Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · 8d

"Vladimir Putin on Monday signed legislation withdrawing Russia from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, marking another step in Moscow’s systematic exit from Western institutions since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine."

meduza.io/en/news/2025...

Putin signs law finalizing Russia’s withdrawal from European anti-torture convention — Meduza

Vladimir Putin on Monday signed legislation withdrawing Russia from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, marking another step in Moscow’s systematic exit from Western institutions si...

meduza.io

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · 21d

As Albania makes rapid progress toward EU accession, PM Edi Rama says of the European Union: "This is an empire we want to be part of, an empire of values, rights, and security."

www.eunews.it/en/2025/09/1...

Albania races toward the EU. Rama calls it 'The Empire of Values and Rights'

The socialist premier in Brussels to officially open the fourth negotiation cluster, the fifth in 11 months. Marta Kos: 'Positive change is possible'. Goal remains to close all chapters by 2027

www.eunews.it

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Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 24d

Some personal news:

I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Thread incoming.

substack.com/@karenattiah...

The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced.

I spoke out against hatred and violence in America — and it cost me my job.

substack.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 25

"Contrary to what top US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have suggested as major concessions, Lokker says that there is little evidence that Russia’s stance has changed following Trump’s separate talks with Putin, Zelenskyy, and other European leaders."

bit.ly/467qszZ

Did Putin outplay Trump at Alaska summit? What Russia’s response to peace proposals tells us

As Russia continues to press for its demands to be met for next stage of peace talks while the US looks impatient for Ukraine truce, geopolitics experts say that the post-Alaska summit developments in...

www.firstpost.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · Aug 20

In this morning's newsletter, I wrote about an under-appreciated problem for liberalism — its total failure to cultivate young talent www.vox.com/on-the-right...

How conservatives help their young thinkers — and why liberals don’t

Liberalism has a serious pipeline problem.

www.vox.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Jim Goldgeier @jimgoldgeier.bsky.social · Aug 21

To put it simply: Putin played Trump. Again. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Limits of Trump’s diplomacy clear as Moscow balks at Ukraine plan

Moscow has resisted a Putin-Zelensky summit and security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump claims that the Kremlin’s position has changed, leaving analysts puzzled.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 21

I shared my thoughts with @dgprawna.bsky.social on a potential Zelensky-Putin summit, suggesting that Geneva or Istanbul could be suitable locations for the meeting given the relative neutrality of Switzerland and Turkey in the conflict.

Read here (in Polish): www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/k...

Szczyt Zełenski-Putin. Eksperci wskazują najlepsze miejsce spotkania

Rzym, Genewa, Stambuł, Budapeszt, a nawet Mińsk czy Moskwa – to miasta wymieniane jako możliwe miejsce spotkania prezydentów Ukrainy i Rosji, Wołodymyra Zełenskiego i Władimira Putina, w ramach proces...

www.gazetaprawna.pl

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 20

Interesting move by Trump here -- real pressure from the White House on Budapest to unblock Kyiv's EU accession could make a significant difference. This is one potentially positive outcome of European leaders' visit to Washington on Monday.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

After Putin Call, Trump Rang Orban Over Ukraine EU Membership

US President Donald Trump called Viktor Orban on Monday following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to discuss why the Hungarian prime minister was blocking Ukrai...

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Susie Colbourn @susancolbourn.net · Aug 16

“Putin made it clear that he had not dropped his core demands to ‘resolve the root causes’ of the conflict, which would essentially end Ukraine’s statehood in its current form and roll back Nato’s eastward expansion.”

Putin demanded Ukraine cede Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for freezing rest of front line

Russian president reiterated ‘core demands’ that would undermine Ukraine’s statehood and roll back Nato expansion

www.ft.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 16

Rutte managed to make me lose all respect for him earlier this summer.

Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Steven Everts @sbeverts.bsky.social · Aug 16

Maybe tempting for Europeans to say “it could have been worse” but Alaska still pretty bad:
1. Putin gets red carpet treatment and applause. US/Russia normalised. A win.
2. No ceasefire and no sanctions either. After Trump said he would.
3. Trump back to putting pressure on Ukraine to accept

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 14

“It seems very possible that Obamaworld views Mr. Mamdani differently: not as a threat or a liability, but as a promising figure in a Democratic Party with a pressing need for fresh blood.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/o...

