Balloon Juice

Cruel Shoes II

by Betty Cracker| March 9, 20265:32 pm| 4 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes, General Stupidity

There’s an insane story in the WSJ about how TeMussolini has a new dementia game. He guesses the shoe size of male appointees and cronies, then has a minion order Florsheim shoes for them in the size he guessed.

He expects giftees to wear the shoes in his presence. Doesn’t always work out so well.

Rubio in too-large shoes

Real Caligula appoints his horse as consul stuff!

I wonder if the shoe recipients hobble around in ill-fitting shoes indefinitely, or do they order the same shoes in the right size and make the switch on the down low?

I hope it’s the former. They deserve cruel shoes.

Open thread.

ETA: Piggy is supposed to give a speech right about now. It will be lies, so I’m not gonna bother watching.

Cruel Shoes IIPost + Comments (4)

A Bit of Inspiration

by WaterGirl| March 9, 202611:55 am| 41 Comments

This post is in: Something Good Open Thread

In honor of International Women’s Day, last night’s Medium Cool was about women and culture.

Many of the comments were moving and inspirational, but there’s one in particular that I want to share here. It was a late arrival and I hope everyone takes a couple of minutes to read it.

We all need inspiration!

Percysowner

My inspirations will never be found on any Wiki, or anywhere other than Ancestry and then only if you pay money, they are my mother, my grandmother and my great grandmother. GGM AKA Little Grandma (she was 4″ 10″ at most) was from Slovakia. She had Granny in 1894,when she was 20 and unmarried. Neither she nor Granny talked about it. She did eventually marry Grandpa Lou, Was he Granny’s father? Who knows. Slovakia was in the middle of a war zone. My cousin thinks that Grandpa Lou was sent to fight before he knew she was pregnant. My father, not from her side, said that an army marched in and when they left she was pregnant. The implications there are darker. In any case, when my Granny was 6 Little Grandma brought her to America. Presumably Grandpa Lou sent for her, but no real info is available.

Little Grandma took what work she could find, cooking, cleaning houses. Granny dropped out of school when she was 16 and started working, cleaning houses, cooking, and I don’t know what. She married Grandpa Joe who was also an immigrant and who ran and owned a dairy.Both Grandpa Lou and Grandpa Joe died before I was born. Little Grandma died when I was 4.

My mom went to college. She got a Master’s Degree in Library Science and worked as a librarian until I was born. Then, even though it was the 1950s, she went back to work part time because she wanted to. She developed MS, was fired because the place she worked thought it was “too depressing” to see her “struggling” to work, even though she completed all of her tasks, which hurt her a LOT. God Bless the ADA!

So my inspirations are not only my maternal ancestors, but all the women who crossed oceans, or deserts or countries to make a better life for themselves and their children. Who worked “menial” jobs and were looked down upon because they were “just immigrants” and not as good as those who were here longer, THEY are the ones who made America and who will continue to make America. Now all we have to do is accept that women coming here makes us strong and will keep strong and safe.

Every poster here, unless they have Native American heritage, has someone in their ancestry that left home and hearth. That left a bad situation for their children and added to this country or who simply wanted a better live than they had at “home”. I am inspired by them all, the Somalis who live down the road from me in Ohio, the Hispanics who left South America and Central America, the Ukrainian immigrants, the Asian immigrants, the women from the Middle East and every woman who came to this county looking for a better life for her and her children,

I’m pretty sure this is a dying thread. I’m going to bed, but I wanted to put my vote in for the unsung women who made the country was today, and FUCK those who say they aren’t good enough!

I too got a library degree and ran a county law library. My daughter runs a smalll city department in a STEM area.

Immigration helped this world.

A Bit of InspirationPost + Comments (41)

Fundraising Efforts – Part 1: Overview of Key States

by WaterGirl| March 9, 202610:25 am| 35 Comments

This post is in: Political Action, Political Fundraising, Politics, Targeted Political Fundraising 2026

Fired Up and Ready to Go?

Quick Overview

Political fundraising season is upon us!

It feels like the zeitgeist is shifting. I feel a sense of hope, but there’s an enormous amount of work to do.

We’re just getting started with our efforts this election to raise funds and identify and encourage volunteer opportunities, at least from a public perspective! But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that you never see before we even get to this point.

We have been in touch with most of our former partners to determine whether they’re a good fit for this election cycle.

We have phone calls lined up with them this week, so stay tuned for more posts addressing our strategy for supporting those groups and candidates where our money can make the most difference. These posts will sketch out the first piece of the strategy as of now – which states we want to focus on, and why.

We will adjust details of the strategy, as we always do, as events unfold.

As always, our goal is to be as strategic as possible to ensure that our money and efforts are meaningful and have an impact, not like grains of salt in the ocean.

The Strategy

The strategy for a mid-term election differs somewhat from Presidential years. The concept of “swing state” for the electoral college is not as relevant. Instead, we’re looking at states where our GOTV funding efforts would make the most difference:

competitive Senate seats
competitive House seats
state legislatures that can be flipped
key executive offices like governor, secretary of state, attorney general
supermajorities that can be busted, or gained!
state Supreme Court majorities to retain, or flip!
meaningful ballot initiatives

And guess what? A lot of the same states still show up! This post will provide a rundown on the states where supporting registration and GOTV efforts will have the most impact.

Below are the states where funding boots on the ground – as opposed to individual candidates – will have meaningful impact on multiple fronts.

The Key States

Michigan

There’s a lot going on in Michigan!

Statewide races. The Democratic Secretary of State, Attorney General and Governor are all term limited. All are critical to election protection. The primary is August 26^th.
Legislature. We could potentially gain a trifecta! Dems are up one seat in the state Senate and down four seats in the statehouse.
Congress. There’s an open (currently Democratic) Senate seat, with three major Dem candidates in a primary race. There are at least three competitive (as of now) House seats, including one open seat and one Republican toss up.
Supreme Court. Two Dem seats are up, but the majority (6-1 Dem to Republican) is not threatened. Still, it’s important to run up the margins wherever we can.

Wisconsin

On Wisconsin! The Badger State is critical to, especially at the statewide level.

Attorney General – Josh Kaul is up for reelection. In Wisconsin, the AG has election supervision responsibilities instead of the Secretary of State, so it’s a two-fer. This is possibly an “early money” fundraiser along with the AZ state-wide seats.
Governor – There is an open seat, as the current Democratic governor is termed out. The primary is August 1.
Legislature – Here’s the big one! There is a great opportunity to pick up several seats in this – the first election since non-partisan redistricting. Currently Republicans hold the Senate 18-15, and the House 54-45. There is some real flipping potential with the new maps and a blue wave.
Congress – There’s a vulnerable house seat held by idiot Republican Van Orden. We supported his opponent last cycle (Rebecca Cooke), who is running again.
Supreme Court – There’s one Supreme Court seat vacated by a conservative; if another conservative wins, it won’t change the make up of the court, but if we win, it helps cement the majority for years. I like our chances to win this one on April 7!
Ballot Initiatives – There are also a couple of obnoxious ballot measures – one prohibiting the closure of churches during “health emergencies,” and the other prohibiting the government from granting “preferential treatment” based on race, gender, etc. A flaming defeat would warm the cockles of my heart.

Arizona

After Michigan and Wisconsin, Arizona may be the next most impactful state.

Statewide races – Secretary of State Fontes, Governor Hobbs and AG Mayes are all up for reelection. We supported all three last cycle. If you recall, Mayes won by less than 300 votes are a recount. Our money clearly made a difference!
State Legislature – There are opportunities to possibly flip or narrow the Republican leads. The Senate is 17-13 Republican, and the House is 33-27 Republican. Our of our partners, Worker Power, is very focused on targeting vulnerable state legislative districts with their registration and GOTV campaigns.
Congress – There are two vulnerable Republican Congressional seats: Ciscomani in SE Arizona, and a Republican seat held by David Schweikert, who is running for Governor. In a wave year, Republican Eli Crane may be vulnerable as well. His district has a substantial Native American presence. There is no open Senate seat.

Nevada

Nevada is another key state, even if less so than those above.

Statewide races – Cisco Aguilar (D) is up for re-election as Secretary of State. The AG is open (the Democrat was term limited), and the Governor is Republican, but vulnerable. The Legislature is solidly Democratic, so not an issue.
Ballot Initiative – Question 6 is on the ballot to enshrine abortion rights in the Nevada Constitution. It has to pass twice. It already did in 2024. This is so important.
Congress – Three of Nevada’s four congressional districts are held by Democrats. One is somewhat vulnerable (Susie Lee), who we supported in the past. We’ll keep an eye on that race for later.
Supreme Court – The Nevada Supreme court has 7 non-partisan members. (Non-partisan in name only, of course.) Three are Republican, three are Democrats and the seventh isn’t affiliated, but her bio suggests a left lean (Public Defender, mental health advocate). There are two retention seats up, both Republican. Solidifying a majority would be great!

North Carolina

North Carolina is another impactful state, even if less so than the top three.

Senate and House – Roy Cooper in NC is a real opportunity to pick up a Senate seat. In NC we’re watching one vulnerable Democrat, Don Davis; otherwise the other seats seem safe, at least for now.
State Houses – In North Carolina we can help bust/prevent a super-majority. There is a very narrow Republican super-majority in the North Carolina Senate, and the Republicans are currently one seat short of a super-majority in the House. There is a Democratic governor, so this matters, notwithstanding the extreme gerrymandering of the state Government. The state-wide offices are not up this cycle.
Ballot Initiative – There’s an oppressive ballot initiative requiring photographic ID for all voters, and not just the ones voting in person. Not good!
Supreme Court – Anita Earls is up for reelection on the State Supreme Court. We must keep her on the State Supreme Court as well as keep our three Democratic judges on the State Appeals Court. We must hold these seats so that in 2028 we have the chance to take back the Supreme Court. When Rs got the majority, they went back to the old gerrymandered maps, so, just like in Wisconsin, the State Supreme Court is the key to citizens being able to choose their candidates rather than the other way around. Looking far into the future, the goal is to get a Dem majority on the Appeals Court. Every win provides the basis for future wins.

A Peek Ahead

It probably goes without saying, but the FIVE states above are not the only states we will be active in.

