Informed retweeted
The toll of war we don't discuss enough:
Tired. It is all I am these days. War never lets you rest, truly rest. And we have been living it for years.
And I am not talking about the physical feeling of being tired - of never really sleeping, trying to help those who need it, and generally being a normal adult in the modern world and amidst the war. No.
Do you know that feeling of receiving news so bad it makes your world tilt a bit to the side for a moment? That crashes into you like a gigantic wave? It normally happens rarely. It used to happen rarely for me. Now it happens all the time.
You know decisions that you have to make despite not having any acceptable option? The ones that stay with you forever in the worst way.
You know that sticky, disgusting sense of fear that clutches your gut with ugly claws when someone you love is in mortal danger? What if it is almost everyone you love? All the time.
Then there are constant attacks that give you different sense of fear, much sharper, almost animalistic when the explosion is close enough.
It all intertwines, becoming a daily reality until you feel nothing but tired. It does not mean you give up. Yet, you think your main feelings in war would be different. Maybe terror or panic, maybe sorrow or misery. There is all of that, but an all-consuming exhaustion dominates it all. War never lets you rest.
I wonder whether the pause in finishing the job in Iran was all part of a greater conspiracy to deprive Gulf oil kingdoms from exporting thus driving up the price dramatically which benefits Trump & his mate Putin and oil companies in US who have recorded 3x profits on last year
Informed retweeted
I've watched quite a few funerals of terrorists in Gaza over the last decade -- probably hundreds. This video of a dead Hamas member, Arafat Al-Areer's funeral earlier today doesn't show that the group is backing down, giving up its weapons, or handing over power.
A year since the ceasefire, nobody should be fooled into thinking Hamas has meaningful intentions of changing. @BoardOfPeace @nmladenov
Informed retweeted
Just a reminder, because a hell of a lot of people still seem to not understand this very simple fact…
The ICJ did NOT claim or find that Israel committed a genocide. They didn’t even find it plausible that genocide has taken place.
THERE IS NO GENOCIDE.
Informed retweeted
If Zelensky Is So Corrupt, Why Can’t Anyone Buy Him? 🇺🇦
I just realized something almost hilarious if it wasn’t very obvious and also real about the whole anti-Zelensky narrative.
For years we have been told that Zelensky is corrupt, illegitimate, a puppet, a billionaire thief, some CIA creation, whatever version happens to be useful that day. And yet somehow Putin, Trump, oligarchs, billionaires and the entire anti-Ukraine political machine still cannot control him.
Think about that contradiction.
Zelensky was elected in 2019 with about 73% of the runoff vote. Ukraine has not held another presidential election because elections are suspended under martial law during Russia’s invasion, something Zelensky has said could change if conditions allow a safe and legal vote. Meanwhile Trump, Elon and others are now openly calling for Ukraine to replace him after Zelensky refused demands to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure and bend over to them.
And this is where their own propaganda stops making sense. If Zelensky were really as spectacularly corrupt as they claim, why wouldn’t somebody have bought him years ago?
Putin has all the money. Russian oligarchs have money. Western billionaires have money. Elon has more money than all of them. Trump has political power. There are people with enormous financial and geopolitical interests who would benefit from a Ukrainian president willing to make the right deal for them.
If Zelensky were really nothing but a corrupt opportunist, the easiest path imaginable would have been to take the money, make peace with Putin on Putin’s terms, protect himself, become insanely wealthy, powerful and live comfortably ruling the Ukraine and the area as a probably richest dictator on earth.
Instead, Russia invaded, Zelensky stayed, Ukraine kept fighting, and years later these people are still trying to pressure him, discredit him, replace him and convince everyone that he is somehow the problem.
Trump and Elon has now publicly called for Ukraine to get a new president after Zelensky resisted pressure over Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Their relationship has deteriorated sharply precisely because Zelensky has continued pursuing policies Washington told him to stop.
So maybe the reason so many powerful men seem absolutely fucking obsessed with Zelensky is much simpler than all the conspiracy theories.
Maybe they hate him because they cannot break him.
Maybe they hate him because they cannot buy him.
Maybe they are simply jealous of him and his amazing courage and integrity.?
And maybe nothing drives men obsessed with power more insane than another man they cannot control.
