It’s chilly and smoggy in Kyiv this morning. My first impression, after some brain rot scrolling, mostly on Telegram, and checking messages, is that lots of stuff is still falling from the sky and exploding.
I stuck my head out the window at about 04:30. Complete silence. Then some machine gun fire and flashes.
The relationship between pollution and sunrise/sunset beauty in Ukraine’s capital is complex.
Toxic solid or liquid particles generally increase the scattering of longer wavelengths of light, sometimes contributing to the orangeness of sunrises and purplishness of sunsets.
Yesterday Donald mentioned Ukraine several times during his first cabinet meeting, talking up a framework agreement to be signed during Z’s visit to the White House on Friday.
Z, meanwhile, had a mini press conference. He said his top priority with Donald is to figure out where, exactly, Team USA stands on ending the war and whether it will continue to provide military assistance.
US politicians, including Donald and his nominees testifying in Congress, have been reluctant in recent weeks to admit Russia invaded Ukraine1. Prob a symptom of MAGA groupthink.
One of Z’s favorite talking points lately is that Ukraine has the biggest and best-equipped fighting force in Europe. It’s also horribly mismanaged, which is why it’s hard to find new recruits2.
And, finally, this gem from Laura and Pete:
Did Russia Invade Ukraine? Is Putin a Dictator? We Asked Every Republican Member of Congress. Two simple questions, few straight answers (The Atlantic, February 25, 2025)
Ukraine is scrambling to find fresh fighters. A heavy-handed mobilisation campaign is unable to fill gaps in the front lines (The Economist, February 26, 2025)