The Senate and the House are key, of course.

Candidate fundraising? We are always scouting candidates where our money can make a difference, especially those overlooked or underfunded by the big dogs.

On the local level, if we can help flip a state legislature or break a supermajority, we’ll consider it. We’ll be watching Congressional races, with an eye on avoiding the marquee/bandwagon races and funding the stretch candidates who can win in a wave. By way of example there, we’re in touch with the Dan Osborne Senate campaign in Nebraska to discuss helping to fund Nebraska field offices again.

As a general matter, we hold our fire on candidates until later in the year, except when we don’t! Sometimes it’s early money and yeast and all that, especially for key local races.

What say you? This election is so critical. I am very much hoping that some of the discouragement I see in the comments won’t keep us from being The Little Engine That Could again this time around.

Anybody fired up and ready to go?

Fundraising Efforts – Part 1: Overview of Key StatesPost + Comments (35)

Monday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie| March 9, 20267:25 am| 154 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Readership Capture, Republicans in Disarray!

Today, Michelle and I are proud to announce that we will be hosting the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center on June 18th in Chicago, and welcoming the public on June 19th.
We can’t wait for you to visit. Go to obama.org to learn more.

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— Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) March 7, 2026 at 10:12 AM

These are the people serving in President Donald Trump's second Cabinet. The AP is tracking Trump's nominations, the Senate confirmation process and Cabinet members' tenure.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Women around the globe on Sunday marked International Women’s Day taking part in marches and demonstrations that underscored efforts to combat discrimination and accelerate the drive for gender parity.
See the photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM

"Country" Joe McDonald, a hippie rock star of the 1960s whose "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" was a four-lettered rebuke to the Vietnam War that became an anthem for protesters and a highlight of the Woodstock music festival, died Sunday at 84.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM

Heavily Hispanic areas have swung back toward Democrats in key off-year races as polls show the public souring on President Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration, among other issues.

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) March 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM

BREAKING: Oil prices soared past $114 per barrel for the first time since 2022 on Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM

cool, half of DHS keeps going unpaid and the DOD doesn’t get the extra war money they want, sounds great

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 8, 2026 at 4:07 PM

Life imitates art today.
@newyorker.com

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 4:27 PM

Monday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (154)

On The Road – Albatrossity – All Teal, All the Time

by WaterGirl| March 9, 20265:00 am| 13 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

It’s Albatrossity Monday!

We are still lower on OTR posts in the queue than we normally are. The insane stuff that’s happening sucks the energy right out of me, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that! That said, to state the obvious, if we want this bit of beauty in the mornings, we need the posts from you guys to publish.

So please consider maybe taking a break from the madness, dig out some pics from a favorite trip or pictures of your garden, or pics of something that’s meaningful to you, and submit a post to OTR.

Albatrossity

Well, I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning from all the news and noise from last week. Some good, some bad, but definitely too much. Turn off the firehose, please. Nevertheless, spring is on the move here in Flyover Country. And even though there is news every day on that front too, it seems more relaxed and enjoyable.

Quivira NWRAugust 27, 2021

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) is one of the duck species that we see here all winter. Here is a female in flight, demonstrating the feature that gives its name to this species. In North America these birds breed not far from here in northern Nebraska, but the bulk of the population heads further north into Canada and Alaska for the breeding season. Our regular winter population is enhanced right now because of migrants from the south, but numbers will start to decline in a couple of weeks as they all head north. Click here for larger image.

On The Road – Albatrossity – All Teal, All the TimePost + Comments (13)

War for Ukraine Day 1,473: Well I’m Sure That Will Resolve That Issue

by Adam L Silverman| March 8, 202611:23 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Iran, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

It’s been a long weekend, especially with the time change, so I’m going to try to just run through the basics tonight.

Witkoff says he told Russia to stop feeding intel to Iran. Does he think they’re doing it? “I hope not.” Trump chimed in saying if they are, it’s not helping much given what happened to Iran this week.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 4:51 AM

I’m sure that will get Putin to stop aiding Iran by providing it intelligence on US military bases, Naval vessels, and personnel for targeting purposes.

Also, please note, that Witkoff is on the plane because for some reason he attended the return of US military personnel killed in action at Dover Air Force Base.

The cost:

In Kharkiv, Russia killed a mother and her son 💔

Pavlo Zhivotov and his mother, Tetiana Zhivotova, were killed in the Russian missile strike on a five‑story building on March 7, 2026 🕯

Pavlo leaves behind a 14‑year‑old son.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 1:13 PM

President Zelenskyy Rob Jetten, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands today. They held a joint presser. Video below followed by the statement President Zelenskyy made at the beginning of the presser.

Statement by the President of Ukraine During a Joint Press Conference with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands

8 March 2026 – 15:48

Dear attendees,

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, dear journalists, dear guests,

Today we welcome the Prime Minister of the Netherlands to Ukraine, and I am grateful that this visit is so important and so symbolic – coming to Ukraine almost immediately after the beginning, Rob, of your work at the head of the new Government. Your first visit was to Brussels, your second visit is to Kyiv, and this shows that the Netherlands will continue to be a defender of a united democratic Europe, a defender of normal life, and that Ukraine is among the priorities. We are very grateful for this.

The Netherlands has supported us since the first days of this war in many aspects. This includes defense support and assistance to our energy sector. Today Rob and I discussed energy and preparations for the next season. Support for sanctions against Russia, as well as political support for Ukraine. We especially appreciate your work on justice – on holding all Russian war criminals and Russia itself accountable for this completely unprovoked war of aggression. It is precisely in the Netherlands that work is ongoing to establish a tribunal for Russia’s aggression, and we expect that this year the tribunal will already be organizationally prepared. Today the Prime Minister and I managed to discuss essentially all of these aspects, and we also discussed many bilateral issues – and, by the way, in a very substantive way.

Thank you that the Netherlands will continue to support our defense. I informed the Prime Minister about the situation we are facing and about the Russian attacks that do not stop for a single day. That is why we need stable, steady support every day for as long as this war continues. The Netherlands demonstrates exactly the kind of support that works most effectively. This is a predictable annual volume, and we are grateful for this decision – €3 billion every year. Thank you for this.

The Netherlands is also investing in the PURL initiative, which is critical for us and enables the purchase of air defense missiles. Of course, these are primarily PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. And this is the only option for us today: Ukraine can receive at least the minimum number of missiles required for Patriot systems to protect us against Russian ballistic threats. It is important that together with the Netherlands we are already producing weapons. We have begun this work. And we will certainly continue this joint work and expand it. In particular, this is provided for in the joint statement adopted today between our states. We discussed this in detail during the meeting: investments, possible licenses, and production volumes – everything that is a priority today.

Last week on the frontline in Druzhkivka there was also a very specific request from our military regarding radars. I will not go into details now, but they are very much needed. This is something that helps in protection – in protecting the soldier. It is a serious challenge and a very painful issue. The Netherlands is one of the countries that produces some of the best radars of this kind, and today we discussed this request as well. I conveyed the request from our Armed Forces to the Prime Minister.

Of course, we also spoke in detail about the challenges caused by the war in the Middle East. We understand what is happening there and the nature of that war. We discussed some details about strikes on Gulf countries. We expect coordination on this. And you know that in Europe we are also coordinating with several states so that Europe’s interests are secured and so that destabilization around Iran does not exacerbate problems in Europe.

Ukraine has already begun making its contribution in this direction – to stabilization. As you all already know, the countries of the region and the United States have turned to Ukraine for support – and we will provide them with the necessary means, and above all our expertise – the experience of our military – to protect against “shaheds,” cruise missiles, and so on. But it is important that this example of the United States and the Gulf countries turning to Ukraine also becomes an impetus for Europe and our other partners – an impetus to implement what is necessary for shared security on our continent. Just like the Middle East, Europe needs to strengthen its defenses. We see how many air defense systems there were in the Middle East, including Patriots, but this is not enough against modern attacks and modern technologies. Ukraine has the expertise and the experience. All countries recognize, by the way, that this is the greatest experience today, and we also have the relevant production capabilities. We must share all this experience with our close friends and partners in Europe.

And a few more points. The Prime Minister and I also spoke about countering Russian oil tankers – the shadow fleet. This is a very relevant issue. Russia’s war directly depends on Putin’s ability to earn money from oil. That is why it is so important that European states stop the movement of tankers carrying Russian oil, which are still numerous in European seas. I know that the Netherlands is developing appropriate steps. Perhaps these will be legislative changes. Nevertheless, we must take every possible step to block and confiscate the shadow tanker fleet and the oil. It is important that this works. We have also discussed this with France, with other states, and with the European Commission – such decisions are needed. Just as sanctions against Russia are needed – the 20th sanctions package is necessary. We very much hope that partners will be able to unblock it.

And I am also grateful to the Netherlands for supporting the issue of a stable financial security guarantee for Ukraine – €90 billion for two years. We raised this issue with Rob today. This support is indispensable for us, and how many lives we are able to protect from Russian strikes directly depends on it. It is important that we are working very constructively on this issue with the vast majority of Europe. It is important that all countries support us in this. Thank you again, Rob, for making this a priority in your diplomatic work and for your visit. You are very welcome. Thank you so much.

Glory to Ukraine!

And here is the joint statement issued by President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Jetten after the joint press conference.

Joint Statement of Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands

8 March 2026 – 16:09

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten, visited Ukraine on March 8, 2026. This official visit of the newly appointed Dutch Prime Minister to Ukraine, underlined the high level of dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. It is a clear and powerful signal of the Dutch sustained political commitment and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine at a critical juncture of its struggle against Russia`s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression.

Following their meeting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Rob Jetten:

DEFENCE, SECURITY, RESTORING COMPREHENSIVE, JUST and LASTING PEACE

– strongly condemned Russia’s latest large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, including the deadly strike on Kharkiv. They stressed the urgent need to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, including through accelerated delivery of missiles, spare parts and other critical systems to protect civilians, energy facilities and transport infrastructure;

– reaffirmed their shared resolve to confront Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The Prime Minister reiterated the Netherlands’ full and consistent support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including territorial sea;

– agreed that Ukraine’s security is inseparable from the security of Europe as a whole, emphasizing that stability on the European continent cannot be achieved without ensuring Ukraine’s lasting security and resilience;

– outlined practical steps aimed at advancing efforts toward restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, in full compliance with international law, including the principles of the UN Charter. In this context, the Netherlands is an active participant in the Coalition of the Willing and emphasizes the need for robust security guarantees for Ukraine, complementing other bilateral and multilateral arrangements designed to prevent future Russian aggression and ensure comprehensive, just and lasting peace;

– in accordance with the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands signed on March 1, 2024, the Dutch side reaffirms that the new cabinet continues to provide comprehensive long-term assistance to Ukraine. This includes sustained political support at the international level, multi-year military assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities as well as non-military assistance, and moral and diplomatic support in international fora;

– Ukraine expresses its deep appreciation for the Dutch leadership within the PURL initiative, highlighting that the Netherlands was the first country to make a financial contribution and to undertake overall commitments amounting to EUR 750 million for the joint procurement of U.S. weapons. This timely and decisive step significantly enhanced Ukraine’s defensive capacity and demonstrated the Netherlands’ proactive role in mobilizing collective support mechanisms. Ensuring sufficient funding for the PURL throughout 2026 is vital for strengthening Ukraine’s resilience, particularly its air defence, in the face of Russia’s relentless attacks on critical and civilian infrastructure;

– recognizing the critical role of modern technologies on the battlefield, both sides reaffirmed their intention to expand cooperation between their respective defence industries, including through joint production projects under the “Build with Ukraine” initiative. Both parties underlined their commitment to making the co-production initiative successful and are working diligently to achieve that outcome.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE, RECOVERY

– condemned Russia’s unacceptable and systemic deliberate attacks against Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure, in particular its energy facilities, which endanger civilians and undermine the country’s economic and social stability. The Ukrainian side expressed sincere gratitude to the Netherlands for its substantial assistance – a total amount of EUR 489 million for energy support since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine – which aims to support and strengthen Ukraine’s energy sector, as well as for its vital contribution towards ensuring the uninterrupted humanitarian operations of the UN in the most affected frontline regions. The Netherlands continues its energy support to Ukraine for the protection, restoration and resilience of Ukraine’s energy system;

– highlighted the importance of recovery and reconstruction and support to the private sector to sustain the Ukrainian economy during wartime and after comprehensive, just and lasting peace has been reached. As an active member of the G7+ Ukraine Donor Platform, the Netherlands is committed to continuing its non-military support. The Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk on 25-26 June will be an important moment for stocktaking and bringing this agenda forward;

– welcomed the preparation of the Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5), conducted jointly by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations, which estimates that direct damage to Ukraine’s buildings and infrastructure has reached approximately USD 195 billion as of 31 December 2025, while recovery and reconstruction needs amount to nearly USD 588 billion over the next decade;

– underlined the critical importance of the continued engagement and contribution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

ACCOUNTABILITY

– referred to the diplomatic conference held in The Hague on December 16, 2025, during which the Convention on the Establishment of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine was signed by 35 States and the EU, including Ukraine and the Netherlands. The leaders underscored the importance of this instrument as a key pillar of the broader compensation mechanism for Ukraine and agreed to coordinate further efforts to ensure its swift entry into force;

– stressing that ensuring full accountability of the Russian Federation for the crime of aggression and other international crimes remains essential for restoring justice, inter alia, through establishing the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, the leaders agreed to work together as well as with the Council of Europe and other partners, to effectuate its launch as soon as possible. To this end, Ukraine and the Netherlands will promote and call upon the swift entry into force of the Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as a matter of priority.

EUROPEAN AND EUROATLANTIC INTEGRATION

– reaffirmed their shared vision of Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union and NATO, acknowledged the significant reform progress achieved despite the ongoing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the importance of the continued advancement of Ukraine’s reform agenda;

– highlighting their close coordination in this regard, both sides expressed expectation of a successful second Lviv Conference to be held in March 2026 in the Netherlands, which will serve as an important platform for deepening intergovernmental cooperation and supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and European integration.

RETURN OF UKRAINIAN CHILDREN

– expressed deep concern over the unlawful deportation and forced transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children by Russia. Ukraine expressed appreciation for the Netherlands’ decision of February 19, 2026, to allocate an additional EUR 2 million in support of efforts aimed at locating, and reunifying Ukrainian children, as well as, providing psychosocial support to those children who are able to return. Ukraine and the Netherlands will continue close cooperation, including within the framework of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, to ensure their safe repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration.

SANCTIONS

– emphasized the necessity of maintaining and intensifying pressure on Russia in light of its demonstrative unwillingness to reach diplomatic agreement aimed at restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace and its continued war of aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine and the Netherlands underscore the importance of coordinated sanctions policy and reaffirmed their shared understanding of the need to counter Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which is used to circumvent sanctions and sustain revenues from energy exports. Both sides recognized that consistent and collective measures remain essential to limit Russia’s capacity to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine;

– recalled that the EU and G7 agreed that Russia’s sovereign assets in their jurisdictions will remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and pays for the damage caused to Ukraine by its war.

ECONOMIC COOPERATION

– welcomed the expansion of bilateral trade and investment ties and noted the Netherlands’ continued support for recovery initiatives, including through cooperation with international financial institutions such as the World Bank in Ukraine. Confirmed Netherlands’ businesses are invited to actively participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernization efforts. Agreed to further strengthen economic cooperation and create conditions for sustainable private sector engagement in Ukraine. The leaders stressed the vital role of private sector engagement in rebuilding critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, schools, healthcare institutions and rehabilitation services;

– welcomed the approval of a new four year IMF Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Ukraine and underscored the importance of sustained, predictable, and long-term financial assistance to Ukraine from the European Union and partner countries, including through international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Investment Bank, in support of Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability, recovery, and reconstruction.

Prime Minister Jetten expressed his sincere gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and conveyed his deep respect for the courage and resilience demonstrated by the Ukrainian people. He congratulated President Zelenskyy with the honour of receiving, on behalf of the Ukrainian people, the Four Freedoms Award. President Zelenskyy, in turn, thanked Prime Minister Jetten for his visit and for the Dutch consistent solidarity with Ukraine during one of the most challenging periods in its modern history.

Georgia:

Day 466 of daily, uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 1:57 PM

Today, on International Women’s Day, Georgian protesters have gathered outside Rustavi Women’s Prison in solidarity with female political prisoners — many of whom report degrading treatment, untreated chronic pain, and threats in detention.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:06 AM

As they often do, police brought several loud vehicles to the scene, presumably to drown out the protesters’ chants.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:15 AM

On this International Women’s Day, let’s remember that women’s equal rights can only fully exist in a democracy, because autocracy finds it much easier to operate through corruption and patronage systems, which ultimately lead to male dominance.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:02 AM

Case in point:

Georgian Dream PM Irakli Kobakhidze said the government could reconsider its commitment to the Istanbul Convention, citing what he described as years of Western pressure to introduce “harmful ideology” into the country’s legislation.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:32 AM

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 7:56 AM

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 7:58 AM

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 7:59 AM

Exactly 3 years ago, Georgians fought back hard against the first tabling of the Russian law (Foreign Agents law). Two nights of intense crackdowns and clashes resulted in the withdrawal of the bill.

1/

📷 Raymond Red Rodgers

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

I was there, and I could tell that “No to the Russian law” chant and fierce attitude was very quickly transforming into the “No to the Russian Government.”

The Georgian Dream could not afford that.

2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

They withdrew tactically, diffused the public anger, made us feel like we won irreversibly, and then spent full one year to build up much stronger security apparatus and crackdown police, so that by the time they would table it in early April 2024

3/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

(the day after Kyrgyztsan signed the same law into law, by the way), clashes and crackdowns would not be sufficient for them to give up on legislatively russifying Georgia.

The March 2023 protest was a watershed moment in Georgian protest character because it was the first such major push

4/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

without a clear leadership, grassroots self-organization by protesters happened on the spot, and nobody expected such scale of protests against the law to begin with. It was also the time when Georgian protesters began pushing back

5/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

without debilitating social constraints akin to “don’t breathe too loud, or we will be deemed the guilty party.”

This is not to say, however, that clashes, including physical clashes within the Parliament between the Georgian Dream and the democratic opposition didn’t raise awareness.

6/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

Please also watch the legendary video below.

#GeorgiaProtests

7/7.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

The video below: x.com/tendar/statu…

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:51 AM

Finland:

🇺🇦🇫🇮 Russia’s war in Ukraine could have ended by now if Kyiv had received the level of air defense deployed in the Persian Gulf countries during the week of the war, — Finnish President Stubb

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— MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 2:07 PM

That is 100% true.

Hungary:

Hungary is still holding the seized vehicles and cash, Oshchadbank says. The bank will fight the restrictions on its staff and demand the assets back. The transport was covered by an agreement with Raiffeisen Bank and followed EU customs rules, they added.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM

The people in Hungary are showing that they have enough of Orban.

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— (((Tendar))) (@tendar.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 3:07 AM

The US:

Ukrainian SkyFall’s Shrike 10 Fiber drone scored 99.3 out of 100 to win the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program first phase. The $1.1B program plans to buy 30,000 drones worth $150M. Another Ukrainian drone, Ukrainian Defence Drones, placed sixth.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 3:06 PM

Back to Ukraine.

🇺🇦 More Ukrainian drone-related innovations.

Magura naval drones, scourge of the Black Sea Fleet, now have drone interceptors mounted for offshore interceptions away from populated areas.

These may be useful to coastal Mideast countries with an urgent need for interceptors.

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 3:06 AM

Ukrainian biathlete Oleksandra Kononova was reprimanded for wearing earrings with the inscription “Stop War” at the 2026 Paralympics. She shared this with journalists after the individual race, where she won bronze.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 1:58 PM

On international women’s day I want to tell you about Tetiana. She’s a paramedic and she underwent rehabilitation after a combat injury while being 8 months pregnant

Women are extremely cool, I love women, happy women’s day!

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— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 1:42 PM

Combat missions of Ukrainian ground drones armed with machine guns.

