Ulrike Franke @RikeFranke Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Ulrike Franke

@RikeFranke

76,870

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Senior Fellow @ecfr . #Drone politics PhD @UniofOxford , previously @sciencespo . Writes about all things #Germany #Defence . Diskutiert bei @SicherheitsPod

https://t.co/UCDvw4oTYY

Joined September 2013

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

In my view this has held up rather well, so I’m reposting it because it’s still one of my favourite pieces of writing. A Millennial Considers the New German Problem After 30 Years of Peace

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A Millennial Considers the New German Problem After 30 Years of Peace - War on the Rocks

Growing up, I liked listening to Freundeskreis, a German hip-hop reggae band. One of their songs asserts “history is something that was a long time ago or

warontherocks.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Wooow. This morning @JosepBorrellF held a speech addressing the EU ambassadors. And it’s quite something. 😳

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EU Ambassadors Annual Conference 2022: Opening speech by High Representative Josep Borrell

Check against delivery! Good morning, Welcome, welcome to all of you. I see some of you that I know personally, others I still do not know. But in any case, [I am] very happy to be here and to be...

www.eeas.europa.eu

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Holy sh**! (Is my expert opinion) #AI #drone

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

This is so unbearably tone-deaf. “There is war in Europe” - so I am standing in the middle of new year’s fireworks going off. Boom. “There is war in Europe … for me this meant meeting some great people”. Have they lost their mind in Berlin?

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

I cannot believe that 9months into this war I have to listen to a German journalist monologuing how “we need to negotiate,weapons deliveries are important but we need to give diplomacy a chance” and he doesn’t get ONE QUESTION as to who he thinks should negotiate & about what?!🤯

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

Baby it’s cold outside

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

18 days

New survey from Austria “If Austria were to be attacked militarily, should other EU member states support Austria militarily?” 72,28% say yes. “Should Austria, in the case of an armed attack on an EU member state, support this state with armed troops?” 13,58% say yes.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

I honestly, absolutely, do NOT UNDERSTAND what’s going on in Berlin.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 months

Crucial line in #Zelensky ’s #MSC2024 speech “Please don’t ask Ukraine when the war will end. Ask yourself why Putin is still able to continue it.”

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Three politicians, from SPD, FDP and Greens have written a ⁦ @derspiegel ⁩ oped, calling for more weapons for Ukraine. Importantly they clearly state that European and German security is being defended by Ukraine, that the Bundeswehr… (1)

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Mehr deutsche Waffen für die Ukraine – so geht's - Meinung

Deutschland wird dringend gebraucht, um das Überleben der Ukraine zu sichern. Auch wenn dies vorübergehende Lücken bei der Bundeswehr verursacht.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

“Should Germany deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine?” Fascinating results: - Green supporters are *most in favour*. - SPD supporters in favour despite Olaf Scholz’s refusal. - And AFD is AFD.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

The German government’s communication on weapons deliveries is getting so confusing that the national broadcaster ZDF now asks “who’s lying?”.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

9 months

Quite a shocking read. “As their profits have grown, Greece has lobbied successfully to dilute sanctions on Russian oil. A merchant navy, run by a small group of Western oligarchs, keeps money flowing into Putin’s regime.”

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Putin’s secret navy

A small group of Western businesses holds back EU sanctions, and keeps money flowing into Russia’s war machine.

www.newstatesman.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Chief of the defence staff admits mistakes of French intelligence: «The Americans said the Russians were going to attack, they were right. Our services thought that the conquest of Ukraine would have monstrous costs and that the Russians had other options»

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Guerre en Ukraine : « le rouleau compresseur » russe risque de finir par passer, selon le chef...

Pour le chef d’état-major de l’armée, Thierry Burkhard, « les Russes veulent tronçonner l’armée » ukrainienne.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

Do British politicians realise what an absolute nightmare travelling from the continent to the UK has become? (Rant incoming)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Message to the German government. The whole interview is worth watching:

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Kind reminder that NATO article 5 is not automatic. And kind reminder to wait for information before panicking. And kind reminder not to panic.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

It’s crazy to me how little Germany seems to care about the political situation in France at the moment. We follow every detail of primaries in random US states but I doubt many Germans would know what’s going on in France right now.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Yes and yes “if it is true that peace in Europe is essentially due to nuclear weapons and the Americans, then that would mean that the whole cozy pacifist lifestyle was only possible because hawks were watching over it all the time.”

