Category: Tweets – Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) / Twitter

Like a struggling swimmer, the Russian leader may take desperate measures to stay afloat.  foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/25…

Russia’s strategic goals remain exactly the same as they were in February 2022, but the current situation on the ground will never allow the Kremlin to reach them.

Because staying the course means losing the war, Putin will be forced to find a way to escalate, raising a critical question:

What options does Russia actually have left to escalate?

Russia is all in on its war against Ukraine but continues to fail. Putin will likely be forced to keep escalating, as his current efforts are causing Russia to lose the war. The core issue is that the Kremlin does not have many remaining paths, and every single one comes with massive downsides. If he could easily escalate, he would have done it already.

His first main option is simply to do more of what he is already doing. This means ramping up strikes against civilians, cultural monuments, and hospitals in Ukraine, while increasing the number of sabotage operations across EU territories. This approach would likely be accompanied by more useless Oreshnik strikes and empty nuclear threats.

While he can try to increase these efforts, it will not solve his issues on the ground. Russia has vast but ultimately limited resources, and wasting even more of them on civilians will not help his army on the front lines.

The second option is to launch another wave of mobilization. This would provide more men to attack and defend on the front, alongside more personnel for air defense inside Russia. It could allow Russia to launch a new offensive in Ukraine’s north or even the west, stretching Ukrainian troops to help operations in the east.

However, mobilization is incredibly expensive. It would ruin Russia’s economy and demographics even further, leading to massive inflation and a severe lack of labor. It is also an unpopular measure. Despite the risks, it is not too unlikely. Russia currently manages to recruit enough volunteers to maintain the status quo, but not enough to actually increase the overall size of its armed forces.

The third and final main option is to go beyond conventional warfare by using tactical nuclear or chemical weapons. This would be a massive international crime, and there are very good reasons why Russia has not taken this step yet. For one, it does not actually solve Russia’s practical issues on the front lines.

Furthermore, Russia’s allies and enemies are both firmly against the idea. Even China, Russia’s biggest enabler, does not want it. The West would likely retaliate far more aggressively than it currently does, and even Donald Trump would not support it. While the Kremlin loves to keep this option open to threaten the world, it remains highly unlikely to happen.

Ultimately, if Russia still wants to achieve its strategic goals, it has almost run out of moves. Mobilization stands as his best remaining option, but even that path is highly risky and does not guarantee the desired outcome for Russia

The issue of Iran’s human rights abuses was not sufficiently tackled during the negotiations undertaken between Washington and Tehran, the Council of Europe determined last week.
Reporting by:  @DanielleGreyman
jpost.com/middle-east/iran-n…

Germany is seriously considering restoring mandatory military service for all men. After years of underfunding defense and relying on others for security, Berlin now tries to recover and militarize. What’s your attitude, Germans? With conscription potentially returning, are you ready to serve—or will this remain someone else’s problem?

Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv hit with ballistic missiles, as civilians killed by drone strikes in Russia | Russia | The Guardian  theguardian.com/world/2026/j…

🇬🇧Keir Starmer is reportedly eyeing the role of NATO secretary general after leaving Downing Street, when the position is expected to become vacant in 2028, – The Observer

🚨⚡Netanyahu:

“There is no room for two states between the sea and the jordan river.”

New York, June 2026: A travel warning for American Jews
israelhayom.com/2026/06/28/n…

🇲🇩The withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria could be discussed as part of a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, according to Moldova’s President Maia Sandu

She said that Chișinău and its European partners raise this issue time and again and hope that, through joint efforts, a solution can be found.

🔴 BREAKING: Iran’s state TV says passage through Hormuz still requires coordination with Revolutionary Guards

🔴 Iran’s state TV says safest transit passage for vessels entering Gulf is south of Iran’s Hormuz Island, and sound of Iran’s Larak Island for vessels exiting the Gulf