Very succinct, accurate and to the point. Well done! 👍👍
The U.K., the EU (and even NATO for that matter) need a spokesman like you to represent them as NONE of them seem to have even a basic understanding of the present situation including funding it or negotiating it.
Responsible Statecraft, well done! This is the most important and relevant geopolitical journal out there. You covered all the sad and cringe-worthy moments at the the NATO summit confirming they have shredded what little respect and reputation they have left. It looks like closing night of the worst one-night run of a horrible play on Broadway. The actors are smelling of flop sweat and gallantly trying to make the best of a complete disaster.
Trump saw levrage, he used it. Europe’s defense underspending has long been low-hanging fruit for any U.S. president looking to shift burdens, and Trump just picked it clean. Getting allies to pledge 5% is about cutting U.S. costs while keeping Lockheed’s order books full.
The idea that this helps Ukraine is mostly theater. Realistically, stretched European budgets, thin industrial capacity, and growing public fatigue mean we’re approaching the outer limits of what the West can sustain. The soft language on Ukraine in the Hague declaration was an early signal that this war is being deprioritized.
And let’s be real, if this drags on another decade, Ukraine won’t have men left to fight it, no matter how many billions are pledged. Rutte might still be clapping on the platform, but the train’s headed toward a very different station than the one Kyiv was promised.
We can spend what we like on OUR defence. It's none of Donald Trump's or any American's business.
Keep your thieving American hands off my money or they will be metaphorically chopped off.
I've already taken the decision this week, when deciding whether to purchase a piece of IT kit from an American or Chinese company, to go Chinese. I have no interest if it's better of worse, as long as it isn't American.
This is what happens when the USA aids and abets genocide in Gaza and attempts to create a nuclear incident in Iran. No more buying American shit. My country may be too cowardly to boycott Israeli or American shit. I'm not. And I dare say I'm not alone.
Sadly the ghouls in The City of London are just complicit as the US in all this warmongering and genocide and Starmer is entirely beholden to them. Perfidious Albion has hated Russia for centuries..
While in Europe that bitch Ursula von der Liechen (of the Corpses) and the EC continue to roll out the Fourth Reich...
"how much patience President Trump will have to push a peace agenda in Ukraine now that European allies have stepped up to spend more and buy American kit? My worry is, not much."
Given that the Ukranian government are still very intransigent, and are unwilling to talk to Russia on any realistic basis, then the war must continue. In the long run, despite the horrendous loss of Ukranian and to some extent Russian lives, this can only lead to a decisive and long lasting outcome. Any peace deal now, with Ukraine not convinced of defeat, can only lead to more fighting in the future. There needs to be a total, comprehensive and convincing victory by Russia, probably including taking the Odessa Oblast, and with current reports in western media (WaPo) of the imminent collapse of Ukrainian finances, this may occur soon, which will mean that these at risk lives will actually be saved, and a peace deal will follow.
"President Trump sees paying for the Ukraine war as Europe’s problem, not America’s"
I think it's more than that and should really read "[...] sees paying for the US military-industrial complex [...]" but you covered that with the following:
"if the NATO Summit showed any real purpose, it was to lock in European allies’ commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defense, a key priority for President Trump since he assumed office."
Absolutely spot on, Ian. That's the key passage right there.
We will see this proven when the Ukraine war ends, and British and European people ask "Can we reduce our spending on the military now, please, Daddy?" and Daddy says no.
Trump has decided that raising taxes on American citizens is not good for his electoral prospects, or those of his offspring (possibly literally, who would bet against him being replaced by a junior Trump), so he has decided to tax the citizens of Britain and Europe instead.
Beggars belief that everyone except Spain has rolled over and agreed to pay up. It's extortion and Trump doesn't even attempt to hide that it's extortion, openly threatening to "make Spain pay in other ways", right in front of the West's gathered media, several of whom were Spanish.
Rutte is a traitor to his country. I've never seen anyone so beside himself or herself with joy at orchestrating an extortion racket against his own people, to benefit a foreign power.
This is beyond hilarious, Starmer has already been pushed into two major policy U-turns on domestic issues, so, how on earth is he going to find the cash to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP without making other cuts on social spending? His only other option is to massively increase taxes on the rich, but he hasn't got the balls to do that, knowing he'll get savaged by the right wing media. As we know Zelensky has recently been demanding $40 BILLION per year from NATO/EU, so the current $22 billion barely touches the sides and that's for one year! This thing is cooked, the ageing European public are not going to tolerate slashing of public services to pay for defence, no matter how much PR bullshit is whipped up by the media.
