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richardgowan1.bsky.social
UN Director at Crisis Group.
119 posts 1,462 followers 245 following
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Israel has no good answer for Hamas. My piece for Slate. With thanks to @methsaxon.bsky.social slate.com/news-and-pol...

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Governments worldwide are bracing for Donald Trump’s transactional, “show me the money” approach to statecraft to become a global norm, as old rules and institutions crumble. A sobering edition of The Telegram, reported from D.C. and NYC economist.com/internationa... from The Economist

South Sudan is slipping toward renewed conflict and political upheaval. Regional leaders must press President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar to back down. www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-...

If there's one point of consistency on Ukraine between the Biden & Trump administrations, it's the rejection of US security guarantees for Kyiv. New @crisisgroup.org statement argues Ukraine and its European backers should accept this reality & ensure Kyiv can defend itself, now and into the future.

Journalists: @crisisgroup.org will publish the report ‘Curbing Violence in Latin America’s Drug Trafficking Hotspots’ next Tuesday, 11 March. You can reach me at [email protected] or send a DM for an embargoed copy and/or interview requests.

I warn The Economist that the UN could be a "skeleton" in 10 years. www.economist.com/internationa...

It is not clear whether the Trump administration sees the UN as anything more than somewhere to rubber stamp its bilateral diplomacy with Moscow. But the wider UN membership has mixed feelings over Washington's new posture, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social. www.crisisgroup.org/united-state...

It is not clear whether the Trump administration sees the U.N. as anything more than somewhere to rubber stamp its bilateral diplomacy with Moscow, Richard Gowan writes.

NEW OP-ED | Trump Is Trying to Remake the United Nations Washington has signaled that it wants the international body to focus on preserving peace, but it could be looking to rubber-stamp its bilateral priorities, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social. www.crisisgroup.org/united-state...

Trump Is Trying to Remake the United Nations

Just don't say "Schleswig-Holstein" 😯

Isn't that also the best way to spread bird flu?

New from me @foreignpolicy.com, thoughts on the U.S. pivot to cooperation with Russia at the UN. foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/03/t...

new piece from @delaneysimon.bsky.social, @jeromed.bsky.social & me on UN sanctions on HTS We breakdown the procedure & politics around the sanctions, arguing that the UNSC should move asap to expand humanitarian exemptions & consider the delisting process www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...

As expected @richardgowan1.bsky.social makes sense. Maybe wishful thinking but after last week's shambles I'm a little more optimistic that the US might choose incoherent irrelevance which, while obviously not great, is preferable to organized wrecking www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

This will be happening in many places. Unpaid vendors, desperate communities cutoff from aid, and no budget for security will drive more security incidents-until there are no more aid operations remaining to attack.

After a crazy week at the United Nations over Ukraine, I have a big picture piece @lawfare.bsky.social asking if "the UN is experiencing a fundamental decline or a haphazard process of political renewal." www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

NOAA Cuts Leave Wind Chimes As Sole Predictor Of Approaching Hurricanes

How are European diplomats doing after their bust-up with the U.S. over Ukraine at the UN? Some are trying to write it off as a one-off. Other believe it marked a fundamental turning point, I write for IPS. www.ips-journal.eu/topics/forei...

www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...

@richardgowan1.bsky.social explores how member states are responding to dysfunction at the UN, especially deadlocks at the Security Council, and whether the UN is experiencing a fundamental decline or a haphazard process of political renewal.

After a crazy week at the United Nations over Ukraine, I have a big picture piece @lawfare.bsky.social asking if "the UN is experiencing a fundamental decline or a haphazard process of political renewal." www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

Unlike in the war’s early phase, when Ukraine drew broad international support, many non-Western UN members opted to keep a low profile this time, signalling a shift in global attitudes, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social. www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

This is word-for-word how I try to run the @crisisgroup.org Un team, but @comfortero.crisisgroup.org won't let me.

In a historic move, jailed PKK leader Ocalan called his group to lay down arms and dissolve itself. We’ve been tracking the dynamics of Ankara’s conflict with PKK since 2015 and have all the verified data on casualties in @crisisgroup.org Visual Explainer: www.crisisgroup.org/content/turk...

How are European diplomats doing after their bust-up with the U.S. over Ukraine at the UN? Some are trying to write it off as a one-off. Other believe it marked a fundamental turning point, I write for IPS. www.ips-journal.eu/topics/forei...

NEW COMMENTARY | U.S. Volte-Face on Ukraine Exposes Depths of Divide in the UN The Trump administration tabled its own UN resolution on the Ukraine war to compete with the one drafted by Kyiv and its European backers, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social. www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

Now from me @crisisgroup.org: What the hell just happened at the UN? www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

Relations between the U.S. and European countries are in very public disarray, as the votes in the #UN General Assembly on #Ukraine revealed. @richardgowan1.bsky.social explains why this vote may signal more UN troubles on Ukraine and beyond ahead: www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

C. 5000 BC, wood, height 13 cm, Willemstad (province of Noord-Brabant) Wooden sculpture. found in peat bog. Only a few of these small sculptures have been found in Europe, may have been a toy or a shaman's ritual implement. He sees you. geheugen.delpher.nl/nl/geheugen/...

If you want fresh analysis of Monday's votes at the UN on Ukraine, look no farther than @richardgowan1.bsky.social's new piece for @crisisgroup.org, hot off the press! visuals by @clairemaevabg.bsky.social, data collection by Emily McMullen www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

Good point from @richardgowan1.bsky.social: While the U.S. drive to undermine the Ukrainian-EU General Assembly text may have come as a shock, Washington’s initiative highlighted deepening divisions among UN members about possible peace terms for Ukraine. www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

Now from me @crisisgroup.org: What the hell just happened at the UN? www.crisisgroup.org/europe-centr...

I tell @bbcnewsofficial.bsky.social that U.S. lobbying on UN Ukraine votes "has left a nasty taste among many UN members." www.bbc.com/news/article...

We'll be writing about this @crisisgroup.org this week, but what is striking here (beyond the U.S. vote) is just how much of the world beyond Europe abstained. But good on ASEAN, which I think was close to abstention but changed course.

Europe is “livid with how U.S. maneuvered against them,” said @richardgowan1.bsky.social “E.U. & Ukraine tried to keep Washington in the loop while drafting their resolution. The way the U.S. swung in with its own texts very aggressively left Europeans off-balance.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/w...

ONLINE EVENT | Violence and Politics in Haiti’s Transitional Government 26 February | 10am Port-Au-Prince | 4pm Brussels | 10am New York @emmadouyon.bsky.social, Frantz Duval, @fortid1.bsky.social, @diegodarin.bsky.social & @renatasegura.bsky.social Registration: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Why is today's UNGA debate on Ukraine such a ⚡ rod? I wrote about the GA and Ukraine for the @fletcherschool.bsky.social Forum last year. static1.squarespace.com/static/579fc...

As UK and EU members scramble for UNGA votes for their Ukraine resolution (in competition with the U.S.) they may encounter some skepticism from Global South countries, for reasons I recently explored @ukandeu.bsky.social. media.ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/u...

UNGA in the focus these days.

🚨 @hrw.org: UN chief @antonioguterres should propose that the UN Security Council transform the Kenyan-led #Haiti Multinational Security Support mission @MSSMHaiti into a UN operation. It's what Haiti authorities requested & many member states want too.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago today. In this short @crisisgroup.org explainer video, I talk about what the war has meant for European security, & how it is now complicated by the Trump presidency 1/2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lrH...

I talk to @afpnews.bsky.social about this week's Ukraine debates at the UN. www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breakin...