Sam’s eagerly awaited and extensive preview of Thursday’s elections in the UK, taking account of latest polling. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/loc…

Thoughts on the impact of assistance from US reaching Ukraine at last. Denies Putin his route to victory. (£) ft.com/content/b346bc…

BREAKING: The US is set to send Patriot missiles as part of $6 billion aid package to Ukraine

🚨OUT NOW FOR MEMBERS🚨

...And it's a family affair this week as Sam Freedman Ayesha Hazarika are joined by none other than Sam's dad Lawrence Freedman (!) for a deep dive into how a Starmer govt takes on foreign and defence policy challenges in a dangerous world 🌎

open.substack.com/pub/thepowerte…

The bills to fund Ukraine that Congress agonized over for months wound up getting the support of 73% of House members who voted and 81% of senators.

While the world has been distracted by Ukraine and Gaza, Africa has descended into mass violence and, in some places, near anarchy.

David Patrikarakos reports: 👇 buff.ly/4d7OfBp

My new piece, citing Chris Biggers' analysis, explains how Iran kept up its story that Israel didn't hit anything: they substituted a (completely different) radar for the one Israel struck to make it look like the S-300 battery at Natanz is still operational. economist.com/middle-east-an…

'Russia’s military spending increased by 24% to an estimated $109 billion in 2023, marking a 57% rise since 2014, the year that Russia annexed Crimea. In 2023, Russia’s military spending made up 16% of total government spending, and its military burden (military spending as a…

The Labour Party Charlotte Alldritt 🚨 ICYMI last night, this week's The Power Test will guest none other than Sam Freedman's dad Lawrence Freedman to discuss Labour’s agenda for the world beyond Britain’s shores

(@ayeshahazarika is fired up to ask questions about Sam's embarrassing past...)

Helpful explanation of how the bill belatedly passed by congress will work in getting assistance to Ukraine by Mick Ryan Mick Ryan, AM open.substack.com/pub/mickryan/p…

Very important piece on Russia/Ukraine peace talks in early 2022. What I take from it is that, late into those talks, Russia continued to make new & unacceptable demands that would have turned Ukraine into a weak & undefensible vassal state. foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/talks-…

A guest contribution from Jessica Morley to Comment is Freed on why we need to be cautious about claims that AI can transform the NHS. Will only help if NHS’s more basic problems are addressed first. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/can…?

The historical record, even so soon after the events, absolutely doesn't show that to be true. And in 20 or so years' time, I think it will look even less true. It's a Putin re-invention of the story a lot of us were following closely at the time.

Drones move slowly so they may be followed by missiles as second wave.

UPDATE: Iran Attack on Israel
• Started 10:40 pm local, 3:40 ET
• Dozens of Drones
• Coming likely via Iraq
• War cabinet meeting
• Ben Gurion closed temporarily
• Golan defenses activated al-monitor.com/originals/2024…

My latest post looks at the Gaza War after six months. The absolutist military objective promises a war without end. Hamas has been badly depleted but without a functioning non-Hamas government in Gaza it will be able to return. open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/gaz…

Devastatingly fair from ⁦Jonathan Freedland⁩ . After six months, the war in Gaza is making Israel a pariah state… theguardian.com/commentisfree/…