A special moment: Returning home from international travel to find physical Advanced Readers Copies of my first book in the mail! WE SHALL OUTLAST THEM is now available for pre-order @wwnorton.com. Out August 4. wwnorton.com/books/978132...
Rym Momtaz ريم ممتاز
@rmomtaz.bsky.social
🇱🇧&🇺🇸(Paris-based) Editor-in-chief Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe. Ex-IISS on Eastern Mediterranean. Ex-Politico on Macron. Ex-ABC News on Syria/Iraq/Lebanon/Israel. Multiple Emmy winner.
The richest man owns X. The second and third richest men control Google. The fourth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fifth richest man owns The Washington Post. And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
nytimes.com
"France has implicitly recognized its dwindling ability to impose its will on others or shape its strat envt on its own. As such, it has softened its obsession with constantly leading and instead now seeks coalition-building and partnership, focusing on what it can do. Just as middle powers must."
Carnegie Europe@carnegieeurope.bsky.social · 5mo agoFrance has stopped clinging to notions of being a great power and is embracing the middle power moment. But Emmanuel Macron has his work cut out if he is to secure his country’s global standing before his term in office ends, writes @rmomtaz.bsky.social. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
It is the Chinese year of the horse. It is the same for the russian army.
Not gonna lie, I found Merz’s comments on FCAS in this podcast incredibly weird. Like, you can’t jus casually mention, after 9 years and millions of Euros spent that maybe you aren’t looking for the same thing.
Friedrich Merz says fighter jet project fails to meet Germany’s needs
Chancellor’s comments contradict Emmanuel Macron and hint at probable unravelling of the Future Combat Air System
giftarticle.ft.com
Can the EU reduce dependencies and attract foreign investment at the same time? Hot topic at today's informal European Council - my thoughts for @carnegieendowment.org 's 'Taking the Pulse': carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Taking the Pulse: Can the EU Attract Foreign Investment and Reduce Dependencies?
EU member states clash over how to boost the union’s competitiveness: Some want to favor European industries in public procurement, while others worry this could deter foreign investment. So, can the ...
carnegieendowment.org
Majority of Europeans sees the US as a necessary partner, but not an ally. Gotta say, I did not expect Switzerland to be the most sceptical country of all. Source: ecfr.eu/publication/...
Breakdown of today's vote in the EP on the Ukraine loan facility with a new type of graph by member state. This shows neatly the huge support in the Nordics and Baltics, the low one in France (due to the RN) and the stark exception of Hungary, where even the opposition Tisza Party voted against.
With the clock ticking down on Trump’s tariff deadline, and EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in Washington, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took a family vacation to Italy, according to Politico’s Brussels Playbook www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
US trade deficit with the EU has climbed to record-high levels since Trump's return to White House • US trade deficit with EU widened by 97% year on year in first quarter of 2025, to US$96bn • Data highlight how US firms frontloaded imports ahead of implementation of Trump's tariffs
More of Lavrov's statements from an interview with a Hungarian Magyar Nemzet media. If you've been following the war for any time, you will see nothing new here. So Russia has no willingness to end the war. Source: magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/0…
Away from the discussions at the BRICS summit today, Russia is pursuing an independent policy agenda in the arctic. "Europeans need to situate Russia’s growing ambitions in the region within Moscow’s broader strategic aims", write Mikhail Komin and Joanna Hosa in their policy brief 👉
The bear beneath the ice: Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic
Russia is rapidly developing—and militarising—its Arctic territory as a strategic priority, even amid its war on Ukraine. Add Trump’s coveting of Greenland to the mix, and the next confrontation in…
bit.ly
Despite their geopolitical impotence on UKR and Gaza, Euros cld be helpful on 3 central aspects:restoring inspections of Iran nuke facilities, influencing Tehran’s LT calculus, and helping get a broader agreement that reduces the ISR gov’s pretexts to resume war carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
The Small Window for an EU-U.S. Diplomatic Push on Iran
To turn U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program into a long-term resolution, Washington should seize the moment and cooperate with France, Germany, and the UK on diplomatic talks.
carnegieendowment.org
Sefcovic is the latest EU official to call time on the end of freewheeling global trade "Those days are behind us"
Ahead of the July 11 Polish parliament confidence vote on Tusk's govt (which he called for), read this by @susmonika.bsky.social assessing just how responsible Tusk and his coalition were for the presidential win by Nawrocki, the populist backed by PiS. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Razor-Thin and Deeply Divided: The Polish Election Shock
The election of populist Karol Nawrocki as Poland’s president poses challenges to the country’s reform agenda and deeper EU integration. Yet, the narrow result underscores that Poland still has a stro...
carnegieendowment.org
🎙️ Excellent épisode du Collimateur d’ @alexjubelin.bsky.social avec @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @rikefranke.bsky.social et @elietenenbaum.bsky.social. Discussions très pertinentes et éclairantes sur la place de l’Europe et la notion de pouvoir géopolitique.
Le Rubicon@lerubicon.bsky.social · last yr.Alors que des négociations s'ouvrent une nouvelle fois à Istanbul entre Russie et Ukraine, le "Casque et la plume" revient sur leurs perspectives et le rapport de force, avec @rmomtaz.bsky.social, @rikefranke.bsky.social et @elietenenbaum.bsky.social. ▶️ lerubicon.org/collimateur-...
le possible "une zone d'interdiction aérienne" ça ne se fait pas Pourquoi? Parce qu'on a peur des Russes nous dit @rmomtaz.bsky.social d'où les rodomontades européennes Excellent épisode merci @alexjubelin.bsky.social @elietenenbaum.bsky.social @rikefranke.bsky.social lerubicon.org/collimateur-...
Ukraine : ce que peuvent les négociations [Le Casque et la Plume #12]
Alors que des négociations s'ouvrent une nouvelle fois à Istanbul entre Russie et Ukraine, le "Casque et la plume" revient sur leurs perspectives et le rapport de force, avec @RymMomtaz, @RikeFranke e...
lerubicon.org
🇪🇺🇮🇱 Should the European Union suspend its association agreement with Israel? @amelieferey.bsky.social, Research Fellow at Ifri's Security Studies Center, shares her analysis in @carnegieendowment.org's latest commentary. ⤵️ www.ifri.org/en/media-ext... @rmomtaz.bsky.social
At the #NATO summit, Europeans have an opportunity to set new conditions for decades to come. They can strengthen the alliance by committing to a timeline that allows for a US drawdown while preserving American strategic enablers, argues @rmomtaz.bsky.social. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
The Irresistible Plan Europeans Can Offer Trump to Save NATO
At the next NATO summit, Europeans have an opportunity to set new conditions for decades to come. They can strengthen the alliance by committing to a timeline that allows for a U.S. drawdown while pre...
carnegieendowment.org
Moscow's way of signalling that "denazification" is still part of its game ( along with neutralisation, demilitarisation and annexation)
The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · last yr.⚡️Moscow questions Kyiv's authority, says Ukraine's choice of signatory key to any peace deal. "The most important and principal matter when signing documents between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations is the identity of the person authorized to sign on behalf of Ukraine," Kremlin spokes said.
When they roll out and enforce the so-called "massive sanctions" *in coordination with the US* as they threatened Sunday then we can say they did it. Half measures and incremental measures aren't good enough anymore.
Dominus Ontologicus Animae@mssummerblossom.bsky.social · last yr.Did you miss that there WERE new sanctions??? The EU immediately (within days) 🔽 and is working on package 18 ALREADY. bsky.app/profile/vond...
Also serving in the US military is one of the fast-tracks to citizenship for foreigners...
Radley Balko@radleybalko.bsky.social · last yr.500K Mexican-Americans served in the U.S. armed forces in WWII, as did millions of 1st and 2nd-gen immigrants, and 109K noncitizens. Mexican immigrant Macario Garcia won the Medal of Honor in Normandy. When he returned to the US, he was was arrested for trying to eat at a segregated restaurant.
In the space of 5 days we’ve gone from a 24h ultimatum and “massive sanctions” bearing down on Russia, supposedly in coordination w/US, to Euros saying “we’ll continue to coordinate [with US etc] to define a united response”
Rubio: only way to get breakthrough is for Trump and Putin to meet. Basically rewarding Putin w/summit for rejecting every demand. So much for terrible consequences the Euros threatened, claiming coordination w/US, if Putin refused unconditional ceasefire +no progress in TUR.
Narrator’s voice “Germany did not, in fact, spend 5% on defence”. (This is still helpful in the debate)
Rym Momtaz ريم ممتاز@rmomtaz.bsky.social · last yr.Interesting but let's actually see how that would happen concretely.
FR FM says Euro sanctioning 194 RUS oil tankers, 31 entities providing weapons, banks etc. Why not start by stopping Euro purchasing of RUS oil and gas. Since the price cap was intro, the EU as a whole has been the 4th largest purchaser as I wrote here: carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...
Why Europeans Should Impose a Ceasefire in Ukraine
The meeting of EU leaders in Ukraine underscored their reliance on the United States for game-changing actions to end Russia’s war. But Europeans can influence military efforts on the ground, includin...
carnegieendowment.org
With Putin now ridiculing his own Turkey talks proposal, Re-upping this from me on Tuesday: "Instead of hollow ultimatums [Europeans] cannot enforce, it is now time they create military facts on the ground that impose a ceasefire in at least parts of Ukraine."
Carnegie Europe@carnegieeurope.bsky.social · last yr.The meeting of European leaders in Ukraine underscored their reliance on the US to end Russia's war. But Europeans can influence military efforts on the ground, including interdicting Russian attacks over Kyiv & Western Ukraine, argues @rmomtaz.bsky.social. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...