A blog about Russian politics by Atlantic Council Senior Fellow and UTA Adjunct Prof. Brian Whitmore. I block trolls & anybody else I find remotely annoying.
Washington, DC
Joined April 2009
- Tweets14.4K
- Following683
- Followers35.2K
- Likes3.5K
Pinned Tweet
The newly launched @PowerVertical franchise is not only back, it now has a brand new website! powervertical.org
Brian Whitmore retweeted
The Eurasian Economic Union was supposed to be Moscow's answer to the EU — but it can barely hold on to its members and 80% of its trade happens outside of the bloc.
In this week's Shatterbelt Brief, Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical) traces how far the project has fallen.
🔗 indavemedia.com/commentary-p…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🎧 LISTEN | Russian hybrid attacks, sabotage campaigns, and assassination plots against Europe have been steadily rising this year.
@PowerVertical hosts @mikercarpenter and @maxbergmann to discuss the Kremlin's intensifying gray zone aggression.
More ⬇️
powervertical.org/2026/09/25…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
In his Shatterbelt Brief, Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical ) says the United States may have effectively switched sides, choosing Russia over Ukraine.
👉 Read the commentary on our website:
🔗 indavemedia.com/commentary-t…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Commentary: Putin’s Plot — Why Europe is Preparing for the Worst indavemedia.com/commentary-p… @PowerVertical
Brian Whitmore retweeted
The fear on NATO’s eastern flank is not abstract. @PowerVertical writes that the emerging consensus is that Putin is plotting something escalatory: a false-flag attack, a deniable drone strike, or a limited grab in eastern Estonia designed to test whether Article 5 still means anything.
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Is it a Kremlin psyop? @PowerVertical's Whitemore gives three reasons to treat the threat as real.
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Whitmore’s closer: In “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” the wolf does eventually come for the flock. Read the full @indavemedia's Shatterbelt Brief by @PowerVertical indavemedia.com/commentary-p…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🗓️ OCTOBER 7 @ 1:00 pm ET | Report launch: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia?
@PowerVertical moderates an expert panel discussion launching our new #RussiaTomorrow report by @AgniaGrigas.
Register to attend ⤵️
atlanticcouncil.org/event/re…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🗓️ WEDNESDAY @ 1:00 pm ET | Report launch: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia?
@PowerVertical moderates an expert panel discussion launching our new #RussiaTomorrow report by @AgniaGrigas.
Register to attend ⤵️
atlanticcouncil.org/event/re…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Russia’s threats against Europe are escalating quickly — from warnings aimed at Lithuania to nuclear saber-rattling over Kaliningrad. Is Moscow manufacturing new pretexts for aggression?
Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical) examines the warning signs in this week’s Shatterbelt Brief.
🔗 indavemedia.com/commentary-n…
A consensus appears to be emerging in Europe that Russia is plotting something big to test NATO's resolve. In this week's the Shatterbelt Brief, my column for @indavemedia, I take a closer look.
indavemedia.com/commentary-p…
This has become quite timely in light of recent developments. Looking forward to this discussion
🗓️ OCTOBER 7 @ 1:00 pm ET | Report launch: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia?
@PowerVertical moderates an expert panel discussion launching our new #RussiaTomorrow report by
@AgniaGrigas.
Register to attend ⤵️
atlanticcouncil.org/event/re…
Always worth listening to @MBielieskov
Mykola Bielieskov (@MBielieskov) , a research fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies and senior analyst at Come Back Alive, fears Russia could exploit Ukrainians’ war trauma and disappointment with Western partners.
He warns that a political “third way” — neither openly pro-Russian nor pro-Western — could become a vehicle for manipulation, citing Georgia as a troubling comparison.
👉 Watch the full interview on YouTube.
🔗 youtu.be/xHvWKiR5rRg
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Mykola Bielieskov (@MBielieskov) , a research fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies and senior analyst at Come Back Alive, fears Russia could exploit Ukrainians’ war trauma and disappointment with Western partners.
He warns that a political “third way” — neither openly pro-Russian nor pro-Western — could become a vehicle for manipulation, citing Georgia as a troubling comparison.
👉 Watch the full interview on YouTube.
🔗 youtu.be/xHvWKiR5rRg
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🔹 Lithuania is preparing evacuation routes, Germany is readying hospitals for potential armed conflict, and France is strengthening protection of critical infrastructure.
In the Shatterbelt Brief, Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical) says the threat of Russian escalation in Europe is real — and Putin may see a window of opportunity to splinter NATO and the European Union.
🔗 Read the commentary
indavemedia.com/commentary-p…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🗓️ OCTOBER 7 @ 1:00 pm ET | Report launch: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia?
@PowerVertical moderates an expert panel discussion launching our new #RussiaTomorrow report by
@AgniaGrigas.
Register to attend ⤵️
atlanticcouncil.org/event/re…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🎧 LISTEN | What message did the US spy chief deliver to the Kremlin?
@PowerVertical is joined by Amb. @mikercarpenter, John Sipher, and James Sherr to unpack John Ratcliffe's Moscow trip.
Tune in 👇
powervertical.org/2026/08/28…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
Is Putin preparing to escalate — or is the Kremlin trying to scare the West into backing off its support for Ukraine?
Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical ) examines Russia’s latest threats and what he calls Putin’s “escalation psyop.”
Read the full commentary on Independence Avenue Media.
indavemedia.com/cat/the-shat…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
📅 SEPTEMBER 17 @ 10:00 am ET | How does Russia target its propaganda across the Global South?
@PowerVertical moderates a virtual panel launching our new #RussiaTomorrow report by @cjcmichel on Moscow's efforts to cultivate support abroad.
Register ⬇️
atlanticcouncil.org/event/re…
Brian Whitmore retweeted
🎧 LISTEN | Why have Russians pulled billions out of banks this summer?
@PowerVertical speaks with @CraigKennedy77 about the state of the Russian economy as Ukraine intensifies its long-range strikes against Moscow's war machine.
More ⤵️
powervertical.org/2026/08/21…
