Kevin Rothrock
@kevinrothrock.me
Russia watcher supreme. @meduza.io English-language managing editor. Ugly American based in Portland, Oregon. Signal: @KevinRothrock.01 / Find all my junk here: https://linktr.ee/kevinrothrock
Pinned
This was Russia today Wednesday, November 19, 2025 — Meduza
meduza.io
Today’s newsletter looks at a recent AI-powered interview with imprisoned Russian intellectual Boris Kagarlitsky. The conversation leans ideological, but there’s plenty to chew on beyond the inside-baseball of leftist activism.
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
Will never fly with Putin: Trump's peace plan for Ukraine includes a security guarantee modeled on NATO's Article 5, which would commit the U.S. and European allies to treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire "transatlantic community," according to a draft obtained by Axios.
Trump peace plan for Ukraine includes NATO-style security guarantee
Trump would be committing the U.S. to defend Ukraine if Russia attacks again.
www.axios.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Will never fly with Putin: Trump's peace plan for Ukraine includes a security guarantee modeled on NATO's Article 5, which would commit the U.S. and European allies to treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire "transatlantic community," according to a draft obtained by Axios.
A good articulation from @faridaily.bsky.social of the Russian concessions baked into Trump's leaked 28-point peace plan: Moscow settles for mere de facto recognition of its expanded borders, forfeits claims on all of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia... 1/2
Faridaily
Накануне вечером украинский депутат Гончаренко опубликовал, по его утверждению, 28 пунктов мирного плана Трампа. Его процитировали некоторые российские медиа, в том числе государственные. Полный перев...
t.me
November 21, 2025 at 4:01 AM
A good articulation from @faridaily.bsky.social of the Russian concessions baked into Trump's leaked 28-point peace plan: Moscow settles for mere de facto recognition of its expanded borders, forfeits claims on all of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia... 1/2
lol, i missed this yesterday
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
lol, i missed this yesterday
Trump's latest peace plan has provoked outrage from Ukraine's supporters (ie, it's tantamount to surrender) and skepticism from Russia analysts (ie, it still asks Putin to give up too much when he thinks he's winning). The plan will likely flop, but there's a real disconnect in the online vibes.
November 20, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Trump's latest peace plan has provoked outrage from Ukraine's supporters (ie, it's tantamount to surrender) and skepticism from Russia analysts (ie, it still asks Putin to give up too much when he thinks he's winning). The plan will likely flop, but there's a real disconnect in the online vibes.
The Trump administration tying its deadlines in Ukraine to a holiday that only Americans celebrate is on brand.
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The Trump administration tying its deadlines in Ukraine to a holiday that only Americans celebrate is on brand.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko releases an alleged copy of Trump's 28-point peace plan. In part, it would direct $100B in Russia's frozen assets to Ukraine's reconstruction, giving the U.S. "50% of the revenue generated by the entity responsible." Hmm... t.me/oleksiihonch...
ГОНЧАРЕНКО
28 пунктів мирного плану США - про що йдеться
1. Безпека та політичний статус України
- Підтвердження суверенітету України.
- Україна отримує гарантії безпеки від США, але з умовами.
- Україна закрі...
t.me
November 20, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko releases an alleged copy of Trump's 28-point peace plan. In part, it would direct $100B in Russia's frozen assets to Ukraine's reconstruction, giving the U.S. "50% of the revenue generated by the entity responsible." Hmm... t.me/oleksiihonch...
Ideally, the U.S. would coordinate more closely with its European allies on Russia diplomacy, but it’s hard to imagine the Trump administration seeing much use in that when this is the EU’s rhetoric.
November 20, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Ideally, the U.S. would coordinate more closely with its European allies on Russia diplomacy, but it’s hard to imagine the Trump administration seeing much use in that when this is the EU’s rhetoric.
looking out into the audience, flanked by screens flashing Russian subtitles, i ask myself, is this hell? "da," a small nesting doll whispers from my shirt pocket
November 20, 2025 at 5:49 PM
looking out into the audience, flanked by screens flashing Russian subtitles, i ask myself, is this hell? "da," a small nesting doll whispers from my shirt pocket
Interesting: Andrii Yermak (seen by many as Ukraine’s de facto vice president) reportedly sought a meeting with the man expected to defeat Zelensky in any post-martial-law election, but Zaluzhnyi refused, per WaPo. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
November 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Interesting: Andrii Yermak (seen by many as Ukraine’s de facto vice president) reportedly sought a meeting with the man expected to defeat Zelensky in any post-martial-law election, but Zaluzhnyi refused, per WaPo. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Reposted by Kevin Rothrock
The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed. "HANG THEM", he posted.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
November 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed. "HANG THEM", he posted.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
old man Donald is losing it, some say worse than ever
November 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
old man Donald is losing it, some say worse than ever
oof
If anybody needed more evidence of how politics have changed in America: Rachel Maddow is at Dick Cheney's funeral
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
oof
Reposted by Kevin Rothrock
Today’s newsletter looks at a recent AI-powered interview with imprisoned Russian intellectual Boris Kagarlitsky. The conversation leans ideological, but there’s plenty to chew on beyond the inside-baseball of leftist activism.
