George Orwell × Raoul Peck: 2×-2 = -4 • russian desk This article on the film by internationally renowned Haitian director Raoul Peck, George Orwell: 2+2=5, is a profound reflection not only on the film’s

Raoul Peck dilutes Orwellian thought into a muddle

—by stripping away what constitutes its very heart

—by drawing on its formulas and applying them like ink stamps to current events

—by treating Orwell’s work as a “toolbox”

A review by Pierre Raiman ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/11/g...

Why Die for Hormuz? • russian desk Were the United States and Israel wrong not to have warned their European allies of the outbreak of war against Iran? Were the Europeans right not to want to

Force is not in itself hostile to the law, argues Pierre Rigoulot.

We should ensure that force serves the rule of law and the defense of a society that respects human rights—matters about which the Islamic Republic of Iran could not care less. ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/11/w...

It’s One or the Other… • russian desk It’s one of two things: either the United States and Israel have painted themselves into a corner with their war against Iran, or this war was necessary, and

Those who take perverse pleasure in the prospect of an American defeat seem to ignore the ruinous consequences of such a defeat—for the Iranian regime was born to seize hegemony over the Muslim world and bring down the West.

— By Philippe de Lara ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/10/i...

From the Arabian Gulf to Ukraine: The Russian-Iranian Alliance and the West’s Geopolitical Double Vision in a World at War • russian desk From the Persian Gulf to Ukraine, the Russian-Iranian alliance—with China as a backdrop—is a powerful reality. Yet it remains underestimated on both sides of

Under the pretext that it is not equivalent to NATO, the Russian-Iranian alliance is said not to exist.

Why are we so timid in the way we describe and categorize reality? ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/10/f...

George Orwell × Raoul Peck: 2×-2 = -4 • russian desk This article on the film by internationally renowned Haitian director Raoul Peck, George Orwell: 2+2=5, is a profound reflection not only on the film’s

Orwell: 2+2=5

Or How to Dissolve Totalitarianism in Images Through a Critique of the Western World

— By Pierre Raiman ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/11/g...

Why Die for Hormuz? • russian desk Were the United States and Israel wrong not to have warned their European allies of the outbreak of war against Iran? Were the Europeans right not to want to

Were the Europeans right not to want to participate in the defense of the Strait of Hormuz?

Column by Pierre Rigoulot ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/11/w...

It’s One or the Other… • russian desk It’s one of two things: either the United States and Israel have painted themselves into a corner with their war against Iran, or this war was necessary, and

It’s one of two things: either the U.S. and Israel have painted themselves into a corner with their war against Iran, or this war was necessary, and we must hope that it leads to an outcome favorable to the U.S., Israel, and the entire Western world. ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/10/i...

A Look at Hungary • russian desk Orbán's Hungary is at the crossroads of Trumpism, Putinism, Sinophilia, and even Pan-Turanism. Will voters place their trust in other political forces?

Since 2010, Hungary has served as a bridgehead for Russia in Europe.

Where does Viktor Orbán’s Eurasian diplomacy stem from? ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/a...

Should we view Donald Trump’s geopolitical double-dealing as a variation on “Nixon in reverse”?

Russia provides multifaceted aid to the Iranian Islamic regime but escapes the president’s wrath.

By French geopolitics expert Jean-Sylvestre Mongrenier ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/04/10/f...

Hundreds of complaints filed by U.S. soldiers allege that the war against Iran was presented to them by their officers as a biblical prophecy intended to hasten the return of Jesus Christ.

“How Eschatology Wreaks Havoc in the U.S. and Russia”, read here ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/24/h...

Systema Clubs and Their Extensions: ‘Sleeper Cells’ and Russian Networks of Influence • russian desk Over the past twenty years, the combat technique known as “Systema” (Система, “System”) has rapidly spread beyond Russia. Former KGB agents now in power are

‘Systema’ clubs are creating a fifth column in Western democracies.

French geopolitics expert Johan Le Nabat has investigated into how they target and train future Russian agents ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/24/s...

#Nuremgrad

See You in ‘Nuremgrad’: Russian Guilt and European Debts • russian desk For a "Nuremgrad trial" to take place, the collapse of the Putin regime will first be necessary. But this trial cannot be limited to judging criminals.

Bucha.
The ICC warrants.
Europe knows.

But it converts this knowledge into a calendar—summits, caution, processes.

