Successive Prime Ministers have enjoyed public support to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the vicious attacks on civilians in Ukrainian cities. They have also been right to keep UK forces out of the war. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. The UK does not want to declare war on Russia. NATO relies heavily on its US contribution. The current US President wants a negotiated peace in Ukraine and does not want a war against Russia.
So far so good. The problem with these popular positions is they leave Ukraine locked in a bitter and never ending conflict with Russia with insufficient support from allies to drive Russia out of the parts of Ukraine they do occupy. So what we have seen is a creeping rise in types of military support with Western allies gradually increasing the ferocity and capability of weapons they will supply. There has also been some movement from only supplying weapons claimed to be defensive and confined to use in Ukraine, though there is still some caution about supplying weapons that could be used by Ukraine in and against targets in Russia.
This is still not enough to allow Ukraine to overwhelm Russian positions in East Ukraine. The Ukrainian ability to develop and make lots of relatively cheap drones has negated the use of Russian tanks and has now largely frozen frontlines, creating a killing zone between the front trench lines of the two sides. Ukraine however relies on substantial financial support from the West and their weapons exports to supplement home production.
The US under President Biden was most cautious over what types of weapon to allow Ukraine. Under President Trump the money and weapons sent to Ukraine has been reduced after early years generosity. The President sees the Ukraine war as being an EU responsibility. After all, he reasons, the EU wants Ukraine to become a member.The Europeans he thinks should take. more responsibility for their own defence after years of heavy reliance on US forces. The original Russian invasion of Crimea resulted from the EU helping get an elected pro Russia President out of office, de stabilising the situation though that was no excuse for the Russian actions that followed.
The Germans have responded to the need to increase help but France and the other leading EU states have not. The EU talks of accelerating EU membership, not ruling it out while the war continues. NATO is clearer. A state cannot join to enjoy the Security support from others whilst fighting a war, for obvious reasons.
What should the EU do to help its candidate member? What role should the EU play in trying to stabilise its borders? What are the EU’s objectives over expansion to the east?
August 25, 2026
Perhaps Mr Burnham has rather more important things to do at home than playing songs by The Smiths on a guitar with Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv. The man is all pathetic PR and worthless platitudes.
Things like controlling the borders, cutting the vast government waste, funding defence properly, ditching net zero, drilling, fracking, reversing the doom loop tax to death economic policies, releasing honest figures on the Covid Vaccine harms, restoring free speech… In short reversing virtually all he and Starmer have done so far.
August 25, 2026
@Lifelogic – that is a dream world, not the nightmare we all face. This UK Parliament has chosen Burnham as there leader because he follows the same ego path of me, me, me. The Country its People just cant be placed before the entitlement of ego
August 25, 2026
Burnham, like Starmer, is just a front man.
August 25, 2026
@Mark B – a front man that is a soloist
August 25, 2026
Burnham and the EU should keep their collective noses out of other peoples business. It was largely down to the EU and stupid Cameron with his EU to the Urals nonesense.
The EU is a busted flush by all metrix. The Eastern states are having none if the mass immigration started by Merkle, France ,Italy and Germany alk look to be heading forcanti EU policies.
The EU needs the war to keep it relevant but the nation states don’t.
Time for a re evaluation I think.
August 25, 2026
LL,
‘Worthless platitudes’ is a good one. You should add it to your favourites.
I suppose The Smiths fits in with his Manchesterism nonsense. It would be funny if they objected to his use of their songs. It often happens when politicians and entertainers are not in agreement.
August 25, 2026
Isn’t Burnham said to be a better guitarist than Starmer …..I see no other reason for replacing Starmer
August 26, 2026
It is the whole of the Labour Party their MPs and their mad, tax to and regulate to death, lunacy that need replacing.
August 25, 2026
As far as I am concerned it is a totally unnecessary war.The Ukraine was given independence 35 years ago so why does Russia want it back?
The lust for power is beyond reasonable logic.It is archaic , destructive and since these 2 factions are close in historical culture,one would assume a similar sort of tacit understanding of the wars futility.
As for the threat of wandering drones over the UK …it is just mindless.
Man is responsible for allowing what is essentially the behaviour of meat eating dinosaurs to take over the world and we know what happened to them.
August 25, 2026
It is a proxy war that the USA got tired of. Europe pushed on with it whilst under the impression that America would continue to bear most of the cost.
Europe cannot defeat Russia. Zelensky is making a fortune out of the war whilst his countrymen bear all the pain.
