Exactly on this point. If Ukraine were a first-order issue worth UK/France bleeding for, we would be doing so now. Promising to do later what we aren't prepared to do now, with the wolf at its throat, is self-delusion and/or reckless bluff. thecritic.co.uk/issues/may-2...

Let’s be real about Ukraine | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

What are we, on this side of the Atlantic, really willing to do for Ukraine? Now the question is more urgent.

thecritic.co.uk

Ian Kearns@ianpkearns.bsky.social · 3w ago

I cannot agree with the recommendation of a European force going into #Ukraine before a ceasefire here. It would not be a serious fighting force, would become a target for Russian attack without any real capacity to fight back, and would not miraculously increase…. economist.com/by-invitatio...

Me in The Critic. An accelerated de-carbonisation of the military is objectively a form of disarmament, even if its enthusiasts promise otherwise. We cannot be "green" and "strong" on a net zero timetable. A more gradual, partial greening is prudent. thecritic.co.uk/issues/july-...

Killing with kindness | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

The MoD’s drive for a net zero military is an ideological folly that risks national security…

thecritic.co.uk

My review of Jack Watling's powerful tour d'horizon of geopolitics today. Jack feels strongly but writes with cool restraint: literaryreview.co.uk/putting-the-...

Patrick Porter - Putting the Grand Back in Strategy

Patrick Porter: Putting the Grand Back in Strategy - Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World by Jack Watling

literaryreview.co.uk

My piece for The Critic: "Israel Does Not Run U.S. Foreign Policy." It competes with other effective lobbies from the greater middle east, extracts benefits and rents, but wields no veto, and when its patron is aroused, discovers there's a ceiling to its influence. thecritic.co.uk/israel-does-...

Israel does not run U.S. foreign policy | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

The state of Israel does not run U.S. foreign policy. Likewise, the pro-Israel lobby, a coalition of active parties mingling Jewish and gentile voices, does not dictate the terms of Washington’s…

thecritic.co.uk

To quote @patporter76.bsky.social, we cannot be stronger AND greener. Realpolitik vs Earthpolitik

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 2mo ago

Are we at the start of a new investment super-cycle? ft.trib.al/VbONV5D

I joined my colleague Adam Quinn to talk about the Iran war, its roots, conduct and the difficulty of its termination. Have a listen!

Political Worldview Podcast@politicalworldview.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New episode out now! 'Trump's Iran Fiasco'🎙️ In the last of our spring run, @adamjamesquinn.bsky.social chats to @patporter76.bsky.social about the president's ill-planned war in the Middle East, and whether the sides can now find a face-saving way out. 👇Audio links in thread below👇

Back with one more spring-run episode of @politicalworldview.bsky.social ! 'Trump's Iran Fiasco'🎙️ This time @patporter76.bsky.social serves us trenchant analysis of why this war has been a botch job strategically from the outset, and where we go from here. 🇮🇷🇺🇸 👇Audio links under original post👇

Political Worldview Podcast@politicalworldview.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New episode out now! 'Trump's Iran Fiasco'🎙️ In the last of our spring run, @adamjamesquinn.bsky.social chats to @patporter76.bsky.social about the president's ill-planned war in the Middle East, and whether the sides can now find a face-saving way out. 👇Audio links in thread below👇

Superb and bracing writing. Here's my summary - an inducement to read the piece itself.

My latest piece for @TheCriticMag. As the our era reveals, an anarchic world won't be bound by disinterested rules. Equally, the nihilistic embrace of power without limit is foolish & dangerous. Neither laws nor self-aggrandisement are a substitute for prudence. thecritic.co.uk/issues/may-2...

Bonfire of the fallacies | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

Two opposing ideas about hard power and foreign policy — legalism and nihilism — are being exposed by the Trump administration…

thecritic.co.uk

Anzac Day. July 1918, Australian Lt Russell Colman was ordered to mount a raid on a German trench to relieve the battalion of a bloody assault. He "chose reliable men", one my grandfather, veteran Sergeant Richard Carter. Close quarter combat gave him nightmares ever since. RIP.

Acute and lacerating criticism of MAGA's foreign policy myopia. A very fine piece.

My piece in @TheCriticMag, "The Warlords' Insolence." Lashing out at Europe for an ill-judged military adventure will compound the war's harm. Know-nothings should learn NATO is about defending Nth Atlantic, & so-called "free riders" bled in Afghanistan. thecritic.co.uk/the-warlords...

The warlords’ insolence | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

President Donald Trump’s assault on Iran has been costlier, bloodier, and harder than its naïve architects expected. True, it has degraded Iran’s capabilities, written down its navy and hammered its…

thecritic.co.uk

Key line from @patporter76.bsky.social review of A. Wess Mitchell's new book: " #Diplomacy at its heart is the furthering of the national interest by means of negotiated compromise, conducted to rearrange power in space and time, with the central aim of concentrating strength ... 1/

My piece in @TheCriticMag. If you want to slur today's leaders by slurring Neville Chamberlain, do your homework first. Britain's predicament in the late 1930's was hard, the choices fraught. International relations is not a Boys Own storybook. thecritic.co.uk/questions-fo...

