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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

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A Missed Chance for Peace — and for Europe

I was in Brussels yesterday for the Global Gateway Forum - a major gathering of world leaders, ministers and international institutions convened by the European Union to discuss the future of global c...

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

A handshake does not equal peace - but gestures matter.
Yesterday, Brussels could have shown that Europe is still a force for mediation, empathy and courage.

It didn’t. That’s why this felt like a missed chance for peace - and for Europe itself.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

And Europe’s leaders, sitting only metres away, stayed silent.
A historic opportunity slipped past.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

The room froze.Hundreds of officials, journalists and diplomats held their breath.

I half-expected one of them to move - for Tshisekedi to step down from the stage or Kagame to rise and meet him halfway.
Neither did.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

Tshisekedi paused — then, abandoning his script, addressed him directly about the war in eastern Congo.

“It is not too late to do things right.”

“I take this forum as a witness to extend my hand to you, Mr President, so that we can make peace between brave men.”

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

As the President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, spoke about partnership and infrastructure, he suddenly looked up from his notes. In the front row sat Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22h

Yesterday I was in Brussels for the Global Gateway Forum - a gathering of world leaders to talk about how to connect a fractured world.
What I saw instead was something extraordinary - a moment when peace might have taken shape before our eyes.

🧵👇

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 1d

🙏🙏🙏

Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Some parts of Central Asia & the Caucasus are very leaky

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Reposted by Peter Frankopan

Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 2d

Worth reading this thread, as always, from @peterfrankopan.bsky.social

Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Belarus rarely makes Western headlines — but it should this week.
A quiet move by the Trump administration has just handed Alexander Lukashenka, and indirectly Vladimir Putin, an unexpected gift.
🧵👇

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Will do !

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Read my latest Global Threads piece on what’s really going on 👇

open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...

How Washington Has Handed Putin a Sanctions Lifeline

The curious case of carrots, olive branches and Belarus

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

What looks like clever diplomacy may be naïve - or worse.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Why would Trump threaten tougher sanctions on Russia one week and quietly ease them on its closest ally the next?

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

The result: Moscow’s sanctions pain just got lighter, courtesy of Washington

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Belarus and Russia share a customs union and near-seamless logistics.
Belavia can now legally source Western components - which can easily ‘leak’ across the border.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

In reality, it opens a back-door supply line for Russia’s struggling aviation industry — starved of Boeing parts since 2022

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Sanctions on Belarus’s national airline, Belavia, were lifted by the US in exchange for the release of political prisoners.
Sounds like pragmatic diplomacy?

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Belarus rarely makes Western headlines — but it should this week.
A quiet move by the Trump administration has just handed Alexander Lukashenka, and indirectly Vladimir Putin, an unexpected gift.
🧵👇

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Reposted by Peter Frankopan

Richard Mifsud @richmifsud.bsky.social · 8d

WTAF! This is why I love #history @peterfrankopan.bsky.social you absolute legend 🙌🏻. #books

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Reposted by Peter Frankopan

Dr Victoria Bateman @vnbateman.bsky.social · 10d

🎉🎉🎉 My new book, #Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth & Power is published in the US today (Basic Books / Seal Press). A huge thank you to @benchu.bsky.social @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social @peterfrankopan.bsky.social @timharford.ft.com @enortonhistory.bsky.social for your kind endorsements.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 16d

For this (and more!) open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...

Running on Fumes: What Russia’s Fuel Crisis Reveals

Donald Trump’s tone on Russia and Ukraine shifted dramatically last night.

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 16d

For Putin, the risk may not just be higher prices. It’s that fuel scarcity erodes a key pillar of stability: affordable essentials. Trump smells weakness. History suggests crises born of shortage can trigger political earthquakes 4/5

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 16d

Ukraine’s drone and missile campaign has knocked out major refineries, cutting as much as 20% of capacity. Independent fuel retailers are collapsing under high interest rates. Shortages ripple through farming, transport - and daily life 3/5

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Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 16d

One clue: Russia is running short of fuel. In a petro-state, that is not supposed to happen. Yet strikes on refineries, shortages at pumps and queues stretching for hours tell a different story 2/5

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