The UK has no business prolonging a war in which it has no strategic interest.
August 25, 2026
Russia fired the first gun – so if it is a proxy war it is a defensive one and therefore neccessary.
August 25, 2026
Reply to Narrow Shoulders
It is only a defensive war for Russia which regards Ukraine in NATO as an existential threat.
August 25, 2026
Nope – the first guns were fired in the Maidan Square, Kiev, in February 2014, to bring down the elected government in a pro-NATO, pro-EU coup. The EU was offering it financial help, but with very tight strings attached, whereas a Russian loan offer had far fewer conditions. The then President of Ukraine naturally favoured the latter, so he was overthrown. After that a lot more guns (and missiles) were fired by the new regime in Kiev, to suppress the Donbas Russian speakers who wanted to retain their regional autonomy. It seems some people have forgotten how the Ukraine conflict arose.
August 26, 2026
That’s how it started. And that’s the criteria Burnham cites for picking a side….
August 25, 2026
Reply to Peter
Yes the USA started this disaster by saying Ukraine would join NATO. Wise commentators such as Kennan advised strongly against it.
Then the elected President of Ukraine was overthrown in a CIA coup.
Russia invaded to prevent Ukraine becoming further “weaponised” against it.
The USA has now fled from the field…but profit by selling weapons to Ukraine and the EU.
Britain should stay well clear of this total disaster. It has no national interests at stake and cannot benefit by being involved.
August 26, 2026
We now have a fairly substantial Ukrainian refugee diaspora: over 237,000 according to surpringly detailed data on our relationship from the FCDO.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet
Most of them have integrated reasonably well into UK society, and certainly much better that the large numbers of non Eurooeans busy about setting up their own welfare state paid by us. Whether they would choose to return to their war ravaged country if the war ended is becoming more doubtful. There is also a criminal element who are less welcome but for now secure a pass as refugees.
Other economic links arise through aid contributions, which are not just military, and trade, which is detailed here
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a69cc700825cc51a6c37cb4/ukraine-trade-and-investment-factsheet-2026-07-31.pdf
Not huge, but bigger than in Soviet times.
August 25, 2026
Burnham hands over the plans to the Storm Shadow missile. Does he have permission, the authority for such a move? The missile is made in France, what do the French workers think of Burnham giving their jobs away.
I guess the truth is some where else. Burnham is great on ‘pronouncements’ but very short of meaningful action. May be instead of following in Starmer’s AWOL footprints he could focus on finding, creating an economy that will start to fund all his sound-bites
As ‘flaky’ as the UK Political Class can get, the probable real reason such a dire Parliament chose him as their leader
Reply Macron consented to releasing the technology. Presumable the two governments own the IP as they behave as if they do.
August 25, 2026
Storm Shadow is made in Buckinghamshire.
August 25, 2026
@Ian Wragg – try Hemel Hempstead among the many. The point was, a ruler, a dictator, working for himself, but clearly not seeking approval from Parliament as it is only about him.
August 26, 2026
That’s a bit rough on Burnham, Ian. He’s only doing what he’s told.
August 25, 2026
@Reply – The real point is Burnham is wondering around the World making promises seemingly off his own back, seeking PR Headlines to promote self. No10 of the North, why, who pays? and so on.
We know he wont engage the electorate other that saying those in the South must pay more to those in the North as his sole contribution as to how the Country will earn and pay its way for ‘everyone’s future’ A desperation to create a divide a them and us. He wont seek Parliamentary approval he just ‘rules’, it leads you to ask has his Cabinet even agreed?
August 25, 2026
reuters.com 13/07/2026 ‘Ukraine to produce French missiles, orders war planes, Macron says’.
August 26, 2026
Presumably it frees up capacity to make arms for ourselves.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/750-million-package-to-provide-ukraine-with-150000-drones-and-boost-air-defence
August 25, 2026
The EU does not want Ukraine to become a member. It is entirely up to Ukraine to decide if it wants to join or not. The EU does not go round shopping for new members. New members choose their own path. As ever, your hatred of the EU forces you to misrepresent its position. Are you aware you are helping the Kremlin by pushing the line that the problem here is that the EU, and the West generally, are trying to expand? They are not. Expansion occurs only at the request of countries like Ukraine who grasp very well they are better and safer in the EU than out of it. A lesson a majority in the UK now also has learned
Reply The EU does encourage expansion and has been discussing accelerating Ukraine membership. I made clear I see no excuses to temper my hostility to Russia’s aggression. Your uncritical love of the EU stops you reading anything about what the EU actually says and does.
August 25, 2026
I love Europe, my wife is Italian and we have houses in France and Italy. Perhaps why I rather despise what the EU has done and indeed is still doing to both the UK and many other european countries.
August 25, 2026
@Lifelogic – the European People are a separate entity to those that rule. There is a lot to like with regard the people, the cultures and countries. Like in the UK what is said to be Democracy is just those with the power abusing their position and distorting for personal gain. Marxist persecution, sacrificing others so as the core can dictate and live well, allows us to identify more with the people more than their rulers.
August 25, 2026
But it does…..
It provides loans and other monies to selected entities on the periphery of the EU to encourage them to favour the EU and also to seek membership.
August 25, 2026
According to The Guardian on 30 April 2014:
“It’s not Russia that’s pushed Ukraine to the brink of war”.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/30/russia-ukraine-war-kiev-conflict
August 26, 2026
I’m not a Gruidian reader but they have a point. The facts are that Ukraine wanted to be independent, neutral and a buffer between east and weest in Europe.. It is a fact that Angel Merkel, ignoring completely the existing treaties between Russia and Ukraine, gave Ukraine and ultimatum: choose Russia or the EU , no neutrality. Then there were the Maidan riots in 2013/14 supported by EU money and US Democrat support and participation. Again the EU and US democrats effectively chose the EU leaning Poroshenko to succeed Yanukovich, shoe horned in in May 2014 quickly followed by an EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in June (ratified in Sep) as a prelude to EU membership. All too predictably, Russia annexed Crimea as a pre-emptive move to secure its access to the its Naval base at Sevastopol, and access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean and mercantile access to world sea routes. The Minsk Protocol was agreed Sep 2014, Minsk II in Feb 2015.
In addition to its habitual territorial expansion the EU’s aim has been clearly spelled out: to gain control of Ukraine’s vast mineral reserves for EU Green Energy, without which the EU cannot go ‘Green’ unless it relies on countries like Russia, China or the USA – all unacceptable to the EU.
August 25, 2026
A rather informative summary of the discussions related to Ukraine and the EU27 are in wikipedia ‘Ukraine-European Union relations’ starting in 1993 and the 30 Ukraine-EU meetings since 1997 and ‘Accession of Ukraine to the European Union’ (with a timeline going from February 2022 to July 2026).
August 25, 2026
Mrs Gold has suffered losses in the orchid greenhouse this summer. While some of her tropical orchids have done well, keeping the greenhouse humid yet at a reasonable temperature was very difficult, despite the fans
Old Jim our gardener set up a sprinkler system running from our rainwater harvesting system with three 200 litre water butts. This did help. Sadly, the water eventually ran out
Unfortunately, the nosey local Neighbourhood Watch woman saw this as a challenge to the hosepipe ban imposed by the water company and reported us to the council
Enter stage left, two “enforcement” bods from the water company, supported by a constable in uniform. Photographs were taken. The source of Mrs Gold’s orchids was questioned. Phytosanitary certificates were demanded. Eventually they left, leaving the remaining orchids behind.
Words fail me when I consider the idiocy of these jobsworths. Mrs Gold and the Neighbourhood Watch woman are no longer on speaking terms. Old Jim was flabbergasted. The sooner the water companies are re-nationalised the better.
Reply Nationalised water companies are unlikely to be less jobsworth!
August 25, 2026
Yes one rule enforced for some, other more serous rules completely ignored.
If you did not use a hosepipe, were you actually doing anything wrong.
But have or get a blue badge, then you can use a hosepipe. !
Afraid many plants in the garden being lost by a lot of people, even harry ones.
Meanwhile Illegal immigrants who use far more of the States resources, actually gain taxpayer and Government support.
August 25, 2026
SG. Boogaloo for you. My beautiful garden is a waste land and just showing some tentative signs of life after a couple of showers hope Jims paperwork is in order.
August 25, 2026
Depends where you are but for Thames Water the ban applies to use of a hosepipe irrespective of the source of the water. Suggest you read the rules more carefully in future – don’t do the crime if you don’t want to do the time.
August 25, 2026
To reply indeed – quite the reverse. Doubtless you will soon need to buy a licence to be allowed to grow certain plants – it will likely be a different one different certificate – for each plant – more profitable for the state that way. Then you and your gardeners will need licences and annual (or monthly) expensive training certificates too.
This is how the parasitic state operates.
August 25, 2026
Thanks to an underground spring my back lawn is lush and green. But I’m expecting that someone might glimpse it and I then get a visit from the authorities. It adds a bit of tension to life I suppose!
August 25, 2026
The EU’s problem with Ukraine is that the country is a bottomless pit of corruption, and not enough of the 107Bn Euros it has so far handed over to the Zelensky regime has been spent on the military. Ukraine is now seeing its last couple of remaining strongholds in the Donbas coming under siege, and the economic situation in the country is desperate. Ignoring the sunk cost fallacy, the EU just doubles down and casts around for more money to throw down the Ukraine black hole. And it’s eyeing our money now, as Lord John has observed recently: the aim is to bill us for ‘closer ties’ with the EU’s schemes, including ‘solidarity payments’ to countries the EU supports. Like Ukraine. No thank you.
August 25, 2026
Good morning.
Really ?!?!? Those Storm Shadow cruise missiles are not programming themselves. 😉
I have stated many times that I do not care about this war and just want it to end for the sake of both sides. It is costing us money we do not have and I am sick of it !
August 25, 2026
How do you want it to end? Positions as now Ukraine capitulate? Russia to withdraw?
None of these options is going to happen.
August 25, 2026
Well yes but how can it best be stopped?
August 25, 2026
Me thinks the only real solution will happen when and if Putin ever goes, or Ukraine run out of fighting men and women.
What a complete waste of resources Human, Financial, industrial, and land, by all concerned.
August 25, 2026
Very true. But do our political masters care?
August 25, 2026
It is very irritating to see Burnham issuing decrees on issues like BBQs, and announcing tax policies, and turning up in Ukraine on foreign policy matters without ever once having appeared in Parliament to announce these policies and be questioned on them. On Ukraine we should stay out of it entirely.
August 26, 2026
You need to understand that Woke Socialists don’t do democracy. They know what is best for you and your country and see no need to consult you at all. So buck up and do as you’re told!
August 25, 2026
The only way this war ends is if it is in President Putin’s interest.
Missiles raining down on Russian infrastructure (including trains and bridges) affecting ordinary Russians and a complete ban on Russian oil and gas being used by Western nations. With Iran and Russia, China and India will have a glut of cheap oil and gas, hopefully freeing supply from the rest of the world (and North sea please) to us.
August 25, 2026
Or the removal of Putin
August 25, 2026
By election of course
August 26, 2026
No chance. The only criticism Russians have of him is that he is too soft.
August 25, 2026
… to be replaced by a war-hawk. Not sure who wants that, Glen.
August 25, 2026
Limited support only, I’d say, and that is only by those that follow the BBC.
President Trump came within a whisker of ending this pointless war soon after elected – He would have succeeded if only Starmer hadn’t been whispering support to carry on. Now we are locked into this conflict when we should be looking to our own needs.
Already this is escalating, with Russia releasing warnings to the UK to keep out of this conflict, but the leaders of the willing, always keen to divert attention from net-0 and other disasters imagine a war with Russia will save them from the effects of oppression against their own people along with the economic mismanagement they have become so good at.
So what are they waiting for, these warmongers – why don’t they join up with Ukraine? Oh yes, our combined armies would not last a week against Russia, especially if Putin directed a few bombs our way. One reason they see the war extending for years while the willing build up their forces to punish Putin some time in the future.
It’s not just that we are led by cowards, they are pathetically out of touch with the real world, and just do not understand how much damage they are setting us and the world up for.
We should stop propping up Zelensky, who still will not allow national elections, immediately and make Ukraine sue for peace – THAT is the best support we could possibly give!
August 25, 2026
I picture the scene. The victorious Russian army marches into a town. The elite Russian soldiers (the ones whose job it is to shoot their own side running from the conflict) are there, because now is the time for them to join the action. The townsfolk are lined up. Amongst them the pretty young girls, who are separated out and marched to a hotel. I don’t need to tell you what happens next.
For this reason I am in favour of the UK continuing to support Ukraine.
August 25, 2026
Pure fiction, I’m afraid. But by all means carry on painting your ‘pictures’, and meanwhile Ukraine goes on suffering.
August 25, 2026
It’s not fiction, it’s actually happening in the Ukrainian regions taken over by Russia.
First casualty of war is the truth they say.
Perhaps that should read the first casualty of war is humanity.
August 25, 2026
The British military executed 306 soldiers for desertion and cowardice during World War I.
