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Christian Caryl

@ccaryl.bsky.social
365 followers 185 following 280 posts

Columnist @ForeignPolicy.com. Writing, insomnia, birds. Frequenter of diners. Ex-WaPo, ex-Newsweek. Own worst enemy. Book: Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century

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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Trump is desperate. I have no doubt he’s giving this serious consideration. Americans need to be prepared. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
theatlantic.com
The Supporters Urging Trump to Declare Martial Law for the Midterms
Trump’s advisers have been working for months to move his focus away from baseless theories of election fraud. A group of outsiders is making that difficult.
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“Rather than slowing after earlier warnings of catastrophic risks, however, development has accelerated dramatically.” The lack of regulatory oversight coupled with the aggressive drive to be first, to come out on top, is a recipe for disaster.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
“‘Here, it’s not just that the AI has its own goals, but the goal that it has chosen is criminal,’ said Yoshua Bengio, the world’s most cited computer scientist and one of the so-called godfathers of AI.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Why the AI race has its creators fearing human extinction
Advances in autonomous agents and bitter rivalry between Anthropic and OpenAI have pushed once-fringe fears into the mainstream
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Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
25 Years After 9/11, What Have We Learned? @ccaryl.bsky.social
washingtonmonthly.com
25 Years After 9/11, What Have We Learned?
A new history of the post 9/11 war on terror shows how badly America and its enemies misunderstood the consequences of their own actions.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
“There’s but a hair’s breadth between slop and goop.” Great writing from @drewlgoins.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
theatlantic.com
Gwyneth Paltrow Is Very Sorry to Postpone Her Dinner
Is controversy not all the more reason to take a conversation alfresco?
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Brian Taylor @bdtaylor-su.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"Right now, the “gray-zone” modifier looks euphemistic and increasingly obsolete—especially given the growing brazenness of Russian threats." @ccaryl.bsky.social in @foreignpolicy.com
foreignpolicy.com
Is Europe Ready for a New Era of Russian Dirty Tricks?
After the Kremlin’s failure in Ukraine, Putin’s new plan aims westward.
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Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"An inflection point"? The age of capitulation that defined Trump’s return to office may be starting to fade as world leaders and domestic institutions, in some cases at least, show less willingness to submit to his will. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/u...
nytimes.com
In Canada and at Home, Deference to Trump Turns to Defiance on Tariffs and Other Issues
While the president remains the most dominant figure in the world, other leaders and institutions are pushing back more vigorously than at the beginning of his second term.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Exactly
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
www.reuters.com/world/us-spy...
reuters.com
US spy chief visits Russia for meetings, media reports
U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Russia to ​attended meetings in ​Moscow on Tuesday, U.S. media outlets ⁠reported citing unnamed sources.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Must-read www.the-independent.com/life-style/d...
the-independent.com
Odone: The Belgravia lunch set whispers to me about domestic violence in its circles
After years as a high-profile writer and TV pundit, Cristina Odone has taken on a role supporting victims of domestic abuse. She tells Peter Stanford how the work has opened her eyes to what was reall...
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
“Military families & Congress members are sounding the alarm about *** an intensifying mental health crisis *** onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as its 5,000 sailors & marines endure a record-breaking deployment at sea.” Hegseth demands warriors but fails to meet their basic needs.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Another damning indictment of current Pentagon leadership www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried to jump overboard amid extended deployment – reports
Aircraft carrier’s crew in ninth month at sea and has spent record 250 days consecutively without making land
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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Trump still seems uncertain on Ukraine Patriot deal (though Kiev thinks it’s going ahead). My call this afternoon with him. www.ft.com/content/d8c4...
ft.com
Donald Trump ‘not sure’ he will let Ukraine build Patriot missiles
US president had earlier said he would allow the country to produce the weapon vital for its defence against Russia
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I wasn’t prepared for this story to be anything other than parody. We have to face the facts with this government and the facts are embarrassing. Imagine being in diplomatic engagement with any of these countries and having to respond on this to their understandably concerned leaders.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Additional confirmation that we live in a boobocracy www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference
A U.S. government ​map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation at a global conference ‌in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screenshots and po...
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Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Many Americans have "simply succumbed to the myth of Russian immensity, power, and strength—the same characteristics that have so long convinced Trump that Russia is the side to bet on," writes @ccaryl.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/21/r...
foreignpolicy.com
The Western Myth of Russian Greatness
There is a long history of foreigners idealizing Russia and exaggerating its power.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
This is an excellent question: How long until there is a US markets reckoning over Trump’s damage? www.ft.com/content/fcbd...
ft.com
How long until there is a US markets reckoning over Trump’s damage?
The patience of the bond markets will ultimately wear thin
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Jonathan Winer: We should anticipate Trump's use of secret emergency powers to overturn or block the midterm elections—the secret emergency authorities embodied in Presidential Emergency Action Documents, or PEADs. Since Eisenhower’s time, every administration has maintained a set of secret, pre-
washingtonspectator.org
Emergency Planning: The President Is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them. | Washington Spectator
Each president since Eisenhower has prepared secret Emergency Authorities intended for use under extreme circumstances, such as a nuclear attack or domestic upheaval. These unlimited powers have never...
