iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Not everything which is said on the other channel is drivel. 📎 www.ceps.eu/ceps-publica...

Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

A new European security architecture is emerging: critical mass is forming around Weimar-UK-NB8. UA is integral to it because of the realisation that theirs is also our fight. But coalitions of the willing are no substitute for full membership of permanent institutions. #LennartMeriConference

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Sikorski explaining to the new US Amb to NATO what the value added of the EU is in joint and cheaper borrowing & mounting a rapid deployment capacity on Europe’s southern border. Nudge nudge, wink wink

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Pushed by increasingly bold Russian sabotage and propelled by the NB8 & JEF, the Council Baltic Sea States has decided to transform #CBSS into a strategic forum for regional security dialogue, setting priorities & providing direction for regional initiatives #LennartMeriConference

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

It was a pleasure teaming up with Profs. Roman Petrov and Adam Lazowski for this special lecture at @collegeofeurope.bsky.social in Natolin

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Looking forward to discussing the State of the Union

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Of horses, swords and shields. In Warsaw today for meetings in the context of the EU’s informal defence ministerial. @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Looking forward to 2 days of meetings in the context of the informal EU defence ministerial

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Going around Sarajevo, people fear violence as Dodik’s days seem counted. His secessionist moves in response to an arrest warrant for disqualifying laws imposed by the OHR are not supported by citizens, the US, Turkey. Vucic is embattled himself. Experts fear Arkan’s ghost will rear his ugly head

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

There is already a clear group of beneficiaries from the massive spending programmes: the EU defence industry. A great column by @ceps.eu colleague @judith-arnal.bsky.social

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Today's emergency summit is pivotal in building EU military muscle. Eyeing the opportunity of touching big defence grants, Orban is still doing Trumputin's bidding by blocking security guarantees for Ukraine, undermining the continent's security. How much longer? @ceps.eu @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Commissioner Kos at #CEPSLab2025: Ukraine’s accelerated integration into the defence industrial market will be central to the upcoming White Paper on the Future of European Defence.

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

The most arresting moment at this year's EU Enlargement Conference was Ukrainian poet Olesya Mamchych's personal & family account of the pain suffered as a result of a long history of wars waged by Russia. Each time, Ukrainian identity has been strengthened. Ukraine will prevail 🇺🇦

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

To our participants: welcome to snowy Tallinn

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Maybe that’s what hell is like, spending an eternity in Bruges

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

⚡️The Big Baltic Synchro. The BRELL treaty expires today. Tomorrow, the Baltics will disconnect from Belarusian & Russian IPS/UPS and connect to the Continental European synchronous electric power system. Worst case scenario: 3-day outage. Population is prepared. Kaliningrad will be a short circuit.

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Highly recommend watching Conflict, the Finnish mini-TV series which explores an uncomfortably real scenario of a hybrid attack on a strategic peninsula in the Baltic Sea. More effectively than any govt campaign it sends the message that we can't take a safe & free society for granted. Slava Ukraini

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

HRVP Kallas injects a dose of urgency at #EDAConf: "An incrementalist approach to EU defence won't work ... Russia could test our preparedness in 3 to 5 years ... Last year, member states collectively spent an average 1.9% on defence. Russia is spending 9% ... Weakness invites the aggressor in."

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

10 reasons to study at one of @collegeofeurope.bsky.social top Master’s programmes in Bruges, Natolin, or Tirana. Apply before 15 January 2025 👉 www.coleurope.eu/apply

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Making predictions is difficult, especially about the future - Niels Bohr

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

🎆 To friends in Georgia and Serbia: warm wishes for a brighter 2025!

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

OTD in 1991, Gorbachev bowed to the inevitable. He resigned to the expiry of the Soviet empire. Putin’s spasms to rescue the Russian empire are old-fashioned and futile. The Ukrainians were the only ones who voted —overwhelmingly—for their independence. They will fight tooth and nail to keep it.

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

In coordination with Estonia, Lithuania imposed sanctions on 17 🇬🇪 Georgian politicians, including PM Kobakhidze. Pressure is growing ahead of EU Foreign Affairs Council which will consider Union-wide sanctions against GD officials.

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Assad resisted for 12,5 more years but sadly most of my first-ever CEPS commentary holds up. A regional security space would come closer if, further to Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, the Saudi-Israeli normalisation process is restarted, and Turkey is brought into fold. cdn.ceps.eu/wp-content/u...

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

A breath of fresh air. With a strong focus on values and historical mission, one of the first policy points raised by Marta Kos in her inaugural speech as Commissioner of Enlargement is the need to solve bilateral disputes between member states and candidates #BalkansSummit @reunir.bsky.social

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

🇬🇪Georgian Dream’s geopolitical U-turn is complete. Shortly before the PM announced GD's decision to postpone EU accession talks & reject all EU financial aid until 2028, Putin said: “I was amazed by the courage with which the Georgian government defended its position regarding recent draft laws."

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

As others have remarked, this amounts to saying that the ICC is not for civilized colonial powers 🤯 www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

As part of the Growth Plan’s approach to ‘gradual integration’, Albania & Montenegro are the first candidate countries to join #SEPA. Starting in 2025, this will substantially reduce the cost of cross-border euro payments to the benefit of consumers (remittances!) & businesses. 🔗europa.eu/!9FTRgT

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

12 European countries and Ukraine have established a new defence cooperation format. The Northern Group includes DK, DE, EE, FI, IS, LT, LV, NL, NO, PL, SE, UK and will fund military production by Ukrainian companies, thus lessening Ukraine’s reliance on others. www.government.se/articles/202...

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Europe would be wise to heed Quinlan’s law

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Exploring the EU’s Global Gateway strategy amidst rising global conflicts. 🌍 How can the EU balance strategic autonomy with global partnerships? 🎙️ Featuring insights from CEPS, @gppi.bsky.social, @hneumannmep.bsky.social, Luc Bagur @DG_INTPA & more REGISTER HERE 👉 www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/...

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Steven Blockmans @stevenblockmans.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

I’m new here, trying to rebuild a sense of community. Engaging with trolls stopped making sense a long time ago. Still, I believe that posting on Twitter/X makes sense to have our voice heard there too.

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