition, the reconstruction money might go to areas Russia occupies. It's Ukraine after all, and it's where most of the damage is.

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
Except, of course, that the "DNR DMZ" will have it own "volunteers" (if Russia doesn't simply ignore this provision).

michaelgentile.bsky.social
Michael Gentile @michaelgentile.bsky.social · 4d
Do we know this for sure? I understood this as inclusive of trained reserves, but I guess they haven't gotten past that.