It is odd that the western governing elites press hard for peace in Gaza rightly pointing to the deaths and destruction in the war, yet do not press for peace in Ukraine where there are also terrible deaths and destruction of property.
President Trump wants peace in both places. He is accused of letting Russia get too many wins in Ukraine and of being too pro Israel in the Middle East. In both cases the question is where is the better answer which can get us to peace? Secretary Rubio is seeking to get a path in Gaza to peace that the leading Arab states support and will back.
In Ukraine the President says after 3 years of bruising and expensive war Ukraine has lost substantial land and has suffered bad damage to its property and economy. He does not see Ukraine being able to evict Russia by force and has no more intention than Biden of using US and NATO forces to do the job. Nor does he see Russia being able to defeat Ukraine and take the whole country.He therefore says to both sides that a settlement related to the current front lines is a better outcome than fighting on with more loss.
Many European governments disagree strongly. They have not put forward any alternative plan. They have been slow to provide modern and effective weapons to Ukraine. They have continued to buy plenty of Russian LNG whilst US led sanctions were trying to undermine the Russian economy. They failed to hit the target for the delivery of shells. They say they want to be in the room with Trump and Putin, but if they are serious in thinking Ukraine should join NATO and should not surrender any land Putin would not stay in the room.
They failed to coordinate a position when Macron convened an informal meeting. No formal EU meeting has agreed a line. They discussed how to police a peace settlement along the lines of the settlement Putin and Trump might agree which they say they do not want. France, Sweden and non EU UK said they would send troops but Poland and Germany the largest military powers near Ukraine refused.
They want Ukraine to become a Nato member after the peace, but as the US is against and is the dominant partner in NATO this cannot happen. Russia does not want another NATO state on its doorstep as it does not grasp that NATO is a defensive alliance that would not threaten it unless Russia was invading a NATO country.
If Europe is serious about helping Ukraine to fight on and improve its bargaining position then it has to set out how it can replace all the lost money and military might of the US which means doubling its current contribution. It would need to increase that doubled contribution as the combined generosity of US and Europe has been insufficient. I don’t see Europe being able or willing to do that.
February 21, 2025
Some don’t want the war to come to an end as the rewards, benefits and globalist vested interest far outweigh the downside of a peace. More importantly the issue can be used by the Trump despising globalists to portray Trump as an appeaser of despotism and military aggression.
What should happen is Ukraine becomes a US economic vested interest (raw materials, REMs and oil, gas and agriculture and rebuilding work) that way Putin is far less likely to pursue military moves against its neighbour if it knows that to do so it would be an attack on US national security
February 21, 2025
So DOM how would you like it if the Americans came in here and started to stomp all about the place tearing up the ground looking for rare earth minerals told you they were going to take the stuff anyway – Think you’d be happy with that?
February 21, 2025
Nice of Starmer to offer to put UK servicemen ‘in harm’s way’ in the Ukraine.
Maybe some of them would wish the same for Starmer himself.
February 21, 2025
I think the EU and the rest of the world should understand on matters of extreme consequence the US does negotiate bilaterally if it feels the need, for example this was the case between Reagan and Gorbachev in Iceland in 1986. I therefore don’t see President Trump bilaterally negotiating with Putin as irregular.
That said, I don’t believe the US would object to any bilateral discussions between any EU member-state and Russia given there was much precedence for that throughout the Cold War too.
The US is therefore entitled to negotiate bilaterally with anyone it chooses given its military and financial resources are being so heavily relied upon by the rest of the world.
February 21, 2025
If Trump get a deal on Ukraine with Putin, Ukraine does not have to accept it. It can fight on to victory which we are assured by the BBC, Rutte of NATO, U.K. political class and the MOD is inevitable.
Trump will not give a damn. The USA will be out of it.
February 22, 2025
Not so Lynn above all else Trump wants the rare earth minerals
February 22, 2025
They need something for the USD 350 billion they have paid.
February 21, 2025
JD Vance has with great clarity pointed out the inherent weakness of the EU and UK over recent years , particularly in their importation of totally alien medaevil cultures over the last thirty years . These countries sup at the table of their own destruction. It would appear that the German electorate are waking to the fact. Polls suggest the UK electorate most certainly has. It remains for UK government to awake to the realities. Our PM goes before the headmasters desk next week for reorientation. The reversal for Labour is so alien to their thinking, the very word being overly generous to think they still have the capacity for logical thought, that it will drive their implosion.
Two things emerged from last nights conservative meeting in the USA. The clarity from JD Vance and Nigel Farage and the need to keep Elon Musk’s undoubted genius well clear of the speaking platform. A totally incoherent belitteling performance, such is genius.
Should the Donald achieve his goal of ending the war in Ukraine, he must not be allowed to exploit its rare earth assets for anything but the rebuilding of the Ukraine economy and the countries ongoing security. It would be good to see Ukraine back as a major exporter of grain and fertilizer. Let the european and UK great reset begin.