Questions for the Munich hawks | Patrick Porter | The Critic Magazine

There is a vocal group of “Munich hawks” who are fond of using one favourite analogy to accuse today’s leaders of weakness and fecklessness. With j’accuse energy, usually in short-form writing but…

thecritic.co.uk

I've reviewed A. Wess Mitchell's formidable book for @firstthingsmag, out in April. He calls for a rediscovery of diplomacy's core, not superficially as "comms" or as handmaiden to military force, but as art of arranging power in space & time, to concentrate it & limit threats.

If you heard (or even if you didn't hear) @therestpolitics.bsky.social's @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social talking about just this speech this week, how about giving this excellent @mileendinstitute.bsky.social lecture by @patporter76.bsky.social a watch?

Patrick Porter@patporter76.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Rare footage from yours truly at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social talking about Winston Churchill, Fulton, the Anglo-American relationship, and the dangerous openness of the moment. Joined by the great @sophgaston.bsky.social and @robertsaunders.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrL4...

Rare footage from yours truly at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social talking about Winston Churchill, Fulton, the Anglo-American relationship, and the dangerous openness of the moment. Joined by the great @sophgaston.bsky.social and @robertsaunders.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrL4...

Beyond the Iron Curtain: Prof Patrick Porter and Sophia Gaston

YouTube video by Mile End Institute

youtube.com

“If a major burden shift is likely, Britain & its neighbours can try to negotiate a Fulton-in-reverse, receiving back the baton, creating a less American not a post-American Europe" From @patporter76.bsky.social’s lecture in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social: www.newstatesman.com/world/americ...

Churchill knew the relationship was never special

Eighty years ago, a prime minister faced a a fickle president – and a shifting global order

newstatesman.com

A magnificent lecture by @patporter76.bsky.social on Thursday, marking 80th anniversary of Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech. We then had a fascinating response by @sophgaston.bsky.social on the challenges of the UK-US relationship today. Thank you to everyone who joined us @qmulsse.bsky.social!

We then had a fascinating response by @sophgaston.bsky.social on the challenges of the UK-US relationship today, followed by some excellent questions from the floor. If you're not on our mailing list, do sign up. We'd love to see you at our events - all of which are free. www.qmul.ac.uk/mei/

Magnificent lecture by @patporter76.bsky.social at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social last night, on the 80th anniversary of Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech. It would have warmed Churchill's heart to see a speaker holding an audience rapt without notes or slides - just sheer rhetorical power!

Patrick Porter@patporter76.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Strutting the boards at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social , a terrific event with @sophgaston.bsky.social and @robertsaunders.bsky.social, and a great audience to boot.

Very handsome of you. I was lucky to have a compelling lineup of yourself and @sophgaston.bsky.social!

Robert Saunders@robertsaunders.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Magnificent lecture by @patporter76.bsky.social at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social last night, on the 80th anniversary of Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech. It would have warmed Churchill's heart to see a speaker holding an audience rapt without notes or slides - just sheer rhetorical power!

Strutting the boards at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social , a terrific event with @sophgaston.bsky.social and @robertsaunders.bsky.social, and a great audience to boot.

Patrick will be exploring the 80th anniversary of the "Iron Curtain" speech at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social tonight, 18:30. Do join us! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the...

Beyond the Iron Curtain: Churchill's Fulton Speech, 80 Years On

Join the Mile End Institute for Prof Patrick Porter's lecture marking 80 years since Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri!

eventbrite.co.uk

"If a major burden shift is likely, Britain & its neighbours can try to negotiate a Fulton-in-reverse, receiving back the baton but in an orderly, stable & gradual way, creating a less American not a post-American Europe" Key reading from @patporter76.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2026/0...

Churchill knew the relationship was never special

Eighty years ago, a prime minister faced a a fickle president – and a shifting global order

newstatesman.com

"If a major burden shift is likely, Britain and its neighbours can try to negotiate a Fulton-in-reverse, receiving back the baton, but in an orderly, stable and gradual way, creating a less American, not a post-American Europe."

Patrick Porter@patporter76.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Eighty years ago, Winston Churchill at Fulton urged the US to take up the baton of primacy in Europe. He feared American abandonment, avoided the word "alliance", & warned of a baffling, anxious time. The moment was dangerously open. Me in The New Statesman: www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2026/0...

Eighty years ago, Winston Churchill at Fulton urged the US to take up the baton of primacy in Europe. He feared American abandonment, avoided the word "alliance", & warned of a baffling, anxious time. The moment was dangerously open. Me in The New Statesman: www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2026/0...

Churchill knew the relationship was never special

Eighty years ago, a prime minister faced a a fickle president – and a shifting global order

newstatesman.com

Super! I will bring my pen.

Thammy Evans@thammyevans.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Looking forward to attending this tomorrow. Lots of questions to ask about 'realism'. @rianeeisler-cps.bsky.social @sophgaston.bsky.social

See you there. Will bring my copy of Military Orientalism for you to sign at last 😊

Donald Trump barks that Keir Starmer is "no Winston Churchill." Likewise, Trump is no Harry Truman. But they both - and we- can learn from Churchill's Fulton address, eighty years ago tomorrow. Come to Mile End to join yours truly and @sophgaston.bsky.social as we look back to Fulton: