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Simon Mackay

@ayemackay.bsky.social
825 followers 620 following 7 posts

Mountains. Moors. Peat bogs. Rivers. Forests. Woods. Beaches. Meadows. Dry stone walls. A-Series engines.

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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Very considerate/sensible. On the high fell roads of Cumbria, the Hardwicks sleep on the warm tarmac.
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Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Putin’s speeches should be listened to through a special filter. Criminal&prison language is now the primary language of Putin’s power Therefore,the Valdai speech should be listened to as a kind of street-criminal conflict scenario: "you don’t respect me," "they started it first," "we warned you,"⤵️
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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The EU accession process provided a critically important policy framework, discipline and an objective for policy makers and citizens. The pragmatic use of derogations, as well as technical assistance and finance, was also essential to the process.
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Brexit Bin 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 @brexitbin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
🇪🇺🇨🇦 Here's the main section of Carney's speech in Brussels about becoming an Associate Member of the EU. From rare minerals and sustainability to defence and freedom of movement, this is what sensible grown-up politics sounds like when it's based upon cooperation, democracy and the rule of law.
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maksym.eristavi @maksymeristavi.com · 02/08/2026
from 19th-century bans to burning 1.5 million Ukrainian books in the last month alone, russian warfare recognises the power of a Ukrainian book better than most people abroad learn more in my latest brief: endrussia.today/p/russia-bur...
endrussia.today
why russia is obsessed with burning Ukrainian books.
And why a Ukrainian book makes the empire terrified.
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Andreas Umland @umland.eurosky.social · 01/08/2026
@jamesnixey.bsky.social (Acting Head of Research at @sceeus-ui.bsky.social and @epik-ukraine.bsky.social) explains what meeting Putin revealed, why Western engagement failed, and how Moscow’s refusal to recognise its neighbours as sovereign states led to war. @kyivindependent.com.web.brid.gy
youtu.be
Why the West Misread Putin for Decades—and What Russia’s Next Move Could Reveal Now
YouTube video by KI Insights
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Olga Lautman 🇺🇦 @olgalautman.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
As more people and media write about Russia, I wanted to clear up some misinformation and misconceptions I keep seeing. It is impossible to understand Putin without understanding Russian history. And until that system is broken, nothing will change. I hope you'll read and share!
open.substack.com
What the West Still Doesn't Understand About Russia
Over the past few months, Western media have been flooded with headlines speculating that Vladimir Putin is under growing pressure, that a coup may be brewing, or that his grip on power is finally beg...
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Garvan Walshe @garvanwalshe.org · 27/06/2026
Magisterial substack by @olgalautman.bsky.social on the Russian security state, and the implication that peaceful coexistence with Mosocw needs its dismantling substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
What the West Still Doesn't Understand About Russia
Over the past few months, Western media have been flooded with headlines speculating that Vladimir Putin is under growing pressure, that a coup may be brewing, or that his grip on power is finally beg...
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/06/2026
Russian hackers were behind a cyberattack that crippled Jaguar Land Rover and delivered an estimated $2.5 billion hit to the UK economy, investigators concluded.
nyti.ms
A $2.5 Billion Whodunit: The Hack That Dented the U.K. Economy
A loose collective of cybercriminals initially took credit for crippling Jaguar Land Rover last year. Investigators now see Russian hands behind the ransomware attack.
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Andrew Levi @andrewprlevi.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Russian fire bombing & propaganda attacks on the UK PM are part of a long & reckless campaign by Putin’s clique, in Europe & beyond. We’ve known since at least 2008. We’ve done far too little. The fundamentals remain the same. The dangers are greater than ever. bylinetimes.com/2022/05/09/t...
bylinetimes.com
The Forgotten Russia Report of 2008: How Ukraine is Paying the Price for Our Catastrophic Mistakes
Fourteen years ago, Andrew Levi briefed the Labour Foreign Secretary on the dangers of Putin’s Kremlin. Now the terrifying predictions of that report have been vindicated, it is vital to reckon with o...
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Andrii Katriuk 🇺🇦 @andriikatriuk.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
In addition, literal stacks of M4000 chemical bombs, used by the Assad regime to drop sarin on civilians in 3 recorded incidents, were found and photographed. Yet more evidence everything we published at Bellingcat based on our open source investigations of chemical attacks was accurate.
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Beefeater Fella @beefeaterfella.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Against the backdrop of a destroyed shopping center in Kyiv, a boy plays the accordion to “Yak tebe ne liubyty, Kyieve miy” (“How Can I Not Love You, My Kyiv”).
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Ruth Mottram @ruthmottram.eurosky.social · 07/05/2026
"a thin commercial crust on top of older, quieter machinery." Beautifully formed and formatted, a long read worth ploughing through over your morning coffee... www.terrygodier.com/the-boring-i...
terrygodier.com
The Boring Internet
The internet you grew up on isn't dying. A commercial veneer glued on top of it is. A visual essay about what actually persists.
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H I Sutton @covertshores.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Of great interest GUGI: Russia's secretive and strategically important special forces of the sea explained www.forcesnews.com/russia/what-...
forcesnews.com
GUGI: Russia's secretive and strategically important special forces of the sea explained
Maybe you've never heard of this Russian unit, but the shadowy organisation is behind frequent covert visits to UK
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
A step away from asking the Russians to investigate their own influence operations in the US. The guiding principle of Trump policy is that Russian ops are good because they support him personally. The guiding principle of Russian policy is that Trump is good because he wrecks the US & helps Russia.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
To understand why the USA is where it is today, all you need to do is see that Trump cannot tolerate even the mildest, insightful criticism from the Pope, but Trump will allow Putin to humiliate him deeply and constantly, while still craving Putin’s approval.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 15/04/2026
This is why Russia is still fighting, why the war continues and why people are dying: Because Trump and Vance encouraged Putin to believe he could win
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Terje Helland @terjehelland.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
🇬🇪🇭🇺Viktor Orbán lost Hungary's election yesterday. For most Europeans, this is a relief. For Georgian Dream, it is a strategic catastrophe. Their single most important protector in Europe is gone. Here's what that actually means. 1/6
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Some thoughts on the EU law issues arising from the Hungarian elections. First of all, my earlier blog post on the suspension of EU membership or expulsion from the EU 1/ eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-...
eulawanalysis.blogspot.com
Can a Member State be expelled or suspended from the EU? Updated overview of Article 7 TEU
Professor Steve Peers , University of Essex With the re-election of the Orban government in Hungary, some of its critics are calli...
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Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnews.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Today marks the first day of the new fire byelaw, banning fires and barbecues across the National Park from 1 April to 30 September each year. Help to protect this special place by following the rules and spreading the word 🔥 See www.cairngorms.co.uk/fires for more and spread the word 🔁
Caledonian pine tree with text overlayed reading: no fires or barbecues 1 April to 30 September. Maximum fine £500. Protect our National Park. No flame, no spark.
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WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Zelenskyy commented on the results of his visit to the countries of the Middle East.
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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Trump administration is taking money Europeans and others have paid for arms for Ukraine and other purposes, not delivering said arms, and spending their cash to help with self-created Gulf mess. This is not a trustworthy power. Credibility incinerated.
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UkraineWorld @ukraineworld.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
70-year-old Natalia pushed her husband in a wheelchair out of the kill zone. They covered 13 kilometers under drones, along a road covered with bodies. “We’ve been together for 51 years. I will never leave him.” This is what love looks like when the world falls apart. 📹: vadim.geiko
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
New from Bellingcat: Shipwrecks, sham papers and false flags. We traced a network of fraudulent ship registries linked to Captain Suniel Kumar Sharma, connecting a wrecked tanker in India, an arms seizure in Senegal, and sanctioned oil transfers off Malaysia. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...
bellingcat.com
Shipwrecks, Sham Papers and False Flags: Tracking the Company Behind It All - bellingcat
A shipwreck in India, an ammunition seizure in Senegal, and a raid on an oil tanker in Malaysia - all involving one recurring figure: Captain Suniel Sharma.
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Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Remembrance is not a violation #RemembranceIsNotAViolation
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Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Council leader urges Reform UK to expel Joseph Boam
leicester.news
Council leader urges Reform UK to expel Joseph Boam
The leader of Leicestershire County Council has urged Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice to remove the whip from fellow party member Joseph Boam
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Andrew Levi @andrewprlevi.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Quacking Treason Public profiles of Jeffrey Epstein going back 20+ years present a near perfect description of a massive, hostile foreign intelligence operation directed at the USA and NATO and other allies. Why was this so widely ignored? What was Mandelson’s involvement? What next? A 🧵 /1.
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🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇦 @internat-rescue.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
The question has to be asked WTF ids Starlink doing giving this lot access in the first place
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
457 UK armed forces personnel died in Afghanistan during the 20-year deployment. This is a fucking hideous thing to say. Even by his non-existent standards.
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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Putin offered him a way out....
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Olivier Simard-Casanova @o.simardcasanova.net · 03/01/2026
🤷🏻‍♂️
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Olena Halushka @halushka.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
As the year comes to an end, spare a thought for those for whom time has frozen — Ukrainians held in the russian captivity. No holidays, no freedom. Instead, never ending pain and torture. Do not let the world forget them. Be their voice. russian captivity kills.
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(((Tendar))) @tendar.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
The Russian lie of the attack on Putin‘s residence is just one of the many reasons why there will be never a document which will secure freedom and peace. We have seen this in multiple shapes and forms as seen in the Budapest Memorandum, the Minsk agreements etc.
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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
And an unimpeachable cypher...
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H I Sutton @covertshores.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
**BREAKING** Images of a Chinese merchant vessel with containerised missile launchers, radar/comms and close in defense are legitimate. Collaborated via other sources. Sobering. Merry Xmas
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Oh look. They’ve actually drawn a diagram for all the people stupid enough to need a bloody diagram.
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Jessica Berlin @berlinbridge.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
We don’t need another delegation of European leaders flying off to Washington to kiss Trump’s ring now. We need them to get on the train to Kyiv and stand shoulder to shoulder with Zelenskyy.
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Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Some notable things in what's being called the "Trump peace plan" but which could not have been more clearly written in Moscow if it came with a 2 for 1 deal on tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet. 🧵
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 01/11/2025
Six great reads: the fragile internet, how to be cool and Don McCullin’s best shots
theguardian.com
Six great reads: the fragile internet, how to be cool and Don McCullin’s best shots
Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 31/10/2025
We invite you to join the Kyiv Independent for an evening of human stories that illuminate war, courage, and democracy. Date: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Location: Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075
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Anders Åslund @andersaslund.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
I have persistently argued that Trump is Putin's obedient servant and that all his objections about Putin have just been insubstantial statements to delude his base that he is not Putin's obedient servant. I am afraid that I have been right all along: Trump serves Putin.
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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
"Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning"...
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Maria Popova @popovaprof.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Putin might negotiate to end the war only if Ru is losing it. And even then, he might reject an off-ramp because he thinks he has a chance to turn things around. He sure as hell isn't negotiating in good faith now. Just wasting time and sabotaging aid to Ukraine.
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Carole Cadwalladr was right and we’d be in a better world if more people had listened.
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
NEW: We need to talk about Russia. So, yes, that's why we need to talk about Nigel Farage. My personal newsletter on the story behind the story. Brexit, Trump, Russia & now...Nathan Gill. open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
open.substack.com
We need to talk about Russia
So, yes, that means we also need to talk about Nigel Farage
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Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
"I am happy, but my happiness is clouded by the fact that my friends are still there [in Russian captivity]." Ukrainian Defender spent almost 3,5 years in Russian captivity. He has been counting days up to the moment when he finally returned home. 📹: Ombudsman of Ukraine
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Martin Sauerbrey @martinsauerbrey.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Russian colonialism. A long 🧵 Some didn´t get the memo but Russia was - and is - a colonial power. Let´s take a tour around this marvelous empire: (I merged two threads here. That´s why the Balts are more thoroughly pictured) 1/x
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Euromaidan Press @euromaidanpress.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
So you think Ukraine can just leave Donbas? It’s the shield forged in steel — and paid in blood The Donbas fortress belt has held for years against Russia’s army. Surrendering it would open the road west. euromaidanpress.com/2025/08/14/u...
euromaidanpress.com
So you think Ukraine can just leave Donbas? It’s the shield forged in steel — and paid in blood
The Donbas fortress belt has held for years against Russia’s army. Surrendering it would open the road west.
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Simon Mackay @ayemackay.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Regular supermarkets in Scotland have good discounted single malts before Christmas (Nov)...
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