Tony Connelly

Officially out today: brand new edition of Brexit & Ireland: the Dangers, the Opportunities, the Inside Story of the Irish Response, fully updated amazon.co.uk/dp/B071FMD56Z/…

Szijjarto, the foreign minister, made regular phone calls during breaks at E.U. meetings to provide his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, with “live reports on what’s been discussed” and possible solutions, one of the European security officials said. washingtonpost.com/world/2026/03/…

Europe seeks fresh momentum amid multiple crises rte.ie/news/analysis-…

Is Europe embracing a classic “progress through crisis” moment? As geopolitical chaos swirls it might just be: right ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency My take on this week’s Iran dominated EU summit Link below 👇

Iran’s weakening deterrence capabilities point to a deeper strategic problem unfolding today. @NicoleGrajewski and @nktpnd unpack the forces behind Iran’s military expansion and the vulnerabilities now coming forward: foreignaffairs.com/iran/stunning-…

@typingduck @rte And also in the first paragraph

@tconnellyRTE @rte You guys are not offering the robust defence of public broadcasting that you think you are.

Attack on Iranian gas field 'unacceptable' - Taoiseach rte.ie/news/europe/20… via @rte

@typingduck @rte It was in the headline

@tconnellyRTE @rte I mean... you didnt include that in the article. So apologies/ not apologies?

@typingduck @rte Q: the Israelis bombed in the world's largest natural gas field yesterday. What should the Europeans do in relation to this? A: "First, it's unacceptable. And I think any further attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East [are] unacceptable."

@tconnellyRTE @rte "Attack on Iranian gas field unacceptable" "Any further attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East is unacceptable" Fyi... these are not the same sentence.

Previous pro-Kremlin 🇷🇺 blogger Ilya Remeslo has turned around and published a damming indictment of Putin and his policies. It’s powerful stuff.

Commission proposes 'EU Inc' company status to lure firms via @RTENews rte.ie/news/business/…

Crude awakening: Europe reels from Trump's Gulf war rte.ie/news/analysis-…

As we enter the third week of the Iran War, Europe is struggling to deal with the collateral damage. Ahead of a key EU leaders summit on Thursday, what are the options when facing sky rocketing oil and gas prices? Link below 👇

Expanding cemetery shows Ukraine's devastating loss via @RTENews ⁦@liamnolanRTE⁩ rte.ie/news/ukraine/2…

The F-15 “friendly fire” claim is either *lie* or a US command failure. But something is OFF. After talking to experienced military sources, here’s how we KNOW the reporting is cover: * Kuwait uses three types of air defense system: >Patriot >Improved HAWK >SHORAD A SHORAD type air defense would not reliably take down an F-15. An improved HAWK *could* hit an F-15 BUT because a hawk requires constant radar illumination, the pilot would be alerted to the lock by radar detection, could deploy chaff, activate ECM, and take maneuvers against it. So a hawk striking 3 planes is deeply unlikely. The Patriot system can reliably strike targets like an F-15, and so we know it’s likely this was the system used. * Patriot systems rely on multiple ID types to engage a target: >Radar track behavior rules (it only shoots at things that act like a missile) >IFF signature (a broadcasted automatic signature between fighter craft and ground systems) >Link-16 (an integrated system for IDing friendlies in the air space, that is shared via integrated command) >Air tasking order data (the equivalent of an issued flight route) * F-15 broadcast an IFF that Patriot batteries can detect when the proper encryption key is shared with allies. * Kuwaiti Patriot batteries support Link-16 integration with US data when properly shared. * Our agreement with Kuwait to operate regionally requires sharing all Air Tasking Orders in their air space. * After a single friendly fire joint emergency command orders would need to be shared with Kuwait. In order for Kuwait to hit 3 F-15 with Patriot friendly fire in one night would require ALL of the following: * We didn’t share IFF encryption keys or ID data with them, or were not broadcasting IFF. * We did not share Link-16 data with them, or Link-16 broadcast capabilities were destroyed. * We did not share Air Tasking Orders with them. * We did not share emergency alerts with them after the first ejection took place. * The area was under extreme barrage of missiles FAR more than reported. * There was no AWACS data sharing, or no higher level C2 node integration, or these were damaged. So either: 1) We made an operational decision to ignore our standard practices and leave an ally in the dark, not share data and risk American lives OR 2) The Iranian attack was *far* more successful than the US let on, and damaged critical ID and comms infrastructure of US assets in Kuwait. Either way, we are not getting the real story from the US side here. People with contacts in Kuwait, or active command, should be asking serious questions about this blunder. As it likely points to a gaping hole in US defense that puts our service members at serious risk!

The apparent stasis of Russia’s war in Ukraine rests on an unstable equilibrium that is driving escalation, not compromise. Russia’s recruitment dilemmas, Europe’s finances and China’s choices will shape its future. ➡️ Read the latest analysis by Dr Nigel Gould-Davies (@Nigelgd1): go.iiss.org/3Mr8cLa

Liam Nolan reports from Kharkiv where locals have adapted to a strange, new reality as the war enters its fifth year rte.ie/news/2026/0301…

Will Iranians rise up? ⁦ @ksadjadpour⁩ in ⁦@ForeignAffairs⁩: The paradox of revolutions is that to be viable they need to attract a critical mass of people. But a critical mass of people won’t join the revolution unless they think it’s viable reader.foreignaffairs.com/2026/02/28/the…

@dulchiewhelan Thanks David

@tconnellyRTE Great reporting from Kharkiv this week Tony. So important to see the ordinary and extraordinary lives of the people living in wartimes.

Majority Russian-speaking, all Ukrainian, well-groomed: the surreal underground world of #Kharkiv, four years after Russia’s full scale invasion…

To anyone still gullible enough to fall for scummy media hoaxes: Trump said warmongering neocons love sending your kids to die for wars they would never fight themselves. Liz Cheney is Kamala’s top advisor. Liz wants to invade the whole Middle East. Kamala = WWIII. Trump = Peace.

My documentary The Battle For Kyiv will remain live on this link till Monday morning, the dopamine hit of watching the numbers go up on a film I poured so much of my heart into is bigger than my desire to monetise it 🫶