Tim Benbow
@timbenbow.bsky.social
Professor of Strategic Studies, King's College London
My research focusses on UK naval strategy and naval history in the Second World War and Cold War.
My research focusses on UK naval strategy and naval history in the Second World War and Cold War.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
The only reason the Minsk agreements were needed was cos Russia wouldn't follow
UN Charter 45
Nuclear NPT 70
Helsinki Accords 75
Paris Charter 90
Belovezha Accords 92
Budapest Memo 94
Black Sea Fleet Treaty 97
Friendship Treaty 98
Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait ‘03
Karkiv pact 10
And others.
UN Charter 45
Nuclear NPT 70
Helsinki Accords 75
Paris Charter 90
Belovezha Accords 92
Budapest Memo 94
Black Sea Fleet Treaty 97
Friendship Treaty 98
Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait ‘03
Karkiv pact 10
And others.
And remember the Minsk agreements made Russia promise to respect borders
OTD in 2009 Russia reaffirmed commitment to the Budapest Memorandum signed 15 years previously.
Which is why you can trust us on the "peace deal" now proposed.
Which is why you can trust us on the "peace deal" now proposed.
December 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The only reason the Minsk agreements were needed was cos Russia wouldn't follow
UN Charter 45
Nuclear NPT 70
Helsinki Accords 75
Paris Charter 90
Belovezha Accords 92
Budapest Memo 94
Black Sea Fleet Treaty 97
Friendship Treaty 98
Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait ‘03
Karkiv pact 10
And others.
UN Charter 45
Nuclear NPT 70
Helsinki Accords 75
Paris Charter 90
Belovezha Accords 92
Budapest Memo 94
Black Sea Fleet Treaty 97
Friendship Treaty 98
Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait ‘03
Karkiv pact 10
And others.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
OTD in 1918 USSR invaded Latvia. This is how Russia became the world's largest country. We keep peacefully attacking our neighbours.
December 1, 2025 at 11:21 AM
OTD in 1918 USSR invaded Latvia. This is how Russia became the world's largest country. We keep peacefully attacking our neighbours.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Jeebus... I knew none of this...
The Real-Life Hunt For Red October Happened 50 Years Ago www.twz.com/sea/the-real...
The Real-Life Hunt For Red October Happened 50 Years Ago www.twz.com/sea/the-real...
The Real-Life Hunt For Red October Happened 50 Years Ago
The mutiny aboard a Soviet warship in November 1975 led to a chase across the Baltic Sea, involving nuclear-armed bombers.
www.twz.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Jeebus... I knew none of this...
The Real-Life Hunt For Red October Happened 50 Years Ago www.twz.com/sea/the-real...
The Real-Life Hunt For Red October Happened 50 Years Ago www.twz.com/sea/the-real...
Reposted by Tim Benbow
I’m pleased to share that the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre has now evolved into the Naval Staff Research Team, strengthening alignment between academia and Royal Navy priorities. Our role remains clear: to strengthen the Navy’s thinking edge. Different name. Same mission. Sharper intent.
November 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I’m pleased to share that the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre has now evolved into the Naval Staff Research Team, strengthening alignment between academia and Royal Navy priorities. Our role remains clear: to strengthen the Navy’s thinking edge. Different name. Same mission. Sharper intent.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Not wanting to disappoint you so much that it lies is the last quality I want in a computer.
November 28, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Not wanting to disappoint you so much that it lies is the last quality I want in a computer.
I have written a post for the Department's research blog on my recent article (available open access - link in the blog) on the Madagascar campaign:
www.kcl.ac.uk/the-british-...
@dsdkings.bsky.social
www.kcl.ac.uk/the-british-...
@dsdkings.bsky.social
The British invasion of Madagascar, 1942: an unsung success that…
The British invasion of Madagascar in 1942 gets little attention. Yet it presents interesting aspects in terms of broad national strategy; the design and conduct of military operations; and the…
www.kcl.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I have written a post for the Department's research blog on my recent article (available open access - link in the blog) on the Madagascar campaign:
www.kcl.ac.uk/the-british-...
@dsdkings.bsky.social
www.kcl.ac.uk/the-british-...
@dsdkings.bsky.social
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 26, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Fellows of the Royal Historical Society are historians working in a wide range of sectors (in and beyond education) in the UK and worldwide.
