Hessel van der Maten

I got to fly over Pampus during one of my recent helicopter lessons 🚁 My instructor snapped this photo of me at the controls with the little island in the background. Pampus isn’t just a dot in the IJmeer. It’s a former 19th-century sea fortress that once guarded the approach to Amsterdam’s harbor. Centuries earlier, ships would sometimes have to “lie at Pampus” waiting for the tide, a phrase that became Dutch slang for being stuck or exhausted. From a strategic defense post to a national monument and now a tiny green island that tells part of our maritime story… pretty neat!

Today is #InternationalDayOfPeace. ✌️ Peace isn’t just the absence of war. It’s the courage to heal wounds - around the world and inside ourselves. When leaders and citizens alike become targets of anger, we’re reminded how fragile peace is. But even when society feels torn, peace starts with each of us: •Listening. •Speaking with kindness - even to those we disagree with. •Working on peace of mind: letting go of fear, bitterness, anger. •Acting with empathy, not just in big moments but in the small ones. If we want a society that is safe, just, and free - we first have to make peace within.

I love EVs. And I can’t wait for the day autonomous ones quietly drive me around while I nap, read, or work. Even though I love driving, I’m okay with the idea that in the future, driving might become something we do just for sport, like sailing or horseback riding. But here’s the thing: electric vehicles have been here before. Over a century ago, they were competing with steam and combustion engines. And they lost... It’s a good reminder that progress isn’t guaranteed. If we want a cleaner, smarter future, we’ll have to choose it. Will EVs stick around this time? I think so. But only if they’re part of something bigger: cities built for people instead of cars, autonomous fleets that reduce congestion, sustainable energy that powers it all. And if something better than EVs comes along, something truly cleaner, safer, more equitable, I’ll happily switch sides. Until then, I’m rooting for the robots.

Today we celebrate World Pilots’ Day, honoring the men and women who keep the world connected, safely and skillfully. The date, 26 April, marks the first flight of Turkish aviation pioneer Fesa Evrensev in 1912. It was Turkish pilots who first championed this day internationally, and in 2014, IFALPA made it a global tradition. Aviation is built on collaboration, courage, and precision. Pilots are at the heart of that story and it’s great to see their contributions recognized today. Blue skies to all who take to them!

The High School of Global Politics Once upon a time, the U.S. was the most popular kid in the high school of world politics. Confident, admired, the trendsetter everyone wanted to be like. Countries lined up to be in its friend group, followed its lead, and even copied its style. Sure, it wasn’t perfect (sometimes a little cocky, sometimes it took its friends for granted) but overall, it stood for something. It had the charm, the smarts, and enough generosity to keep people looking up to it. But over time, something changed. Power, if left unchecked, rarely breeds humility. The golden boy, constantly told how special and important he was, started believing he didn’t have to try anymore. He expected loyalty, not because he earned it, but because… well, wasn’t it obvious? And when you grow up being told you’re the center of the universe, you don’t always notice when your friends start resenting you. Now, the U.S. isn’t the admired leader, it’s the schoolyard bully. The one who still expects the same level of respect but now demands it through intimidation rather than inspiration. The one who offers “friendship” with conditions, whose support comes with a price, and who lashes out when others don’t fall in line. Ukraine? The new kid. Struggling, resilient, fighting to stay in the game. It once looked up to the U.S., believed in the friendship, hoped for real support. But now? Now it’s realizing that admiration alone doesn’t cut it when your so-called ally helps you with one hand and humiliates you with the other. And the rest of the school? Watching. Some still hoping the U.S. will grow up and change, others quietly forming new alliances, wondering if it’s time to move on. Because at some point, even the most popular kid learns: respect isn’t permanent. And if you treat people like they don’t matter, one day, you’ll look around and realize that you’re not the leader anymore. You’re just another guy people learned to live without.

Boris Spassky has passed away. A name every chess player comes across when learning the game. When I grew up playing chess, I was inspired by Karpov and @Kasparov63, but you can’t study the game without encountering the legendary battles between Spassky and Fischer. Their rivalry shaped chess history and shaped generations, including me. Thank you, Spassky, and all the grandmasters who made chess more than a game, but a lifelong passion.