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(S+) Drückeberger Deutschland: Das hohle Versprechen von der Zeitenwende

Statt als gestaltender Akteur und Schutzmacht für Osteuropa aufzutreten, produziert die Bundesregierung faule Kompromisse und verbales Leergut. Es mangelt an historischem Ehrgeiz.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

I *really* hope this gets picked up by the wider press. A crucial speech. Full text here

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EU Ambassadors Annual Conference 2022: Opening speech by High Representative Josep Borrell

Check against delivery! Good morning, Welcome, welcome to all of you. I see some of you that I know personally, others I still do not know. But in any case, [I am] very happy to be here and to be...

www.eeas.europa.eu

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Remember when he was seen as a moderate, or the future, or something?

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

It really annoys me that two months into the war there are still people in the German debate who argue that those who support weapons deliveries are “for war” or “for escalation “ or “against diplomacy”.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

“EU truckers, who drive 85 per cent of the lorries that cross the Channel, are increasingly reluctant to take work in the UK to avoid day-long traffic jams in Kent where there are limited washing and toilet facilities for stranded drivers” #Brexit

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Most of the time when there are political communication disasters, one can see the intention (which went wrong). But this, from the setting, to the text and message, to the sound, is a catastrophe. With no good will can I come up with what they were trying to achieve. #Lambrecht

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

So to summarise, there are tanks that are tanks and there are tanks that are not tanks, and some tanks are tanks according to an official document and some tanks are not tanks according to the annex of that document and another document says no one knows what a tank is anyway.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

It’s very clear-eyed

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

It’s very self-critical

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

In case you want to know how Brexit is seen abroad - our local newspaper has a whole page special on how nothing, but really nothing, has gotten better and how policy areas from migration, Northern Ireland, Franco-British relations etc have gotten worse.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

7 months

When I did an internship at the German embassy in DC, whenever we had a guest, we would go over to the French embassy, because they had the good food 😂 (and small bottles of wine for lunch. 🇫🇷)

@Valen10Francois

François Valentin

@Valen10Francois

7 months

When the French invite you for dinner vs when the Germans invite you for dinner

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

The motorway leading to the Eurotunnel, a few days before #Brexit is final. (The full video is 3 minutes)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Italy, what’s going on?! Via @ecfr

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

7 months

“French experts expressed surprise that the transfer of geospatial data to Ukraine in case of a delivery of Taurus missiles is presented as problematic by the German government. Ukraine already has all the relevant geodata & extremely agile programmers”

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Ukraine: Kein Verständnis für Deutschlands Zögern bei Taurus-Lieferung

Berlin hadert mit der Lieferung von Taurus-Marschflugkörpern an die Ukraine. Auch weil der Transfer von Geodaten an Kiew als problematisch erachtet wird. Französische Fachleute widersprechen mit...

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Joschka Fischer - former German foreign minister - on whether the west made mistakes with regard to Russia after 1990

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

To the “it was all brilliant strategy and you experts should just not have talked about it and criticised Scholz so much” crowd: what he’s doing is literally what we had asked for. How was taking 4 days longer and collecting loads of international criticism a clever strategy?

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

And then of course the punchline: you arrive in this country that cares oh so much about Corona, only to be greeted by masses of people without masks. (Rant end)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

I’ve translated the relevant bits (as close to the original as I could, hence some clunky phrasing). I’m sorry, this is disastrous.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

And again

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 months

The Ukrainian ammunition shortage is among the most disheartening - because most avoidable - problems in Ukraine. At the beginning of the war, many experts said “let’s produce now, even if Ukraine might not need it, we will anyway!” - and we did not.

@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 months

“Ukraine went from firing 8,000 shells per day during its counteroffensive in the summer to just 2,000 in recent weeks, according to a platoon commander.” Ukraine war is ‘battle for ammunition’, says Nato chief via @FT

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Saving this. Perfect reply to so many bad takes on Twitter 😆

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

Merkel’s blazer for the new year’s speech since 2005. #Merkel #NewYearsEve

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Oh great, another ‘open letter’ from what we call intellectuals, on the Ukraine war which calls for negotiations and peace. Kumbaya.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Dear French voters, I recently made a very cute, very tiny French person who however is still too tiny to vote today. Could you please cast a Macron vote for him? Merci, dit le bébé 👶 #presidentielles2022 #Elections2022

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Countries to which Turkey has exported its #drones .

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

11 months

I read Germany’s new national security strategy so you don’t have to. (Though, it’s not a terrible read, so don’t let me keep you). Thread with some thoughts and main points according to, well, me. #Sicherheitsstrategie

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

👇 Germans do no longer understand the idea of deterrence. Nor the idea of military power being an element of geopolitical power. For most Germans, military = war and aggression.

