Grim read on the seafarers caught up in this.

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

Trump’s lightbulb moment: America needs Europe after all The U.S. is even looking to Ukraine to help its operations against Iran — as Trump rages at Starmer and Sánchez for refusing to back his war.

[Analysis] #Trump’s FAFO moment: #America needs #Europe after all, by @timross1.bsky.social & @elistokols.bsky.social | Politico
www.politico.eu/article/dona...

The centrist establishment is dying in British politics & may be dead already. Labour’s collapse happened in entirely predictable ways. In fact @rewearmouth.bsky.social & I warned Starmer would face this in our 2024 book, Landslide.
It’s happening in France, US, Germany. Gorton is just the start.

Trusting Trump is hard but NATO’s newest member won’t ditch the US yet Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson tells POLITICO that America should not meddle in European democracy, with transatlantic relations in “crisis.”

My interview with Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson: Trump has damaged trust in America, and should keep MAGA out of European politics… (and Europe should work harder for NATO, too).

www.politico.eu/article/ulf-...

2024: can Europe defend itself ALONGSIDE America?

2025: can Europe defend itself WITHOUT America?

2026: can Europe defend itself AGAINST America?

Ukraine’s allies rush to counter Trump’s ‘non-starter’ peace plan Top British and European officials will join high-level talks between the U.S. and Ukraine starting Sunday, after Kyiv’s allies voiced concern at Trump’s proposed deal.

BREAKING: Europeans finally get seats at Trump’s negotiations on Ukraine peace deal, starting tomorrow.

www.politico.eu/article/ukra...

This is so good

Reflections on the Brexit Revolution: 2025-26 Mackenzie-Stuart Lecture YouTube video by Cambridge Law Faculty

I did a lecture on the impact of Brexit on British politics. Watch it here if you're really bored www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqL...

Von der Leyen and Costa fail to cash in on Trump smacking Putin EU chiefs lost some credibility when they failed to get a deal to fund Ukraine using Russian assets. Zelenskyy could lose a lot more.

It’s a 2-minute drive from the Council and the Commission to Bart De Wever’s office. They are on the same Brussels street. Did anyone bother to go to ask him what he really felt about raiding Russian assets?
www.politico.eu/article/eu-l...

How about them assets — making Russia pay for Ukraine

EU Confidential was at the EUCO summit until the wee hours yesterday.

Host @swheatonjourno.bsky.social spoke to @gregsorgi.bsky.social @ziaweise.bsky.social @nicholasvinocur.bsky.social and @timross1.bsky.social on what leaders plan to do about the threat from Putin — and the far right:

‘Israel needs to deliver’: Europe’s private fears over Trump’s plan for Gaza Officials and diplomats are hoping the ceasefire lasts but don’t want to ease the pressure on Israel just yet.

The EU wants influence as well as invoices when it comes to rebuilding Gaza. And European officials are not yet ready to take the pressure off Israel. For one thing, Israel must be held accountable for the civilian deaths, they say. My latest with @politico.eu team: www.politico.eu/article/isra...

EU must lift penalties on Israel now that Gaza ceasefire has begun, envoy says Israel’s new ambassador to the EU tells POLITICO that Europe is not likely to get a seat on Trump’s “board of peace” unless it restores full cooperation with Netanyahu’s government.

Israel wants to reset relations with the EU, the country’s new ambassador in Brussels told me. Now the Trump peace initiative is underway, “there is no reason” for the EU to keep restrictions on cooperation in place or threaten more sanctions, Avi Nir-Feldklein said. www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

Okay then

Google AI still going well. Happy Friday everyone

Happy Friday everyone (except Google AI obviously)

Israel wants peace (with Brussels) Presented by PPC By TIM ROSS with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Tweet @NicholasVinocur @swheaton | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser GOOD MORNING. It’s Wednesday and I’m…

After Ursula von der Leyen calls Israel’s Gaza operation “abhorrent”, the Israeli ambassador to the E.U. tells me Brussels should stop wielding the “stick” if it wants to be “a player” in the Middle East. Interview in Playbook here:

www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...