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
This was Russia today Wednesday, November 19, 2025 — Meduza
meduza.io
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Today’s newsletter looks at a recent AI-powered interview with imprisoned Russian intellectual Boris Kagarlitsky. The conversation leans ideological, but there’s plenty to chew on beyond the inside-baseball of leftist activism.
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
a prelude to Trump's new 500-year mortgage scheme?
holy moly, Trump's real estate brain thinks a leasing deal will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "The Trump admin deal would see Kyiv cede control of the eastern Donbas region, but maintain legal ownership. Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region."
November 20, 2025 at 7:35 AM
a prelude to Trump's new 500-year mortgage scheme?
holy moly, Trump's real estate brain thinks a leasing deal will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "The Trump admin deal would see Kyiv cede control of the eastern Donbas region, but maintain legal ownership. Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region."
November 20, 2025 at 7:18 AM
holy moly, Trump's real estate brain thinks a leasing deal will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "The Trump admin deal would see Kyiv cede control of the eastern Donbas region, but maintain legal ownership. Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region."
Today’s newsletter looks at a recent AI-powered interview with imprisoned Russian intellectual Boris Kagarlitsky. The conversation leans ideological, but there’s plenty to chew on beyond the inside-baseball of leftist activism.
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
This was Russia today Wednesday, November 19, 2025 — Meduza
meduza.io
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Today’s newsletter looks at a recent AI-powered interview with imprisoned Russian intellectual Boris Kagarlitsky. The conversation leans ideological, but there’s plenty to chew on beyond the inside-baseball of leftist activism.
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
meduza.io/en/brief/202...
Trump's "peace plan" is being described as a capitulation deal for Kyiv, and it would require Ukraine to surrender a big piece of unoccupied Donetsk, but I'm also surprised Moscow is supposedly considering a DMZ pledge in Donbas & frozen lines elsewhere. This isn't the previous Istanbul ultimatum.
November 20, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Trump's "peace plan" is being described as a capitulation deal for Kyiv, and it would require Ukraine to surrender a big piece of unoccupied Donetsk, but I'm also surprised Moscow is supposedly considering a DMZ pledge in Donbas & frozen lines elsewhere. This isn't the previous Istanbul ultimatum.
Ooh, the drama lives on: Italy’s highest court has approved Serhii Kuznietsov's extradition to Germany, where he's suspected of setting off the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in September 2022. Poland recently refused to extradite one of Kuznietsov's alleged accomplices. apnews.com/article/nord...
Italian court approves extradition to Germany of Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream pipeline blast
Italy's highest court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man to Germany. The suspect allegedly caused explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipeline more than three years ago.
apnews.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Ooh, the drama lives on: Italy’s highest court has approved Serhii Kuznietsov's extradition to Germany, where he's suspected of setting off the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in September 2022. Poland recently refused to extradite one of Kuznietsov's alleged accomplices. apnews.com/article/nord...
More bad news for Kyiv today: Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has told associates he plans to leave the Trump admin in January. "A departure that would mean the loss of a key advocate for Ukraine in the Trump administration," writes Reuters. No kidding. www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:19 PM
More bad news for Kyiv today: Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has told associates he plans to leave the Trump admin in January. "A departure that would mean the loss of a key advocate for Ukraine in the Trump administration," writes Reuters. No kidding. www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Wow, Russian YouTubers are getting creative. In an interview published last month with *imprisoned* Russian sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, the channel Vestnik Buri used AI to voice *and visualize* an interview conducted via written letters. youtu.be/eOh8yQDaEac?...
November 19, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Wow, Russian YouTubers are getting creative. In an interview published last month with *imprisoned* Russian sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, the channel Vestnik Buri used AI to voice *and visualize* an interview conducted via written letters. youtu.be/eOh8yQDaEac?...
has, uh, Britain actually seen Trump's "peace framework"?
November 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
has, uh, Britain actually seen Trump's "peace framework"?
Britain’s defense minister says “military options” are on the table if a Russian spy ship becomes a threat after it allegedly pointed lasers at UK pilots sent to monitor it. Designed for intel gathering & mapping undersea cables, the Yantar is currently on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland.
www.reuters.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Britain’s defense minister says “military options” are on the table if a Russian spy ship becomes a threat after it allegedly pointed lasers at UK pilots sent to monitor it. Designed for intel gathering & mapping undersea cables, the Yantar is currently on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland.