Responsible Statecraft✓

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NEW : Trump wanted an American businessman freed, the online scam industry shut down, and access to rare earths. The first ask of #Mynamar has been achieved, the other two are near impossible. Reporter @Santiagomontag explains.

.@jekavanagh : Kyiv's 'shoot the archer' strategy would not only require more US/Euro investment but Starlink for strikes deep inside Russia and that is problematic on so many levels

RT @BenFreemanDC: The thin line between entertainment and war. Must read from @HekmatAboukater in @RStatecraft

Jordan's King Abdullah seems to be stuck in frenemy status with Trump. Since his people are restless to show the Americans the door, this might not be the worst thing. @AaronMagid

RT @AaronMagid: “King Abdullah remains one of Washington’s most reliable regional allies,” former Jordanian minister @maburumman1 said. “Yet he may feel more politically distant from the current American president than from many of his predecessors.”

The relationship between Trump and King Abdullah lacks “chemistry,” @daoudkuttab told @AaronMagid

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"In discussions I have had with officials and scholars from the GCC states, contempt for Russia is manifest. Yet they still want to maintain good relations with Moscow for fear that Russia would help Iran even more otherwise" @Mark_N_Katz

Elfadil Ibrahim explores the many reasons why Egypt cannot stay out of the #Yemen #Houthi fray. Too much money and dependency on regional neighbors to start.

NEW on #TheBunker w/ Mark Thompson @POGOwatchdog : The military flies ever closer to getting a carrier-based drone to refuel its carrier-based warplanes

NEW @AntonioDeLoeraB on how (and why) right wing govts behind Trump's 'Shield of Americas" are lining up to congratulate socialist #Lula in #Brazil today.

NEW @Santiagomontag takes us on the ground, into #Mynamar and through the warring factions and explains why Trump admin's new transactional approach won't work here.

RT @connor_echols: Trump is talking to the junta in Myanmar, in part hoping he'll get access to the country's rare earths. But the major mines lie in insurgent-held territory. So is Trump talking to the wrong people? A valuable story with great photos by @Santiagomontag

To understand why Sisi has pushed to provide military support to Saudi Arabia, despite institutional reluctance, one must follow the money.

Moscow’s role in the U.S.-Iran conflict is shaped by a gap between Russia’s ambitions and its means to deliver diplomatic results, writes @GiorgioCafiero.

Europe once led diplomacy with Iran. But is now reduced to issuing toothless statements and watching as other states step in as more consequential diplomatic actors, writes @EldarMamedov4.

The United Nations General Assembly voted for the 34th time on Wednesday to condemn the U.S. embargo on Cuba. @lee_schlenker breaks it down:

"What began in 2003 as a gripping, cinematic rendition of some of World War II's most heroic battles has gradually morphed into an immersive Beltway military fantasy in which millions of players experience the world of geopolitics through Washington's eyes, complete with its familiar enemies, justifications for military intervention, and warnings about the dangers of American withdrawal."

Polling from Reuters/Ipsos shows that Trump’s approval rating among rural Americans has slipped from 61% last October to 45% earlier this month.

The relationship between Trump and Abdullah lacks “chemistry,” @daoudkuttab, founder of the Amman-based Balad Radio told @AaronMagid. As the ruler of a poor country, Abdullah lacks the resources to impress Trump with, for example, a $400 million gifted plane or a massive oil deal.