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Recorded this conversation with @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social last year and just took a look back over it. I stand by pretty much every word. youtube.com/watch?v=MWTI...

Thanks so much, David. It was really great talking to you. I hope we can do it again sometime.

Had a great conversation with @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social on his YT channel, contextualizing the Cold War and how that relates to our present moment in history! Check it out here: youtu.be/l1Fc_OKM8Og?...

Maybe. But as a longtime Serbia watcher, it just doesn’t fit comfortably into the broader category - as some others have also pointed out.

Discuss. 😀

I wouldn’t include Serbia. Vucic usually calls early elections. The students may have put pressure on him, but this is just him pushing back. He’s challenging the opposition, which has no real policies or leadership. Most observers expect him to win, become PM and install a compliant president.

Politico have always used US spelling for their stories, even those written in Britain on British news. Clearly done purposefully. Drove me mad. Then again, The Economist use British spelling in their editions, apparently including in the US. 😀

It’s also interesting to note the FT report that the latest 1 billion euros released by the EU to Ukraine allows Kyiv to buy Chinese drone components with the money. This is notable in itself. But perhaps even more significant is whether Beijing would be willing to supply the components?

Absolutely no surprises there. Just further proof that she’d be far more comfortable in Reform. Overall, I don’t trust Burnham an inch on Europe. If he sends her to Treasury and appoints Nandy to the FCDO, as some reports suggest, then it will confirm that we can forget any serious EU overtures.

The ever informative @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social on whether the High Representative in BiH is still needed. A very useful overview and well done! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyu-... And while I'm at it, here's my own view on the subject: adismerdzanovic.com/2026/05/25/f...

One of the greatest historians in the world joined the podcast. A huge honour! If you're looking for something to watch this weekend, here it is. It's not exactly cheerful, but I hope you'll find it interesting. We go from Zelensky to Catherine the Great to Trump to the failure of democracies.

Thanks so much, Marcel. It was great talking to you. Let’s do it again soon.

Had a lot of fun chatting to @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social about Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. Despite it all, I remain optimistic. These men may look strong, but they're weak. And afraid. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KIO...

Why is the Chancellor appointing someone under parliamentary investigation to this post? Surely, it’s inappropriate? (Before anyone says anything, I know exactly what all this means. But, really, there’s a serious point. The government shouldn’t be assisting Farage in his efforts to avoid scrutiny!)

Completely agree. This is exactly why I think Americans need to be careful about assuming the Democrats will reverse many Republican actions. A lot of the damage Trump has done to American democracy will be permanent.

I’m not so optimistic. My worry is he’s done so too much damage to underlying institutions. Those who follow will either build on it, albeit more subtly, or do little to reverse it. Given the UK post-Tory Labour experience, I’m not sure that the Democrats will fix things as much as many believe.

Oh, and you spelt it wrong. The formal name in English, as demanded by the government, is Türkiye - using a letter that isn’t even native to the English Latin alphabet.

Absolutely agree. This is all about a strange inferiority complex in certain quarters. Most Turks I know still call it Turkey in English. Besides, most English speakers butcher the name when they try to say it in the Turkish way.

I think you’ll find the vast majority of countries have radically different names in English from their own language. Turkey is actually a bizarre outlier. (And Türkiye actually sounds horrible in English.) By the way, wait to you hear what different call the United States in their own languages!

Whatever that means? You said the Welsh voted Brexit. Many did. But the majority didn’t. They voted Remain. I was therefore correcting an inaccurate statement you made and underscoring the point that nationalist English in fact played a central role in Brexit, including in Wales.