Steven Pifer
@steven_pifer
Affiliated with Stanford's CISAC & Brookings. Retired FSO; former US ambassador to Ukraine. Interests include nukes, Europe & mountains. Views are my own.
#Russia's war on #Ukraine caused Finland and Sweden to apply for #NATO membership. Will #Austria now follow? Nothing has done more for NATO enlargement in past 15 years than Vladimir Putin's policies.
⚡️'The world has changed,' — Austrian official signals openness to NATO membership debate after decades of neutrality. "I am very open to having a public debate about the future of Austria's security and defense policy," Foreign Meinl-Reisinger said. kyivindependent.com/austrias-forei…
Trump could do a lot to shift course of #Russia-#Ukraine war: - Close sanction loopholes - Agree with EU to lower price cap for Russian oil to $45 - Ask Congress for more $ for assistance to Ukraine - Seize frozen Russian Central Bank assets for Ukraine
It seems to me there's little new the US can do to shift the course of the war
This is how St Petersburg marked #Russia's Navy Day in 2024. This year, Russian Navy cancelled ship parade due to fear of strikes by #Ukraine's drones.
On Russia’s Navy Day, Putin arrived at the Main Admiralty in St. Petersburg to review the “July Storm” naval drills, held from July 23–27 across the Northern and Black Seas, the Pacific, the Baltic, and the Caspian. A PR move, while the actual Navy Day parade was quietly canceled…
Trump has long been "unhappy" and "losing patience" with Putin. However, unless Trump takes action to pressure #Russia to end its war against #Ukraine, Putin will not change course. @SecRubio should understand this.
Trump no longer believes the Kremlin is willing to negotiate an end to the war, and Washington may change its approach, says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He notes Trump is losing patience with Moscow’s empty talks and is now leaning toward practical steps to force Russia to…
Putin now reaching Brezhnev stage of collecting awards and medals?
Putin received an order. "For Loyalty." Putin was awarded the Russian Maritime College Medal for Loyalty to the Fleet. TASS reports that the award was presented by Nikolai Patrushev, adviser to the head of state and chairman of this structure. The ceremony took place in the…
Working hard for the American people!
🚨 HAPPENING NOW: Trump and his friends are playing golf in Scotland on taxpayer's dime at the same time Americans are grappling with high prices.
I was proud when California under Gov Schwarzenegger adopted an independent commission to draw the state's Congressional districts. But if Texas and Ohio are turning to out-of-cycle gerrymandering to bolster GOP seats, California should consider its own gerrymandering.
Newsom: They play by a different set of rules . And we can sit back and act as if we have some moral superiority and watch this almost 250 year experiment be washed away. We are not going to allow that to happen. We have agency. We can shape the future
What a small, petty man.
CNN: Two senior NOAA officials were just placed on leave. Both led ‘Sharpiegate’ inquiry. Donald Trump’s revenge tour has officially re-entered the “let-me-draw-hurricanes-with-a-Sharpie” phase. No grudge too small. No marker too thick.
He's going to Scotland to visit his golf courses. What good does that do for the American people? 🙄
President Trump is on the way to Turnberry, Scotland. This man never stops working for the American people!
As @mfa_russia knows, per capita GDP in #Lithuania, #Latvia and #Estonia exceeds per capita GDP in #Russia.
📈 #Latvia, #Lithuania & #Estonia as part of the #USSR: • Dozens of factories built • High wages • Population growth 📉 After 1991: • Population shrunk by 17–33% • Economies marginalized in EU • Industrial decline t.me/MFARussia/25798
Yet another person who thinks that land, not people, vote. 🙄
Democrats can't stand this
Interesting public comment by Trump on morning that Deputy Attorney General (and former Trump lawyer) Blanche is about to meet second time with Ghislaine Maxwell. 🤔
#Russia cites #NATO as pretext for war on #Ukraine, but real cause is Putin's neo-imperialist drive to restore Russian influence and control in post-Soviet space and eastern Europe. "No NATO for Ukraine" is unlikely to lead to ceasefire, given other Russian demands.
NEW George Beebe: If Trump is smart he will forget the 'ceasefire in 51-days' gambit and instead address the core issue, which is no NATO for Ukraine. responsiblestatecraft.org/nato-membershi…
Dumb decision by DOD. Pentagon participation in think tank conferences, panels, etc helps inform non-governmental experts and public about DOD policies. And DOD participants sometimes learn a thing or two.
SCOOP: The Pentagon is suspending participation in think tank events until further notice, per an email obtained by @politico, a major shift in engagement. It comes a week after DOD pulled out of Aspen Security Forum citing “the evil of globalism." politico.com/news/2025/07/2…
Another bizarre tweet by @mfa_russia's #Zakharova. 1) "Establishment" of Baltic SSRs followed their occupation by USSR, pursuant to Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. 2) GDP per capita in each of the three #Baltic states significantly exceeds that of #Russia.
💬 #Zakharova: July 21 marked 85 years since the establishment of the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian SSR. Despite the significant advantage of large-scale Soviet investments and subsidies, these nations have been reduced to Europe’s economic periphery today.
Good move by @ZelenskyyUa. It is important for #Ukraine that NABU and SAPO's independence be restored and protected.
I’ve just approved the text of a draft bill that guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, independence of anti-corruption agencies, and reliable protection of the law enforcement system against any Russian influence or interference. The text is…
Who would have thought senior Trump official would celebrate $300 billion tax increase on Americans?
We've brought in nearly $100B in tariff revenue so far and are on track for $300B this year. That's almost 1% of GDP. June delivered a budget surplus with higher revenue and lower spending. This is how we clean up the fiscal mess we inherited.
Predictable and predicted.
Businesses are passing along tariff costs, Fed reports trib.al/6q94jAG