Looking on the positive side. Though Donald has only four years, JDV has a potential further eight.
February 21, 2025
12 years of Trump and Vance! The EU commissars and inernational rights lawyers will be in tears.
February 21, 2025
I’d much rather live in the UK than the USA though.
I’ve worked in the USA. It’s great for a holiday and an adventure but you wouldn’t want to live there. I came across sooo many crazies there. I mean crazies in ordinary, American suburban life.
People in the UK overall are warmed, kinder with less trickery behind them. We have lovely, old towns and cities and a great culture. And people over here have a much better sense of humour. Americans often take themselves far too seriously.
And though our economy is not as strong, and we have a lot of problems that need sorting out for sure, we’re still not impoverished either. Far from it.
So we need to focus more on how GREAT our country is NOW – but, sure, can be much greater still.
So can people stop putting our great country down. And talking about America – and its political leaders – as it its the Nirvana. The UK now is more like Nirvana now than the USA – and by far – in my mind.
February 21, 2025
On the subject of your lecture today, I hope GBNews have the wisdom to record it and play us its message.
February 21, 2025
I’m hoping that Sir John will publish a transcript here.
February 21, 2025
Ukraine is exposing the EU for what it really is. An ineffectual protection racket. Germany and to a lesser extent france don’t want to upset Putin because they want to get back to business as usual.
They demand to be heard but are unwilling to stump up cash and equipment for Ukraine to have a fighting chance.
This really should be a wake up call for Europe but I doubt they will acknowledge it.
February 21, 2025
Ian
What Germany and France decide behind closed doors, the EU does ! The others are just markets / vassal states.
February 21, 2025
The US wants to get back in the Russian market.At the start of this week it was reported that VISA and Mastercard have started negotiations with the Russian government to re-enter.Russia has replaced most German imports with at least as good but cheaper Chinese products.Who cares about France which is extremely upset that Russia has booted it out of Africa and has very little to offer anybody(Nassim Nicholas Taleb:”France-the unsustainable and unavoidable mutation of a standard industrial welfare state into a low- growth high-debt museum with a medieval economy focused on handbags,cheese and wine regardless of a ‘rightist’ or ‘leftist’ outcome).
The arc of civilization now runs from the Pacific coast of Russia & China through central asia,Iran and the Gulf and into Africa.Inside that arc lies the future,outside the past.Indonesia,Malaysia and Thailand have joined BRICS this year,new(or revived historic) trade routes are being rapidly developed-the INSTC,CPEC,China-Laos-Thailand high speed rail,contracts placed last week for a new road bridge across the Tuman river which will improve connectivity and trade logistics between Russia and N Korea(and give Russia access to NK’s warmer water and underutilized ports)etc.
You’ll all be on the outside looking in -and getting poorer!
btw,Trump mentions that there is a “big,beautiful ocean” between the US and Europe;well,there’s only 2.4 miles between the US and Russia(Little Diomede island-US-and Big Diomede island-Russia).I wonder if the bridge/tunnel across the Bering Strait,first conceptualized at the end of the 19th century, will now get built!
February 21, 2025
Is Trump now attempting to do what should have been done in the first place?
It seemed some had the lust for blood, not theirs of course, and had the popcorn ready to watch as those they had designated to fight on their behalf fell in their thousands.
No photo opportunity was missed to talk tough in a camouflage jacket, ride around in a tank or chuck a few grenades.
I think the Ukrainian people have been ill used, their affairs were being meddled with long before Putin took advantage of a weak West. We hear of a corrupt system, with individuals looting the people, but I doubt it was just Ukrainian officials on the make.
Any peace and rebuilding work I’ve no doubt will yet again see those types swoop in and be on the make.
All those young men dead for who and for what?
As an aside, coming from a military family, seeing Johnson in camouflage enjoying his moment in the spotlight was sickening enough. Seeing Starmer dressed for the part is virtually unbearable.
February 21, 2025
I think the word, ‘Cannon-fodder’ is what you are looking for.
February 21, 2025
I think that’s a pretty realistic assessment for the most part. I detest the idea of the Gazans losing their country, but their leaders in recent times have not come forward with viable plans on revitalising the place and living alongside Israel.
I look less favourably on the West with its relations with post Soviet Russia. Since the 1990s we’ve known NATO expansion was a red line for the Kremlin. Rightly so, as it’s not purely a defensive organisation; it bombed Serbia. More importantly in this context, it allows itself to put forward bases anywhere in its territory, including as near to Russia’s border as possible. The US would never accept Russia doing this in its hemisphere, for the good reason that such bases could be used to launch attacks.
