When I studied history I was made to read a lot of European history, with UK syllabuses largely or wholly ignoring the histories of the USA and Asia. It was a depressing study to read of a continent rent between Catholics and Protestants for four centuries and between communists and fascists for a fifth. The history was disfigured by the successive imperial ambitions with planned invasions of Britain by Italy, the Norsemen, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, France and  Germany , as successive efforts were made to create a Europe united by conquest and suppression.
I came away with the realisation that England, later the UK, had suffered badly from its interventions in Europe. We had been invaded and put into slavery by the Italians when they were called Romans. We had been pillaged and occupied by Scandinavians called Vikings or Norsemen. We had been subjugated with lands and businesses stolen by the French after the Norman invasion as they enforced feudal serfdom. We had in the sixteenth century to  defeat the mighty Spanish empire as they launched a major invasion. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries we needed to defeat another big French attempt to subjugate us. Twice in the twentieth century we had to defeat German efforts at conquest.
Part of the reason I opposed our membership of the EEC, later the EU, was my knowledge that attempts at European Union had always turned out badly in the past. Introducing a European army was unlikely to make a more peaceful or secure Europe. The Holy Roman Empire superimposed above the German states had not brought stability,  but did become a fighting unit in its own interests. The EU has more now calling for an EU army. The EU has made moves  to common weapons systems and procurement, undertakes common actions militarily and wishes to extend its defence competencies.
The UK has always been generous to the continent. Our predecessors spilt much blood and treasure stopping the spanish conquest of the Netherlands and other Protestant states. They did much to prevent Napoleon dominating most of Europe. The UK stood alone against Germany in 1940 before the US entered the war. In the EU we made a large financial contribution and opened up our market to their exports, running a huge deficit, as their market opening was one sided.They would not open their services markets to help us.
Today the US has rightly challenged European members of NATO and the EU to do more for our own defence. The UK should be no part of a common defence of the EU and  its borders. As they expand eastwards they must provide the forces for their own security.  We should meet our NATO obligations to fellow NATO members just as we need their support and guarantee. It is feasible to keep the USA in NATO as long as we and other members do a bit more to provide both military and industrial capacity to resist and deter invasion. It is not feasible to expect the US to provide defence cover for an expanding EU as they add non NATO members.
February 18, 2025
What is NATO’s role now? It had a clear and achieveable mission during the Cold War but for nearly thirty years it has incrementally been morphing into some sort of instrument of dubiously conceived American foreign policy.
Accordingly, is it really approporiate and necessary that “We should meet our NATO obligations to fellow NATO members just as we need their support and guarantee”? And let us not avoid recognizing the only NATO member whose support would count is the U.S.A..
February 18, 2025
Now the uniparty has managed to deindustrialise us successfully we are no longer in a position to defend ourselves let alone embarking any expeditionary force.
The EU army will no doubt be supplied by French and German equipment which will offset their loss of market share in vehicle manufacturing.
2TK ponces about on the European stage promising peace keeping troopwhen we can’t even muster a brigade
Thieves waxes lyrically about electric planes flying from the new runway at Heathrow and Milibrain continued his mad race of the countryside in the pursuit of clean energy.the whole thing would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.
A country who 80 years ago stood against the world hollowed out into a basket third world case.
February 18, 2025
Exactly.
Not that there is anything “unclean” about CO2 plant, tree and crop food anyway. On balance it is a net good and anyway burning imported wood at Drax, EVs etc save no CO2 anyway quite the reverse! The Uni-party agenda for 25+ years has been insane unless they really wanted to vandalise and cripple the country.
February 18, 2025
What are the French and Germans, those long-standing friends, going to use for energy? Germany is deindustrialised by its own elected green goblins, Harbec and Baerbock.
February 18, 2025
@Ian wragg +1
February 18, 2025
I agree with your summation Ian.
February 18, 2025
Indeed.
Human nature does not change all that much but technology does and can often mean the lessons of history are no longer very applicable. We still get new mad religions though like Edâs, Greta, King Charles, Gove, Sunak and Kemiâs deluded climate alarmism ones.
February 18, 2025
NATO’s role is to maintain equal military standards in equipment thereby keeping the the USA’s arms industry in business.
February 18, 2025
In the name of ‘interoperability’ the vassals are forced to buy overpriced,underperforming kit.
February 18, 2025
which is always at least one step behind the latest USA weaponry, while they use the previous designs and manufacturing might to act as a cash cow and help finance development.
February 18, 2025
Our host continues to mislead-the problem is NATO not the bumbling EU.The Russians have said time and again (and again at today’s meeting with the US in Saudi Arabia apparently )they do not object to EU enlargement-it is NATO’s military infrastructure moving to their borders that is the problem.If the EU does present a problem it is because it is controlled 100% by Atlanticists(von der Leyen the prime example) who tow the Washington line 100%,ignoring real european interests-albeit Trump has now ruptured that.
That is entirely consistent with Russia’s long term historical experience-Tsar Alexander I had no problem with Napoleon agglomerating west-central Europe until he interfered with Russian trade;Stalin had no issue with Hitler doing the same until the latter threatened the Black Sea littoral and the Straits.
btw European history might be ‘nice to know’ but is now more or less irrelevant-as prospects for the continent grown dim so does the value of knowledge of its history.Get reading the history of Russia,China,Persia,the Ottoman and Mongol empires,etc and you will be able to make sense of the coming world order.
Reply Russia said yesterday they opposed EU troops on the Ukraine border.
February 19, 2025
NO !You continue to mislead.Why?Russia said no NATO or NATO nation troops.
February 18, 2025
After witnessing the ridiculous attitude Europeans have shown to being told what is what this week by a common sense American Vice President we see that they have not changed and never will. My parents both took part in the 2nd World War and my Mother said that if she had any sons they would not be allowed to fight in any more wars. We have supported and tried to reason with these people for too long and they have ideas inbred which will never change. I think we must keep separate from them and not keep going in to help.
February 18, 2025
+1. The JD Vance Munich speech was stunning. At last they had to listen in public to some home truths from a more powerful leader than themselves. It must have cheered millions of ordinary citizens across the continent.
I agree, the current crew won’t change, except perhaps to double down. It needs the right in France or more particularly Germany to get power, to change things for the better.
February 18, 2025
You are displaying a classic ‘Islander’ mentality much like my own. We see the Continentals as bickering children fussing over lines on a map and who did what to who hundreds of years ago.
We quickly got over the Romans, the Vikings and the French Norsemen. The Spanish and the Portuguese still quarrel of a tiny bit of land. Pointless !
February 18, 2025
Half of the members of the EU were Communist States; several of the others were the other side of the coin and were Fascist. Their understanding and appreciation of democracy is wafer-thin as they have demonstrated only too clearly with their reaction to a few home truths from JD Vance.
February 18, 2025
Starmer is, IMO, in lala-land. He thinks this nation is behind him and will carryout his instructions. He has no idea what he’s doing and he is almost universally disliked. I hope our thinking military men get him to sit-down quietly somewhere and give him a dose of reality. Europe needs to restructure it’s military and make the investment in credible deterrence to take care of themselves. They could and should manage that. I hope we are smart enough to sell them necessary weaponry, and not give them our youth…
February 18, 2025
Peter, it says something when as unpopular as Starmer is, there is some preference for him over people like Ed Davey, Kemi Badenhoch, Nigel Farage, and any other would-be wannabe PM.
February 18, 2025
Starmer is going to continue doing what Starmer wants until his side depose or the country does.
February 19, 2025
The idiot claims he wants to save Ukraine from “Russian aggression,” whilst with the other hand he’s proposing to pay Mauritius ÂŁtens of billions to take the Chagos Islands off our hands …. thereby strengthening China.
And he can’t see the idiocy of either proposal.
February 18, 2025
Nations have character, and like corporations, they endure longer than the individual components. We are not of the Continent, we have been isolated from them too long, we have our own character and itâs one worth defending. We all applaud when we see Vance speak calmly and honestly, because that is what we recognize as being in line with our own expectations of ourselves and of our extended family – the British people – wherever they are born.
February 18, 2025
@Linda Brown – agreed and what did the so-called leaders in the EU do? They threw a ‘hissy fit’. they donât represent the people they represent themselves.
February 18, 2025
It’s only 1992 which saw the end of a religious and political war in Yugoslavia. It all beats me why all this killing and fighting for power continues.Everyone dies ..why make it sooner.. what does it prove.?Humans are still not advanced enough to create and nurture,they want to hurt and destroy.
February 18, 2025
Envy, prejudice, greed, racism, tribalism, threats, hate and misunderstandings all create situations for skirmish to become war.
February 18, 2025
Germany walking out in a huff and no unity over Ukraine, which is in Europe but out of Europe, is a sign. We should not put troops into the Ukraine/Russia border area IF a cease fire is agreed. We should look to the defence of our own island territory, build up supplies with naval, land and airforce units up to strength. We are after all NATO members. Europe, with its animosity to the UK can or should take care of itself after our losses in 1914/18 and 1939/44 and years of sponging of the USA. I state this, having lived in Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands for 44 years, with a Dutch wife and five issues with families living in the Netherlands. I am now happily back on The Island… but visit : )
February 18, 2025
An interesting and thoughtful post. I agree wholeheartedly that we should be no part of an EU defence force (or indeed, the EU).
I think an armed EU (as opposed to armed EU nations) is a dreadful development and increases the chance of war with external nations. The EU’s foreign policy is for expansion and the organisation often sees non-members as rivals or adversaries. With the backing of its own military, it will be emboldened into new foreign misadventures.
I think it’s certain that an EU army would also be used against its own nations, if they dared to try electing anti-EU representatives. The precursor would be interference in civil society such as we’ve seen in the Visograd countries and Romania, followed by a military intervention (no doubt called “peacekeeping” or “stabilisation”), alongside regime change. All rather like the old Soviet Union.
February 18, 2025
It is one thing to temporarily assemble a joint force for a specific purpose, but it is another to have a permanent, standing, army. A standing European Army would inevitably be used for internal repression, sooner or later.
February 18, 2025
Military and ‘police’ forces are already used for repression.
February 18, 2025
+1 see France – no wonder Macron has no objection to the Ukraine armed forces deployed against civilians – and killing 14,000.
February 18, 2025
Macron has troops to spare,as his African garrisons have been expelled-the troops stationed in Senegal left two weeks ago less than a month after being issued with orders to quit.He blames the French collapse in Africa on Russian anti-colonial agitation.
February 18, 2025
âThe head of the Rheinmetall concern said that Europe was left at the “kid’s table” in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine
At the same time, he added that âthere are no weapons left in warehouses in Europe and Ukraineâ. â
The EU and Biden has brought NATO to its knees. We must get up with the USA and forget the blasted continent.
February 18, 2025
seems we are headed towards George Orwell’s 3 continents either in a state of 2 of them ‘ at war’ or pretending to be ‘at war, to suit their leaders control. Russia might be allowed to consume the EU. N.America and China being the other two.
February 19, 2025
Russia is intimating that western Ukraine with its native Hungarian, Polish, Romanian populations, should revert to their own countries.
Russia is not short of land, people, commodities, food etc
February 21, 2025
How can you subscribe to such discourse, specially when Russia itself is known to have Russian and 35 other recognised regional languages, multiple ethnicities, multiple religions, and minorities of all kinds.
February 18, 2025
+1
February 18, 2025
Meanwhile, a few days sooner than we might have expected, the irresponsibility and foolishness of Starmer’s naive and vain posturing is made plain by the headline (Daily Mail online) “Germany’s Scholz storms out of crisis summit and slams UK’s ‘completely premature’ troops pledge”.
February 18, 2025
Those up for putting troops on Ukrainian soil without Russian consent should be aware of the lethality of Russia’s new weapon systems,notably the Oreshnik which they gave a demonstration of(without armed warheads) last year. Andrei Martyanov,the highly regarded and widely followed US-based Russian-American military analyst wrote this following that demonstration:
“Any modern warfare by the enemy is now made impossible.The accumulation and delivery of war material and,above all,the accumulation of troops necessary for the preparation of any military operation is now impossible.Until now,tactical nuclear weapons would have been used to achieve such an effect.Now it can be delivered conventionally and without any chance of defence.
Those in the west who have understood this are shocked:the war will never be the same again since the introduction of this weapon and the west no longer has a chance conventionally.”
Quite simply a British or Anglo-French force mustering in Ukraine would be obliterated.Completely and utterly obliterated.Any volunteers?!It also gives the lie to the endless blatant propaganda that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.
I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet but Martyanov has this week posted an interview on the Neutrality Studies youtube channel entitled:”Russia Beat NATO Strategically.They Can’t Recover From This”.I shall try to watch it this evening.
February 19, 2025
I hope Sir John watches. He will need to impress this in the Generals, Admirals and the RAF.
We need a Bletchley Park – thatâs all as far as manpower is concerned.
We need modern cheap weapons for DEFENCE.
The Guardian is saying very rude things about Trump, I expect they are incapable of accepting facts.
What we have done to the Ukrainian nation – there are no words.
February 18, 2025
And made plainer still by Trump’s set of questions issued earlier today, with Reuters reporting: –
“A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that Washington âhas been clear that we expect European partners to take the lead in establishing a durable security framework and look forward to their proposals.â”
The first question is looks too hard to answer (It being “1) What do you view as a Europe-backed security guarantee or assurance that would serve as a sufficient deterrent to Russia while also ensuring this conflict ends with an enduring peace settlement?“). I am not expecting any good and sufficient response from Starmer but perhaps we shall see the quality in due course.
February 19, 2025
Plenty of stamping and crying today.
February 18, 2025
Over recent decades we have lost the plot, allowing our defences to weaken, while at the same time failing to take full advantage of our semi deratchment from the EU. Our current, so called government, remain confused as to where our real interests lie.
Over the last century the problems of Europe have largely been left in the hands, first of the UK and Commonwealth, and then supplemented in a big way by the industrial power and common cause of the USA, to find resolution. I have not forgotten the parallel problems in the Far East where we found similar common csuse. The lesson we too easily forget is that our ally in the furtherence of Democracy is the United States of America. Any other relationships are peripheral. In such we can be the intellectual and polititical equal.
The cost to us is that we stand defensively very strong and sever our dalliance with all the woke crap that we have allowed to infect our very being. I hope that Starmers visit to the USA next week results in his reorientation to a path of common sense. The electorate is well ahead of him in this respect. I suspect we are at a crossroads, where those on the bus know more than the driver as to the route to take. The longer he leaves it the more difficult the finding of the route back.
February 18, 2025
You leave out the massive contribution of the USSR. Unfair. It took all of us to beat the Nazi Germans.
February 18, 2025
Well said Lynn, we would not have beaten Hitler without the tenacity of the Russian forces!
February 18, 2025
or as Trump stated recently ‘we won 2 World Wars’.
February 19, 2025
The USA intervened in WW1 only after April 1917, ie almost three years after the start of it in July 1914 and only after there was a risk that even US flag carrying ships could be attacked.
They intervened in WW2 only after the US Pacific fleet was attacked in Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in December 1941 two years after the start of WW2 in September 1939.
So yes, the USA were part of the winning Allies in the two WWs but dare I say there did not show such urge to be part of them as long as their interests were not directly threatened. In both wars as good mercantilists the US governments of the times were happy to look from the side and let the cash fill the tills.
Is it so different now?
February 19, 2025
The real reason Hitler failed was that he opened up a second front against Stalin after attacking Poland.
The real enemy was always going to be the Communists. If he had only gone after the Soviets, he would probably have done millions of Russians a favour and beaten Stalin. Remember, as unacceptable as the “Jewish Solution” was, Stalin killed many times that number of his own people. Holding on to the vast stretches of soviet territory would have tied the Germany army up for at least two decades and would almost certainly have proven to be hugely over-ambitious. How long could the Generals have allowed an obviously ill Hitler to stay leader of a war weary and weakened German state ?
We could certainly have reinforced The European states Hitler threatened, and the European political map would today look very different, but not necessarily better or worse.
The tragedy is that Gorbechov was removed and that ultimately led to Putin and today’s European instability.
The EU expansionists has simply added to Putin’s paranoia and provided him with the excuse to attack Ukraine.
February 19, 2025
Why blame Putin for Europeâs instability?
February 18, 2025
@agricola – a bit more than loosing the plot. What we think of as the UK Defence Industry has been passed to Foreign hands by the Uniparty. There are many examples at the top all our command and control (missiles, navigation, electronics etc) has been handed over to the French Government. Our Tanks now need the Germans to update them and keep them in service. Spain and Poland fabricate the Navy.
I am not blaming these foreign government controlled entities, they have done well in picking up and picking off those part of their own defence structures they never had from the UK. Its the Uniparty that has sold us down the river they have put our defence industry in the hands of the political whims of foreign powers.
February 18, 2025
@agricola – I wouldn’t put too much faith in Starmer, he has been two faced about everything. First to gain power then to trample on dissenters to ‘his’ thinking. He says the WEF is his guide more than a democratically elected Parliament. Common sense is supposed by Marxist ideology. What ever he suggest to the Trump team you can guarantee the oposite
February 18, 2025
I have no idea what Starmer is up to AG. I suspect it’s just ‘tough’ posturing in the rather forlorn hope that his ratings will improve. We have been woefully unprepared for a real conflict for over three decades.
I watched John Healey this morning and felt a glimmer of hope that maybe (just maybe) someone is actually going to take a large broom and sort out the MOD. I’m not sure I really believe this government is capable of it but perhaps hard reality is starting to dawn on them. As for the Tories, they made their spending priorities clear when they repeatedly cut the defence budget over the years.
February 18, 2025
Where I seperate out from Nato is when it is used to bomb Bosnia Serbia Libya and other places like Afghanistan and not forgetting Article five was invoked following the 9/11 attack on America so looking back it seems to me that there is mostly one country making all of the running with this and all according to its own agenda – we should be mindful of this as we go forward.
Therefore I believe the European continental countries are correct at this time to look to see how the situation has changed and how they should respond and club together in the light of the increased Russian aggression amid the strange signals coming from North America.
It could be that we now see Nato Mark.2 in the making – the possibility that the US might drop out of Nato altogether given the recent rhetoric coming from the Trump Administeation and this with the US preoccupation with China its all very real but where UK fits into all of this I have no idea.
February 18, 2025
and what is worse, which countries care where the UK fits in?. Given that the EU only ever wanted to sell to us, rob our assets blind and claim what military strength we might have had.
February 18, 2025
Our armed forces should defend the UK domestically, we are no longer a large enough force to influence world geo-politics.
However a well-trained, well maintained force could be mobilised as mercenary unit for our allies who pay our reals costs plus a mark up to fund maintaining our defence forces at a large enough level to be a real deterrent.
February 18, 2025
@Narrow Shoulders – we cant defend our shores from criminal invading us from what some call friendly safe countries. France could invade as they out number us close on 4 to 1 in boots on the ground as well as owning all the crucial parts of the UK defence industry.
Sort that first and we might be encouraged
February 18, 2025
A willingness to fight has to be taken into account. How do you see that?
February 18, 2025
Its illegal (in theory)but UK individuals do join mercenary outfits for overseas wars.
February 18, 2025
Another way of interpreting British history is to consider the eternal tension between Continental and maritime policies. Broadly, when we face East toward Europe we do badly, but when we embrace the open seas we do well.
For an island people and a global trading nation, we are oddly neglectful of the lessons of our great nautical past.
Reply Yes we are best as a naval power interested in the wider world, not a major European army seeking to fight European battles.
February 18, 2025
And that has been displayed recently, because the Challenger was a verrrry expensive failure. We donât need to fight in land. We need modern, cheap, remotely controlled armaments deployed by clever people (of whom we have many) well out of harms way, and not brawny people (of whom we have few) who can be taken off the board by one shot.
We need to be under and contribute to the USAâs nuclear umbrella. And all must believe that if we are attacked, we will automatically deploy. Not because someone âdecidesâ but because we have a fixed strategy which is triggered. We NEVER want a Truss on the button!
February 18, 2025
@reply – the World is the place we need to be part of, not some back water protectionist socialist regime
February 18, 2025
In geopolitical language tellurocracy(maritime power) vs thalassocracy(land power).Broadly matched,historical experience tells you the former cannot ultimately defeat the latter-see Carthage vs Rome,Venetian Republic vs Ottoman Empire,British vs Russian empires.
Contiguous land empires have more stable prospects than scattered maritime empires-Russia,China and arguably India are still in effect empires,whilst the Atlanticist maritime empires have all collapsed -Spain,Portugal,Holland,Britain and France.
The Atlanticists have tried to live vicariously through the US,encouraging US attempts at hegemony but that too has now collapsed.
February 18, 2025
Good morning.
The USA is only interested in maintaining its global hegemony. The only realistic threat to that comes from China and in particular over Taiwan. It knows that it cannot be in two places at once, so seeing the European and MENA Areas as less of a threat it needs those regions to look after themselves. This is what I call smart foreign policy.
Whatever one says or thinks about President Trump he has now made sure that he has the right people around him prepared to put the USA, and its citizens first.
One can only look upon the Americans with envy at such.
February 18, 2025
They have acknowledged and accepted the multi-polar world. Did you not hear? They will discuss with Russia how best to âfit inâ with mutual advantage. China is the outlier being Communist, but there will be no hot war, just an all out economic race. We must win it. We need very low-cot energy and very low taxes. We must unleash our brightest and best to creat the new Space X etc.
February 19, 2025
It is Russia and China’s task to manage the US’s descent to a lower level on the world stage without causing major economic dislocation or kinetic conflict.I believe that will be achieved by Russia’s unequalled diplomatic finesse.You continue to misjudge what is going on-Russia’s prime partnership relationship is -and will remain -with China.Trump will be gone in four years.
February 18, 2025
Yes, China is the big threat to US hegemony in East Asia. The ‘first island chain’ is the biggest thorn in China’s side; removing this impediment is Xi’s intent in his remaining years. Following which it is subjugation of the developing nations surrounding the South China Sea. War should be avoidable IF the economic card is used, to bring down the shaky command economy.
February 18, 2025
Peter, what right does the USA have to ‘hegemony’ in SE Asia, many thousands of miles from its borders and coastline? If China claimed hegemony around the coasts of Australia or New Zealand, you would surely find that as outrageous as I would. So why the double standard?
February 19, 2025
Spot on!These people just can’t rid themselves of the colonial mindset-nothing to do with PC or woke-that era has passed into history;the east has the upper hand.
February 19, 2025
So you want China to rule all SE Asia. Freedom loving peoples would not wish it so.
February 19, 2025
‘One can only look upon the Americans with envy at such’
You must be joking.
London way better than New York. USA far more individualistic and narcissistic and just way more crazy people. Violent crime higher in USA. US suburban life much more boring than UK (we have football, pubs, fish and chips – more down to earth). UK humour much better. People in UK more friendly and warm (even in London, I can strike up conversations with people all the time). More holiday time here in UK (life’s too short to just be consumed by rat race). And that’s just the beginning.