Informed retweeted
Trump Administration Halts Funding for Key Ukraine Security Programs
The INCLE program helps Ukraine’s police, border guards and other security personnel protect civilians and critical infrastructure. washingtonsun.com/foreign-po…
Informed retweeted
The Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen 🇾🇪 claims it targeted Saudi Arabia's 🇸🇦 Ras Tanura refinery, Aramco facility, Rabigh Oil Refinery, and Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport with missiles and Dammam's King Fahd Internaitonal Airport with a drone.
It also claims it targeted the headquarters of Saudi troops in Najran.
Informed retweeted
THE MESSIAH WE WANT VS. THE MESSIAH WHO IS
Many in first-century Israel expected a conquering Messiah but struggled to recognize the suffering Servant. Today, many professing believers embrace the suffering Servant but struggle with the conquering King.
Different expectations. The same danger: an incomplete understanding of Messiah.
Scripture does not reveal two Messiahs. It reveals ONE Messiah with two comings.
Consider His names and titles:
The Lamb of God, who takes away sin (John 1:29).
The Lion of Judah, the victorious Root of David (Revelation 5:5).
The Suffering Servant, pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5).
Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).
The Prince of Peace, whose government will increase (Isaiah 9:6–7).
The First and the Last, the Living One (Revelation 1:17–18).
The Righteous Judge, entrusted with judgment (John 5:22–27).
The King of kings, returning in glory (Revelation 19:16).
These are not competing portraits of Jesus. They reveal the fullness of ONE Messiah.
THE SUFFERING SERVANT AND THE CONQUERING KING
Isaiah 53 foretells His suffering. Jeremiah 23:5–6 promises David's righteous Branch who will reign. Zechariah 9:9 presents the humble King riding on a donkey, while verse 10 describes His dominion extending to the ends of the earth.
Peter explains the prophetic pattern: the sufferings of Messiah and the glories to follow (1 Peter 1:10–11).
Suffering first. Glory afterward.
The cross was not the cancellation of the crown.
Where does the Tanakh declare that every messianic prophecy must be fulfilled in a single coming?
Isaiah describes a suffering Servant. Jeremiah promises a reigning King. Zechariah portrays both a humble King and a victorious ruler over the nations.
The Tanakh reveals both portraits. It never explicitly requires their fulfillment at the same moment.
The question is not whether Messiah must fulfill every prophecy. He must.
The question is whether Scripture requires Him to fulfill them all at once.
Even after the resurrection, the Jewish apostles asked whether Jesus would now restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
He did not cancel Israel's promises. He said their timing belonged to the Father (Acts 1:7).
THE REJECTED STONE WILL REIGN
Jesus identified Himself as the rejected cornerstone (Matthew 21:42).
Yet Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45 describes a Stone that destroys earthly kingdoms and establishes a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
The Stone rejected by men is the Stone that will shatter the kingdoms of men.
THE JESUS WHO LOVES ALSO JUDGES
Many celebrate the compassionate Jesus who welcomed sinners, healed the sick, and forgave His enemies.
And rightly so!
But the same Jesus who wept over Jerusalem also foretold its destruction (Luke 19:41–44).
The One who offered eternal life declared that the Father entrusted judgment to the Son (John 5:22–27).
He described His glorious return, the gathering of the nations, and the separation of the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 25:31–46).
His tears were genuine. So were His warnings.
His love does not cancel His holiness.
His mercy does not eliminate His justice.
And the Prince of Peace declared:
"I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34, NASB)
He was not advocating violence. He warned that allegiance to Him would divide even families (Matthew 10:35–37).
The Prince of Peace never promised universal approval.
WHAT ABOUT HIS PROMISED KINGDOM?
Some acknowledge His resurrection and physical return but interpret the millennial kingdom as a present spiritual reality.
Yet Zechariah 14:4 places the returning LORD upon the Mount of Olives. Verse 9 declares His kingship over all the earth.
Isaiah 2:2–4 describes nations coming to Jerusalem to learn God's ways.
Revelation 20:1–6 describes a thousand-year reign.
If these promises are fulfilled entirely through Messiah's present heavenly reign, where is the fulfillment of their geographical, national, and earthly details?
God's covenant promises to Israel remain. His gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:28–29).
THE LION WHO APPEARED AS A LAMB
Revelation 5 presents an extraordinary scene.
John hears that the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered.
But when he looks, he sees a Lamb standing as though slain (Revelation 5:5–6).
The Lion conquered through the sacrifice of the Lamb.
