Author | Lightnews

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · 20d

Read - Putin's theory of victory open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...

The war between Russia and Ukraine is more likely to end with a negotiated ceasefire than with a sweeping military victory though neither seems close.

open.substack.com

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · 23d

Excellent backgrounder - Inside Hamas: How It Thinks, Fights, and Governs - Combating Terrorism Center at West Point ctc.westpoint.edu/inside-hamas...

Inside Hamas: How It Thinks, Fights, and Governs - Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Abstract: Hamas has evolved from a Muslim Brotherhood-rooted social-religious movement into a hybrid actor that governs, polices society, and wages organized violence. The October 7, 2023, terrorist…

ctc.westpoint.edu

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · 24d

Important read - Easier Said Than Done: Hybrid Deterrence By Punishment phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/easier-sai...

Easier Said Than Done: Hybrid Deterrence By Punishment

This week, Minna Ålander turns to the question of how to move from defensive reactions to Russian hybrid warfare to an effective deterrent. (Spoiler: not easy)

phillipspobrien.substack.com

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · 28d

Excellent - Will there finally be peace in Gaza? open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...

Will there finally be peace in Gaza?

One never goes too far wrong by being pessimistic about events in the Middle East.

open.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · 29d

Read - The Resilience Dilemma - by Minna Ålander phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/the-resili...

The Resilience Dilemma

In this week’s Europe Dispatch, Minna Ålander reflects on the fact that deterrence by resilience clearly does not work.

phillipspobrien.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 21

Das lohnt sich zu lesen und anzuschauen - Das Wort zum Sonntag - ARD | Das Erste www.daserste.de/information/...

Annette Behnken: Vergiftung der Seelen | Das Wort zum Sonntag

Einmal ein kritisches Wort geäußert und schon folgt eine Welle von Aggressionen und Verunglimpfungen. Sofort wird mit härtesten Bandagen auf jemanden eingedroschen. Pastorin Annette Behnken spricht…

www.daserste.de

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 21

Sad, so sad - Opinion | I Look at This Country and I See a Stranger - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/09/21/o...

Opinion | I Look at This Country and I See a Stranger

This is one of those moments in history.

www.nytimes.com

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 16

Worth reading - Orthodox Faith with Soviet Aesthetics: What a Rare Moscow Parade Says About Power in Russia - The Moscow Times www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/09/11/o...

Orthodox Faith with Soviet Aesthetics: What a Rare Moscow Parade Says About Power in Russia - The Moscow Times

Opinion | The September 7 religious procession from Christ the Savior Cathedral to Novodevichy Convent, led by Patriarch Kirill, deserves scrutiny not for what it revealed about Orthodox faith, but…

www.themoscowtimes.com

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 15

Interesting, not only for Britain - Burn it down vs build it up - by Sam Freedman samf.substack.com/p/burn-it-do...

Burn it down vs build it up

Winning the argument on the key dividing line in politics

samf.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 15

Worth reading -Putin’s “Ideology”: Survival Disguised as Greatness borisbondarev.substack.com/p/putins-ide...

Putin’s “Ideology”: Survival Disguised as Greatness

Some perhaps not so obvious thoughts

borisbondarev.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 15

Worrying - Finding God in the App Store - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...

Finding God in the App Store

Millions of people are turning to chatbots to confess their darkest secrets and seek guidance from on high. “Is this actually God I am talking to?”

www.nytimes.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 13

Read - How to Build a Post-American Liberal Order | Foreign Affairs www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

How to Build a Post-American Liberal Order

The world’s democracies must work together—and constrain Washington.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 11

Read - Drone Attacks on Poland - Boris Bondarev borisbondarev.substack.com/p/drone-atta...

Drone Attacks on Poland

Moscow's Goals

borisbondarev.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 11

Excellent backgrounder - Netanyahu's bet fails - by Lawrence Freedman samf.substack.com/p/netenyahus...

Netanyahu's bet fails

The consequences of Israel's attack in Qatar

samf.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 10

Watch out - NATO States Have Failed - by Phillips P. OBrien phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/nato-state...

NATO States Have Failed

They have not prepared and do not understand their national interests

phillipspobrien.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 8

Indeed - Putin & Trump are stalling, Europe failing, Ukrainians dying timothyash.substack.com/p/putin-and-...

Putin & Trump are stalling, Europe failing, Ukrainians dying

Clear signals coming from both Moscow and Washington now in terms of the war in Ukraine.

timothyash.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 5

Worth reading - Opinion | The One Danger That Should Unite the U.S. and China - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/o...

Opinion | The One Danger That Should Unite the U.S. and China

The U.S. and China must agree on a trust architecture for A.I., or rogue entities will destabilize the two superpowers long before they fight a war.

www.nytimes.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Sep 4

Super - Apertus: Freie Schweizer KI lässt ChatGPT und Co. alt aussehen www.watson.ch/digital/schw...

Wie die freie Schweizer KI ChatGPT und Co. alt aussehen lässt

Das mit Blick auf das Gemeinwohl entwickelte KI-Sprachmodell «Apertus» ist nicht weniger als eine sanfte Revolution.

www.watson.ch

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Aug 25

Read - Grand Designs: the loss of American freedom christinapagel.substack.com/p/grand-desi...

Grand Designs: the loss of American freedom

Exactly seven months into Trump's second term, we have reached 1000 authoritarian actions. Here I lay out the enormity of what has happened.

christinapagel.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Aug 24

Read - Ukraine: Putin's delight, Trump's disgrace, Europe's solidarity timothygartonash.substack.com/p/ukraine-pu...

Ukraine: Putin's delight, Trump's disgrace, Europe's solidarity

Trump's disgraceful Alaskan embrace of Putin changed little. Ukraine and Europe can still (just) swing this war.

timothygartonash.substack.com

Wolfgang Lenz @wowolenz.bsky.social · Aug 23

Lesenswert - Wenn Statistik zum Politikum wird: Wie unbegründete Manipulationsvorwürfe der Demokratie schaden - RWI Essen www.rwi-essen.de/presse/wisse...