18 hours in the making of a president: Inside Nicușor Dan’s election win Romania’s new leader told POLITICO how he will approach international affairs and what he will do to rebuild trust in a democracy battered by corruption, economic strife and Russian meddling.

What did Nicușor Dan’s 9-year old daughter tell him when he said he would run for President of Romania? find out in this @politico.com portrait of the common sense candidate who bucked the trend of populism. @timross1.bsky.social @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/nicu...

For Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Victory Day and Europe Day provide a joint lesson for the Age of Trump: Europeans must join forces so they can stand up for themselves.

Today's Brussels Playbook has more: ow.ly/E5J750VP14o

This seagull will be the first living creature to know there's a new Pope outside of the Conclave.

The Romanian mathematician trying to stop Putin and Trump wrecking the West Elon Musk and JD Vance don’t know enough to judge the country’s election crisis, and Trump should be tougher on Putin, says Bucharest Mayor and presidential candidate Nicușor Dan.

Why Romania really matters, and one man’s mission to save it from the cynicism that Putin exploits. Interview with Bucharest mayor and presidential candidate Nicusor Dan. By @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social and me

www.politico.eu/article/roma...

29 times Donald Trump did what Putin wanted Whose side is he on? It’s hard to keep up, so here’s a handy guide to America’s new policy of close alignment with the Kremlin.

There was this one as well, which could do with an update, though the tally might now be too high to count.

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

No problem!
Strange how many media outlets still struggle to see the point, despite lots of evidence.

Trump’s America is Putin’s ally now Europe and Ukraine are learning how little the U.S. cares, as the new president aligns himself with their greatest enemy.

This piece made the point in almost exactly those words: www.politico.eu/article/dona...

UK-EU defense pact really does depend on fish, European minister warns Countries including France are said to want to tie a new post-Brexit security deal to more beneficial access to British waters, potentially holding up military cooperation.

The brilliant @timross1.bsky.social has an interview with Sweden's Europe minister on how fish and security interact

www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...

Ukraine’s phony peace has begun. Only Trump still believes it’s real. Donald Trump’s talks with Vladimir Putin have paralyzed Ukraine’s allies in Europe. Nobody is ready for peace.

Trump keeps calm as Putin carries on: Ukraine is trapped in a phoney peace (and the EU is stuck too).

www.politico.eu/article/ukra...

Putin plays for time, dazzling Trump with talk of glory days ahead Russia is delaying a full ceasefire in Ukraine. But that didn’t stop Trump and Putin planning hockey matches for the future.

ANALYSIS: It was the least he could get away with.

After a phone call with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin gave the smallest possible concession to easing Russia’s war against Ukraine with a promise to swap some prisoners and stop attacking power plants and other “infrastructure” for 30 days.

How Starmer saved Ukraine’s ceasefire as Trump and Zelenskyy raged The U.K. prime minister and his top security adviser worked intensively to rescue the broken relationship between Kyiv and Washington, drafting a truce plan that might one day pave the way for peac…

Starmer is a “diplomatic power player,” one US source says. Here’s the story of how Britain’s PM and his NSA Jonathan Powell saved the ceasefire and overcame Trump and Zelenskyy’s feud.

www.politico.eu/article/keir...

‘Free world needs a new leader’: Europe defends Zelenskyy after Trump attack France, Germany and Poland all make prompt declarations of support, as Europe fears Trump’s alignment with Putin.

🚨 BREAKING: European leaders rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office.

Full story:

Trump’s America is Putin’s ally now Europe and Ukraine are learning how little the U.S. cares, as the new president aligns himself with their greatest enemy.

If Trump can go from being Starmer’s buddy to Zelenskyy’s enemy in 24 hours, how reliable would any security “guarantee” from this US administration ever be?
Today’s Oval Office beating isn’t a surprise. It was clear enough where things stood 10 days ago: www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Macron’s told-you-so moment Trump vindicated the French president on self-reliant defense. But with Putin looming, the hard work starts now for Europe.

Trump vindicated long-standing French warnings — dating back to the legendary Charles de Gaulle — about the risks and strings attached to US dominance.

@laukaya.bsky.social & I take you back to WWII, Suez and more.

Macron's I told you so moment

www.politico.eu/article/emma...