‘America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilisation in between’ – Oscar Wilde
We might have our problems here in the UK for sure (but which country doesn’t). But in the big picture, the UK is way better. Hands down. I love the UK (and I like America – I’ve worked there but just too crazy for me overall).
February 19, 2025
Also, who’d want to live in China?
My cousin studied Chinese at Durham as he wanted to become an expert in Chinese Culture and make money with the Chinese. He went to live in China – and hated it. Not just the pollution but just soulless new cities with millions of people moving about like robots.
Real civilisation is about getting the balance right between prosperity / security and the things that make us feel alive / inspired. China’s prosperity has shot up over the last few decades but at a tremendous cost.
The UK is still relatively prosperous but it’s still has such great culture, warmth and humour. Whenever I walk through the streets of London and visit my family in the beautiful, old villages of Hampshire and the hilly, green countryside of the South Downs, I think to myself, how fortunate I am to live in this great country.
And way better than the USA or China or Japan or Russia or even Australia (all these countries have great points but overall, for me, the UK offers the best in terms of the balance between prosperity / security and what makes one feel alive / inspired)!
Let’s please appreciate things more – and just ENJOY life in the UK. And only then focus on how to improve things (our economy at the top of the list – but also culture and things that make people happy in their free time – such as happy family life and marriage and social life and arts etc – otherwise what’s the point of a strong economy if makes some people miserable).
February 18, 2025
On becoming independent of Russia, Ukraine wanted to remain neutral. This was blocked by Angela Merkel who told it to choose between Russia and the EU, clumsily dismissing Ukraine’s treaties and historic connection with Russia out of hand.
The EU is particuarly effronted by JD Vance’s speech because its aims in Ukraine are not in the least altruistic, as UK’s were under Boris Johnson and Ben Wallace. The EU always wants something, as much as it can get, in return. In this case it is control of Ukraine’s vast reserves of minerals critical to Green Energy. Ukraine’s rare earths and lithium alone are valued at up to US$13 trillion. It was for this objective that Germany reversed its policy of supplying only blankets and helmets to supply armaments on 27 Feb 2022, 3 days after the Russian invasion. In Zelensky’s darkest hour Germany and the EU blackmailed Zelensky: he could have German arms on condition he signed over the future sovereignty of Ukraine to the EU. Germany, Zelensky and the EU all made public announcements of this Faustian deal. The EU called it a watershed moment in its history. It had never stooped this low before.
Since then the EU has been busy planning for this exploitation of Ukraine. Angel Merkel has declared post-war reconstruction is to be directed towards EU Green Energy.
Its problem now is that these resources lie mainly in the East, including the Russian speaking part of Ukraine to which Ukraine had agreed to grant autonomy in the Minsk2 accords and on which it reneged. Clearly Russia will remember all this in its peace talks.
The brave Ukrainians fighting for what they believe will be independent sovereignty and democracy have been thoroughly duped and deceived by the German led EU.
There are many reasons to exclude the EU from the peace talks but its moral bankruptcy, greed and lust for territorial expansion and power over its neighbours are among them.
Trump and JD Vance are a much needed breath of fresh air and honesty. It would be poetic justice if the EU were denied all but token access to Ukraine’s vast mineral reserves, which it had hoped would be a bonanza for its industry, mainly German, with huge profits funded by international aid. It will, I hope, have to pay for them instead of making money from them.
Americans have had enough of having to intervene in European wars and I cannot blame them. But of course Europe, whil claiming Ukraine is now of Trump’s business, will still expect the US to guarantee Ukraine’s security with the money and lives of its own people. Why should they?
February 18, 2025
PS. Let’s not foget either that the EU funded and suported the Maidan rioters. It is truly a malign power in the world.
February 18, 2025
It is claimed by those who blame Putin completely for the Ukraine War that NATO is a defensive organisation and Putin has/had nothing to fear from the eastward expansion of the EU/NATO.
This ignores the fact that Russian history shows it has suffered far more than the UK from repeated French and German attempts to unify Europe by force.
Not only should we refuse to join an EU Army and committing ourselves to defending the EU’s borders, we should also make it very clear that we will not protect any future member of the EU whether or not it is in NATO if that expansion leads to a war (with Russia or any other opponent).
February 18, 2025
We in the UK must maintain our own security to the highest level. Only after doing that should we consider assisting others in combat to maintain theirs. Helping others does not involve joining their army or compromising our own weapon systems to adapt to their ways, nor some hybrid misfit.
Ad hoc areas of cooperation can make sense, such as joint ventures with our strongest allies on specific technology, such as that which enabled Concorde.
NATO as a wider alliance is also a sensible means of defence, but it is the responsibility of the nations it defends to pay its costs, not that of the USA taxpayers to subsidise it for decades.
Switzerland in the middle and Ireland on the edge are neutral non-belligerent nations only the worst aggressor would attack. NATO would be most unlikely not to defend them. Maybe their peaceful nature is the most sensible defence of all.
February 18, 2025
You think cooperation with France is a good idea? Think Exocet and the fact that they refused us additional components of some other armament.
February 18, 2025
Our history shows more enmity with France than Germany, yet both are close neighbours sharing fine qualities with ours, including our DNA.
France, in selling Exocets to Argentina earlier, delivered bitter blows when they became belligerent, such as to HMS Sheffield. Wars cause such consequences. Just as a cutler fashions a knife for specific purposes, a crazy man using it to stab someone is the one at fault.
Brexit created animosity among many in the EU. Weâre better apart, making our own decisions, yet in cases where mutual advantage exists, some cooperation would be sensible.
February 18, 2025
Today’s post puts perspective on the present situation. It makes Starmer’s headlong rush to Paris, Washington and wherever else his “Net Zero One” plane will take him look absurd. Panic panic panic, trying to appear relevant, while he should be just be meeting with Nato allies to work out a joint policy. If Trump wants to be part of that, fine. If not, we cut the stupidly high benefits bills, stop all foreign incursion into European Nato countries and Canada, pay and deal with the situation amongst remaining Nato members without America.
February 18, 2025
@Sir Joe Soap – âWhen a politician fails at home they usually embark on some foreign escapade that also failsâŠ.and boy, has he failed at homeâ
No UK Government, no one managing the shop, taxes and borrowing goes through the roof expenditure goes unchecked. Those we thought were in charge are prancing around the globe stroking personal ego.
When does the UK get its own MP’s, own Parliament? Sack them all and no one would notice they are all failing at their job
February 18, 2025
Let’s put this into perspective. Of the historic invasion attempts listed, a number succeeded. The Romans conquered about half of the British Isles (they never conquered Ireland or Scotland) which lasted from AD 43 – AD 410. After the Romans left, the Saxons occupied us, pushing the indigenous Celts to the western fringes of Britain, subsequently the Vikings were eventually militarily defeated by the Saxons and assimilated. The various Saxon kingdoms were united under King Ăthelstan. The Norman Vikings conquered the Saxons in 1066, seizing vast estates and their influence is still felt today. The Dutch invaded and successfully conquered us in 1688 (the “Glorious Revolution”), imposing a Protestant king, William of Orange
We are a small country of four nations – English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh. Occasionally we unite to fight the major wars of the day and we managed to invade and control about a quarter of the globe (“the Sun never sets on the British Empire”) Currently we are weak and heavily indebted and for the past 100 years our security of necessity has depended on alliances with our neighbours.
Circumstances have changed. Collectively Europe (and ourselves) must now step up our defence spending. This is urgent, as Trump and his MAGA henchmen are bent on isolationalism, selling out Ukraine, withrawal from NATO and just like the Romans, pulling their military forces from Europe. And if China invades Taiwan, we should let the Americans get on with it and focus our efforts on Europe
February 18, 2025
It is the EU that has been selling out on NATO for decades by not fully contributing to it handing responsibility to the US
After all the EU is now rushing around having meetings why ? because of Trump
OMG the EU might have to make a decision
And we all know how that goes
February 18, 2025
The Dutch did NOT conquer us. We invited a Protestant direct line woman Mary, and her husband William to defeat an attempt at conquest by The Vatican.
February 18, 2025
It was a Dutch army coming to put on the throne a Dutch King who wanted to use England to threaten from the north his sworn enemy, Louis XIV. He was invited to invade by a cabal of collaborators who wouldn’t accept religious tolerance.
February 19, 2025
Ph.P, thanks for that as it is much closer to truth than the âHistory of Englandâ for Girl Guides that some appear to have swallowed hook, line and sinker.
February 19, 2025
Do you always have be so condescending hefner?
It is lower than sarcasm as a form of wit.
February 18, 2025
The Romans were not interested in Scotland or Ireland because they did not have anything worth taking. England was wealthy because its people had exploited its mineral resources which they had previously traded with the Romans such as tin, lead, copper, gold and silver in exchange for wine.
The theory that the indigenous Brits became the Welsh never had any evidence to support it and has been disproven by DNA analysis. The differences are a result of differing migration routes to these Islands: the North Sea and the Atlantic seaboard.
February 18, 2025
They did not take the whole of England. They stopped at the narrowest part of the island and built a wall, itâs halfway up the island – from Hadrianâs Wall you can go 500 miles south or 500 miles north.
February 18, 2025
He’s not selling out Ukraine. This deal should have been done three years ago.
February 18, 2025
There was a better deal 3 years ago. Now Ukraine has to withdraw from Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and commit to never joining NATO before negotiations can commence.
February 18, 2025
So to allow for increased military spending, which budgets do you want to cut, SG? Or do you want increased taxes?
February 18, 2025
If President Trump was intent on isolation, then why get involved in the first place ? Your slander of the man makes no sense. Stopping a pointless war which Ukraine cannot win is not selling out, it is making them realise the obvious.
February 18, 2025
The vision of ‘Homeland Defense’ is rather different depending on where you live – in an American State, or at war with your former Subjugator.
February 18, 2025
That sounds entirely sensible to me, and we can only hope your view is widely shared across the country, Sir John. But I see even the Telegraph has given Starmer space for his ridiculous posturing.
February 18, 2025
I refer to the “European Empire” partly because that is how Juan Manuel Barroso described it in 2007:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Ralocq9uE
A local EU supporter was most indignant when I included it in a letter to the Maidenhead Advertiser:
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2024/09/06/the-conservatives-and-brexit/#comment-1473034
but it is the fact of the matter, another empire like others in history, and one which not last forever.
February 18, 2025
In fact itâs Germanyâs Empire. We call it âGerman Europeâ.
February 18, 2025
Whilst I donât disagree with the thesis, the problem is weapons procurement and supply. If we wish to have an arms manufacturing capability we need to collaborate. The US goes it alone. We have to work with our European neighbours. They will probably only work with us if we commit in their wider military endeavours.
February 18, 2025
Ahem, sir John: this sentence of yours requires at least an adjustment: “They did much to prevent Napoleon dominating most of Europe.” – Did our predecessors only ‘do much’ – or did they in fact carry the whole burden for non-napoleonic Europe not just by fighting and driving France out of Portugal and spain but by defeating France on the High Seas, for years – while also giving subsidiaries to those countries trying to set up a resistance?
Reply Continental armies toiled against France and Blucher turned up at Waterloo
February 18, 2025
Certainly, too many wars that were started in Europe by Europeans had the aim of uniting different lands under the control of the strongest.
That this failed so many times simply because each country was and is unique and different from the rest should have stopped the EEC in it’s tracks.
Britain suffered as much as any country from dictators that wanted to own the world, but we came out of it with a better perspective of how the world should operate. Europe has never forgiven us for the size and wealth of the empire we had once.
Now we see the warmongers of Europe determined to get in the way of a cease fire in Ukraine, perhaps because the EU wants to own Ukraine with it’s vast resources – Â Vested interests once again get in the way of peace.