The fog does not envelop only Moscow; it has reached our capitals in the form of weariness, which takes on the air of inevitability. ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/s...

Winston Churchill’s Fulton Speech “The Sinews of Peace” and Today’s World • russian desk To mark the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s famous Fulton speech, the French Chapter of the International Churchill Society and Le Grand Continent

“Ukraine is paying the immense, immeasurable price of our timidity.

Neither Europeans nor Americans have a clear idea of our objectives in this war.”

— Galia Ackerman’s tribute to Winston Churchill ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/w...

How Eschatology Wreaks Havoc in the United States and Russia • russian desk Beyond the establishment of a “vertical of power,” beyond the dominant influence of oligarchs close to the presidential clan, beyond corruption, nepotism, and

55% of American adults believe in the return of Christ.

The U.S. is converging with Russia on another essential point: the hold of eschatological visions on the ideology of the ruling circles.

An essay by French historian Françoise Thom ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/24/h...

Thank you for contributing to the discussion 🤝

Late 1996, in Berlin, I followed a six months self-defence course (a couple sessions a week) taught by an obviously ex-military instructor. Informal, very loose, emphasis on speed - this article rings bells... I never suspected. My medieval armoured bashing acquaintances were always suspect though !

Systema Clubs and Their Extensions: ‘Sleeper Cells’ and Russian Networks of Influence • russian desk Over the past twenty years, the combat technique known as “Systema” (Система, “System”) has rapidly spread beyond Russia. Former KGB agents now in power are

Ever heard of “Systema”?

These fight clubs linked to the FSB and GRU are present overwhelmingly in Europe and North America.

In Germany, for example, 63 clubs were recorded in 2017, supervised by 250 to 300 GRU agents—an average of 4 agents per club. ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/24/s...

Article also published in English:

bsky.app/profile/desk...

How Eschatology Wreaks Havoc in the United States and Russia • russian desk Beyond the establishment of a “vertical of power,” beyond the dominant influence of oligarchs close to the presidential clan, beyond corruption, nepotism, and

Well now, this was an interesting read.
One takeaway might be Thiel=Dugin but no spoilers.
Thanks @deskrussia.bsky.social

Thank you for sharing Françoise Thom’s article!

It's THE debt.

See You in ‘Nuremgrad’: Russian Guilt and European Debts • russian desk For a "Nuremgrad trial" to take place, the collapse of the Putin regime will first be necessary. But this trial cannot be limited to judging criminals.

Speaking of “aid” to Kyiv is a mistake.
It is a debt we Europeans owe the Ukrainians.
Our collective guilt grows heavier every day.

An essay by French historian Pierre Raiman ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/s...

Thank you!

"In fact, neither Europeans nor Americans have a clear idea of our objectives in this war, and Ukraine is paying the immense, immeasurable price of our timidity." 💯
Remarkable analysis ⤵️

Winston Churchill’s Fulton Speech “The Sinews of Peace” and Today’s World • russian desk To mark the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s famous Fulton speech, the French Chapter of the International Churchill Society and Le Grand Continent

“The ‘fifth columns’ Churchill spoke of are no longer driven by communist ideals, but they are more active than ever in our countries.”

Galia Ackerman’s speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s famous Fulton speech ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/w...

A Look at Hungary • russian desk Orbán's Hungary is at the crossroads of Trumpism, Putinism, Sinophilia, and even Pan-Turanism. Will voters place their trust in other political forces?

One is led to question the European identity of Hungary, that cultivates relations with Russia, China, and Turkey.

A brief look back at the history of modern Hungary, by Jean-Sylvestre Mongrenier ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2026/03/23/a...

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Negotiations: The Enduring Moscow–Tehran Axis • russian desk Seven years after Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), the unpredictable U.S. president

There are many links between Russia and Iran, explains geopolitics expert J.-S. Mongrenier, but the plan for a North-South corridor (Baltic Sea to Persian Gulf) seems particularly significant and aims to shake up the geopolitics of global trade routes ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2025/04/27/u...

"Dividing up the theaters of action".

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Negotiations: The Enduring Moscow–Tehran Axis • russian desk Seven years after Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), the unpredictable U.S. president

The game played by Russia and Iran, like that of China and North Korea, consists of lending each other a helping hand and dividing up the theaters of action in order to put pressure on U.S. alliances.

“The Enduring Moscow–Tehran Axis”, by Jean-Sylvestre Mongrenier ⤵️
desk-russie.info/2025/04/27/u...