Ukraine Invasion: Part 55

[MagicFox]

We're on 55. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 That last one went quickly!

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https://news.sky.com/story/amp/baltic-states-very-unhappy-after-uk-fails-to-invite-leaders-to-ukraine-summit-13318723 And seems it is indeed a sore point.

Interesting does anyone know why?
They are a part of nato and big spenders, perhaps intelligence suggests they have been compromised??
I wouldn't want to isolate them

Can I ask a really stupid question? I've just been reading that Norway is considering injecting a very large amount of money into the Europe defence improvements. It has, up until now, only donated around 3.8 million if I remember correctly.

What if the donating European countries started receiving the rare earth minerals instead of either trump or putin? as compensation for our defence assistance. Could that work or is it silly? Could we stick two fingers up to the US?

Apologies if this is just pie in the sky.

💙💛

New Nato.

Mistake over the Baltics, but no Slovakia, Hungary or USA, the Putinist tendency of the old organisation.

I want to hug every single one of these wonderful Americans: www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/good-news-for-us-bad-news-for-trump

""Trump’s planned Oval Office ambush of Zelensky continues to backfire, as thousands rallied in support of Ukraine in Times Square on Saturday. There were similar demonstrations held in Los Angeles, Boston, and other cities across the country.
JD Vance went on a ski trip to Vermont this weekend, where hundreds of people lined the streets with pro-Ukraine and anti-Trump/Musk/Vance signs. Protesters gathered at the resort where Vance was staying—before he moved to an undisclosed location."

robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-sermon

Agreed. Whilst Trump is obviously an utterly self-serving megalomaniac out to line his own pockets, his vanity could be directed to the narrative of him being on the ‘right side of history’ (like Churchill) if he guarantees Ukraine security.

He’ll be thinking about his ‘legacy’. Which is the folly of every narcissist in history as everything in the universe will end up as a sea of photons (according to Brian Cox 😄).

What surprises me no words from former democratic leaders such as Obama, Biden, Clinton? Why are they keeping quiet? Surely they should rally against all of this

Starmer held a separate remote meeting with Baltic states this morning to discuss plans.

@528htz maybe we should let the Ukrainians keep their minerals and go through a normal exploration process with investments of their own choosing. These minerals look like a red herring to me at present.
If all European countries (I don't mean EU members only) were to put their heads together and their hands in their pockets, they would surely find the money to funds the Ukrainians to fight and win the war or send their own troops to fight together. What they need to do is put the money together and stop messing about. It's possible Trump might provide US support if he sees Europe gets its act together and actually does something concrete. Something big, he likes big.
Failing that, Europe would have to buy/commission from the US as required.
I think they need to work together as European countries, not so much as EU. Because the EU setting would slow things down.
Europe countries need to start producing and procuring the armament required at present and stock up for a permanent safety net.

This is good, the optics still aren’t great of not having them in the line up.

@528htz, to clarify, my response to your question is not derisory. I might have worded it a bit wrongly. It's a valid question. I myself was wondering why not sell to the Chinese just to get money in fast. Obviously nobody wants to sell to the Chinese and they have everything they can possibly need anyway. But China buys everything everywhere in the world.

There is zero capacity in Europe to build and supply sufficient weapons to Ukraine. Even if they try to meet what the US has been doing, it would bankrupt each nation and the UK is already on its last legs. Even if they got the money, they simply can’t produce them quickly enough. It would take years. And whilst everyone here is all let’s stick it to Trump, I wonder if they will be so keen to cough up for all these weapons when they are dirt poor and their kids are patrolling Eastern European forests as a result.

This meeting is all pie in the sky grandstanding and Starmer is using the situation to try and pull his reputation out the gutter. But unless the USA gets back on board he’s fucked. What a shit show.

@steverosenberg

Russian state TV on the new world order: "Now everything is being decided inside a big triangle: Russia, China & the US. Within this, the new construction of the world will come to fruition. The EU as a united political force no longer exists..." ['News of the Week', Russia-1]

Trump is already a nominee, for the fifth time. Nominated by a minister of Zelensky's party no less.
Musk is also nominated.

@Twinklytoots that's dire, isn't it. although I think we have to be cautious with the US in terms if exchanging information, the 'stick it to Trump' narrative is very shortsighted and definitely nobody can afford to turn their back on US. But Europe needs to show they can actually do something together, even if it means buying US services and armament in the short term, whilst starting a production process. Maybe countries are poor now, but they'd be even poorer under some form of Russian influence, at which point there wouldn't be much way out.

I do worry for Steve Rosenberg, he must look like a prime target for arrest to Putin. I often wish the BBC would pull him out.

Zelenskyy is on his way to his meeting with King Charles.

My fantasy; KC- Volodymyr old chap, you must be knackered. Put your feet up for a couple of hours, do. Gin and tonic?
VZ- That's very kind of you. I'm a bit bushed, I must admit.
KC- Anyone would be dealing with those arsewipes. Pardon my language.
VZ- Language totally excused, Charles. Arsewipes just about covers it.
KC- Doesn't it just, Volodymyr? You though, were just topping. Whole of the UK's proud of you. Have a scone. Jam first or cream?
VZ- Whichever is best. What's the norm?
KC- Ah. Bit of a barney over that, small matter of Devon and Cornwall. Best not ask. Slice and ice in your gin? 😂

A little levity. I certainly need it.

'Coalition of the Willing' used by Starmer and an olive branch to Trump. Well, wait and see.

UK ready to support peace with boots on the ground and planes in the sky according to Starmer 👏

Also making available the money for Ukraine to buy 5000 air defence missiles to be made in Belfast.

But Europe needs to show they can actually do something together, even if it means buying US services and armament in the short term, whilst starting a production process.

But they can already do something together….I agree that it would be hard/difficult to replicate US industrial capacity in many areas but let’s be really careful about thinking or worse still giving the impression Europe doesn’t already have a sizable arms manufacturing industry.

There are established defence equipment manufacturers in Europe who can churn out very tasty very capable hardware (seen the export figures for the Dassault Rafale recently?) at a fairly impressive rate, and/or already have in place plans to upscale production processes…

It’s not a case of Europe needing to start building ordnance, it’s more a case of upscaling..and yes that needs funds.

It’s of course also worth bearing in mind it’s a case of outbuilding the Russians, not building faster than the US…

Yes, well done Starmer. All of this is a good call

France has been discussing about the Rare Earths for some months now - at least since autumn 2024. I think that they were in fact a good part of Putin's original reason to invade ... although his desire to rebuild the Soviet Union was even bigger.

They are a definite big issue, but until Trump no one in the West was actuallky trying to force it.

Ukraine (and we) can't stick two fingers up to the US because Ukraine needs US weopons and ammunition and military hardware. They can't survive without it. The rest of the West isn't quite so badly off but for the main reason that Russia is not directly invading us ... yet. But no one can afford to divorce from the US and won't be able to for years, as the West has indeed relied on the US and allowed its own military manufacturing and armies to decay. Except possibly France.

Yes it feels like alongside France he’s really willing to stand up and lead which is what’s desperately needed.

@notimagain that's a very good point I haven't considered, that Europe doesn't need to match US for production but just be ahead of Russia.
I'm pretty certain funds will be found if willingness is there.