More on the shameful National Security Strategy document here from NYT.
'The last time President Trump issued a national security strategy, eight years ago, it heralded a return to superpower competition, describing China and Russia as “revisionist” powers seeking to upend American dominance around the world.
“China and Russia challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity."
That was then of course … and this is now ;
Free to read.
Hilarious. And he never even told Mike Johnson, who was banking on an easy pick-up.
It’s a wild story. His own DOJ was still prosecuting the case. Trump just came in and stomped all over it despite there being political hay to be made by allowing him to go down and then pointing to Dem corruption.
This is sadly no laughing matter (if it had not been a trend, I would have laughed though)
https://x.com/LarrySabato/status/1997372185548108277
Meanwhile, attacks on the EU and Europe in general, is being intensified by the US. They will crush us and cause massive sociopolitcal fractures in our societies that will take decades to heal (if ever) . It is almost inevitable, now that they have teamed up with Russia and the Western Far Right.
Picture just for illustration
The rearmament of Europe comes much too late and is much too weak to get a voice in the coming World Order, where Might Makes Right.
Together, they will destroy us. It is a relatively easy geopolitical prediction to make, since most of Europe, is still asleep, not realising the grave security and political risks, which are rather obvious to some of us.
What matters today and in the coming decades, is simply Hard Power, not ideas on norms and International Law. Finances and military power simply. And Europe has no effective deterrent.
https://x.com/CattardSlim/status/1997788150266286568?s=20
One of the comments from this weekend in response to Vance saying it isnt good when your neighbors dont speak your language was “bitch, your own in laws dont even speak your language” 
Oh Lordy , there are tapes …
https://x.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/1998048250683662428
https://x.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/1998048250683662428
I am however quite sure by now.
https://x.com/michaelh992/status/1998057097263460426
The obvious unsaid but extremely GLARING issue, is Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, which ignorant journalists continue to ignore. It’s not just “Donbas” and the United States is dishonest in trying to spin it as if it is. If Ukraine ceded all of Donbas to Russia, this would not be enough for Russia. Russia would not withdraw from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia without some sort of diplomatic stick which made this political prudent. But the United States ignores this.
What I have been talking about for a few years and why we are in fact, quite fucked due to the political trajectory of the US, since there is no such serious political discourse in Europe (we debate social policies, economic wealth distribution, climate, energy prices and security is far from nr 1 topic among those interested in politics and does not dominate any public debate; when it clearly should be at this moment in time):
https://x.com/michaeldweiss/status/1998074250276552905
This segment seems rather relevant and damning
Also re:the Donbas , as recently as a few weeks ago Trump’s own suggestion to resolving the conflict was for the war to be frozen on the current lines , something Zelensky is now willing to do.
In the interim however we have had the Kremlin whispering sweet nothings into the ears of those useful idiots , Witkoff and Kushner.
We can only hope that Trump might swing back to his original position once the memory of that meeting has evaporated in his mind.
This is what I’ve been saying for some time, that Europe needs to commit to a strong and independent deterrence, the sooner the better. After 3+ years of the Russian invasion, it still tries to flatter Trump instead of working toward its own secure and independent future.
Yeah, but the Russians have said since forever that this is a non-starter. The only thing the Americans are doing, on purpose, is giving the Russians a stronger negotiating position by forcing Ukraine to cede all sorts of things, before negotiations. Ru is not willing to just freeze the current frontlines. That is a fairy tale. As you say, imediately they started working on Witkoff and Kushner and dangled their wealth fund and investments in front of their brown noses and the Americans swapped positions to Russia’s.
And Russia’s position is well known. Despite US lying about Russia having a position they absolutely do not have. Russia’s minimum War Goals remains, it’s illegally annexed oblasts and lots of political stipulations on Ukrainian sovreignty. Freezing current frontlines is a fucking American fairy tale that has no basis in reality what so ever.
But the world (certainly Europe) keeps reacting to Trump, changing positions to comply, which suits Russia fine, since everyone is getting closer and closer to their position. Becuse the US is dragging us along, screaming, but even so, we are dragged along in the general direction, in the tide. European powers are doing their best to stop the slide towards Russia’s positions, but if you look at reality and compare today’s Best Case with what people talked about as Worst Case in 2023, we are pretty fucking close to Worst Case.
It’s not happening.
Look at the UK politics thread. Does it seem like security is what most people there are debating to you ? It’s an indicator, mate.
It’s not the most important issue that most people care about. It’s just not. And western politicians wants to win elections. No one has shaped societies with messaging of necessity of a security focus and national defence etc. The public isn’t ready. In any European country. In Germany, youth demonstrate in the streets against conscription, saying it’s against Human Rights and ladi da and that it’s then better to live under Putin than “be cannon fooder”. That is just a tiny example of course.
But in Western Europe, the fact is, the public doesn’t care about this. Only in borderlands (to RU) do people care. The rest of Europe, ridicules Trump and is worried about US democracy, but not because of security reasons. They think themselves safe. Governments have not scared people enough, and if someone tries to do that, it is automatically denigrated as “terrible” scaremongering" that could have “a damaging” effect on the psyche of the populace so “you shouldn’t talk about this in this manner”.
It’s ridiculous.
Ukraine should be a huge flashing red siren going off to Europe. Coupled with America failing to do the right thing there.
The next country Putin invades might start to get the message across to Europe.
Putin is all about Russian expansion and greatness. In an ideal world I’m sure he would love to restore the old USSR but that’s too much… so incrementally he will keep doing what he has been doing, taking, taking, taking.
In addition we see all sorts of bad dealing by Putin across sovereign borders. Polonium, assassinations, drone intimidation, pilot incursions, communication cables cut, etc.
For 80 years America has had a clear sense of identity, and has been lockstep with Europe. Under Trump America now seems more of an ally of Russia. It’s appalling, and I hope that will correct itself once Trump is gone.
But what it shows is Europe needs a strong and independent deterrence. If the will is not there, and the money isn’t found/prioritized, I wonder how expensive it will get once Putin keeps coming for other lands and nations?
The road from the beginning to the end does (and will) not exist.
Not sure what you mean? Cheers for any explanation.
As @Magnus has better explained the course is set. Europe cannot react fast enough for anything of consequence to be enacted and if anything the trend is that Europe continue to disintegrate further. We care for our creature comforts and the war is “over there” or “investment in it is not bringing “me” anything” - that view will not go away. No government is in a position to sell skin in the game with the fight against immigration, China taking our jobs and our football stars throwing a wobbly…
Europe, as a concept is likely sunk.
Many thanks for spelling it out. I’m a bit slow!
I agree that if it were a conventional war, the EU is not ready for a big fight with Russia. What I’m not sure about is whether or not it is ready for some sort of fight. I think the hi-tech weapons that it does possess can inflict damage deep into Russia, way beyond what Ukraine is able to do.
Someone please correct me on that if I am wrong.
I think the German government is also setting out on a course to put much more money into defence/re-arming in the face of the Russian threat.
It’s horrible to even talk like this and think like this, but I’m not confidant, at all, that Russia will stop at Ukraine.