We have broken our promises not to expand NATO eastwards “more than an inch”, for the past 30 years. The US is finally acknowledging reality; Ukraine can’t join NATO without provoking a Cuban missile-type crisis. No-one rational wants that. The Europeans and British know this too, and they know the US can veto Ukranian membership. They are just playing a dangerous game of trying to look big on the world stage, and attempting to hide the complete, appalling failure of their Ukranian policy.
February 21, 2025
“NATO is a defensive alliance…”?
NATO WAS a defensive alliance during the Cold War and then became the military arm of the US Empire.
There was nothing “defensive” about NATO expanding Eastwards having stated it wouldn’t, putting missiles in Poland (to protect against Iran’s missiles…yeah, right..) and being complicit (in the demonstrations ed)which overthrew the duly elected President of Ukraine.
Unfortunately for the minor numbers of NATO, Uncle Samuel has decided he doesn’t want to support the club anymore, with money or troops, so their bellicose pronouncements are merely ridiculous.
In particular Starmer is so keen to rejoin the EU in all but name he is a major cheerleader.
February 21, 2025
Trump and his MAGA sycophants have spent the past fortnight traducing Zelenskiy, claiming without evidence that he has done a bad job (ridiculous, the Churchillian Zelenskiy has done all he can to defend his country from Russian aggression) that he has do democratic mandate – (equally ridiculous) and again without evidence, that his support is less than 4% – an outright lie. All this follows the war criminal Putin’s position
Trump is a classic bully. On Monday in NYC, he proclaimed himself King. I wonder why.
February 21, 2025
@ Sakara Gold – I do recall one American, recently pardoned, and, allegedly, various of his family were heavily engaged in Ukraine at one time. Perhaps President Trump has that in mind and the identities of Ukrainian helpers?
February 21, 2025
‘Churchillian Zelensky’? !!! Well, it’s true Churchill lost the first election he held after the war in Europe ended. So there may be an analogy there.
February 21, 2025
@SG. The Economist, Sept 2024:
“Mr Zelensky said the country needed a “new structure.” He will not have missed the massive drop in government popularity registered by polls in recent months. With elections cancelled during the war, this was one of the only levers he could pull.”
Ukranian regime-approved pollsters say his approval ratings is 50-70%. These are not credible sources. The Americans will have better intelligence on this, though I accept Trump often exaggerates details.
Churchill’s approval ratings (from declassified documents – so credible in my opinion, but kept secret until after the war) were 80-90% from 1942-1943 and 90% at the end of the war (despite him going on to lose the election).
February 21, 2025
Good morning.
Russia does not want to take the whole country. It wants to keep the bits it has got and have peace. It has achieved, albeit at great cost, the former. It now has to achieve the latter.
The sooner this mess is over the better.
Oh ! And the reasons why Europeans want peace in Gaza but not Ukraine is that people of a certain religion do tend to vote along certain lines. In truth, they couldn’t give a stuff about either.
February 21, 2025
Russia may not want to take the whole country, but Putin does. That’s why he lined up his armour to go straight into Kyiv.
This could be over really soon. All it needs is for Russian forces to return to their border and give up territory it has wrongfully occupied.
February 21, 2025
And if not, Dave, what then? Do you want British squaddies dying in Ukraine, or are you OK if it just continues to be Ukrainians, as long as some Russians get killed too? What matters now is what steps can be taken realistically that will end the war. I often find Trump’s language and attitude annoying, but he is dealing with the reality on the ground, like it or not.
February 22, 2025
There was an exchange of bodies on 14th Feb. (It’s a monthly thing) 45 Russian bodies returned to Russia. 780 Ukrainian bodies returned to Kiev.
February 21, 2025
Nix.
Russian’s aim is to at least diminish Ukraine to same kind of a puppet state as Belarus.
Or make it to cease to exist. That was made clear 2022 when Putin claimed that Ukraine is existing just because Lenin “made an error”. He made the same statement concerning Baltic states and Finland as well.
This thing with Russia being aggressive will continue.
Will they invaded Moldavia, Georgia or poke some NATO country (they might do it if they conclude that NATO is weak enough) remains to be seen.
Just buckle up for the next 5-10 years.
It will be reasonably rough ride.
February 21, 2025
It’s ok to complain about Russias war with the Ukrain it’s a pity Parliament didn’t have the balls to do something about it when Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula in 2014
February 21, 2025
@ MIck – Indeed so. I was expecting at least the assembly of a task force led by which ever of the two aircraft carriers was serviceable and then a land invasion while the Russians obliged by withdrawing without firing a shot, having been stunned by our resolve.
February 21, 2025
John Healey has been in Norway giving Russia a few menacing looks-and its possible he may have also lobbed the odd snowball in the direction of the border.
Bartents Observer,19/2/25:UK Defence secretary Healey came north to boost security ties with Norway….driving a snowmobile on the ice along the Pasvik River that forms the Norwegian-Russian border…The security of Ukraine and the high north are both connected,John Healey made clear.
