It is why one can never back Trump and support Ukraine. If you back Trump, you are and have always been an enemy of Ukrainian independence and freedom.

First tanker makes it out of Hormuz amid US blockade and it's a Chinese ship The Rich Starry, a vessel owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping, is subject to U.S. sanctions over its role in Iran's oil trade.

Trump’s blockade is getting an immediate test. A Chinese tanker has cleared the Strait of Hormuz. Will the US seize it? If the US does, is that an act of war? If it doesn’t, does the blockade collapse? This is a scary moment.

www.newsweek.com/first-chines...

The pope has a now having a chance to do a hilarious thing and invite Trump to a reconciliation summit in Canossa, Italy.

US already making major concessions to Iran in the talks. What a fiasco this war has been.

Sergey @radchenko.bsky.social has demonstrated that with sufficient time and energy, and willingness to bear the psychological and emotional toll, it is possible for Russians to dissociate themselves from their motherland and its actions. This story indicts those Russians who still refuse to do so.

Midweek Update #5; This Is No TACO: This Is Complete US Strategic Failure Trump Agrees To Iran's Victory Conditions

Just sent out this free midweek update. This was no ordinary Trump TACO, this was Trump accepting Iran's victory conditions as the basis of negotiations. It looks likely that Iran will emerge stronger from this war than before; a total US strategic failure. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Here is Ali Ansari, author of Iran (Polity Histories), w/ @willdalrymple.bsky.social youtu.be/Jyg2smTPgkw

In this podcast he argued that true regime change in Iran can really only come from within, say by having a referendum.

Trump's strategic failure means that that will likely never happen.

Kick the U.S. out of NATO, close European bases for American troops, close the air space too. Now lets see who will come crying.

If this is the case and it holds then its a quite astonishing strategic loss by the US and Israel - and hugely empowers Iran in the longer term.

We're way beyond Suez in terms of total fuck up. Proof of the limits of hard power.

Oh great. The US President is now back to publicly threatening to commit terrible war crimes because he started a war he did not understand.
He should be in prison for this. Attacking desalinization plants could spiral into a regional catastrophe.

A flight of French and Polish Rafale and F-16 fighter jets above a NATO flag during the opening of the exhibition “Powerful because we are united”, dedicated to the 19th anniversary of Lithuania’s 2004 accession to NATO (OTD 22 years ago), in the bastion of the Vilnius defensive wall on March 29, 2023 (OTD 3 years ago) in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

In this 8th Debunk of the Day, we’ll discuss complaints about US financing of NATO, in particular how the US allegedly pays for European defense, leading to calls for a US withdrawal from the Alliance — which would only make it easier for Putin to invade more countries.

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Watching Trump teeter on the edge of blowing up the world economy because of a combination of hubris, strategic incoherence, mendacity and outright stupidity, might be the most extraordinarily depressing thing I have observed in my entire life, or read about in any other period.

Baltic Sea is about to welcome false flagged tanker GRIF 9332028 heading for Russia.

She is 19 years old and was last inspected by Russia in 2024 with deficiencies in life boats, doors and "dangerous areas".

Sanctioned by EU, UK and Switzerland. Passed inside DK without a hiccup.

Trump and the Putinization of the US Government The Iran Bombing As A Clarifying Moment

Hi all, just sent out this piece. The US bombing of Iran has revealed a great deal already, maybe most worryingly how far down the road to Putinizing the US Government Trump has already walked. We even have the humiliatingly comic shoes to prove it. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

In this second (and possibly last) Basiji Soup, we’ll explore how the Islamic Republic of Iran has prepared for a conflict with the US and Israel. We won’t cover the military aspects, but another kind of war — information warfare.

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In the den of Russian iniquity, where billions flow through to support Russia in it’s war in Ukraine and ground zero for international war criminals:

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Taiwan Arms Sale Approved by Congress Is Delayed as Trump Plans Visit to Beijing

You might have missed this with all the other news happening, but it is Trump giving the Chinese government a massive win and further degrading the value of the US as an ally. This should be a major story. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/u...

Sign of the Times: While Russia's war on Ukraine and the Iran war aren't directly connected, both are symptoms of the breakdown of the "rules-based order." The breakdown started when the West failed to challenge Putin's invasion of Crimea.
It's the rule of the strong from now on, and lots more war.

I think Iranians got fucked over by the U.S. just like Ukrainians. Putin called Trump and asked him to back off. Trump follow his master's orders. Iranians pay the price.

Today the winter Olympics open. Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate under neutral flag.

Picture by Gatis Šļūka

No, The Guardrails Are Not Holding When It Comes To Stopping Corruption The Most Important Guardrail Is Not Even Functioning

Just sent out this. There is a debate about whether the guardrails protecting democratic institutions in the USA are holding. Sadly they are not. When it comes to protecting against corruption, the guardrails no longer seem to exist. It could destroy the US system.

open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

OTD in 2002 Ukraine dismantled its final Tu-160, supersonic heavy bomber.

Having given up nukes, long range ability to threaten Russia and the entire firing chain, Ukraine was subsequently rewarded with invasion, concern and thoughts & prayers.

Terrorism. Would get massive news coverage if it happened anywhere else. But Russia is protected by both media and western governments. God forbid they would call Russia out for its crimes.

No water, no heating, no power, -15 degree weather outside.

It is not on the front pages of your newspapers, but Ukraine is living through a humanitarian disaster right now because of Russian bombardment and the world has barely noticed.

In this 3rd Debunk of the Day, we’ll talk about… “ending” the war by surrendering or ceding territory.

Nearing four years of the 2-day “special military operation”, Russia is desperate to obtain through other means what they failed to conquer on the battlefield.
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Trump is trying to give Russia exactly what they want & call it a ‘peace deal.’ It’s in fact a guarantee for a bigger war.
Donbas is Ukraine’s main line of defense. The region is heavily fortified & holds Russia back from attacking the rest of Ukraine, & from there the EU.

Here is a temperature map (in celsius) of the USA today, during what is being called the "Big Freeze". Ukraine was colder than this basically every day from Jan 5-23. And thanks to the USA helping Putin, the country was starved of heat and power.

US security guarantees under Trump will have zero value. None.

Trump lies constantly & has a decades-long record of breaching contracts. He says he respects no laws beyond his personal ‘morality.’

Ukraine must not cede a single inch to US-RU pressure & Europe must back them up.

Here is a key part of President's Zelensky's address in Davos yesterday. What he says outwardly and implicitly is key. Trump actually hates Europe today, will not change, Europe needs to accept that and look after itself.
Bravo!

Special Counsel Jack Smith in his Opening Remarks: