Director of the Dahrendorf Programme St Antony's College, Oxford and Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe Author: Rival Power: Russia in Southeast Europe and Turkey under Erdoğan (Yale)https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mf4antfpnk27Europe isn't strong and united enough to be in the top league along with US and China. But it is more consequential than what is commonly believed. In a turbulent world, it is a partner of choice for nearly everyone. My take. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Feb 2026 04:30 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf4antfpnk27https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mcnchxcfvk27The art of the deal17 Jan 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcnchxcfvk27https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mclycu32zs2nI'll be on BBC World Service 's The Weekend for the next three hours, commenting on world affairs. It's also my 51st birthday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w172zw8jt2zj9pj?fbclid=IwY2xjawPYC0dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5yaP7fVVx2sdkRdBg8UxsdXVQklOayRTMSwvsPVJjnDSYAyIQrZHkzBltX1Q_aem_ZMpiU_zbfOhM_TvZ9JsaCA17 Jan 2026 06:28 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mclycu32zs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mc6fgqlfj227To honour brave Iranian protesters, I will be sharing Persian words that we commonly use in Balkan languages. Sindzhir (chain) - from the Farsi zanjīr زنجير (through the Turkish zincir) Break those sindzhirs!11 Jan 2026 20:46 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mc6fgqlfj227https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mblng55bp22yHe didn't have Pashinyan's number .... [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Jan 2026 09:48 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mblng55bp22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3mauv4go3s22pIsn't it renamed back to Stalingrad?! [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Dec 2025 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3mauv4go3s22phttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3maqtzulkbk2oThe pleasures of X: I tweeted that every time I come to Spain I'm reminded that Europe is a success. But "Europe" and "success" inevitably triggers bots, algorithms and the like to push the opposite line. Which then boosts the original post's visibility. https://x.com/DimitarBechev/status/2003408631161925827?s=2024 Dec 2025 18:05 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3maqtzulkbk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m7q2kwemck23On the photo - the Kairos, an oim tanker from Russia's shadow fleet hit by an Ukrainian drone. Turks dragged it into Bulgarian waters. [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Dec 2025 17:04 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7q2kwemck23https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m7kytq7uyk22Ahtopol (Agathoupolis), Bulgaria. Photo by Borislav Kamilov09 Dec 2025 16:49 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7kytq7uyk22https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m5teiv2xek24We just published a paper on Europe-China by @jankaoertel.bsky.social https://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Paper_Oertel.pdf [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Nov 2025 13:49 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5teiv2xek24https://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m5lkvu5al22kJust read another book which boils down the discussion of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to "oh God, why are Americans so Russophobic!?" Won't name names but some people in academia are beyond redemption.14 Nov 2025 11:22 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5lkvu5al22khttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m4xowqqlnk2aAmazing. The architect and urban planner who built Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, was born in Bulgaria. Constantinos Doxiadis came from a Greek family in Stenimachos (Assenovgrad) in 1913, moving to Greece two years after. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinos_Apostolou_Doxiadis?fbclid=IwdGRzaAN5hNBjbGNrA3mEymV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHlIKiNLFq6kAG7j43FPGJiYIr-DIK6YZw7Dhg2uhRMlbbL134SQ6Cx62s4kk_aem_bJW1xCeijbPGS2hURRNR6w06 Nov 2025 13:41 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4xowqqlnk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m4j3qrocac2z“The fate of China, whose maritime gates have for a century been sagging under the pressure of the West and are now being battered down by Japan, will largely be determined by what happens at the inland gates that open toward, or from, Central Eurasia and Siberia.” Owen Lattimore in 1935.31 Oct 2025 18:21 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4j3qrocac2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/dimitarbechev.bsky.social/post/3m4j2rvbi622zCharles King writing more than 20 years ago. The Black Sea: A History (Oxford UP: 2004), p. 4.31 Oct 2025 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:7tig4pyevki4vgxflnbfyoza/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4j2rvbi622z