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Robert @robertmcmillan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Trump Has Emergency Powers We Aren't Allowed to Know About www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
brennancenter.org
Presidential Emergency Action Documents
Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs) are executive orders, proclamations, and messages to Congress that are prepared in anticipation of a range of emergency scenarios.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
My latest column for @foreignpolicy.com offers some useful context on Mykhailo Fedorov, who was just fired as Ukraine's defense minister. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/09/u...
foreignpolicy.com
Ukraine Finally Has a Theory of Victory. Will It Work?
Kyiv has developed a strategy for winning the war. Now all it needs is time.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I mentioned Fedorov in my latest column for @foreignpolicy.com. He's been doing a brilliant job. If he was fighting with the generals, he was likely doing it for the right reasons. If he was fighting with corrupt interests, sacking him sends a terrible signal. kyivindependent.com/defense-mini...
kyivindependent.com
Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the role of Ukraine's next defense minister, a lawmaker from the governing Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonym...
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
This is bad news. Fedorov was doing an excellent job. If this does have anything to do with his campaign against corruption, it sends a terrible signal.
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Alina Pereverzieva 🇺🇦 @perevaa.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
In Ukraine, we have two nicknames for Zelenskyy: Sanych – when he does something cool – and Zelupa – when he does some dumb shit. And right now, it’s definitely Zelupa who has just fired Fedorov.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Israeli officialdom encourages these settlers and enables their bad behavior. The U.S. should condemn this in the strongest possible terms www.cnn.com/2026/07/11/m...
cnn.com
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna detained by Israeli settlers during West Bank visit | CNN
Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit this week that he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of Israeli occu...
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
My latest for @foreignpolicy.com: Ukraine finally has a plan for victory. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/09/u...
foreignpolicy.com
Ukraine Finally Has a Theory of Victory. Will It Work?
Kyiv has developed a strategy for winning the war. Now all it needs is time.
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Long Lead @longlead.com · 29/06/2026
Could it be that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will spawn different forms of partnership among the countries of Eurasia? It's a question that journalist Christian Caryl (@ccaryl.bsky.social) considers in BORDER LINE WAR, featuring photos shot by Magnum photographer Thomas Dworzak.
Exiled Russians and others demonstrate against Putin and the war in Ukraine in Georgia.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Thanks to the great Jacob Heilbrunn for having me on his show to discuss the growing threats to Putin’s regime youtu.be/04y46XEiytU?...
youtu.be
Christian Caryl Decodes Putin’s Fragile Empire
YouTube video by The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune
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Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 18/06/2026
This video appears to confirm it was a Russian air-defense missile — not a Ukrainian drone — that blew up that Moscow refinery’s storage tank today, creating the "flying saucer" footage. (This video was shared on Telegram by Russian military expert Yan Matveev.) t.me/arrowsmap/11...
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 19/06/2026
SpaceX’s $2.4 trillion market value is based on promises of putting data centers in space and establishing a colony of a million people on Mars, a premise so far-fetched that experts decline to ascribe any impact to it.
washingtonpost.com
Space data centers, a settlement on Mars: The far-off ideas driving SpaceX’s $2.4T valuation
Elon Musk becoming a trillionaire was only the beginning. SpaceX has soared into the orbit of tech juggernauts with a fleet of fantastical plans.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
“This week’s developments reinforced a growing sense of confidence in Kyiv that it would be able to force the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, to the negotiating table….” From @siobhanogrady.bsky.social in Kyiv www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/w...
nytimes.com
‘Game Changer’? Too Soon to Tell. But Ukraine Flexed in Striking Moscow.
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🍏 Vladimir Kara-Murza @vkaramurza.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Few have engaged in political projection as openly and shamelessly as Vladimir Putin — and one particular idée fixe that has featured prominently in his speeches gives an idea of what occupies the Russian dictator’s subconscious.
washingtonpost.com
Opinion | Putin calls Zelensky illegitimate. He’s describing himself.
The Russian dictator’s obsession reveals exactly what occupies his own subconscious.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Note Putin’s persistent claim that Ukraine is being “supplied” with drones by the West & and that it has no serious air defenses of its own. He simply can’t admit to his domestic audience that Ukraine is actually outclassing Russia in many respects. youtube.com/shorts/OO46g...
youtube.com
Putin says Russia will strengthen air defenses after Ukrainian drone attacks
YouTube video by Kyiv Independent
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Outrageous. He is a democracy activist of long standing, not a spy. He should be released immediately.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
I love this place. Absolutely entrancing
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Long Lead @longlead.com · 06/06/2026
Europe has been working hard to shore up its borders against the possibility of Russian aggression. But "drone walls," high-tech border installations, and troop reinforcements won’t suffice on their own when the foe can reach deep into the hearts of the nations trying to shelter behind the lines.
