Michael Birnbaum,
Michael Birnbaum is a national security reporter for The Washington Post, covering the State Department and diplomacy. He previously served in Europe for more than a decade as the The Post's bureau chief in Brussels, Moscow and Berlin. He has reported for The Post from more than 40 countries, covering the conflict in Ukraine, the Egyptian revolution, the fall of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and the Arab Spring elsewhere in the Middle East. He also covered climate and security from Washington. Birnbaum has a degree in German history from Yale University. He grew up in Chicago.
84%
The Daily's Verdict
This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.
Bias
88%
Examples:
- Alliance policymakers have moved control of major elements of military aid to Ukraine away from U.S. command to the NATO umbrella.
- European leaders quietly wonder whether this is their final encounter with a US leader who hews to a transatlantic agenda – a bipartisan constant of US foreign policy from World War II until Trump’s first arrival in the White House.
- Many fear Trump would bring a far more transactional approach to the alliance, and some take seriously his vow that he would look at whether they are meeting their defense spending commitments before deciding whether to come to their aid if they are attacked.
Conflicts of Interest
100%
Examples:
- Alliance policymakers have moved control of major elements of military aid to Ukraine away from U.S. command to the NATO umbrella.
- European leaders quietly wonder whether this is their final encounter with a US leader who hews to a transatlantic agenda – a bipartisan constant of US foreign policy from World War II until Trump’s first arrival in the White House.
Contradictions
90%
Examples:
- President Biden gave Ukraine permission for limited strikes using US weapons in Russian territory around Kharkiv after several European nations had removed restrictions on how the weapons they have given to Kyiv can be used.
- Russia is expanding the frontline in its 27-month-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- Ukraine has been increasing pressure on Western allies to permit offensive strikes within Russia as it defends against Russian advances in the Kharkiv region.
- Ukraine is facing significant military challenges, including delays in U.S. military aid and attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Deceptions
65%
Examples:
- But for Ukrainians who have weathered a punishing Russian assault on the northeast Kharkiv region, those 17 days of waiting are emblematic of a White House that has lagged repeatedly behind battlefield developments at the cost of Ukrainian lives.
- Thousands fled their homes as the Kremlin took advantage of being able to hit Ukrainian territory from the Russian side of the border, having spent months building up forces there with relative impunity.
Recent Articles
NATO Adapts in Anticipation of Potential Trump Return: Summit Highlights
Broke On: Tuesday, 09 July 2024NATO leaders adapt military alliance in response to potential return of skeptical former U.S. president Trump, taking steps at Washington summit. President Biden Approves Limited Strikes on Russian Territory in Shift from Previous Ukraine Policy
Broke On: Thursday, 30 May 2024President Joe Biden approves limited strikes by Ukraine against Russian targets in the Kharkiv region, marking a significant shift in strategy against ongoing conflict. This decision comes after European nations lift restrictions on how weapons can be used and follows months of attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city. The approval aims to defend against Russian aggression and deter further advances, but tensions between Russia and the West remain high.