@anneapplebaum

Anne Applebaum

2 years

Maybe it is time for Germans (and others) to work out that if you are "anti-war", you should help Ukraine deter Russia. Refusal to do so is, in practice, "pro-war." It increases the chance of invasion.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 months

Welcome to NATO, Sweden!

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

9 months

This is BAD. And it doesn’t matter how you feel about Musk - no individual should have this power. “At one point, he denied the Ukrainian military’s request to turn on Starlink near Crimea, the Russian-controlled territory, affecting battlefield strategy.”

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Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars

The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. The ways he is wielding that influence are raising global alarms.

www.nytimes.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

5 years

😆😆 The German Foreign Office just posted this on Instagram: "to be on the safe side, we have already reserved a seat in the negotiating chamber [of the UN Security Council]" #GermanHandtuch

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

In Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Poland, Ukrainian refugees make up between 4 and 5% of the population. Source

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

70% of Germany say that despite high energy prices, they want to continue supporting Ukraine

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

In Germany we’ve forgotten what military power is for (spoiler: not for invading neighbours, starting world wars) we’ve forgotten how geopolitical power works and have put the military in the “Schmuddelkinderecke”(see it as inherently negative). That’s coming back to haunt us now

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

You know the feeling, when there is an idea, and article you just *have* to write? Well, this is mine. This article has been in the making for over a year, and I am so, so, so, so excited that @WarOnTheRocks has agreed to publish it.

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A Millennial Considers the New German Problem After 30 Years of Peace - War on the Rocks

Growing up, I liked listening to Freundeskreis, a German hip-hop reggae band. One of their songs asserts “history is something that was a long time ago or

warontherocks.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

7 months

A German friend, but who hasn’t lived in Germany for ages and only loosely follows DE politics messaged me “what the hell is Merz doing?! This is gonna end badly.” This is someone who is *definitely* not part of a left-green bubble. How does CDU not see what they are doing?!

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

This made me laugh more than it probably should 😂

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Holy 😳🥹🤯! This video by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry - using the music of a very popular add from a German supermarket from a few years back (“Supergeil” - “extremely cool”) - is really quite something. A thank you for the IRIS-T defence system, and a demand for Leopards.

@DefenceU

Defense of Ukraine

1 year

Each friendship reaches the inevitable moment of the "fireworks". 🇺🇦🤝🇩🇪 Featuring Friedrich Liеchtenstein

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 months

The more relevant announcement by Macron, in my view: “The policy shift signals France will lift its objections to using shared EU funds to buy artillery from suppliers outside the bloc, unlocking hundreds of millions of euros in additional finance.“

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Macron says sending western troops to Ukraine cannot be ruled out

French president also drops opposition to artillery purchases for Kyiv from outside the EU

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

German defence minister Boris Pistorius is now 100 days in office - and the most popular member of the government cabinet! Quite the achievement for a German defence minister.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Ah, waking up to an American dunking on Europe for, ….checks notes…, BLAND FOOD? 😂

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Beautiful

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

6 years

I just met a British diplomat who didn't know who Konrad Adenauer was. Had never heard the name. A British diplomat working on EU affairs.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

10 months

New study shows that most western companies continue to do business in Russia. Of formerly 371 German companies, 262 are still in Russia – and have paid 402 Million USD in taxes. That’s the second highest number, after US companies.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Of - fucking - course diplomacy is important and of - fucking - course it would be better to talk rather than fight but who does he think could make this happen? Unbelievable that these banal and trite statements don’t get pushback.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

I’ve written before about the hubris some Germans are deriving from the German experience of war - and the coming to terms with their country’s crimes - but this is really quite unsettling. Lecturing the ambassador of a country AT WAR. 😳

@juli_anh

Julian Hans

2 years

Ein Nachfahre der Täter belehrt einen Nachfahren der Opfer und Vertreter einer Nation unter Bomben und stützt sich dabei AUF DIE WELTKRIEGSERFAHRUNG IN SEINER EIGENEN TÄTERFAMILIE. „Bleiben Sie mal beim Zuhören…“.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

7 months

Important press release by the President of the Republic of Finland. “It is likely that the damage to both the gas pipeline and the data cable is caused by external activity. What specifically caused the damage is not yet known.”

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Statement by the President of the Republic of Finland on the damage to underwater infrastructure -...

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland Press release 34/2023 10 October 2023 The damage to the underwater infrastructure has been taken seriously and its causes have been...

www.presidentti.fi

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

German foreign minister: “...Inflammatory words turn into violent acts - on the steps of the Reichstag, and now at the #Capitol .”

@HeikoMaas

Heiko Maas 🇪🇺

3 years

Die Feinde der Demokratie werden sich über diese unfassbaren Bilder aus #WashingtonDC freuen. Aus aufrührerischen Worten werden gewaltsame Taten - auf den Stufen des Reichstages, und jetzt im #Capitol . Die Verachtung demokratischer Institutionen hat verheerende Auswirkungen. (1)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Good morning!

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

These 20+ highly educated people write some 600 or so words to say nothing else than “well this war really should end, and the west should push for negotiations”. How? No idea. Super helpful, thanks.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

8 months

Looks like this is the biggest Ukrainian #drone attack on Russian territory since the beginning of the war. Airports closed, air fields and aircraft damaged or destroyed. Russia-Ukraine war live: airbase hit as six Russian regions report attacks

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US concerned that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea ‘actively advancing’ – as it...

Sergei Shoigu, Russian defence minister, has recently travelled to North Korea to try to convince them to sell ammunition, says White House

www.theguardian.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

That’s a picture of a German chancellor you don’t see every day.

@gebauerspon

Matthias Gebauer

2 years

Der Kanzler und der Gepard - der Beginn einer wunderbaren Freundschaft? #Bundeswehr ⁦ @OlafScholz ⁩ #Ukraine

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

It is my job to explain the German position to the outside world (and to explain the outside world’s views to Germans). But I am increasingly feeling like Frank here: frustrated about having to come up with reasons for my government’s policies as Scholz doesn’t explain anything.

@drfranksauer

Frank Sauer

1 year

Ich hab, ehrlich gesagt, keine Lust mehr, "Scholz' Kalkül" zu ergründen. Natürlich verstehe ich gut, dass er nicht jeden Entscheidungsschritt öffentlich ausbuchstabieren will (kann! - weil... 👂🇷🇺👀). Aber inzwischen ist das Kommunikationsdebakel einfach des größere Problem.

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Ulrike Franke

2 years

I seriously think these letters only exist so that their authors can say “but *I* have been calling for peace the whole time!”. Washing their hands of responsibility while contributing exactly nothing.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

On 27 February, Olaf Scholz held his famous #Zeitenwende speech. More than ten months have passed since then. What’s the verdict? Have times turned in German defence and security policy? My assessment of where we are at the moment - the good, the bad, and the ugly. (thread)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

“Mr Scholz certainly has come a long way since the eve of Russia’s invasion, when his government offered Ukraine 5000 helmets and a field hospital. But it took months and the threat of a parliamentary vote before he approved any shipments of heavy weapons”

Germany’s Chancellor Has ‘a Lot’ for Ukraine. But No Battle Tanks. (Published 2022)

Military assistance to Kyiv has become something of a litmus test of Olaf Scholz’s ability to lead Europe through its most significant security crisis since World War II.

www.nytimes.com

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Ulrike Franke

1 year

I must admit I don’t really get this. (Also, as a Brit I would be a bit vexed. Turns out they aren’t partner enough to make a difference to Scholz’s ‘only with partners’ mantra)

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Berlin Won’t Allow Exports of German Tanks to Ukraine Unless U.S. Sends Its Own

North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have over 2,000 German-made Leopard tanks.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

6 years

Wow. 71% of Germans now say 'the US cannot be trusted'.

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Ulrike Franke

1 year

What 17 seconds on German prime time gets you 😆. (It was Heutejournal, btw).

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Massively insightful listening to German radio right now where listeners call in to talk about Russia, Ukraine, arms exports. "We shouldn't pour oil into the fire", descalation needed, "we shouldn't threaten Russia" etc.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Majority of Germans (58%) support sanctions against Russia despite possible disadvantages for themselves. Source

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

…should/can accept some deficits and lack of equipment to equip Ukraine faster, and they argue for more/more strategic armament industry development in Germany. Looks like the German debate is moving forward after all.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

4 years

Which country is the most influential in Europe? Germans say Germany: 76% France: 9% UK: 6% French Germany: 72% France: 19% UK: 4% US UK: 52% (!) Germany: 27% France/Italy: 6%

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

That's... odd? British transport aircraft ferrying anti-armour weaponry to Ukraine is actively (?) avoiding German air space. Wonder what the reason is.