The denouement of the EU project is complete in the final act of abject vassalage to the US Empire we witness European elites excitedly lusting militarism on the backs of the recalcitrant European masses. This is a triumph for Trump and the Empire. Europe on a permanent war footing leased to the US Military Industrial Complex deindustrialised and uncompetitive.
After so many months of bluster and deception, I've completely lost track... Are the 'collective West' actually still going to use those $300 billion Russian assets they've seized for Ukraine and for rearmament or has this quietly been forgotten?
Has Trump's attempt at rapprochement with Putin been accompanied with a message to not do so? And has that message been accepted by the likes The City and other financial centres since their credibility and trustworthiness would be shattered forever in the eyes of the world?
My understanding to date is that only Starmer has recently announced (25/7/25) that missiles for Kiev will be bought by a very small part of the around $70 billion in Russian assets held in London. The rest is held in Belgium (Euroclear), the US and the EU...
It is of course no surprise that Starmer's UK is leading the world in suicidal stupidity, but surely some of The City must be concerned? After all, Russia, China and the other BRICS nations are not Venezuela...
It seems the emperor not only is naked, he appears to be skinned as well. The same people (along with their ideological predecessors) who made country, duty and fighting suspect, if not straight out facist, notions, and the same people who would flee in an instant when their OWN country is attacked, call for rearmament.
But there are no willing soldiers, let alone warriors...
Rearmament Without Warriors? A Pointless Exercise In Impression Management
Progressives (as far as being an asshole is progressive), the remnants of European Christian Democrats (do they thémselves know what they stand for?) and classical liberals (now aiding the progressives at creating liberty without freedom - Or the other way around, it absolutely doesn't matter anymore), have reached THEIR end of history.
Despite their defense-Keynesianism, from now on the only way is down.
Very succinct, accurate and to the point. Well done! 👍👍
The U.K., the EU (and even NATO for that matter) need a spokesman like you to represent them as NONE of them seem to have even a basic understanding of the present situation including funding it or negotiating it.
Responsible Statecraft, well done! This is the most important and relevant geopolitical journal out there. You covered all the sad and cringe-worthy moments at the the NATO summit confirming they have shredded what little respect and reputation they have left. It looks like closing night of the worst one-night run of a horrible play on Broadway. The actors are smelling of flop sweat and gallantly trying to make the best of a complete disaster.
Trump saw levrage, he used it. Europe’s defense underspending has long been low-hanging fruit for any U.S. president looking to shift burdens, and Trump just picked it clean. Getting allies to pledge 5% is about cutting U.S. costs while keeping Lockheed’s order books full.
The idea that this helps Ukraine is mostly theater. Realistically, stretched European budgets, thin industrial capacity, and growing public fatigue mean we’re approaching the outer limits of what the West can sustain. The soft language on Ukraine in the Hague declaration was an early signal that this war is being deprioritized.
And let’s be real, if this drags on another decade, Ukraine won’t have men left to fight it, no matter how many billions are pledged. Rutte might still be clapping on the platform, but the train’s headed toward a very different station than the one Kyiv was promised.
"Europe’s defense underspending"
It's not.
It's Europe's defence spending.
We can spend what we like on OUR defence. It's none of Donald Trump's or any American's business.
Keep your thieving American hands off my money or they will be metaphorically chopped off.
I've already taken the decision this week, when deciding whether to purchase a piece of IT kit from an American or Chinese company, to go Chinese. I have no interest if it's better of worse, as long as it isn't American.
This is what happens when the USA aids and abets genocide in Gaza and attempts to create a nuclear incident in Iran. No more buying American shit. My country may be too cowardly to boycott Israeli or American shit. I'm not. And I dare say I'm not alone.
Well said...
Sadly the ghouls in The City of London are just complicit as the US in all this warmongering and genocide and Starmer is entirely beholden to them. Perfidious Albion has hated Russia for centuries..
While in Europe that bitch Ursula von der Liechen (of the Corpses) and the EC continue to roll out the Fourth Reich...
Rutte is a tool of the globalists. A cardboard cut-out of Davos Man.
Starmer is just a tool (made of course by his father).
😁
https://open.substack.com/pub/truthandbalance22/p/whats-the-matter-with-keir-starmer?r=3uqqaf&utm_medium=ios
More details about Starmer…..
Thanks for the link. Pretty much nails it.