During the sorties the drones destroy Russian FPV drones lying in ambush on roads, eliminate Russian infantry, survive artillery fire, and provide suppressive fire on enemy positions forcing enemy infantry to retreat.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:19 PM

✈️💣 MiG-29MU1 struck a building with Russian infantry with AASM HAMMER bomb, – Soniashnyk

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— MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 2:25 PM

Magyar’s Birds have been busy hunting in Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson Oblasts:

Russian occupied Donetsk Oblast:

‼️ The warehouse storing Shahed drones was completely destroyed in yesterday’s strike by Ukrainian Defenders on a russian facility in Donetsk💥🔥

According to the OSINT project CyberBoroshno, the attack took place while the occupiers were preparing another strike. A large number of drones there.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 12:51 PM

Strike on a Russian Shahed storage and launch site at Donetsk airport on March 7 was corrected by Ukrainian Buntar-3 recon drone. The electric VTOL has 4-hour endurance and satellite-free navigation, working at depths of up to 100km.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 8:36 AM

Scenes from Russian-occupied Donetsk after a major strike.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:36 AM

First footage from the scene of the Ukrainian missile strike on Donetsk. Reports say it hit an ammo depot at the Tochmash plant.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 7:30 AM

Supernova+ says a Ukrainian FP-9 Pelikan drone hit a Geran-2 storage site at a car service station in Donetsk.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 7:32 AM

First Women’s March in Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Over 3,000 ppl.

3 demands:
-withdraw a draft civil code that bans divorce during pregnancy & lets courts judge women’s “morality”
-protect servicewomen from harassment
-bring captive women home from Russia

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— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:50 PM

75k women now serve in Ukraine’s Army. The civil code rewriting their rights was drafted without asking any of them.
euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/09/3…

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— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 6:50 PM

From EuroMaidan Press:

More than 3,000 women marched through central Kyiv on 8 March in the first Women’s March since Russia’s full-scale invasion began four years ago. They gathered in Taras Shevchenko Park not to celebrate International Women’s Day but to deliver three demands to the Ukrainian state. Withdraw a draft civil code they say threatens women’s rights. Protect servicewomen from discrimination and sexual harassment. Bring women home from Russian captivity.

The march marks a turning point for Ukraine’s women’s movement—one that has been reshaped by four years of war. Over 75,000 women now serve in the Armed Forces, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on the same day. More than 55,000 are active servicewomen. Five have been awarded the title Hero of Ukraine, three posthumously. The women who marched today are demanding that a state they help defend stop undermining their rights behind closed doors.

At the center of the protesters’ anger is Draft Law No. 14394—a sweeping rewrite of Ukraine’s Civil Code registered in the Verkhovna Rada on 22 January 2026 by Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk. The bill consolidates existing family law into a single framework and proposes to modernize Ukraine’s civil legislation. The working group labored on it for six years with 247 experts.

The problem: it was published without meaningful public consultation. Activists who read the nearly 2,000-article document found provisions they say would roll back women’s rights, restrict divorce, and contradict Ukraine’s EU accession obligations.

The most explosive clause—Article 1478—would have allowed courts to approve marriage for girls as young as 14 in cases of pregnancy or childbirth. The current Family Code sets the minimum at 16, by court decision only. The outcry was immediate. Stefanchuk announced the provision would be removed, calling it a protective mechanism that had been misunderstood. The clause was dropped, and two alternative versions of the bill (No. 14394-1 and 14394-2) were registered without it.

But the marriage-age controversy overshadowed what activists say is the deeper problem. The rest of the code’s family law provisions remained intact—and they paint a picture:

Divorce restrictions. The draft effectively prohibits divorce during a wife’s pregnancy and until a child reaches one year of age, alongside mandatory reconciliation measures. For women trapped in abusive marriages, this could mean being legally bound to their abuser for over a year.

“Good manners” as a legal standard. The code introduces concepts of “good manners” and “immorality” as legal criteria—what lawyer Viktoria Dorofeeva, speaking at the march’s press conference, called dangerously vague terms. Courts could judge a woman’s “amorality” and demand disclosure of sensitive personal circumstances, Ukrainska Pravda noted in an analysis of the draft.

Religious marriage gaining legal weight. Article 1473 states that the law may establish legal consequences for a religious marriage ceremony—a provision critics say undermines the constitutional principle of a secular state.

Separately, the bill has drawn criticism for excluding same-sex couples from legal recognition, contradicting Ukraine’s EU accession commitments—though this was not a focus of the march’s demands.

Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratyuk withdrew her signature from the draft after analyzing it with the Ukrainian Women’s Congress. She told Babel she had personally fought to allow women to divorce during pregnancy, advocated for the Istanbul Convention—and then found “terrible norms that came out of nowhere” in the very code she co-signed.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee called on Ukrainian authorities to halt the bill entirely. The ZMINA Human Rights Center and dozens of Ukrainian civil society organizations issued a joint statement: the draft contradicts the ECHR, the Copenhagen criteria, and Ukraine’s negotiating obligations to the EU.

The marchers’ demand: withdraw Draft Law No. 14394 and its clones (No. 14394-1 and No. 14394-2), and conduct a genuine public discussion with civil society organizations and independent experts before any new version advances.

