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Maximilian Hess

@maxhess.bsky.social

4.6K followers 608 following 248 posts

Founder - Enmetena Advisory, Fellow @FPRI & @IISS_org. Eurasia, political economy, sanctions, international affairs, debt & sovereignty. Buy my book Economic War: Ukraine & The Global Conflict Between Russia & The West: linktr.ee/EconomicWar

Posts Replies Media

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

The governor of Russia's Lipetsk region demanded that oil companies stop lying and concealing information about disruptions to fuel supplies to the region. (Comment from me: not like that will actually bring more fuel to the region). "It is unacceptable for company representatives to claim at ⤵️

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Iikka Korhonen @iikkakorhonen.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

China's energy imports from Russia, volume, 2025 vs 2024 Crude oil -7% Oil products -24% Coal -7% LNG +17% I guess e.g. imports of Russian crude have hit their ceiling, more or less.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

you'd think / hope that the WB freeze would get others to reconsider...

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Have any of the official development lenders actually given it a loan though? I have reached out directly to European Investment Bank before too give them my two cents (i.e. run away) but still the "EIB continues to advance its due diligence on the Rogun Hydropower Plant" www.eib.org/en/press/new...

EIB strengthens engagement in Central Asia with new Tashkent office and fresh commitments to sustainable infrastructure

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a new phase of engagement in Central Asia, confirming the opening of a regional office in Tashkent in early 2026 and signing several Letters of Intent ...

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Tajikistan's environmentally disastrous dam of corruption, now in its 50th year of construction, reports tens of millions of dollars in losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in 'missing' funds. Same as it ever was! eurasianet.org/audit-raises...

Audit raises lots of financial questions about Tajikistan’s Rogun Dam project

Review issues caution about Rogun’s future as ‘going concern.’

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

9/So what is Europe to do? Not this...It has to wake up and understand that an alternative international order is being put on the table. It is not based on rules but hierarchy and extraction. Tepid finger waging will lead to domination. www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

theguardian.com

EU affirms ‘principles of national sovereignty’ in cautious response to Trump Greenland threats – Europe live

European Commission spokesperson also declines to rule on whether US intervention in Venezuela was legal

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

“Socotra’s unique form of statehood requires a reference point to the outside world. The labels attached to it are less important than the reality of preserving it.”

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Thank you!

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Allowed by the local and Emirati authorities, and yes a Yemeni visa but this is issued by STC Yemeni backed govt so others on mainland wouldn’t recognize it. I communicated via interpreter, and a Socotri who had studied English in UAE and was kind enough to spend week teaching me basics

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Fewer than 80 tourists were allowed to visit the island at the time when I went, which was also over the new year

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Amid reports that ≈400 (!) tourists are stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra, amid Saudi-UAE proxy fights in Yemen, time to reshare this piece I wrote about visiting the island 4 years ago and what de facto Emirati control means for the place & its inhabitants inkstickmedia.com/the-socotri-...

inkstickmedia.com

The Socotri Sovereignty Soliloquy

Breaking down the borders between state, society, and sovereignty on the island where trees bleed.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

He most certainly does not, he has targeted him with collateral damage, Russian drones and missiles have targeted the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers and presidential building, and then there was Odessa attack that targeted Zelensky after Rutte meeting

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Im really not sure what your point is, Trump didn’t acknowledge it until after either. Putin has tried to kill Zelensky and will continue to do so regardless of whatever the US does or does not do in Venezuela or most elsewhere

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Very much openly on the first day of the invasion, you can find plenty of articles that detail the squad sent to do it and their activities

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

They have tried that repeatedly and failed

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Correct

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

They had nothing to trade, no ability to support Maduro whatsoever

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

?

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Russian Foreign Ministry statement is out and is extremely soft, calls for “prevention of further escalation and to focus on finding a way to advance through dialogue”.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

I’m sure it was, and hardly takes a genius to know that Russian defence treaties mean zero (especially in an area it has no chance of defending). But Russia had been seeking to support maduro in recent days including over ship seizure.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Russia signed a treaty to defend Venezuela just two months ago but its crickets this morning from the Kremlin. Utter humiliation and evidence of just how weak it is globally.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Your regular reminder that any Western comopany reporting its assets in Russia as not marked down to 0 for the last 3 years has been essentially defrauding its investors www.ft.com/content/616d...

Putin’s retaliation threat over frozen assets rattles EU capitals

Italy, Belgium and Austria worry about Russia moving against their companies

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Ofc it will be a friend of his who takes over the assets, but if that friend is a non Russian, it’s a relative win (not ideal ofc)

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Trump would love a deal and would love to make Putin happy but fundamentally Putin doesnt want a deal. Without it Trump feels forlorn and rejected and will revert to caring about who gets to loot ukraine, who dominates LNG markets, and the Arctic - & on all of those Putin's Russia is a sharp rival

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Trump is unqualified for office and clearly loves Putin, i think that Putin is what he seems himself as when he looks in the mirror. but yes, the rosneft and lukoil sanctions are a major step (they have not been rolled back, just deadlines delayed for asset sales, which had happened under Biden too)

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Given Putin is obviously going to reject the peace deal (but try and blame it on Kyiv and Europe), more sanctions should be the base case even from the Trump Admin - as I have long argued - rather than the shock so many treated it as in October and will again soon www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Readies New Russia Sanctions If Putin Rejects Peace Deal

The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people f...

