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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 6d

As I said last week - there will be a lot of veto activity before anything is possible on EU membership, so it will be up to bilateral relations with Ukraine and Moldova to help wherever other supportive states can. But it will be difficult.

The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 6d

🇳🇱❗️🇺🇦🇲🇩 The Netherlands is against proposal, which would allow Ukraine and Moldova to open the first chapter of the negotiations on accession to the EU, bypassing the Hungarian veto, — Dutch PM

The Netherlands refuses to change the principle of unanimity for the opening of the negotiating blocs.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 8d

The idea that everyone in the military must meet 'the highest male standards' echos the approach of Montgomery taking over 8th Army and Slim with 14th Army in 2WW. But that was when the military was a much simpler animal. There is only room for so much Bruce Willis now.
bsky.app/profile/mike...

Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 8d

I can't imagine this speech has gone down well with hundreds of experienced senior officers - patronising & insulting by turns. It stressed all the most obvious military points that they will have conveyed to their novice officers and cadets dozens of times. So ill-judged.
bsky.app/profile/mili...

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 8d

❗️🇺🇸Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth: We have the strongest, deadliest, and most well-prepared military on the planet.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 8d

I can't imagine this speech has gone down well with hundreds of experienced senior officers - patronising & insulting by turns. It stressed all the most obvious military points that they will have conveyed to their novice officers and cadets dozens of times. So ill-judged.
bsky.app/profile/mili...

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 8d

❗️🇺🇸Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth: We have the strongest, deadliest, and most well-prepared military on the planet.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 9d

It will be a long road to EU membership and Budapest and Bratislava will both try to veto any progress on behalf of Putin. But Romania has a natural inerest in helping Moldova develop and a lot can be done bilaterally by many European states.
bsky.app/profile/theg...

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 9d

The pro-European party won Moldova’s election but obstacles to join the EU remain

Russia’s campaign to amplify societal distrust continues as membership talks have stalled

www.theguardian.com

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 9d

Congratulations to the brave Maia Sandu and the PAS in Moldova on their convincing election win, despite a really big Kremlin campaign to get their clients back into government in Chisinau. A small piece of good news in the big picture of liberal democracy under terminal threat during our lifetime.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · 19d

All over the world, governments have taken to branding everything they don't like as 'terrorist' because most of the legal restraints come off in the pursuit of 'counter-terrorism'. It's the sad, long term consequence of US stupidity after 9/11 in 2001 in creating a 'war on terror'. They all do it.

Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social · 19d

Illegitimate Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili called the daily peaceful protesters a "terrorist group."

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Sep 8

Most Russian refineries produce a range of oil products, including both gasoline and diesel, so in theory the Russians could run short of diesel, BUT the gasoline domestic market is much greater and more complex so is affected first. And even if diesel were short, the military will still get it.

ukrainew1n.bsky.social @ukrainew1n.bsky.social · Sep 5

@mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social
Professor noted you said on Sky news that Ukraine strikes on refinery's won't really effect Russian army as they run on diesel. Is there a way for Ukraine to hit diesel production.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 29

Yes. 30 a month at present, but hoping to move to 200 a month by the end of the year and then many more after that. BUT, they still need more western components, more cash for expansion, and need to disperse the production centres to protect them from Russian attacks.

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · Aug 29

🦾 Flamingo missile with a range of 3,000 km is already in mass production in Ukraine, — The Economist

‼️ The publication writes that one missile will be produced per day.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 27

If only.......

24Hours Ukraine @24hoursukraine.bsky.social · Aug 27

☕️If you’d like to support me, I’d be truly grateful. Every coffee you buy helps us keep going.

You can contribute any amount here: buymeacoffee.com/24HoursUkraine

Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 23

At least one aspect of Russian barbarity - and this is open and shut genocidal policy - seems to be getting through to the US mainstream. Though I doubt it will make any difference to White House thinking.

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · Aug 22

One of the most terrible crimes of Russia’s terrible war.
www.newsweek.com/president-pu...

President Putin Must Return Ukraine's Children | Opinion

Ukraine can rebuild its cities, its infrastructure, and its economy. What it cannot do is reclaim the lives lost or undo the profound scars left on its youngest generation.

www.newsweek.com

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 21

All discussions about a Ukraine peace deal and western 'reassurance forces' etc are gesture politics ahead of Trump's failure to close a deal. The European intention is to stay close to US while it zig-zags out of the war, because it matters to future fighting who Trump will blame for his failure.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 16

Interesting that this man was a 100% MAGA sceptic about Ukraine a few months ago. But to his credit, he has investigated the reality of the war and had the honesty to change his opinion on it. Whether it influences Trump is, of course, another matter.