His victory came through suffering.
And Revelation 19 reveals this same Messiah returning as Faithful and True, judging and waging war in righteousness.
Upon Him is written:
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
This is the same Jesus who washed His disciples' feet, wept over Jerusalem, and willingly went to the cross.
THE PIERCED ONE WILL BE RECOGNIZED
Zechariah 12:10 foretells Jerusalem mourning over the One who was pierced.
Matthew 24:30 describes the Son of Man appearing in power and glory.
Revelation 1:7 declares that every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him.
The One crowned with thorns will return in glory.
The Son of David will receive His promised throne (Luke 1:32–33).
And Israel's future remains anchored in God's faithfulness (Romans 11:25–29).
WHICH JESUS DO WE REALLY BELIEVE IN?
Some want a Savior who never judges.
Others want a conquering King without a suffering Servant.
Some celebrate His mercy but resist His holiness.
Others acknowledge His heavenly reign while spiritualizing His promised earthly kingdom.
But Scripture does not give us permission to construct a Messiah from our preferred passages.
He is the Lamb of God.
He is the Lion of Judah.
He is the Suffering Servant.
He is Immanuel.
He is the Righteous Judge.
He is the Son of David.
He is the King of kings.
The Lamb who was slain is the Lion who will reign.
Yeshua HaMashiach is not merely the Messiah our theology allows us to see.
He is the Messiah revealed throughout ALL of Scripture.
We do not get to choose between the Lamb and the Lion.
The question is not whether Jesus fits our understanding of the Messiah.
The question is whether our understanding fits the entirety of Scripture.
🤖 Made with AI
Informed retweeted
Jesus said something about John the Baptist that should stop us in our tracks: “Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). John was no lightweight. Christ Himself said no prophet before him had risen greater. Yet Jesus then placed even the least in the kingdom in a position of greater privilege.
That greatness is not about superior personality, spiritual experience, public influence, or religious achievement. John stood at the edge of fulfillment. He pointed toward the Lamb and announced that the kingdom was near, but he did not live to see the cross, the empty tomb, Pentecost, and the full unveiling of what Christ had accomplished. We live on the other side of those events.
This is where the weight of the text lands. John saw the dawn. We live in the light of the risen Christ. He announced the One who was coming. We confess the One who has come, died, risen, ascended, and now reigns. Peter says that the prophets longed to understand the grace now announced to us, and even “angels long to look” into these things (1 Peter 1:10–12).
Furthermore, our place in the kingdom leaves absolutely no room for boasting. We did not earn this privilege by being wiser than John, more disciplined than Moses, or more spiritual than the prophets. We were simply born into a later moment in God’s redemptive plan and, by grace, brought into union with Christ. “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16).
And I must say, this exposes how badly we often measure greatness. We look at platforms, gifts, experiences, crowds, titles, and accomplishments. Christ looks at something far deeper. The poorest believer who belongs to Him possesses privileges kings and prophets longed to see. We have the completed gospel, the indwelling Holy Spirit, access to the Father through Christ, and the certainty of a finished redemption.
So when Jesus says the least in the kingdom is greater than John, He is magnifying the grace of our position in Christ, not flattering our performance. We stand where we stand because Christ has brought us there. The greatness belongs to the kingdom, the privilege belongs to grace, and the glory belongs entirely to the King.
Informed retweeted
IMPACT-se has just published the first in-depth analysis of Syria’s school curriculum since the al-Sharaa administration came to power. The landmark report examines 130 textbooks for Grades 1–12, revealing how the new Syria is reshaping education for the next generation.
The findings show an ideological transformation from pan-Arab nationalism toward a pan-Islamist worldview: Jihad, martyrdom, and violence are glorified in materials for children as young as fourth grade. Meanwhile, Syria’s minorities are increasingly marginalized, scientific content covering evolution and the Big Bang Theory has been removed, and women are framed mainly as wives, mothers and depicted increasingly in Islamic dress.
As Syria’s new leadership signals continued openness to the international community, this analysis provides an important insight into the country’s political and social trajectory, and how the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa may shape Syria.
Read the full report here:
impact-se.org/wp-content/upl…
Informed retweeted
BREAKING: Ukraine has carried out the world’s first medical evacuation of a human via a drone from the battlefield the 30th mechanised brigade of Ukraine managed to save their injured comrade from a minefield.
