7/12/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Why aren’t there any pictures of you wearing the medal you got yetsreday? Being named to the Order of Vytautas, the Great by PM Gitanas Nauseda was a nice honor.  His tweet, “we are grateful for USA military presence in Lithuania, which ensures deterrence & forward defense,” made me wish they weren’t so paranoid, but I’m still happy that you got such a pretty new necklace.

            UN, G7, G20, ASEAN, NATO… so many collaborations, how do you keep track of them all? I am mixed up this morning because at the NATO Summit, the G7 leader, Fumio Kishida, is declaring a long-term security package for Ukraine. At the same time ASEAN foreign ministers are meeting “to show that ASEAN can navigate the regional & global dynamics & continue to instill the paradigm of collaboration…We can only achieve this if we maintain ASEAN unity & centrality." They’re hoping to come up with a plan for Burma. Let’s hold them in the Light.

            Do you agree with Richard N. Haass’ (RNH) assessment that these multi-national organizations will no longer be making deals in 20 years?

            As he leaves his spot as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, RNH is casting doubt on whether our country can continue to survive. According to the NYT, he’s worried that “the unraveling of the American political system means that for the first time in his life the internal threat has surpassed the external threat… (our) unpredictability & lack of reliability (is) really poisonous.” Dang!

            On a happier note, did you get to see the chapel at the Gate of Dawn while you were in Vilnius? Along those lines, you need to go to the Temppeliaukio Kirkko. It’s the most distinctive church you’ll ever visit. As a Lutheran establishment, it lacks ornate adornments, but it’s awe inspiring, nonetheless. Check it out while you’re in Helsinki today.

BYBS,