We've a new guide about becoming a Fellow: bit.ly/48iH0oG If you'd like to join a 4000+ community of historians, please consider an application #Skystorians
We've a new guide about becoming a Fellow: bit.ly/48iH0oG If you'd like to join a 4000+ community of historians, please consider an application #Skystorians
November 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Fellows of the Royal Historical Society are historians working in a wide range of sectors (in and beyond education) in the UK and worldwide.
We've a new guide about becoming a Fellow: bit.ly/48iH0oG If you'd like to join a 4000+ community of historians, please consider an application #Skystorians
We've a new guide about becoming a Fellow: bit.ly/48iH0oG If you'd like to join a 4000+ community of historians, please consider an application #Skystorians
Reposted by Tim Benbow
"Unfortunately, due to a terrible miscalculation of scale, the entire 28-point peace plan was eaten by a small dog."
November 23, 2025 at 12:14 AM
"Unfortunately, due to a terrible miscalculation of scale, the entire 28-point peace plan was eaten by a small dog."
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Donald is the first person in history to think he'll win a Nobel Peace Prize by siding with the invader.
November 22, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Donald is the first person in history to think he'll win a Nobel Peace Prize by siding with the invader.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Today is 92nd anniversary of Holodomor. Soviet Russia inflicted a man made famine on Ukraine that killed millions. Today we are trying to wipe the country off the map.
The only difference is the USA is on our side now.
The only difference is the USA is on our side now.
November 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Today is 92nd anniversary of Holodomor. Soviet Russia inflicted a man made famine on Ukraine that killed millions. Today we are trying to wipe the country off the map.
The only difference is the USA is on our side now.
The only difference is the USA is on our side now.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Btw, I do hope people understand what they have seen today. It was a well-planned and deliberate ambush of Ukraine by Trump, to force the Ukrainians to bend the knee to Putin's dictatorship. It was not slip-shod, rushed, impulsive or an accident. It was prepared malice.
November 22, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Btw, I do hope people understand what they have seen today. It was a well-planned and deliberate ambush of Ukraine by Trump, to force the Ukrainians to bend the knee to Putin's dictatorship. It was not slip-shod, rushed, impulsive or an accident. It was prepared malice.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
I already have a counterproposal:
Russia pulls forces/proxies out of Ukraine—all of it—and removes offensive weapons from regions bordering Ukraine.
Pays for all war damage—and reconstruction.
All Russians engaged in war crimes stand trial.
And Ukraine can join any alliance it damn well pleases.
Russia pulls forces/proxies out of Ukraine—all of it—and removes offensive weapons from regions bordering Ukraine.
Pays for all war damage—and reconstruction.
All Russians engaged in war crimes stand trial.
And Ukraine can join any alliance it damn well pleases.
November 21, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I already have a counterproposal:
Russia pulls forces/proxies out of Ukraine—all of it—and removes offensive weapons from regions bordering Ukraine.
Pays for all war damage—and reconstruction.
All Russians engaged in war crimes stand trial.
And Ukraine can join any alliance it damn well pleases.
Russia pulls forces/proxies out of Ukraine—all of it—and removes offensive weapons from regions bordering Ukraine.
Pays for all war damage—and reconstruction.
All Russians engaged in war crimes stand trial.
And Ukraine can join any alliance it damn well pleases.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Trump is so weak he’s letting Putin push him around, and cutting Ukraine out of its own future.
This “deal” hands Moscow everything it wants. That’s not peace. It’s Trump surrendering to Putin. Pathetic.
apnews.com/article/russ...
This “deal” hands Moscow everything it wants. That’s not peace. It’s Trump surrendering to Putin. Pathetic.
apnews.com/article/russ...
Ukraine would cede territory to Russia in draft of Trump peace plan obtained by AP
President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede territory to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv’s military, according to a draft proposal obtained by The Associated Press.
apnews.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Trump is so weak he’s letting Putin push him around, and cutting Ukraine out of its own future.
This “deal” hands Moscow everything it wants. That’s not peace. It’s Trump surrendering to Putin. Pathetic.
apnews.com/article/russ...
This “deal” hands Moscow everything it wants. That’s not peace. It’s Trump surrendering to Putin. Pathetic.
apnews.com/article/russ...
Reposted by Tim Benbow
It’s not a “peace proposal”. It’s an aggressor’s charter, with the US facilitating the demands of the invader.