August 25, 2026
You cannot fight a defensive war and expect to win. The USA, UK and EU should have given Ukraine the most powerful weapons they had at the start of the war. They did not, and the result is that the war has dragged on for over four and a half years. If Russia had been hit really hard in the first six months, making sure the war affected their daily lives, it would have been stopped. Putin cannot cope with an internal rebellion, and there are now hints that it is coming.
What should the EU do? Either support Ukraine to the fullest extent and help them to win, or leave them to be gradually destroyed and gobbled up by Russia. But remember the world’s evil leaders are watching; if Russia defeats Ukraine, it will be the green light for other wars, probably Taiwan first.
August 25, 2026
Wrong- the US President is not looking for negotiated peace in Ukraine and for whatever reason he would prefer total victory for Mr Putin. Next thing the US President might see the Ukraine war as being a EU responsibility but he is wrong it is a European wide danger to all who live here and will have to deal with – it has ever been so since Peter The Greats time – Russia comes with a big chip on its shoulder as with the Crimean War in the 1850’s – it’s something to do with the respect they crave but which is never forthcoming. Then consider the case of Crimea 2014 Putin spent 60 Billion dollars preparing for the Sochi winter games which was supposed to be a showcase for how great things are in Russia but very few western leaders bothered to attend the opening ceremony and within days little green men appeared on the streets of Sevastobol and that was the start. So to keep the lines clear NATO is not Europe and Europe is not the EU nor does the EU solicit countries to join because it knows very well from past experience the trouble that can be caused by allowing unsuitable candidates into its ranks.
August 25, 2026
Ukraine’s efforts in hitting targets in Russia are defensive. They are being invaded and must resist the enemy’s means of attacking them.
The EU should not expand Eastwards unless a self-governing state applies to join the EU of its own volition. Assisting any nation to defend itself against an invader is normally a humane act but can itself attract direct enmity from the aggressor.
Probably the best way to stop war is avoid conflict and discuss matters without lives being lost. Ultimately, if it came to it, the two or more opposing parties could agree to settle matters based on something like a chess contest instead of causing so much mutual bloodshed and loss of life. Effort and money spent on weapons should be put to far better use.
Imagine if one nation being attacked discovered and had the sole expertise to cure cancer. If they offered to treat free of charge all those of the aggressor’s citizens at such risk to loss of life, would the aggressor have much purpose in attacking them?
August 26, 2026
Ukraine’s application to join the EU was a condition of EU support. This was the Faustian deal signed three days after the Russian invasion. Before then the EU offered only a little money and German helmets and blankets, no weapons at all.
August 26, 2026
We should remember that Germany actively prevented support for Ukraine militarily until after it lost all Russian gas supplies and decided it couldn’t be seen to acquiesce to Russian demands in order to restore them. Of course, it benefitted from Russian LNG imports to Netherlands, Belgium and France.
Together with Spain those countries are supposed to end Russian LNG purchases in January, but with very low stocks of gas in storage, essential to meet winter demand, they risk shooting themselves in the foot again. Once again bad energy policy creates strategic weaknesses. The UK will also suffer, competing for costly long haul LNG instead of enjoying production from Jackdaw.
August 25, 2026
Escalation has been the constant theme of this avoidable conflict. Western leadership seems determined to prolong the conflict resulting in more death, destruction and misery on both sides. Why? Where are our skilled and experienced Diplomats capable of undertaking difficult and detailed negotiations? Zelensky and Putin reached preliminary agreement in Turkey in 2022 weeks after the invasion, tragically scuppered by ex PM Johnson! Why is PM Burnham wasting taxpayers money and secret military blueprints on Ukraine rather than engaging in diplomacy. We don’t want escalation we don’t want war with Russia, Burnham is playing with fire.
August 25, 2026
so once again SG usurps a serious discussion about Moscow v Kiev.Good manners prevent me saying here
what I think about him and his witterings/rants.As for John of Kent! I look at the French coast daily”weather permitting” and I say to him “no-one I know in my neck of the woods(barring lib/dem and greenies) has the
faintest desire to get any nearer to it”.Back to the topic.Burnham has made the most appalling blunder
in giving Zelensky access to advanced weaponry that if,and when,used will leave Putin no option but to go
all out with everything at his disposal
August 25, 2026
Good up date, Lord redwoos.
The EU has done enough expansion. Far too much. It has caused enough trouble and should pull in its horns. For an institution which originally pretended it was to promote peace in Europe, it needs to take a good long look at itself.
August 25, 2026
The commitment we are making to enable ongoing war in Ukraine needs to be balanced with an equal commitment to work with partners on establishing a peace.