4x5 ratio graphic with photo of trenches seen in Romania, BORDER LINE WAR LONG LEAD branding in red text and text,
"From Norway to Kazakhstan, Russia’s neighbors hold a tenuous line. Along this new Iron Curtain, images capture life haunted by the ghost of an empire that insists it has no boundaries." Photography by Thomas Dworzak Text by Christian Caryl
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
I’m astonished by the vast number of smart-enough-to-know-better think-tankers, columnists & TV/podcast commentators who have happily transformed into apologists for the new American unilateralist authoritarian government. The suit & tie fail to conceal the cognitive & moral failings.
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
U.S. is planning to make substantial cuts to its contribution to the NATO Rapid Response Force. Plans have been made to withdraw tanker aircraft, fighter jets, drones, naval forces & bombers from U.S.’ NATO force commitments. Discussion with @terischultz.bsky.social 👇 youtu.be/MreT9ueXOM4
youtu.be
Classified US plan to pull key military assets from NATO | DW News
YouTube video by DW News
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
For the past quarter century, Putin has relied on Ramzan Kadyrov to keep the peace in Chechnya. But their partnership may be coming to an end. My latest for @foreignpolicy.com foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/04/r...
foreignpolicy.com
Vladimir Putin’s Second-Biggest Headache
With his war in Ukraine going badly, he may soon face another quagmire in Chechnya.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
“.. four months after its establishment, the board’s financial fund set up by the World Bank has received no money from donors, according to four people familiar with the matter. ‘Zero dollars have been deposited,’ one said.” @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/5ba3...
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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 27/05/2026
A potential deal to end the Iran war has Tehran feeling triumphant—but the Islamic Republic’s leaders may find that the problems of peace are the hardest to solve, Arash Azizi writes.
bit.ly
Why Iran’s Leaders Think They’ve Won
An interim deal promises to meet a lot of Iranian demands, but it won’t solve the problems of peace.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
This military expert doesn’t seem to be aware that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are not part of the Russian Federation (5:48). Kazakhstan prosecutes people who fight for foreign militaries. Russia is not relying on Central Asia for recruits. youtu.be/6BDSQ6zHwVM
youtu.be
Ukrainian drone commander explains momentum shift in war | The Security Brief
YouTube video by BBC News
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Bill Madden @maddenifico.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The most accurate portrayal of the pro-Jim Crow, white nationalist Roberts Supreme Court I've seen yet.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 13/05/2026
A new CNN poll on Tuesday found that 70 percent of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the economy. Notably, Trump never reached a 50 percent disapproval rate over the economy during the entire duration of his first term.
motherjones.com
Trump broke his own record—for economic disapproval
The president never reached a 50 percent disapproval rate over the economy during the entire duration of his first term.
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Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Trump on what factors into his thinking about the Iran war: "I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation." @ericalgj.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Says Americans’ Economic Pain Is Not a Consideration for the Iran War
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
“Corporate bankruptcies last year rose to their highest level in over a decade.” www.thebulwark.com/p/the-americ...
thebulwark.com
The ‘America First’ Corporate Graveyard
An (economic) serial killer is on the loose, and he’s murdering U.S firms left and right.
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Putun proposed it for a reason. Schroeder has shown again and again that he’s in Russia’s pocket. The West shouldn’t allow this to happen
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
“Trump seems so sufficiently preoccupied with his own war that he is finding fewer opportunities to pressure Kyiv into unfavorable peace deals.” And that’s a good thing.
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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
International far-right network uses Dutch unrest to make a comeback. Identitarian Movement rises again on the backs of genuinely concerned citizens. It is so disturbing when the voice of the ordinary citizen is hijacked by organized extremism. justiceforprosperity.org/internationa...
justiceforprosperity.org
International far-right network uses Dutch unrest to make a comeback - Justice for Prosperity
Identitarian Movement rises again. On the backs of genuinely concerned citizens. The Justice for Prosperity Foundation monitors networks that create, fuel, and instrumentalize social unrest. What we s...
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Christian Caryl @ccaryl.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
My latest from @foreignpolicy.com: Vladimir Putin is feeling the squeeze foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/07/r...
foreignpolicy.com
Vladimir Putin Is Much Weaker Than You Think
Used to outwitting his enemies, the Russian leader is running out of room for maneuver.
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Long Lead @longlead.com · 05/05/2026
"Putin is wielding history like a weapon against his neighbors," writes Christian Caryl (@ccaryl.bsky.social) "as devastating as a missile, tank, or drone." Get the full story. Read BORDER LINE WAR, today: border-line-war.longlead.com
border-line-war.longlead.com
A New Iron Curtain: Inside the Cold War to Curb Putin's Imperial Reach
From Norway to Kazakhstan, U.S. allies hold a tenuous line with Russia, the ghost of an empire that insists it has no boundaries.
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