Michael Bociurkiw
@michaelbociurkiw.bsky.social
New York Times-published OpEd writer. Global affairs analyst. Author. Sr Fellow - Atlantic Council. Former spox at OSCE & UNICEF. Founder - World Briefing report on Substack
Washington is still absorbing the shockwaves from an extraordinary Vanity Fair feature that pulls back the curtain on Donald Trump’s White House - and the administration’s reaction has, if anything, reinforced its central findings….
Non-Denial Denials: Inside the Trump White House After Vanity Fair’s Searing Reveal
A rare, deeply reported portrait of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles exposes a White House scrambling to contain the fallout & raises unsettling questions about power, judgment & US leadership on Ukraine
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Washington is still absorbing the shockwaves from an extraordinary Vanity Fair feature that pulls back the curtain on Donald Trump’s White House - and the administration’s reaction has, if anything, reinforced its central findings….
Suzie Wiles disclosed that President Trump believed Vladimir Putin was never serious about a ceasefire in Ukraine. Then why press Kyiv to cede territory & proceed with a high-profile Alaska summit that effectively lifted Putin from diplomatic isolation?
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Non-Denial Denials: Inside the Trump White House After Vanity Fair’s Searing Reveal
A rare, deeply reported portrait of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles exposes a White House scrambling to contain the fallout & raises unsettling questions about power, judgment & US leadership on Ukraine
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Suzie Wiles disclosed that President Trump believed Vladimir Putin was never serious about a ceasefire in Ukraine. Then why press Kyiv to cede territory & proceed with a high-profile Alaska summit that effectively lifted Putin from diplomatic isolation?
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
In the Odesa region, a state-level emergency situation was declared on the fifth day of the blackout, according to the Regional State Administration. Water & heating also been scarce. Many people’s refrigerators completely shutdown so massive food spoilage
December 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
In the Odesa region, a state-level emergency situation was declared on the fifth day of the blackout, according to the Regional State Administration. Water & heating also been scarce. Many people’s refrigerators completely shutdown so massive food spoilage
President Trump thinks Vladimir Putin wants much more than what’s on table in talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to White House chief Susie Wiles.
“The experts think that if he could get the rest of Donetsk, then he [Putin] would be happy. Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country.”
“The experts think that if he could get the rest of Donetsk, then he [Putin] would be happy. Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country.”
Trump thinks Russia’s Putin wants all of Ukraine: WH staff chief Susie Wiles
Trump for months has been convinced Putin is hellbent on taking over the entirety of Ukraine with his nearly four-year-old war there — disagreeing with unnamed advisors who felt giving him Ukraine&…
nypost.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:47 PM
President Trump thinks Vladimir Putin wants much more than what’s on table in talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to White House chief Susie Wiles.
“The experts think that if he could get the rest of Donetsk, then he [Putin] would be happy. Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country.”
“The experts think that if he could get the rest of Donetsk, then he [Putin] would be happy. Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country.”
As Washington sketches NATO-style guarantees for Ukraine, Moscow hardens its territorial demands - and Kyiv answers with a strike beneath the Black Sea…
Peace on Paper, War in Practice
As Washington sketches NATO-style guarantees for Ukraine, Moscow hardens its territorial demands - and Kyiv answers with a strike beneath the Black Sea.
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 8:35 PM
As Washington sketches NATO-style guarantees for Ukraine, Moscow hardens its territorial demands - and Kyiv answers with a strike beneath the Black Sea…
Amid an unprecedented power outage lasting several days in the southern #Ukraine port city of Odesa, residents in other regions pleading for more power to be sent there to alleviate the suffering
December 16, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Amid an unprecedented power outage lasting several days in the southern #Ukraine port city of Odesa, residents in other regions pleading for more power to be sent there to alleviate the suffering
US and Ukraine report progress in Berlin talks to end Russia’s invasion, with Washington reportedly offering NATO-style security guarantees. Read the backstory here in my World Briefing…
Ukraine to the World: “Yes — But?”
As Washington and Moscow circle a peace deal, Europe scrambles to prove it still matters - and Kyiv fights to avoid signing away its future
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:56 PM
US and Ukraine report progress in Berlin talks to end Russia’s invasion, with Washington reportedly offering NATO-style security guarantees. Read the backstory here in my World Briefing…
World Briefing: Asia Edition- From Berlin to Brussels, this week’s frantic diplomacy on #Ukraine has taken on an unmistakably existential tone. The question now is not just whether Europe can influence the terms of peace - but whether it still has the leverage to matter at all…
Ukraine to the World: “Yes — But?”