Are we actually doing that?
August 25, 2026
It has looked all along that every time Trump tries to bring the slaughter to an end, the EU and their hangers on in London boost it up again.
August 26, 2026
Agree
August 26, 2026
Do you mean Putin? That would be an improvement.
August 25, 2026
D.Trump during his 2024 campaign to be reelected said 53 times he would end the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 24 hours (edition.cnn.com, 25/04/2025 ‘It wasn’t in jest. Here are 53 times Trump said he’d end Ukraine war within 24 hours or before taking office’).
Then once elected he said this had been told ‘in jest’.
During the Nov’24-Jan’25 inter reign there was a US diplomat Joseph Keith Kellogg (lieutenant general and national security advisor of VPotUS Mike Pence during first DJT’s presidency) who had worked and prepared a plan to start proper discussions between Ukraine and Russia with potential participation of a monitoring US in view of stopping the conflict.
Within four days of DJT’s 2nd inauguration (25/01/2025) Kellogg had been ridiculed by Trump and replaced by Witkoff, a real estate investor and attorney friend of Trump, who then went to meet Sergei Lavrov without it seems much preparation from Witkoff.
Since then Witkoff pretends as DJT does that discussions are continuing about the conflict but nothing has come out of them after 20 months. And now J.Kushner has joined the club.
Many more details are available from ‘Regime Change’ by M.Haberman & J.Swan, Simon & Schuster ed., June ´26, 496pp.
August 25, 2026
I have no idea how anyone can say they know what the president of the United States wants. We know that he is in awe of Putin and regards Kim jong Un as his friend so much so that he has paused military exercises with South Korea because he doesn’t want to upset his friend causing consternation in the Far East and in the wider world. Probably the only one so far who has got to grips with this madness is PM Carney of Canada – we live in hope and elbows up
Reply Trump has consistently wanted a negotiated peace in Ukraine but failed to deliver it.
August 25, 2026
‘‘How worthwhile is a trade agreement with a liar?´ that’s the question all countries exporting to/importing from/trading with DJT’s USA should ask themselves’.
from S.Paquin, political analyst, Quebec’s National Institute of Public Administration.
August 26, 2026
It has been interesting to note Carney threatening to cut electricity supply to the US including via a costly new HVDC intertie carrying hydro and nuclear power from Ontario to New York. A lesson for Democrats in the US North East: you are much better to have your own power plants and fast pipelines from your own country.
Also a reminder of the insecurity of relying on interconnector imports for the UK, which may become an issue this winter with low Continental gas supply, and low reservoir levels in Northern Europe including Norway, which lies behind supply to several countries.
August 25, 2026
It’s maybe time for NATO to part ways with the US and reconfigure to suit Europe and Canada’s needs
August 25, 2026
Lucas:you cannot be serious.NATO without USA is a dead duck Canada without USA and Commonwealth
partners cannot stand alone.As for another Hefner contribution?What planet is he on?
August 25, 2026
I see Trump is introducing a 100,000 dollar fee for a H1b visa, used by the Indian outsourcers to flood Indian nationals into tech jobs in the US. To encourage people to hire locals instead.
Compare and contrast to the 5 years completely free of both employers & employees National Insurance given to equivalents here in the UK mostly entering on intra company transfer visas.
August 26, 2026
An excellent summary except for one very important omission: Critical minerals for EU Green Energy, gaining control of which was one of the EU’s primary motivations for supoprting Ukraine in addition to its usual expansionist tendency. This is perfetly clear from the EU’s numerous announcements by Von Der Leyen et al.
One may argue it is reasonable in order to reduce dependence on China but the EU is clearly happy to give financial aid and to send militarty equipment without risking any European lives so long as it is only Ukrainian lives being sacrificed for this EU gain. This position is morally reprehensible. As in the Allies’ justification of dropping atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945, the war must be ended quickly to save lives, if not by negotiation, then by overwhelming force. Japan prospered after its surrender. Somehow we must engineer a similar outcome to the Ukraine-Russia war. But, given the EU’s motivations being limited to expansion of its power and territory and gaining control of resources, this is very unlikely. This is not a civilisational war.
Meanwhile there is a real but entirely unconnected civilisational conflict: the Woke Left is a doormat for the Islamification of Britain, Europe and much of the West. There is no military defence aginst this threat, which is advancing almost unopposed throughout every institution of the British state. If the West’s Christian and Jewish heritage and foundations are to survive this is where political action is most urgently needed.