"how much patience President Trump will have to push a peace agenda in Ukraine now that European allies have stepped up to spend more and buy American kit? My worry is, not much."
Given that the Ukranian government are still very intransigent, and are unwilling to talk to Russia on any realistic basis, then the war must continue. In the long run, despite the horrendous loss of Ukranian and to some extent Russian lives, this can only lead to a decisive and long lasting outcome. Any peace deal now, with Ukraine not convinced of defeat, can only lead to more fighting in the future. There needs to be a total, comprehensive and convincing victory by Russia, probably including taking the Odessa Oblast, and with current reports in western media (WaPo) of the imminent collapse of Ukrainian finances, this may occur soon, which will mean that these at risk lives will actually be saved, and a peace deal will follow.
"President Trump sees paying for the Ukraine war as Europe’s problem, not America’s"
I think it's more than that and should really read "[...] sees paying for the US military-industrial complex [...]" but you covered that with the following:
"if the NATO Summit showed any real purpose, it was to lock in European allies’ commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defense, a key priority for President Trump since he assumed office."
Absolutely spot on, Ian. That's the key passage right there.
We will see this proven when the Ukraine war ends, and British and European people ask "Can we reduce our spending on the military now, please, Daddy?" and Daddy says no.
Trump has decided that raising taxes on American citizens is not good for his electoral prospects, or those of his offspring (possibly literally, who would bet against him being replaced by a junior Trump), so he has decided to tax the citizens of Britain and Europe instead.
Beggars belief that everyone except Spain has rolled over and agreed to pay up. It's extortion and Trump doesn't even attempt to hide that it's extortion, openly threatening to "make Spain pay in other ways", right in front of the West's gathered media, several of whom were Spanish.
Rutte is a traitor to his country. I've never seen anyone so beside himself or herself with joy at orchestrating an extortion racket against his own people, to benefit a foreign power.
This is beyond hilarious, Starmer has already been pushed into two major policy U-turns on domestic issues, so, how on earth is he going to find the cash to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP without making other cuts on social spending? His only other option is to massively increase taxes on the rich, but he hasn't got the balls to do that, knowing he'll get savaged by the right wing media. As we know Zelensky has recently been demanding $40 BILLION per year from NATO/EU, so the current $22 billion barely touches the sides and that's for one year! This thing is cooked, the ageing European public are not going to tolerate slashing of public services to pay for defence, no matter how much PR bullshit is whipped up by the media.
The denouement of the EU project is complete in the final act of abject vassalage to the US Empire we witness European elites excitedly lusting militarism on the backs of the recalcitrant European masses. This is a triumph for Trump and the Empire. Europe on a permanent war footing leased to the US Military Industrial Complex deindustrialised and uncompetitive.
After so many months of bluster and deception, I've completely lost track... Are the 'collective West' actually still going to use those $300 billion Russian assets they've seized for Ukraine and for rearmament or has this quietly been forgotten?
Has Trump's attempt at rapprochement with Putin been accompanied with a message to not do so? And has that message been accepted by the likes The City and other financial centres since their credibility and trustworthiness would be shattered forever in the eyes of the world?
My understanding to date is that only Starmer has recently announced (25/7/25) that missiles for Kiev will be bought by a very small part of the around $70 billion in Russian assets held in London. The rest is held in Belgium (Euroclear), the US and the EU...
It is of course no surprise that Starmer's UK is leading the world in suicidal stupidity, but surely some of The City must be concerned? After all, Russia, China and the other BRICS nations are not Venezuela...
In fact, I believe the $70m by being used by Smarmer is actually only the interest on the assets not the assets themselves..
It seems the emperor not only is naked, he appears to be skinned as well. The same people (along with their ideological predecessors) who made country, duty and fighting suspect, if not straight out facist, notions, and the same people who would flee in an instant when their OWN country is attacked, call for rearmament.
But there are no willing soldiers, let alone warriors...
Rearmament Without Warriors? A Pointless Exercise In Impression Management
https://frankfuredi.substack.com/p/rearmament-without-warriors-a-pointless?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1032541&post_id=166954358&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=6mos7&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Progressives (as far as being an asshole is progressive), the remnants of European Christian Democrats (do they thémselves know what they stand for?) and classical liberals (now aiding the progressives at creating liberty without freedom - Or the other way around, it absolutely doesn't matter anymore), have reached THEIR end of history.
Despite their defense-Keynesianism, from now on the only way is down.