@geoallison

George Allison

2 years

Of note is the fact that the British aircraft are avoiding German airspace.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Verification…

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

In four months, the German public debate on defence went from ‘we couldn’t care less, all weapons are evil’ to ‘aCtUAlly that’s not a tank it’s an Autonomes Flugabwehrgeschütz auf Selbstfahrlafette’

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Good! “Our Eastern European neighbors have warned us again & again. On this we in Germany must reflect self-critically. All my life, I had never imagined that there would be such a war of aggression in our immediate neighborhood again” - Baerbock

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„Die Welt ist kein Wunschkonzert“ • Table.Briefings

Aktuelle News bei Table.Media rund um das Thema: „Die Welt ist kein Wunschkonzert“.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

😂😂😂 That’s probably the best photo ever taken of me at a conference.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Here I was, thinking that the German drone debate showed how little the German commentariat and political realm understood defence policy and technology. And then came the German debate over missile defence 😳🤯

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

11 months

*Professional news* I am very excited to announce that on 1 June I joined @ECFRParis , in, well, Paris! I’ll continue working on European defence questions, new military technology, and even more Franco-German relations.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

Some professional news.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 month

Waiting for pics of Scholz doing Yoga. Emmanuel Macron flexes political muscle with boxing photos

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Emmanuel Macron flexes political muscle with boxing photos

French president is snapped working the punch bag, days after getting tough on Russia,

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Some great illustrations by @derspiegel (with @IISS_org data) on the difference between the Bundeswehr’s situation in 1989 and now. (And no, we don’t need to go back to 1989 armament levels. But shows just how much Bundeswehr has shrunk)

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 years

Military equipment delivered from Germany to Ukraine as of today. Source @oryxspioenkop

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 months

👀 "There were good reasons why the Germans became pacifists. But the times have changed so radically that it would be criminal if we didn't adapt to them," says former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. A "massive rearmament" is therefore "a must".

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Joschka Fischer: „Massive Aufrüstung“ nötig – weil Putin unberechenbar ist - WELT

„Es gab gute Gründe, warum die Deutschen zu Pazifisten geworden sind. Aber die Zeit hat sich so radikal geändert, dass es sträflich wäre, wenn wir uns nicht darauf einstellen würden“, sagt Ex-Außen...

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

What the what?! 😳 “By simply searching online for terms publicly known to be associated with nuclear weapons, Bellingcat was able to discover cards used by military personnel serving at all six European military bases reported to store nuclear devices.“

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US Soldiers Expose Nuclear Weapons Secrets Via Flashcard Apps - bellingcat

Online study aids used by US soldiers contained detailed information about base security and the location of nuclear devices in Europe.

www.bellingcat.com

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 months

If confirmed, what a blow* to UN legitimacy and acceptance. Which is bad news for literally everyone on the planet. *A deserved blow to be clear. What a scandal.

@manniefabian

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian

3 months

Beneath UNRWA’s Gaza Strip headquarters, the IDF has uncovered one of Hamas’s most significant and top secret assets: a subterranean data center used by the terror group for intelligence and communications. The terror group built the server farm, complete with an electrical room…

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Ulrike Franke

4 months

The German ZEIT has published an *absolutely scathing* report on the German political failure around the Afghanistan withdrawal. The journalists went to heaps of internal docs and mails, showing how almost all parts of the German secdef apparatus failed.

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Bundeswehreinsatz in Afghanistan: "Wahnsinn. Eine Riesenscheiße"

Ignoranz, Kompetenzgerangel, verratene Ortskräfte: Geheimpapiere zeigen erstmals das ganze Ausmaß des Versagens rund um den Abzug der Bundeswehr aus Afghanistan.

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

3 years

I just got a full page in @DIEZEIT 🤯

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

1 year

Former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany has been appointed Deputy Foreign Minister. He ruffled *a lot* of feathers in Berlin and I had many discussions over whether he did his job particularly well, or particularly badly (my vote was on the former, but man, some ppl were pissed).

@MelnykAndrij

Andrii Melnyk

1 year

Extremely Thankful to My President @ZelenskyyUa , Minister @DmytroKuleba & the 🇺🇦 Government for Your Trust to Appoint Me As Deputy Foreign Minister 🙏🏻It Is a Great Honour & Huge Responsibility to Serve My Country in This New Capacity💪 And Now: Let’s Get Ready to Rumble 🥊🥊🥊

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Ulrike Franke

1 year

“A French official told POLITICO that Paris is turning the screws on Germany in the hope of extracting an agreement from Berlin to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine ahead of a Franco-German summit on January 22”

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France and Poland push Germany to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine

If Germany relents and sends Leopard tanks, it is likely several other EU countries will too.

www.politico.eu

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@RikeFranke

Ulrike Franke

2 months

As I am preparing the birthday cake for my 2-year-old for tomorrow, I keep thinking about the Ukrainian children born in that night, in bomb shelters, and the kids born since, who have known nothing but this war. May the next years be more peaceful, just, and lived in freedom.

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