justsailingby.bsky.social
@justsailingby.bsky.social
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This is really important work and I am amazed by the amount of work that has gone into this project. Please read this.
December 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
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I've written an end of year substack post about tracking Trump, where we are ending the year and some implications for Europe and for me personally...

christinapagel.substack.com/p/personal-r...
Personal reflections on a Trumpian 2025
The implications of a year in Trump's new America and why I started tracking Trump - and why I'm not stopping.
christinapagel.substack.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:25 PM
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The former ambassador to Denmark for the United States, Rufus Gifford, posted this video on his Facebook account:

Ht: @hpsc24.bsky.social
March 29, 2025 at 3:26 PM
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This: In the same week that Vance expressed concern that France and the United Kingdom had nuclear weapons, he said Denmark was not a very good ally to the US. It is shameful.
bsky.app/profile/thom...
The former ambassador to Denmark for the United States, Rufus Gifford, posted this video on his Facebook account:

Ht: @hpsc24.bsky.social
December 27, 2025 at 4:33 PM
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Another beautiful Shchedryk performance amidst ruins.

It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.

The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
December 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM
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Preparing the U.K. for war and sustained power cuts suddenly feels more real: Filter water with pillowcase: Stark official advice in event of UK-wide power cuts..

Battery powered radio is likely to be the most reliable form of comms, with TV, Internet and phones down.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Filter water with pillowcase: Stark official advice in event of UK-wide power cuts
Radio scripts that would be read out on Radio 2 and Radio 4 in the event of a national blackout have been published
inews.co.uk
December 17, 2025 at 8:04 AM
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Nick Thomas-Symonds MP announces that the UK is rejoining Erasmus+. 🎉

"It will open up world class opportunities for students, teachers, youth workers, sports sector professionals and communities of all ages."
December 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A roaring Red Sunrise in the South East, followed by a rainbow in a pink sky from the North West.
December 17, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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Uk to rejoin Erasmus scheme - set to be confirmed formally tomorrow
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
www.theguardian.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:38 PM
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Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, what's left under ongoing Russian “liberation.” A once-inhabited city now scarred by destruction.
December 13, 2025 at 7:26 AM
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At night, Russia conducted a large attack on Odesa’s energy infrastructure including ports, gas facilities, and substations. All of Odesa is without power. Kherson also faces blackouts. Damage to 10 substations and a thermal plant were confirmed. In Mykolaiv, homes were also damaged.
December 13, 2025 at 7:28 AM
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A good 50 percent of us riding the America bus are saying (screaming) the same thing. Hoping the democratic machinery still works when we start pulling on the levers next year. 🗳️
a blue and white bus is driving down a street .
ALT: a blue and white bus is driving down a street .
media.tenor.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:52 AM
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Apparently it can always get worse. The full version of the new U.S. National Security Strategy, aptly named “NSC-1488” by the wags, calls for actively pulling Poland, Austria, Hungary and Italy from the #EU. And supporting far right.

US sides with Putin.

notesfrompoland.com/2025/12/10/f...
Fuller version of Trump security strategy reportedly calls for "pulling Poland away from EU"
notesfrompoland.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:48 AM
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After Europe had a weekend to digest the confrontative new US National Security Strategy, time to ponder the questions raised by @maxbergmann.bsky.social in this excellent piece:
The NSS That Could Destroy the NATO Alliance
The latest U.S. National Security Strategy doesn’t just sideline Europe—it seeks to reshape its politics, backing nationalist parties and challenging the European Union in ways that could push the tra...
www.csis.org
December 8, 2025 at 10:19 AM
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The calls from America this weekend to "abolish the EU" are for one simple reason: the EU is the only thing that can keep European nation-states from becoming Russian or American vassals.
The US has declared rhetorical war on the EU
The calls from America this weekend to destroy the EU are revealing. They hate the union because it's the only thing that can keep European countries from being Russian or American vassals.
davekeating.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:05 AM
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Former Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood: "The more we bow to Trump, the more we are taken for granted and the more he wields American power to divide us. Yet so normalised has our behaviour become, state visits to the Oval Office now resemble scenes from The Godfather." ~AA
December 8, 2025 at 10:45 AM
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Freedom of Movement isn’t really about immigration anyway. It’s mutual mobility in a finite area with a finite population. It is subject to conditions.

It’s redefining what home means
December 8, 2025 at 5:46 AM
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"In the ashes of war... Europe pulled together to create collaborative bodies designed to prevent a repeat of the horrors of Nazi Germany.

One such body was the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)."
Remembrance: 75 years of the ECHR
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) celebrates its 75th birthday this month – like all elders, it has a lifetime of wisdom to share
yorkshirebylines.co.uk
December 3, 2025 at 8:39 PM
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Transcript from the EU‑Zelensky call: German Chancellor Merz warned Zelensky that US negotiators are “playing games.” French President Macron warned the U.S. might betray Ukraine on territorial issues. Finland’s Stubb and NATO’s Rutte joined in: “We can’t leave Ukraine alone with these guys.”
December 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
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And nothing from Starmer on this 👇

bsky.app/profile/cati...
Friend of mine (EU citizen) has son studying (for free) in an university in Prague

The son just won a 2 months internship over the summer in Athens and gets a top up of €2,000 from Erasmus as part of the EU youth mobility initiative.

Incredible how many opportunities the British youth are missing.
December 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM
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👏🏽"We must all now confront the reality that the Brexit deal significantly hurt our economy. We have to keep reducing frictions. We have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU. And we have to be grown up about it. To accept that it will require trade-offs."👏🏽

Music to my ears. ~AA
December 1, 2025 at 12:55 PM
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1. Steve Witkoff, Trump's top negotiator for a peace deal in Ukraine, has an active financial partnership with Len Blavatnik, a billionaire sanctioned by the Ukrainian government. Witkoff and Blavatnik are co-developing ultra-luxury condos in NYC, a Popular Information investigation reveals.
Top Trump negotiator retains partnership with Ukraine-sanctioned billionaire
Steve Witkoff coached a top Putin aide on managing Trump and created a peace plan that mirrored Russian demands
popular.info
December 1, 2025 at 2:10 PM
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Really bad news. And completely irresponsible given where we are.
Can’t decide who this is worse for, the EU or the UK. But the real looser, of course, is European defence. So all of us.

on.ft.com/4pb0xP6
UK talks to join EU defence fund break down
UK talks to join EU defence fund break down
Discussions fail after Britain refuses to pay billions of euros in fees
on.ft.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:07 AM
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Can't believe there weren't budget lines called "woke nonsense" and "free stuff for scary immigrants" they could cut to fully fund the rest of government.
Reform UK went into Durham Council promising to find huge savings. They have managed to GROW the authority's deficit by over £11m *in the last two months*.

Grimes recommends “serious consideration” to increasing council tax “by the maximum 5%.” ~AA

northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform cabinet backs £10mn cuts to start filling Durham’s growing black hole
Reform is now learning that running a big council is not as easy as it probably thought
northeastbylines.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 10:20 AM
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Did you know.....
December 1, 2025 at 10:22 AM