The march’s second pillar: conditions for the tens of thousands of women serving in Ukraine’s military.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted Bill No. 13037 on 25 February 2026—symbolically, on Ukrainian Women’s Day—with 276 votes, unanimously among those present. The bill strengthens mechanisms for combating discrimination and sexual harassment in the Armed Forces. As of 2 March, it had been signed by the Rada Speaker and sent to President Zelenskyy for signature.

The law originated from a petition submitted by Kateryna Pryimak, head of the Veteranka movement—Ukraine’s first organization for women veterans. It collected over 25,000 signatures. The legislation obliges commanders to investigate cases of discrimination and violence. It mandates zero tolerance toward harassment. Sexual harassment is now formally defined as a disciplinary offense. A military ombudswoman, Olha Reshetylova, said emergency response to reports of gender-based violence must be launched within 15 minutes of a report.

This has been a long time coming. A survey by the Women’s March organization found that of 46 servicewomen interviewed, only 12 said they would report witnessing violence. Women feared condemnation and being told it was their own fault. Law enforcement agencies investigating sexual violence in the military do not even keep statistical data on such cases—even as the number of appeals to hotlines has increased.

The practical gaps are not just legal. The Atlantic Council noted in a recent analysis that despite legal equality, Ukrainian servicewomen still face inconsistent access to training and promotion. Many lack properly fitted equipment and body armor. Units often have no separate barracks, showers, or gynecological care. Mechanisms to prevent and address misconduct are poorly enforced.

The numbers tell the scale. Women officers now make up 21% of all officers in the military—up from 4% in 2023. One in five candidates at recruitment centers is female. The march demands that the state match this contribution with actual protections.

The march’s third demand centers on Ukrainian women held in Russian captivity. As of February 2026, Russia holds approximately 7,000 Ukrainians captive, including civilians—a figure cited by President Zelenskyy. The exact number of women among them is uncertain because Moscow does not grant Red Cross access.

Former female prisoners of war have described starvation, beatings, being stripped in front of male guards, and being coerced into recording anti-Ukrainian statements on camera. Medic Olga Shapovalova, captured in Mariupol, was cycled through three penal colonies where conditions included electrocution for minor infractions and sleeping 15 women to two benches.

The recent 500-for-500 prisoner exchange on 5-6 March—brokered in Geneva—brought 500 Ukrainians home over two days. But the pace of exchanges remains tied to how many Russian prisoners Ukraine holds to offer in return. The marchers demand that the state and international community do everything possible to free every Ukrainian woman and ensure comprehensive support for each after release.

The civil code fight sits inside a larger dynamic. Ukraine has lost roughly 10 million people since 2022—to war, emigration, and one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has been openly calling for “pro-family state policy.” Conservative religious and civic groups that pushed back against gender equality legislation before the full-scale invasion have not disappeared during it.

The code’s authors frame the bill as European modernization. The explanatory note describes a “child-centered” approach. Stefanchuk called it a “supermarket of legal opportunities.” But the ZMINA Human Rights Center reached a different conclusion: despite the declared goal of harmonizing with European law, the family law section demonstrates the opposite tendency—a departure from standards of inclusivity and nondiscrimination.

Whether this amounts to a deliberate conservative turn or the byproduct of a code drafted over six years with no public oversight is now an open question. Two alternative versions have been registered. The marchers want all three withdrawn.

Sunday Night Open Thread

by John Cole| March 8, 202610:07 pm| 131 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

Here’s a picture of Sedona. In the foreground you can see two large boulders precariously balanced on an aged and eroding landscape, and in the background are the mountains of Sedona:

If you are wondering what I was yelling, it was “would you just take the god damned picture!” That’s my fraternity brother Nick, who lives in Pittsburgh, who I have known since 1986. A good time was had by all. So much so that Joelle is already in bed.

***

We are so fucked:

The chairman of oil producer DNO was flying from New York to Oslo early on Feb. 28 when he told staff to turn off the company’s oil wells in Iraq.

America and Israel had just attacked neighboring Iran. Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani wasn’t taking any chances, having weathered a drone strike on the company’s oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan last summer. By the time he landed, the pumps had stopped—the first oil shutdown of the war.

To the south, another problem was brewing. An apparent recording of an Iranian naval captain telling ships not to enter the Strait of Hormuz spread through industry WhatsApp groups.

Tanker traffic slowed to a trickle. The doomsday some oil analysts believed could never happen was coming to pass. Unable to ship crude to world markets, much bigger producers in Iraq began to run out of places to put it. The country cut output by more than two-thirds. Tanks in Kuwait were next to fill up. U.S. oil prices vaulted above $100 a barrel Sunday for the first time since the fallout of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“In the whole written history of the strait, it has never been closed, ever,” said JPMorgan Chase analyst Natasha Kaneva. “To me, it was not just the worst-case scenario. It was an unthinkable scenario.”

Oil is going to be 160 a barrel by May. The American way of life is about to come crashing to a halt and there are so many things converging at once it is going to be terrifying. We’re in an accelerationist nightmare, and it’s hard to predict what pressure points individuals and organizations in power have that might finally be met. I just have this overall feeling that things are going to get very weird and much much worse and very out of control.

Sunday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (131)