Just absolutely insane.
Informed retweeted
SIGNIFICANT: The UKMTO’s monthly report has just been filed, and one line stands out:
“UKMTO struggling to accurately report true number of attacks with majority of vessels attacked refusing to report to UKMTO.”
I’m sorry, you said MAJORITY? As in >50%?
If this statement holds true for October, that means you’re taking about nearly SIXTY vessels that would have been struck by Iran in the first two weeks of the month…
The U.S. can’t defend these vessel AT ALL.
Informed retweeted
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners. The main target was energy infrastructure, specifically CHPP-4. Unfortunately, it was hit. A residential building was also damaged, and rescuers are currently putting out a fire there. Our systems detected these missiles only when they were already virtually on approach to Kyiv. CHPP-4 is one of Kyiv’s key energy facilities.
According to our intelligence, the Russians are preparing further ballistic missile launches. The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound by what the President of the United States said. Ukraine supported an energy ceasefire. Russia is targeting yet another power plant and the lives of our people.
And this is absolutely unjust: when they are destroying our energy infrastructure, and Ukraine is not even receiving early warnings about ballistic missile launches. It is important that the world does not stay silent about this. And it is important that the United States really see what is happening and who is responsible for this war continuing.
Please stay safe tonight and tomorrow. We are working to replenish our air defenses with anti-ballistic missiles.
What a disgusting response max.
Using your twisted logic you’re saying it’s ok for innocent people to die because Ukraine doesn’t say thank you enough in your opinion
Informed retweeted
I spent 15+ years investigating Russian secret services and organized crime. I know people who served with Putin in the KGB and sat in on his deals with St. Petersburg crime bosses. So let me explain the "diesel deal" the way they would — in gangster slang. Because that's the language Putin actually thinks in.
First, the facts.
Putin just raised Russia's 2027 military budget by 27% to a record 17.1 trillion rubles — about $203 billion. Who budgets that kind of money for a war they're about to end?
The FT reported yesterday that Western intelligence has warned the heads of European defense companies that Russia is plotting to assassinate them.
Since September, Tusk, Macron and the intelligence services of Poland, Czechia, Latvia, Belgium, France and Denmark have all warned that Russian hybrid attacks — including drone and missile strikes — will intensify in the coming months.
None of this looks like a country preparing for peace.
Who actually benefits?
🇺🇸 What the US gets: Every serious analysis I've read says the announced volumes won't move American diesel prices. This is a PR move for Trump before the midterms — a story about prices that will "very, very soon" come down once his friend Vladimir's tankers reach US shores, plus the chance to claim he ended another war (I've lost count). The only US "benefit" is Trump's rating.
🇷🇺 What Russia gets: billions of dollars to keep funding its genocidal war against Ukrainians. Sanctions relief. A demonstration of power to the rest of the world. A deeper rift between the US and its European allies. And a real chance to disrupt US weapons and intelligence flowing to Ukraine.
So what is Putin's actual goal?
Trump's disapproval is at record highs and polls show his party will most likely loose midterm elections. In less than a month his power will be badly weakened. Why would Putin sign a long-term peace deal with a lame duck whose signature will soon be scrutinized at best and annulled at worst?
He wouldn't. And here's where the slang comes in.
In the eyes of Putin and his siloviki, Trump is a baryga — a greedy, unscrupulous businessman who puts profit above law and principle. Gangsters despise barygas, but they love using them. The goal is always to turn a baryga into a lokh — a mark, an outsider who doesn't understand the rules of the underworld and gets played to serve the gang's interests.
By signing the diesel deal, Putin plays two scenarios at once:
A) The deal miraculously helps his lokh keep power — great.
B) The deal changes nothing, the baryga loses the midterms — but by then it has already done its job: inflamed US political tensions and acted as arson inside the American system.
Putin knows that the majority of Americans support Ukraine. He knows that by signing, Trump draws unprecedented criticism, including from his own party. And he knows a baryga won't give up power easily, because he will have to answer for everything he did in office — this deal included. That's classic gangster/secret-service method: tie a man to your organization, make him a partner in your crimes, so he can't walk away.
Pouring more oil — diesel, in this case — onto the most explosive fault lines of American politics, raising the stakes for Trump and pushing him past the point of no return serves Putin far better than a peace deal that could be voided within months.
Remember: Putin's goal in the West is chaos, not peace.
