Maria Popova 🇨🇦

There will not be any final settlement with Russia. The very partners who tied Ukraine's hands behind its back also drove it to develop its own capabilities for unilateral escalation. Moscow still doesn't get what this means for the outcome of the war

"Who are your sympathies with more?" All: 🟡 Ukraine: 62% 🔵 Russia: 4% DEM: 🟡 Ukraine: 76% 🔵 Russia: 2% GOP: 🟡 Ukraine: 57% 🔵 Russia: 5% Independent: 🟡 Ukraine: 55% 🔵 Russia: 5% YouGov / July 13, 2026

There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective “middle powers”strategy these days. At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will *think it is* and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction. 1/

There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective “middle powers”strategy these days. At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will *think it is* and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction. 1/

There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective “middle powers”strategy these days. At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will *think it is* and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction. 1/

There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective “middle powers”strategy these days. At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will *think it is* and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction. 1/

Middle powers have a coherent reason to cooperate : their common commitment to international law and rules based order’ not out of virtue but because their interest is not to get trapped between the Chinese rock and the US hard place.

There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective “middle powers”strategy these days. At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will *think it is* and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction. 1/

This is obviously aimed at Canada. It probably deserves significant dissection. But the fact that it emphasizes that access to the American Defence Industrial base is a privilege that should not be taken for granted -- then goes on to argue other countries shouldn't invest in their own defence industrial bases in ways that might replace or supplant the US one -- is representative of how muddled the entire message is. America: WARNING, you might lose access to our industry at any time! Also, America: Why are you trying to reduce your reliance on our industry? 🤔