Colonel Richard Kemp wrote this article, which was also published in the Irish Independent. Here is a summary of his points:
Germany hasn't reached the NATO minimum of 2% of GDP. Poland, one of the few exceptions, is increasing defence spending to 4% of GDP.
The EU has delivered less than half of the million artillery shells that it promised a year ago to Ukraine by next month. Even now, some Europeans think the US will ride to their rescue - no longer a safe bet. Successive presidents have complained about US subsidising of European under-spending, and none more so than Trump.
There's an even greater threat to European defence dependency - China. If Xi invades or blockades Taiwan, the US would likely be heavily invested in supporting Taiwan. There's every reason to think that would be the time for Putin to move against an eastern European NATO member, calculating that the US would be overstretched and unable to deploy rapid reinforcements.
Iran is on the cusp of gaining nuclear capability and is able to co-ordinate its proxies to tie down US forces.
China, Russia and Iran form a deadly axis that, if acting in concert, could present the US and its allies with a terrible dilemma. If that happens during the next few years, European countries may have to stand on their own feet. Would Western European countries send their young men and women to fight and die to defend an eastern European NATO member, even if they managed to build the combat power to do so?
Compromise and vacillation is the only language Europe seems to understand - that serves only to provoke opponents such as Russia, China and Iran who have no compunction about exploiting such weaknesses.
Words, nice words but still only words. Spoken in one of the most useless, ineffective institutions in existence. Even Russian and North Korean political institutions have some use, no matter how nefarious their actual motives (rather than stated) but the UN is just a gravy train for waffling and picking up a big fat cheque.
It is a bit rich that lecture to others being published in the Torygraph though.
A little thing, but the paper's own contribution to said "European security" over last decade or so has not been stellar.
I suppose calling them a bunch of greedy useful idiots would be the kindest way to put it.
Finally ...
With any luck this unlocks the SAAB Gripens for Ukraine. Sweden has said they're considering it but wouldn't be able to until they join NATO.
Major NAVALNY News ...
Sadly that wouldn't surprise me in Putin's Russia. One faction arranging a prisoner swap while another plots an assassination.
I read this earlier. Allegedly, Putin had him killed so he wouldn’t be able to be swapped for whoever he was getting swapped for. What baffles me is why would Putin have to resort to killing him just to avoid that?? He could just say no to the swap?
(And Putin did have him killed; we know that because he awarded the Hero of Torturers medal or some such to the prison director in charge of Navalny just days after Navalny’s death.)
The Order of Novichok?
Video on the /War channel on reddit "Nine Ukrainian POWs are executed by russians". Seems they are being given orders now to not take prisoners like the SS in WW2. This must be the 4th time in a week they've slaughtered prisoners. Animals.
The Red Cross are pretty much like the iceberg, 90% unseen, and you rarely hear much about them, especially in a situation like we have with Russia. I'm sure that in the background, they are working away. They are perhaps the only ones that the Russians trust, (if that's the proper term to use) having been active in Russia more than 30 years. And besides, it suits Putin's facade of "normalcy" to be able to say " we have the ICRC here, if we were the monsters we are wrongly accused of being, they would not be here". So, yes, they are doing a good job, even if we will have tp wait until all this is over to find out exactly what they were doing.
After Navalny reports that Putin has 12 approx. targeta for death squads in the UK. Time for them to send the Russian Embassy home?
Given the effects of the attempt to kill Navalny with Novichok when he was on an internal flight in Russia and the conditions of the penal colonies, I think Navalny was as good as dead the moment he returned to Russia after he recovered in Germany.
Abram taken out
Also footage emerging of captured Bradleys and Western AA hit.
Yep he was. If he wanted to go back he never shoukd have went back as soon as he did. He should have waited he coukd have veen building up his resistance and alies from outside Russia then when Putin is least expecting it sneak back. Imagine he had if been able to work with Prezigin or whatever his name was then one Putin had blow up in his own plane. There might have been some hope for Russia then but now I really do not see where it is going to come from. If Navalny becoming a marter is not enough to get Russians to rise up against Putin then they are truly doomed.
Sri Lanka kicking out the Russians:
"Sri Lanka has decided to cancel visas for almost 300,000 russians. The country's migration service reported that russian citizens should leave in the next two weeks."
Ouch!😂
Lol
Yes only words but very much the truth compared with the bold faced lies spewed forth by the Russian dictatorships representative. Poland as a country thankfully is all too aware of the evil and danger that the Russian dictatorship represents and is arming itself accordingly.
Agreed, sad but true. He was a dead man walking soon as he headed back to Germany. Should have stayed in the West as an exile.
So it seems that this odious human being can add being paid lacey to the Russian dictatorship to his collection. From what I have seen the aid bill that passed the senate recently would pass the house expect for the fact that Johnson refuses to bring it to a vote.
All true but I would be of the opinion put that aside in the case of Moldova.
I think we should be doing the same with the Russian embassy at this point. Shut it down and send them back to their lovely dictatorship. Save us some money as well closing our own embassy in Moscow. Would be better used elsewhere IMHO.
Yes Vlad, it really is happening…….
Why are the Russian drone videos low res? Couldn't that be anything burning - a stack of round bales soaked in fuel.
Was always going to happen sadly. I did see Ukraine started to use 1 anyhow after adviika fell. Wonder was it the same one a few days later. Also wonder if Ukraine feel they have to use them now to halt the Russian advances instead of probably using them more when the weather improved in early summer.
Just leave their ambassador and one or two caterers only. Get rid of the rest..
Keeping an eye on this
Listening to Macron speaking after UKR special conference in Paris where all EU ministers inc ours met. Gloves off it seems. He said we are at war. He said Europe cannot allow Russia to win this war. He said this is Europes war and if others are involved with us in this it is a bonus. Clear msg re USA. No longer depending on USA
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