Ukraine

[french frank]

Trump says Russia is easier to deal with than Ukraine because Putin really does want an end to the war. Of course he wants it to end - with a win for Russia. If the victim of the aggression wants the leader of the free world to help, they must pay for it with valuable mineral and other resources.

'The US reportedly dropped Donald Trump’s initial demand for $500 billion in potential revenue from Ukrainian resources, a condition which was rejected out of hand by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

“I am not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to repay,” Mr Zelensky had said.'

It did sound a bit like: 'Pay up or Putin wins'; so it's as well that Trump backed down on that demand ... :-/

[kernelbogey]

....It did sound a bit like: 'Pay up or Putin wins'; so it's as well that Trump backed down on that demand ... :-/

Instead he's given his mate Putin what we used to call 'a bunk up' by switching off access to the surveillance....

[Dave2002]

“I am not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to repay,” Mr Zelensky had said.'[/URL]

It did sound a bit like: 'Pay up or Putin wins'; so it's as well that Trump backed down on that demand ... :-/

A point was made I think on last night's Americast that the US did make significant contributions during WWI and WWII to wars which started in Europe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07h19zz

We can argue about how much of a contribution the US made, and whether it was timely - as others have done - but the US did make very major contributions and we should be thankful that it did.

In WWII until Pearl Harbor the US had not been attacked, so was only indirectly involved in the war up to that time. In WWI the US stayed out - taking a neutral stance until 1917.

Without supporting Trump's position directly, there is a point that European countries and the UK should contribute more to their own defence, and not rely on NATO to drag the US into yet another war.

Would the European NATO countries be able to assist the USA if that country were attacked? Possibly, but it might be very difficult.

[kernelbogey]

A piece in the Observer by Simon Tisdall contained a link to this piece in The Hill: Was 40-year old Trump recruited by the KGB?

I've known of stories of Russian 'Kompromaat' on Trump for some time, but this piece takes it to another level.

[french frank]

While we're on the subject ... an article in the FT in Dec 2016 - on the Wayback Machine so available to read in full. And by the way, the forum is getting regular failed registrations from Moscow in recent months :

https://web.archive.org/web/20180223191023/https://ig.ft.com/sites/trumps-russian-connections/

[Dave2002]

A byproduct of the chaos - reported here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/america-canada-trump-tarriffs-b2710351.html

[french frank]

And while we're on the subject of Canada: Mark Carney to succeed Justin Trudeau - since it's the economy, stupid?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7eyz3yn5do

[Serial_Apologist]

And while we're on the subject of Canada: Mark Carney to succeed Justin Trudeau - since it's the economy, stupid?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7eyz3yn5do

Losing Mark Carney as Head of the Bank of England was one of the worst disasters Britain has experienced over the past few years. I say that as someone who does not support our economic system (as if you didn't know!) - but at the very least Carney brought some balanced judgement to the job, which certainly cannot be said of the current misery guts in charge there.

[Dave2002]

Yet more on Canada ...

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/11/us/trump-news

Now wants 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium.

[french frank]

Yet more on Canada ...Now wants 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium.

“The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear,” says He. And which national boundaries were not 'artificially drawn - the majority of them many years ago. Be afraid, be very afraid! The Man also says he intends to buy a Tesla as sales have slumped.

[Serial_Apologist]

“The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear,” says He. And which national boundaries were not 'artificially drawn - the majority of them many years ago. Be afraid, be very afraid! The Man also says he intends to buy a Tesla as sales have slumped.

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian, says my long lasting Canadian ex-pat Hungarian friend married to an American (likewise ex-pat Hungarian). Certainly more deeply than in Britain's.

[vinteuil]

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian

... ah, der Narzissmus der kleinen Differenzen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism_of_small_differences

But following that, some will argue that Ukraine isn't that different from Russia...


.

[eighthobstruction]

25 mins of Lawrence Freedman on Times Radio today.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKltk33Yf8

[french frank]

Carney made a lot of Canada's not being America. Not so sure about that - US culture is pretty deeply embedded in Canadian, says my long lasting Canadian ex-pat Hungarian friend married to an American (likewise ex-pat Hungarian). Certainly more deeply than in Britain's.

'Not being America'? Well, it is part of North America but that doesn't make it part of the United States of America. My brother's wife was Canadian and he's in touch with many of the Canadian members of the family. Anecdotes are anecdotes, but the view we hear is that the answer to Trump's 'many people want to join with the US' is "Well, we don't know one." Then there's today's Greenland election where the last thing they want is to exchange their break with Denmark for union with the US.

[eighthobstruction]

Trump restarts Ukraine intelligence sharing and military assistance........... on/off...