As Washington and Moscow circle a peace deal, Europe scrambles to prove it still matters - and Kyiv fights to avoid signing away its future
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:12 PM
World Briefing: Asia Edition- From Berlin to Brussels, this week’s frantic diplomacy on #Ukraine has taken on an unmistakably existential tone. The question now is not just whether Europe can influence the terms of peace - but whether it still has the leverage to matter at all…
Odesa residents told that power may not be restored until late Tuesday at earliest. Nighttime temperatures today dropped to just below 0C. With no heating and water almost nonexistent times very tough. Meanwhile the waves of Russian drones continue at this hour. #Ukraine
December 14, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Odesa residents told that power may not be restored until late Tuesday at earliest. Nighttime temperatures today dropped to just below 0C. With no heating and water almost nonexistent times very tough. Meanwhile the waves of Russian drones continue at this hour. #Ukraine
The continuous pounding of Odesa continues. More Russian drones approaching at this hour after several waves overnight. Much of the city without power and other essential services. Long queues for water #Ukraine
December 14, 2025 at 4:34 AM
The continuous pounding of Odesa continues. More Russian drones approaching at this hour after several waves overnight. Much of the city without power and other essential services. Long queues for water #Ukraine
Russian media reporting about unknown drones approaching Moscow. Temporary restrictions on landing and takeoff of aircraft have been implemented at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports (file photos)
December 14, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Russian media reporting about unknown drones approaching Moscow. Temporary restrictions on landing and takeoff of aircraft have been implemented at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports (file photos)
World Briefing Plus: While Donald Trump vows to end conflicts from Gaza to Donbas and beyond, the opposite is unfolding: flashpoints are multiplying, U.S. interventions are widening, and global stability is slipping through our fingers…
World Briefing Plus: Has the Rules-Based International Order Finally Slipped into Freefall?
While DonaldTrump vows to end conflicts from Gaza to Donbas & beyond, the opposite is unfolding: flashpoints multiplying, U.S. interventions widening, and global stability slipping through our fingers
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
World Briefing Plus: While Donald Trump vows to end conflicts from Gaza to Donbas and beyond, the opposite is unfolding: flashpoints are multiplying, U.S. interventions are widening, and global stability is slipping through our fingers…
#BREAKING Russia launched a massive rocket and drone attack on the southern #Ukraine port city of Odesa overnight, into this morning. Energy infrastructure facilities have been disrupted. Most of the city is without heat and water supply, an official said. Long queues for water forming
December 13, 2025 at 7:49 AM
“Taken together, the picture is unmistakable - democracies under strain, autocrats on the move, and a global order tilting toward a far more dangerous phase. As I said on air from Odesa on Thursday, at no time in recent memory has the rules-based international order appeared to be in such free fall”
A Proxy World Takes Shape — Ukraine, Europe, and Venezuela in the Crosshairs
Europe races to fortify a massive Ukraine financing plan, Trump signals impatience with diplomacy, NATO warns of a continent-scale war, and Moscow rallies to Maduro as the U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil
open.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:26 AM
“Taken together, the picture is unmistakable - democracies under strain, autocrats on the move, and a global order tilting toward a far more dangerous phase. As I said on air from Odesa on Thursday, at no time in recent memory has the rules-based international order appeared to be in such free fall”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly called Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro to offer Moscow's support "in the face of growing external pressure".
Trump Seizes Tankers Carrying Venezuelan Oil — While Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Seizes the World’s Attention
As Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro, Nobel laureate María Corina Machado slips past ten checkpoints and a U.S. strike zone to reach Oslo.
open.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly called Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro to offer Moscow's support "in the face of growing external pressure".
In a week when Trump tried to dominate global headlines, it was Venezuela’s most hunted opposition leader - and a widening arc of instability - that seized the world’s attention.
Trump Seizes Tankers Carrying Venezuelan Oil — While Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Seizes the World’s Attention
As Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro, Nobel laureate María Corina Machado slips past ten checkpoints and a U.S. strike zone to reach Oslo.
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:21 PM
In a week when Trump tried to dominate global headlines, it was Venezuela’s most hunted opposition leader - and a widening arc of instability - that seized the world’s attention.
