Älvsborgsbron

When running with Elin, Kolbäcksbron in Umeå always becomes Älvsborgsbron in our imagination. Beyond it lies the wide-open Western Sea and, recognizing that it may be a while until I get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge again, it felt like a decent substitute for my afternoon run.

Despite the spring sunshine, it is difficult to not get drawn into the darkness that our continent is going through right now. Talking to my friend Gabriel the other night, we both agreed that it is immensely important that the EU and NATO make clear that membership would be possible also for Russia, if it were to become a democratic state. As much as I believe in imposing maximum sanctions in the present, it is crucial that the Russian people understand that this is not against them but a direct response to the behaviour of the Putin regime and that a future democratic Russia would be warmly welcomed in Europe.