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · Aug 16

❗️Trump's spiritual pastor, Mark Burns, gave a restrained critique of him after his meeting with Putin:

"This is not a time for empty gestures. This is a time for bold leadership. Peace is not achieved by silencing victims or rewarding the aggressor. It is achieved by standing firm on principles."

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Reposted by Michael Clarke

Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social · Aug 15

Day 261 of #GeorgiaProtests

Today, protesters are having a Ukrainian march in support of Ukraine at the Alaska talks.

Georgian, Ukrainian, and American flags are seen.

"Victory to Ukraine! Victory to Georgia! Down with Russia's rotten Empire!"

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Reposted by Michael Clarke

Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social · Aug 15

Seems like soon the regime will begin jailing CSO representatives.

By the way, where's all that financial aid promised to them by the EU?..

Publika.ge @publikage.bsky.social · Aug 15

1/ 6 civil society organisations say they received another letter from Anti-Corruption Bureau on August 11 accusing them of violating Georgian Dream’s ‘FARA’.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 10

That's the general idea. Another Trump 'deadline' passes with his fierce threats replaced yet again by another huge diplomatic win, presented on a plate, to Putin. The Russians can hardly believe their luck having such a massive man-child in the White House just now.

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · Aug 9

❗️Putin is likely deliberately offering an unacceptable offer to Ukraine in order to delay sanctions as well as meaningful ceasefire talks and to blame Ukraine for the failure of the talks, — Institute for the Study of War

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Aug 3

If I were a more cynical person I might have thought that Trump's nonsensical nuclear submarine announcement served to distract attention from something else - like labour statistics, or Epstein files. Here is the non-event explained.
www.thetimes.com/article/69bc...

Why did Trump move his best nuclear deterrent? Not for strategic gain

The US president says he has deployed submarines closer to Russia — but this would only make the boats more vulnerable to attack

www.thetimes.com

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jul 11

GAZA And if you are also wondering about 'collective punishment' - that is also illegal under Art 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention (1949) and its Additional Protocol I (1977) Art 75(2)(d) & Additional Protocol II (1977) Art 4(2)(b). Also in Hague Regulation (1907), Art 50. Also in ICC Articles 7 & 8.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jul 11

GAZA In case you were wondering, the legal provision against the forceable transfer of a population is in 4th Geneva Convention (1949) Art. 49. Also in Customary Human Rights Law, Rule 129(A) and 130. Also in International Criminal Court Statutes (1998), Art 7(1)(d) and Art 8(2)(e)(vii). Choose any.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 27

US says the tariffs deal with China guarantees that critical magnets will still be available after rare earths agreement. White House suddenly found that China can coerce them more effectively with rare earths than they can coerce China with tariffs. An interesting lesson for the Trump world view.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 25

The NATO Summit is a Trump-fest; a massive damage limitation exercise aiming to keep him in the room for long enough to hear what they all have to say about meeting (eventually / maybe / sort of) a 5%GDP defence spending pledge. Only item on the agenda, in effect.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 12

Was up on Rustavili Ave yesterday. Congratulation to all of you who are keeping this flame alive amid constant arrests and repression. I know a good proportion of the population support what you are doing, even if they are not on Rustaveli Ave every night - (they have families to protect etc.)

Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social · Jun 12

Tbilisi now, Day 197 of uninterrupted #GeorgiaProtests

"F Russia! F the Georgian Dream!" ✊🏻

A tent is now there too, by the way.

📷 Giorgi Zhamerashvili

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 8

No wonder satire is dying - you just can't make anything up that's more absurd than these chatacters' reality bubbles. (I'm assuming this is not a fake or a manipulated exchange, but then Lutnick IS like this.)

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · Jun 8

— Senator: Americans love bananas. What is the tariff on bananas?
— US Commerce Secretary Lutnick: 10%+.
— Senator: Walmart has already increased price of bananas by 8%.
— Lutnick: If you make the product in US, there will be no tariff!
— Dean: We can’t grow bananas in US. Bananas don’t grow here.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 8

People keep asking me when my 2024 book will be re-issued after first printing. It is available now from Pen & Sword or on Amazon at a discounted £22.63. I am currently writing a follow-up, provisionally titled 'British Women of Command'.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 7

The ridiculous Tulsi Gabbard (Trump's Dir Nat Intell) told Senate this week US intell "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” Like Trump, she lives in her own reality. Amazing.

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Michael Clarke @mikeclarke2020s.bsky.social · Jun 3

Gaza. I've been arguing endlessly that 'genocide' charges against the IDF don't meet the necessarily high thresholdld for that charge. Lord Sumption tonight put it exactly right, I think - that since 16 May Israeli tactics and statements are pushing up to that threshold - they're getting close. Yes.

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