February 18, 2025
According to reports in the Telegraph, it’s Trump who wants Ukraine’s resources.
February 19, 2025
The Telegraph hasn’t always been totally honest when relating to Trump
February 19, 2025
They’re reporting that non-government lawyers have drafted an agreement (which they claim to have a copy of) in which the USA gets 50% of all the natural resource recurring revenues, 50% of the value of licenses issued, US veto rights, plus access to Ukraine’s oil and gas, ports and other infrastructure.
If true, Trump is trying to milk Ukraine for all it’s worth.
February 18, 2025
It is dangerous having a PM like Starmer who is so bad at judging public opinion and is so uncharismatic he canât mould public opinion. His bizarre idea that Russia would accept any peace deal that involved UK forces in a peace-keeping role on their border seems to have been almost universally condemned including by the German government. On this and several other issues like Chagos I expect dissection within his own cabinet will eventually force him to change tack.
February 18, 2025
The EU was constructed to destabilise and impoverish the nations of Western Europe for socialism depends upon people remaining poor.
Hence the expansion into Eastern Europe and beyond as evidenced by PM Cameronâs speech in Kazakhstan in 2013 where he declared that the EU should extend further into the former USSR and reach from the Atlantic to the Urals.
Hence the wish to bring Ukraine into the EU and NATO. Another advantage of Ukraine, in addition to give a reason for spending vast sums of taxpayer money, is to provide another porous border for illegal immigrants to enter Europe.
Just as high wasteful spending is used to justify high taxation so high immigration (legal and illegal) is to reduce wages and keep people poor
February 18, 2025
PS :
Net Zero, which is totally unnecessary (CO2 does not control the temperature, our emissions are no more than a rounding error on the global chart and the UN has climate action only at #13 in its priority list) is designed to make energy scarce, chaotically intermittent and expensive. Not implemented to save the planet but simply to impoverish the West.
February 19, 2025
PM Cameron in his speech in Kazakhstan in 2013 does not appear to have used the phrase âfrom the Atlantic to the Uralsâ
The text of his speech with subsequent questions by journalists can be found at
gov.uk 01/07/2013 âKazakhstan visit: Prime Ministerâs press conference with Nursultan Nazarbayevâ.
This expression had been used in multiple occasions by C.de Gaulle (16/03/1950; 25/03/1959; 07/06/1959; 17/06/1962).
If you read French you can get a good history of the use of this expression in charles-de-gaulle.org âLâEurope de lâAtlantique a lâOuralâ, 8pp.
February 18, 2025
Sir John
Serfs was the seemingly softer word to denote slaves in the day, they were tied to the land and the lord – they were still slaves. They had the same legal definition of being indentured workers as the indentured workers in the so-called colonies and they stayed that way for the same period of time.
Normans were essentially the Vikings invaders from a particular particular part of Gaul, that enslaved a large part of what is called the UK.
Appreciating of course that is not todayâs point (Diary Subject)
The UK needs to get up-to speed and create its own sustainable resilient defence structure before it ever looks to lending UK lives elsewhere. Its is not about GDP, its about being secure otherwise there is no GDP. The UK defence forces should no longer be used as ‘cannon’ fodder for someone elseâs problems.
In the round we are not able to defend our sky’s, we have shown by the current day invasions we cant defend our shores against criminals leaving safe havens. We cant defend our sea lanes and trade routes.
February 18, 2025
The traitors in our Political Class and its machinery twist reality with words such as by defending foreign lands we will stop the invaders reaching our shores, so we must join other in a common defence strategy – how has that worked out?
February 18, 2025
Its very concerning the apparent lack of reading in the government today. We obsess over the idea of learning from historical events but so few have a truly holistic view. It is all too simple to compare someone to a Nazi when they are badly behaved. But I want a government who have a much deeper understanding (at the age of 30 there are still too many books I’d like to read, so much so that I’d be cautious going into politics until I had).
February 18, 2025
Excellent analysis, based in historic fact and charting the unchanged attitude of our age old enemies which constitute the modern EU.
I find no difficulty plumping for the English speaking world, a group of countries seeded from our British experience, attitude and people. Indeed, there is no decision involved as there is actually no alternative.
Note that although we have always, in the main, been anti-communist (although many joined the Spanish communists to fight the Spanish fascists – sir Alfred Sherman being among that number) the USSR never was a hot war opponent. We need to recover from our Russophobia and look these people in the eye. We will find much common ground – you will hear Trump say that very thing shortly.
February 18, 2025
4.00pm GMT Witkoff âWe could not have imagined a better resultâ on the morning session of USA/Russian talks in Riyadh.
Hurrah!
February 18, 2025
Excellent article. I hope the PM reads it. No UK troops should be involved in policing a Russia/Ukraine ceasefire.
The PM shows his limitations by suggesting it, and his foolishness if he sends our troops to Ukraine.
Yet the PM then refuses to increase our defense budget to what is needed in the current world situation, whether that is 2.5% or even 5%.
What the PM does or does not do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what the PM says!
February 18, 2025
Quite so, Sir John. In the meantime, the EU and Starmer have lost the war and are now doing their damnedest to lose the peace. In the process they have shot NATO’s reputation to pieces. Headless chickens indeed.
February 18, 2025
I donât really see European army happening. It would just be a big mess. And there is already NATO. Ukraine is one thing – NATO is another. Hopefully they now understand the importance of credible military deterrent. Albeit militarily strong Germany has always meant troubles.
February 18, 2025
Sir John
Those brave men and women that join the defence of the UK, are essentially the Governments trained killers. There to defend us all. They do the Governments bidding without question in a disciplined methodical way.
People of this calibre are in short supply and what does the UK Government and Legislators do by way of thanks they turn the UK legal system against these brave people for daring to do what they were ordered to do on behalf of the UK Government. In obeying orders, following the training they become the persecuted.