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

The most British way of fighting the British

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Trump’s Special Representative for Belarus John Coale announced after meeting Lukashenko that Washington will lift sanctions on Belarusian Potash. It’s the second step in the Trump Admin’s easing strategy after sanctions on the airline Belavia were lifted. zerkalo-access.space/news/economi...

zerkalo-access.space

США снимают санкции с беларусского калия

«Мы снимаем санкции, освобождаем заключенных. Мы постоянно говорим друг с другом».

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Kazakhmys to be sold, the first potential ding to the major oligarchs outside Nazarbayev family since de-Nazarbayevification? Ogay & Kim the old controlling shareholders are longtime regime insiders, theyre also key stakeholders in the larger KAZ Minerals www.mining.com/web/kazakhmy...

Kazakhmys says it will have new controlling shareholder

Company ranks 20th in the world in terms of copper concentrate production.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Trump Admin extends sanctions deadline for sale of Lukoil's foreign assets by just over one month, until 17 January www.reuters.com/business/aut...

US allows negotiations on Lukoil's foreign assets until January 17

The United States on Wednesday extended a deadline for negotiations on buying the global assets of Russian oil company Lukoil by a little over a month to January 17.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

I see the ‘defenders of free speech’ are hard at work www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Plans to Mandate Social Media Checks for Visa-Free Visitors

The US is proposing that foreign visitors provide their social media history over the last five years to enter the country, including those from Australia, Germany, Japan and the UK who can now enter ...

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Sven-Erik Volberg @volberg.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Congress NDAA is 2,5k pages but in general seems total opoosition of WH. Bill locks in long-term support for Ukraine, mandates troop levels in Europe, and codifies the Baltic Security Initiative as US strategy hardens against russia. www.kyivpost.com/post/65767

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Excellent review & essay by @newlefteviews.bsky.social on thinking about capitalism's role today, including this key reminder that the global economic order is itself responsible for the domestic challenges to it in the US that risk undermining its key patron www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/1...

newstatesman.com

How not to talk about capitalism

The more it penetrates our daily lives, the less we seem to understand the “system that runs the world”

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Nitish Pahwa @nitishpahwa.com · 05/12/2025

this is the Dr. Strangelove War Room

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Meh this is just the license for the retail stations, not sale of the oversees assets

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Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Half-Brick McCurdy @halfbrickmccurdy.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

To those folk saying the latest round of US/Russia talks achieved nothing, delaying the full imposition of US sanctions on Lukoil until April next year is definitely a something.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Can anyone recommend some books on Guinea-Conakry? Preferably ones that aren’t just about Sekou Toure

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Reposted by Maximilian Hess

Anna Gvarishvili @annagvarish.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

Lelo Party member Aleko Elisashvili was arrested this morning. According to the MIA, last night Aleko Elisashvili used a hammer to break the window of Tbilisi City Hall’s chancellery, entered the building, poured gasoline on documents, and attempted to set them on fire. 1/

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Congrats to @joannalillis.bsky.social on the London launch of Silk Mirage: Through the Looking Glass in Uzbekistan

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

OFAC clarifies that it is Trump Admin’s policy that it will only approve of sales of Lukoil International’s assets (which Gunvor was willing to pay $22 billion for) if that sale does not see money actually flow to Lukoil while sanctions on Lukoil remain ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/1224

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Cab driver in Zimbabwe started spontaneously telling me about how he hates Russia for what they’ve done to Ukraine #TakeThatThomasFriedman

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Off to South Africa, Zimbabwe, E-Swatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia for the next 20 Days. Don't @ me please. :)

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Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Big weeks in sanctions developments, but the fate of Lukoil's proposed sale of its foreign assets to Gunvor and belatedly sanctions-afflicted refiner NIS in Serbia will set major precedents, more from me here: conflictandcredit.substack.com/p/sanctions-...

conflictandcredit.substack.com

Sanctions Swords of Damocles hang over Lukoil International & Serbia's NIS

A deal laden with political risks, and precedent potential in Belgrade

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

башня Татлина жив! Но, в Англии (Tatlin’s tower lives, but in England…)

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Quite the geo-economic day in the Caucasus, Russia ships oil to refinery in Georgia for the first time (Georgia didn't have a refinery before) Kazakh wheat shipped via Azerbaijan to Armenia, a first since USSR's collapse t.co/31RbvV2HC4 t.co/msA5cowQvx

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-ships-first-oil-new-refinery-georgia-2025-10-21/

Reposted by Maximilian Hess

OC Media @ocmedia.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Georgian authorities have arrested five Russian nationals involved in a suspected wide-reaching illegal scheme using cryptocurrency. oc-media.org/five-russian...

Five Russians arrested in Georgia over alleged money laundering, crypto scheme

The operation reportedly involved the unregulated trade of ‘hundreds of millions of lari’.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Georgian government has raided home of ex prosecutor general Partskhaladze (US sanctioned for working with FSB), i former head of the State Security Service Liluashvili & former two time premier Irakli Gharibashvili Falling out been rumored for a while… but wow tvpirveli.ge/ka/siaxleebi...

ჩხრეკა ჩატარდა ღარიბაშვილის, ლილუაშვილის, ფარცხალაძის საცხოვრებელი სახლებში | TV პირველი

ამოღებულია ელექტრონული მოწყობილობები

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

To be fair, Stripe’s publishing arm published a book last year claiming that bubbles are good. I did not find it convincing… www.stripe.press/boom

Boom: Bubbles and the End of Stagnation

A timely investigation of the causes of technological and scientific stagnation, and a radical blueprint for accelerating innovation.

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

To quote a colleague, "Tamerlane would be proud"

Maximilian Hess @maxhess.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

media.tenor.com

a man is holding a gun in a car and says `` that 's bait '' .

ALT: a man is holding a gun in a car and says `` that 's bait '' .