Opinion | Some Democrats Panicked Over Mamdani. Obama Called Him.

www.nytimes.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 8

"Europe’s increased defense spending may please the US and enrich its defense industry, but it risks militarization without genuine autonomy, reinforcing transatlantic dependence rather than fostering European self-sufficiency."

nationalinterest.org/feature/can-...

Can Europe Defend Itself Without US Military Support?

Europe’s increased defense spending may please the US and enrich its defense industry, but it risks militarization without genuine autonomy, reinforcing transatlantic dependence rather than fostering ...

nationalinterest.org

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 8

If Lukashenko truly does decline to run for another term, we should expect Putin to start maneuvering to ensure a pro-Kremlin leader takes his place—especially given Lukashenko's statement this his son Nikolai would not be a successor.

newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/lukashe...

Lukashenko makes statement about his successor and promises not to run in next election

newsukraine.rbc.ua

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 8

"More than a dozen House Democrats have now signed onto a letter urging the Trump administration to recognize a Palestinian state...The lawmakers pointed to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent pledge to recognize the State of Palestine at a UN meeting in September."

bit.ly/47odn6r

Scoop: Gaza is fueling a growing push among Democrats for Palestinian statehood

Over a dozen Democrats signed a letter advocating Palestinian statehood, and one plans to introduce a statehood resolution.

www.axios.com

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Reposted by Nicholas Lokker

Transnational Institute @tninstitute.bsky.social · Aug 7

New poll: People across the world say companies selling weapons, fuel, or heavy machinery to Israel should be held accountable for how those products are used in Gaza.
palenergyembargo.com/news/press-p...

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 6

"Peace research is often grouped with conflict and security studies, and the balance between them is an old source of contention and debate. Yet, at the present moment, it is a real issue that there seems to be so much more of the latter and so relatively little of the former."

bit.ly/45F1TKo

Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

It requires greater engagement from us as a peace research community to show why peace itself is important — indeed, the most important — public good o ...

www.prio.org

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 6

Toward potential realignment on transatlantic Russia policy?

"Brussels and Washington appear to be moving in the same direction, plotting sanctions against Beijing and Delhi, respectively, over their persistent enabling of Moscow throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine."

bit.ly/47fzKeb

Punishing Putin’s enablers India and China

Presented by Mediterranea Saving Humans By SARAH WHEATON with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Contact us on X @NicholasVinocur @swheaton @TimRoss_1 | Listen to Playbook and view in …

bit.ly

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 6

Read the report here: www.cnas.org/publications...

The Axis of Upheaval

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a catalyst for cooperation among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what the authors call the “axis of upheaval.”

www.cnas.org

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 6

As Andrea Kendall-Taylor and I highlighted in our new @cnas.bsky.social report on the Axis of Upheaval, intensifying Russian-Iranian partnership poses a major risk for the future of the nonproliferation regime. This @financialtimes.com coverage vividly illustrates this trend.

on.ft.com/40PdzHT

The covert trip by Iranian nuclear experts to Russia

An Iranian delegation visited Russian scientific institutes that produce dual-use technologies — components with potential applications in nuclear weapons research

on.ft.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 5

"A Moldovan court jailed a pro-Kremlin regional leader on Tuesday for seven years for channelling money from Russia to finance a political party that Moldova says is a front for Russian meddling."

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

Moldovan regional leader jailed for aiding Russian meddling

A Moldovan court jailed a pro-Kremlin regional leader on Tuesday for seven years for channelling money from Russia to finance a political party that Moldova says is a front for Russian meddling.

www.reuters.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 1

Find our full report on the CNAS website here: www.cnas.org/publications...

The Axis of Upheaval

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a catalyst for cooperation among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what the authors call the “axis of upheaval.”

www.cnas.org

Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 1

"For now, the main insight is that the axis of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, while still short of a formal alliance, remains a reality that the US must reckon with."

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 1

Thanks to Andreas Kluth from @opinion.bloomberg.com for covering my new @cnas.bsky.social ky.social report with Andrea Kendall-Taylor on the Axis of Upheaval:
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

The Anti-US Axis Isn’t Dead, Just Resting

Russia, China and North Korea failed to help Iran when it was getting bombed by the US. And yet their four-way coalition lives on and will become more ominous.

www.bloomberg.com

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Nicholas Lokker @nlokker.bsky.social · Aug 1

Read our report here: www.cnas.org/publications...

The Axis of Upheaval

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a catalyst for cooperation among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what the authors call the “axis of upheaval.”

www.cnas.org