Alexander Lukashenko is spinning a narrative of a beleaguered underdog facing hostile forces that only Vladimir Putin has the power to stop.
Merkel
The Stakes For Ukraine Are High In Monday’s Summit Between Putin And Zelenskiy
“The strategic goal of Russia is a weak, chaotic Ukraine. If you accept that as their goal, you can understand the logic of Russian behavior.”
After Trump Call, Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Gambles On Russia Peace Push Without U.S. Help
“We don’t think of Trump as an ally,” says Alyona Getmanchuk. “At best, he could be a referee; at worst, he could create more and more obstacles.”
In Russia, A Dairy Owner Dreams Of Delivering Cheese To Vladimir Putin
“Russians are like a spring,” said Oleg Sirota. “The more you push them down, the stronger they bounce back up.”
In Russia, France’s Macron Tries His Next Charm Offensive On ‘Cher Vladimir’
“He is trying to position France again as a global power, not a European power, and of course in this situation contacts to Putin are pretty indispensable.”
“Bromance”
The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Newsweek have all used “bromance” to describe the unlikeliest twist in the troubled US-Russian relationship.
Playing to the Gallery
Renewed calls for rapprochement with the Kremlin bear the fingerprints of Gerhard Schröder, who still pulls considerable weight inside the SPD.
What Brexit Looks Like to the Rest of Europe
A colleague from Poland advised his British-born wife to get a Polish passport. It was high time to make some coffee.
For Europe, the Party’s Over. It’s Not Clear What Comes Next.
The promise of Europe is over. Paradoxically, German hubris carries a good deal of the blame.
A Dirty – Not Particularly Funny – Poem Just Turned Into an ‘International Crisis’
Just when Angela Merkel thought she had checked “Turkey” off her to-do list, a filth-laden poem read by a late-night comic is presenting her with a new dilemma.