Holding elections in #Ukraine anytime soon is just a bad, unworkable idea. Learn why - including from my explanatory video in World Briefing…
Ballots, Bombs and Billions
As Washington pushes for wartime elections in Ukraine and Europe debates €210 billion in guarantees, Ukraine faces an impossible gamble with democracy under fire.
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Holding elections in #Ukraine anytime soon is just a bad, unworkable idea. Learn why - including from my explanatory video in World Briefing…
World Briefing - Odesa Edition: As Washington pushes for wartime elections and Europe debates €210 billion in guarantees, Ukraine faces an impossible gamble with democracy under fire…..
Ballots, Bombs and Billions
As Washington pushes for wartime elections in Ukraine and Europe debates €210 billion in guarantees, Ukraine faces an impossible gamble with democracy under fire.
open.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:15 PM
World Briefing - Odesa Edition: As Washington pushes for wartime elections and Europe debates €210 billion in guarantees, Ukraine faces an impossible gamble with democracy under fire…..
Australia has just flipped the global switch on Big Tech. From today, anyone under the age of 16 is officially locked out of the world’s biggest social media platforms — from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and X.
G'day Mate! World's First Social Media Ban Takes Effect in Australia
Aussies below the age of 16 will have to find and communicate with mates in person - though many say they'll find work arounds to use banned platforms.
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Australia has just flipped the global switch on Big Tech. From today, anyone under the age of 16 is officially locked out of the world’s biggest social media platforms — from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and X.
A U.S.-backed peace plan for #Ukraine is being rejected. A fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier in July is falling apart. The contortionist-in-chief’s peace appears as a mirage at the moment
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
Trump’s Peace Mirage
As ceasefires collapse from SE Asia, tensions build in Latin America and Europe reels at a Kremlin-tilting Ukraine deal, the self-styled “peacemaker” is discovering that wars don’t end on slogans
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:49 AM
A U.S.-backed peace plan for #Ukraine is being rejected. A fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier in July is falling apart. The contortionist-in-chief’s peace appears as a mirage at the moment
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
open.substack.com/pub/worldbri...
From Europe’s growing alarm over the Donbas and security guarantees, to collapsing ceasefires in Southeast Asia, to U.S. naval muscle-flexing off Venezuela’s coast, the global landscape is flashing the same warning: while Donald Trump sells peace as a brand, conflict is multiplying in the real world
Trump’s Peace Mirage
As ceasefires collapse from SE Asia, tensions build in Latin America and Europe reels at a Kremlin-tilting Ukraine deal, the self-styled “peacemaker” is discovering that wars don’t end on slogans
open.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
From Europe’s growing alarm over the Donbas and security guarantees, to collapsing ceasefires in Southeast Asia, to U.S. naval muscle-flexing off Venezuela’s coast, the global landscape is flashing the same warning: while Donald Trump sells peace as a brand, conflict is multiplying in the real world
The response of @ec.europa.eu top foreign affairs chief @kajakallas.bsky.social sounds dangerously naive, or worse, an attempt to butter up a White House thats signalled it may be game over for Europe as we have long understood it. Read my analysis and watch the video clip in my World Briefing
Trump’s Security Strategy Breaks With Europe — and Echoes the Kremlin
A bleak U.S. security reset for Europe, a softer line on Russia — and now a hint Washington could abandon Ukraine.
open.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:09 AM
The response of @ec.europa.eu top foreign affairs chief @kajakallas.bsky.social sounds dangerously naive, or worse, an attempt to butter up a White House thats signalled it may be game over for Europe as we have long understood it. Read my analysis and watch the video clip in my World Briefing
World Briefing - Odesa Edition: This week, Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy landed in Europe like a political thunderclap — warning of “civilisational erasure,” soft-pedalling Russia as a threat, and openly encouraging political resistance to Europe’s current trajectory from within...
Trump’s Security Strategy Breaks With Europe — and Echoes the Kremlin
A bleak U.S. security reset for Europe, a softer line on Russia — and now a hint Washington could abandon Ukraine.
open.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:03 PM
World Briefing - Odesa Edition: This week, Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy landed in Europe like a political thunderclap — warning of “civilisational erasure,” soft-pedalling Russia as a threat, and openly encouraging political resistance to Europe’s current trajectory from within...
