I never thought I'd see the US aligning with Russia

Don't they check American military officers have critical thinking skills before putting them in post?

Reminds me of the Simpsons movie when they are trying to get out of the dome, and the government officials are distracted by the village idiot. I didn't realise this could actually happen, I always thought it was a joke not based I reality.

Seems I've learnt something today.

I don't know any details about the extent to which the US does or does not subsidise the rest of the world (NATO, unbalanced tariffs etc) but Trump is right about one thing - the rest of us need to stop relying on them.

What I find most terrifying in all this is that not one single European leader has publicly challenged Trump on his statement that Ukraine started this war.

If we do all genuinely depend so heavily on the US financially, then we need to take steps to cut that dependency.

I know nothing about international politics, but I'm desperately hoping that maybe all European leaders are holding secret talks before they come out together and stand against Trump. Even BBC news is almost devoid of any actual content/detail today, even though they're running this as a "breaking news" main story.

That's such a funny sentence 🤣, you know, Trump...
Sorry as you were

😀

It’s really bad. I was giving trump benefit of doubt because the opposite is unthinkable. But no he really is doing this.

speechless really. This is very bad for the whole world.

So you are not really arguing that he is a dictator?

Or if he was replaced you would continue funding?

Its kind of a worry to Alaska, Texas, California, Florida if the sitting commander in chief is willing to hand over Sovereign lands

How about your sovereign lands were you active in frontline combat?
If so would you accept Russian rule where you live or how much of the US would you be willing to hand over to secure your patch?

Do you think Russia will hold any peace long term?

And elections, hard to organise poll booths in war zones.
The USA is not a stable country any more.
They had a failed uprising 4 years ago, failed because the leaders had not gained enough support from the general population (and the muppet in the Bison hat was not anyway iconic).
Then for the next 4 years the elected leaders failed to carry the public with them.
Creating an external threat or common enemy is a way to create internal cohesion.

How stable do you think the US is at the moment?

And I am well aware that without the self interest of the US and EU the Russians would be occupying large portions of Ukraine and resistance / irregular military actions would continue.

Absolutely astonishing that people would vote for this pair of idiots- quite clearly I think Putin has 'something ' on Trump - I don't think the democrats did themselves any favours in various ways- but personally I will take them warts and all over people who are a menace to the world and aligning themselves to Putin-

It's painful to watch what Trump is doing to American influence. They will have no allies, just countries gritting their teeth and quietly making alliances to contain them.

Yes, that's the information I just gave you.

The impeachment process
The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials. An official can be impeached for treason, bribery, and “other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The House of Representatives brings articles (charges) of impeachment against an official.

If the House adopts the articles by a simple majority vote, the official has been impeached.
The Senate holds an impeachment trial. In the case of a president, the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice presides.

If found guilty, the official is removed from office. They may never be able to hold elected office again.

If they are not found guilty, they may continue to serve in office.

That's the impeachment process. If found guilty they're removed from office.

Agreed. It just goes on and on

Never been accused of being a bot before! I don't actually know how to do it but if you search my posting history it's much more mundane!

I am so frustrated and angry though
I honestly don't care any more what America does to itself. Guns? Riots on capital hill? Even abortion laws. I wouldn't quite call them a democracy any more but they did vote for what they are getting domestically so can knock themselves out.

I even agree we should spend more on defence. But the way they are acting, treating allies and generally shitting on people from high? Under some false idea that they are the democratic leaders of the free world instead of declining insular nation with no clue of anything beyond their own state never mind borders? I am sick of the arrogance and I really hope the decline hurts tbh!!

@AnonymousBleep indeed- Personally Trump doesn't pass my sniff test either

Ukraine isn’t a random country to Russia if it was of course there would be concern worldwide but it’s Europe and before America who have made a stand against Russia

Russia has good relations with many powerful countries and many have chosen to remain neutral

the world isn’t split into west against the rest of the world anymore

What world leaders are rushing to back Zelenskyy with what he said about Trump today

And I doubt they shall be rushing to correct Trump either they shall mumble something about him being incorrect

I see Farage is declining all interviews at the moment - probably because he was so far up Trump's arse he was touching his tonsils and he can see the wind is not blowing that way in the UK, either in political or public sentiment

Direct from the Constitution Article II Section 4: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, AND CONVICTION OF, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

See the bold? Two things have to happen. Impeachment and conviction, also called removal. Three presidents have been impeached, but all served their full terms because the Senate did not convict. In the cases of Clinton and Trump, the Senate refused to hold trials. In the case of Johnson, they held a trial and acquitted him.

Is a 'sniff test' the usual way that the US military is run? Deciding on who's good and who's bad by the cut o' their jib? Explains a lot.

According to Kyiv Independent figure 800,000 + to January 7th
According to Kyiv (AFP) & France 24 Ukrainian dead estimated at 70,000

@LifeExperience there were a few that were keen, I don't think any EIU leader will do it without US doing the same. They've said this much anyway.

Sadly we are more at risk than the US rn

What attracted you to mumsnet?

I neither know nor care about any of that. I'm an American taxpayer and Zelensky doesn't pass my sniff test, which is why I have lobbied my Congressional representatives not to fund Ukraine any further. As a retired American military officer I will tell you that Ukraine can't win. It never could. The only thing keeping Ukraine in the game is American $$. European money, which is in the form of loan guarantees (i.e., Ukraine will have to pay the loans back. Don't believe me? Look it up.) and is not actual money. At least the US sent actual money.

Nor will you put boots on the ground. Starmer proposed it and the mners started screeching about not their kid so it isn't going to happen. And it shouldn't. No one should have to go to war. But if the UK doesn't put boots on the ground the rest of Europe won't either.

I'll put on my military cover (hat) and be blunt: Ukraine is fucked, but Ukraine was always fucked. They border a hostile power and despite the known, ongoing clear and present danger they weren't ready when Putin struck. And that is their own damn fault. They should have been less corrupt and more focused and they weren't. I am not unsympathetic to the plight of the Ukrainians ( and the Russian conscripts. They don't want to be there either.) but the truth of it is that Ukraine cannot win. They won't win. It will not happen. They need to get real, sue for peace, and get the best deal they can. Because the war was always eventually going to end up this way.

How f**ing dare Vance come to Munich - stand there in front of Ukrainian generals who have lost god only knows how many of their soldiers, not to mention family and friends - to announce that the real threat to Europe is not Russia at all. No you silly generals, never mind your losses and the invasion you are actually fighting right now. Nooo. What's actually important in Europe is the 'threat from within.'

Yes did you know, generals and European leaders, that once upon a time,M in England, a man was moved for 'praying' outside an abortion clinic. Surely this major incident is more important than such trivial matters as an ongoing invasion.

And did you know, in Scotland, people are not allowed to pray in their own homes, Yes, this is most definitely true, for sure. And people have been told to spy on their good Christian neighbours. This is also true, definitely. This is the 'war from within.'

Yes conference, these incidents-that-never-happened are the 'threat from within' - the threat to democracy no less.

Said - with no irony - by the man whose party refused to accept the result of the last US election and whose outgoing presidents incited his supporters to storm the capital. How very democratic - Europe watch and learn.

And then what does he do? Trots off to meet the leader of the German far right party. Not even disguising who he hopes wins the election this week.

Terrifying!

Absolute idiots that voted for him.

Why does this whole exchange feel like two AI bots arguing with each other? 🙈

That's contrary to what I understand about impeachment:

If found guilty, the official is removed from office. They may never be able to hold elected office again.

There are some utterly disgraceful Americans on this thread. Would that Senator McCarthy was still around, which is something I never thought I’d write.