It’s very surprising that some people are still calling the Trump peace plan the Witkoff plan. Nothing could be further from the truth. The White House has come out and claimed the plan for its own and said it wants it implemented. www.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
Trump’s 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine would require land concessions and military reduction | CNN Politics
A new Trump administration plan for the end of the war in Ukraine would see Kyiv cede territory to Russia, US “de facto” recognition of Crimea and other Ukrainian territory forcibly seized by the Krem...
www.cnn.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:26 PM
It’s not a “peace proposal”. It’s an aggressor’s charter, with the US facilitating the demands of the invader.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
The Guardian points out that the document Trump is forcing Ukraine to sign was highly likely to have been written in Russian by a Russian. Then translated in a way not natural for a native English speaker.
Agent Orange is literally on the verge of doing Putin's work and killing a free nation.
Agent Orange is literally on the verge of doing Putin's work and killing a free nation.
November 21, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The Guardian points out that the document Trump is forcing Ukraine to sign was highly likely to have been written in Russian by a Russian. Then translated in a way not natural for a native English speaker.
Agent Orange is literally on the verge of doing Putin's work and killing a free nation.
Agent Orange is literally on the verge of doing Putin's work and killing a free nation.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
In honour of today's Feast Day of #SaintBarbara - the patron saint of military engineers and artillerymen - please enjoy this clip, in which a British sapper dynamites a building on Spitsbergen in August 1941. 🧨💥
Film: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
Film: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
December 4, 2024 at 10:51 AM
In honour of today's Feast Day of #SaintBarbara - the patron saint of military engineers and artillerymen - please enjoy this clip, in which a British sapper dynamites a building on Spitsbergen in August 1941. 🧨💥
Film: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
Film: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
Reposted by Tim Benbow
I’d be very surprised if this leads to anything at all. Latest effort by Witkoff to bounce administration to bounce Ukraine into a deal they won’t accept.
Seems to be what TASS is saying too...
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
As if the Kremlin has been taken by surprise by Witkoff's "deal."
Very odd. /1
November 19, 2025 at 8:08 PM
I’d be very surprised if this leads to anything at all. Latest effort by Witkoff to bounce administration to bounce Ukraine into a deal they won’t accept.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
If there is a negotiated deal here somewhere - and I don't think there is - it almost certainly would take the form of land-for-security: Ukraine gets an army and EU membership in exchange for giving up the Donbass to Russia.
But 'land for fuck you, that's what' is not a deal and has never been.
But 'land for fuck you, that's what' is not a deal and has never been.
November 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
If there is a negotiated deal here somewhere - and I don't think there is - it almost certainly would take the form of land-for-security: Ukraine gets an army and EU membership in exchange for giving up the Donbass to Russia.
But 'land for fuck you, that's what' is not a deal and has never been.
But 'land for fuck you, that's what' is not a deal and has never been.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
What security concerns. Russia illegally invaded a sovereign nation, it occupied parts of a sovereign nation. Tankies scream NATO but conveniently ignore how Ukraine was not in NATO and not likely to be. There are no security concerns, just Russian imperialist aggression.
3/ Dmitriev says that the plan will "address the Ukraine conflict, but also how to restore US-Russia ties [and] address Russia's security concerns."
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
What security concerns. Russia illegally invaded a sovereign nation, it occupied parts of a sovereign nation. Tankies scream NATO but conveniently ignore how Ukraine was not in NATO and not likely to be. There are no security concerns, just Russian imperialist aggression.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
As NATO is so aggressive, we have moved our border guards from where NATO *is* on our Estonian border, and sent them to die in Ukraine, where NATO *is not*
November 16, 2025 at 12:18 PM
As NATO is so aggressive, we have moved our border guards from where NATO *is* on our Estonian border, and sent them to die in Ukraine, where NATO *is not*
Reposted by Tim Benbow
Basically, just because battleships weren't fighting doesn't mean they weren't achieving the purpose of building them. And sure, eventually they came up against a new technology that made them obsolete - but so did the spear.
November 14, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Basically, just because battleships weren't fighting doesn't mean they weren't achieving the purpose of building them. And sure, eventually they came up against a new technology that made them obsolete - but so did the spear.
Reposted by Tim Benbow
We always thought this was just a sock...
November 13, 2025 at 10:42 AM
We always thought this was just a sock...