If Government and the Law needs scape-goats they should first go for Ministers that ordered ‘their'(the Governments) trained killers into action.
The UK Government as with its poor decisions on spending to defend us, have also ensured it own one sided laws mean we cannot recruit.
February 18, 2025
Talking about the UK’s historical past is too subjective compared to the objective challenges of today:
1) HYPERSONIC. The UK needs to work closely with other friendly countries (Europe, USA, Australia etc) to build anti-hypersonic missile and drone defence.
2) TERRORISM. The UK needS to work closely with Europe over terrorism (and focus more on special operations and appropriate high quality tech).
3) WORKING TOGETHER AS SEPARATE ARMED FORCES. The UK should remain independent of Europe in every sense but we should work more closely with their armed forces. So for example, we should invite the Germans and French to train on Salisbury plain with the British army. And vice-versa in Germany in France. So if ever there was a war against someone like Putin, our European armed forces would be better aligned to defeat such a foe.
February 18, 2025
An excellent resumé of our history, sadly today we do not have a government with sufficient intellect to guide us forward.
February 18, 2025
A European army to defend what ?
Our freedom of speech ? Our women from hordes of invaders ? Our culture from the same ? Our freedom to choose our religion (or none at all) without persecution and oppression ?
Sir John. Every single one of your posts should include some element of mass immigration in it. From economics to defence, because everything is affected so deeply by it.
Of defence – what is the point of defence if mass immigration is allowed in spite of all votes being to stop it ? There is no longer a democracy to defend and no longer a national culture to defend. In Germany they actually arrest and prosecute people for saying bad things about politicians – such as calling them idiots.
JD Vance touched on these issues.
February 18, 2025
And those countries who renege on making appropriate contributions to NATO should be excluded. Why should Ireland, Austria etc receive the assured NATO support when they fail to support NATO.
Starmer canât fix the foundations for the British people yet he is so desperate to be the Big Man reconstructing Europe; he is an arrogant, inept, hypocritical, liar programmed to be nothing more than an entitled money grabbing Solicitor/Lawyer. He is very good at taking money away from British people, leaving them with poor services, in order to look after prawns in Bangladesh, prisoners in Albania, etc. He is a very dangerous man for Britain and needs stopped. It will be interesting to see if there is a Free Vote in Parliament regards sending British troops to Ukraine!
February 18, 2025
Quite so Sir John. You could have added the Greek City States in the times BC.
February 18, 2025
I enjoyed learning from your blog post John.
Israel is non-NATO ally since 1987 and cooperates with NATO in the areas of technology, counterterrorism and other areas.
Eight EU Countries under 2% They are Croatia (1.81%), Portugal (1.55%), Italy (1.49%) Canada (1.37%), Belgium (1.30%), Luxembourg (1.29%), Slovenia (1.29%) and Spain (1.28%). Previously, France and Germany weren’t meeting targets, so it’s strange of them now to want the UK to step into their new military idea! In 2022 only 7 of the 27 were spending the agreed amount and in 2023 11! This gave them a competitive advantage over us as they could spend this extra money on their local priorities.
Ireland is one of four EU countries that aren’t members of NATO; the others being Austria, Cyprus and Malta. This needs correcting by the EU. Wouldn’t we all like military neutrality like Switzerland, Iceland and Ireland? However, Ireland recently seemed to take a position over Gaza, so as a neutral Country, where does the Country that stands on our border feature, and who funds the military support this Country receives?
February 18, 2025
The USA has defeated Europe and the UK by way of propaganda and nearly defeated itself with same crap, hundreds of billions a year going in every year, you might think its impossible but they done it, from flower power in the sixty to now.
February 18, 2025
Who was the flower power PotUS, I must have missed it.
February 18, 2025
You say – it is not feasible to expect the US to provide defence cover for an expanding EU as they add non Nato members – true – and by this I take it you mean Ukraine – but one structure Nato is essentially a military alliance while the other EU an economic club. However If the US puts itself forward uninvited as it has done with Ukraine and wants to play “new Sheriff in town” well then that may not be in the best interests of anyone either – as always the Americans want the quick fix but their solutions rarely hold firm – Europe should now look to itself.
February 18, 2025
So what are we going to do now because by the looks of it the US is playing fast and free with Ukraine and Europe and now hoping to get the Russians on side before the big blow up with China that is surely coming. Also we can forget about that special relationship now because it never existed except in our minds or when we were useful to them to fill the gap and give moral authority – but always to the US agenda
February 19, 2025
Nothing is forever but Russia and China are going to be inseparable for as far ahead as I can see.Wishful thinking on the part of you and others.
February 18, 2025
I find it difficult to envisage how we could do anything militarily these days. We can’t make anything for ourselves and, anything we do make, is unbelievably expensive. SIX THOUSAND, MILLION POUNDS for two aircraft carriers (without planes), that I seem to remember reading cannot operate if the sea is slightly warm. We no longer have the capacity to make planes, ships, tanks etc.
February 18, 2025
When are we getting reparations for invasion and slavery from, amongst others, the Scandinavian countries, Italy and France?
February 19, 2025
Lastly, this website has pushed me more towards the right (more pro Brexit, more pro fracking, more lower taxation – stuff like that). And I hate, even more, socialism / WOKE (I don’t hate the people behind them but the philosophy they hold) but I still stand FIRM that we must always focus on finding / maximising the balance between prosperity / security / safety AND feeling happy / alive / inspired. There’s no point having lots of money if it makes you miserable (you might as well just get rid of it all and become a sheep farmer in the Yorkshire Dales – you’d survive but much more importantly you’d be way happier IF your money is making you miserable). But at the same time, poverty is no fun either. Wealth buys us strong health system, military security, good transport to travel to work, money for retirement, decent food, money for travel and adventure and culture and the arts etc).
So be careful of Trump / Elon Musk. All that glitters is not gold. But on the other hand, give them a chance too.