Perhaps Healey has inherited the Liz Truss memorial atlas but my atlas shows the Eurasian high north to be entirely Russian-from the Norwegian border in the west all the way along to the Pacific coast in the east and down to the North Korean border.The UK has no arctic territory,no icebreakers and as far as I am aware no ice-class vessels.One of the stooges that regularly writes on military matters for the Daily Telegraph last year even suggested that the UK could take control of the arctic,’using our soft power’ .
Does anyone fall for these fantasy narratives?
February 22, 2025
Oh the whole MOD does. Starmer is about to be put in the picture. He does not know which way is up – that’s obvious.
February 21, 2025
The key to a solution is giving both parties in a dispute what they need.
A dispute of two sisters squabbling over an orange was solved by finding one wanted the juice to drink and the other needed only the peel for cooking. Both were happy with all they wanted.
The main issue between Russia and Ukraine seems to be land space. However, Russia has the most territory in the world with about only 22 people per square mile. Ukraine has about 174 per sq mile in their much smaller territory, about 8 times as squashed.
In contrast, England has about 1,130 people per sq mile, including space-wasters like Saddiq Khan. Maybe he should go to Russia and convince Putin how free he and his people are.
February 22, 2025
Nothing to do with land!
February 23, 2025
Crimea is land.
February 21, 2025
Your last paragraph is spot on JR. But Europe’s politicians are of course is not remotely serious and do not have the money anyway, they just like endless but worthless virtue signalling as usual.
February 21, 2025
Ukrainians that I have met say that the war is about money and the valuable resources are in the Eastern provinces. There is also the division between the western provinces which supported the German invaders during WWII and hated Russians for their Holdomor starvation and persecution in the past, forgetting that many Russians also suffunder the communists.
After the coup of 2024, organised by the US and EU the comedian stood for a peaceful settlement and was elected. But he was controlled by the US and used in an attempt to undermine and overthrow Putin. Russia has always won against western invasions. The EU needs to realise that it has lost this war and the resources it had its eye on.
February 21, 2025
+1
February 21, 2025
Zelenskyy was elected president on 21 April 2019.
February 22, 2025
He was talking about peaceful settlement of the civil war involving shelling of the Eastern breakaway provinces and banning of Russian language etc.
February 22, 2025
On a ‘friends with Russia’ ticket.
February 21, 2025
The western provinces,Galicia,Volhynia(part) and Bukovina(part),had been Austro-Hungarian crownlands,grabbed by Poland (and Romania in the case of the last named)after the collapse of that empire and then transferred to Soviet Ukraine under the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreements.
People need to understand that Ukraine was/is a portmanteau of territories assembled by the USSR.
February 21, 2025
“Russia does not want another NATO state on its doorstep as it does not grasp that NATO is a defensive alliance that would not threaten it unless Russia was invading a NATO country.”
——
I’m sure he grasps very well that NATO claims to be a defensive alliance but he would be seriously negligent to give the EU the opportunity to park tanks (literal or figurative ones) on his front lawn.
All wars end by one of two means: complete destruction of one side (ie WW2) or a negotiated settlement (ie WW1). The Ukraine war requires a negotiated settlement and that means accepting the reality of the situation and reaching terms which both sides will accept and which can be sustained. That is what Trump is seeking to achieve. Zelensky can’t continue the war without US backing and since the USA is not going to continue funding it and the EU and UK can’t/won’t, then they are going to have to accept the terms which are agreed between Putin and Trump.
The EU is all sound and fury; it has no big stick to back up its demands and neither does the UK since the Establishment has systematically dismantled our Armed Services.
February 21, 2025
Interesting that nobody thinks the UN could help resolve this.
That was their original purpose.
They need to be disbanded, they are now just a self serving bureaucracy.
February 21, 2025
+1
February 21, 2025
+1 rather like the EU, the WHO, IPCC and many more.
February 21, 2025
Gaza and Ukraine are completely different situations.
Ukraine is in a half way house between NATO and non-aligned. It’s suffered from a T May type neither-here-nor-there handling over the years. Removing nuclear weapons then having a non-binding agreement to back it. Encouraged towards the EU without a proper in out referendum, then backed in its war but insufficiently to deter the aggressor. It probably is time to jump one side of the fence or the other; the question is which side?
February 21, 2025
USSR Nuclear weapons targeting the West were removed from Ukraine when the USSR broke up. Ukraine never had nukes. Its security guarantee depended on it NOT seeking to join NATO. It gave that security guarantee up and has suffered the consequences.
NATO is out of weapons. Listen to the generals.
February 21, 2025
Europe and the UK is on its own now, forget the special relationship. We need to put ourselves on a war footing. We are late as usual.
February 21, 2025
Who are you going to fight, James? And whose budgets will you cut in your hurry to put the country ‘on a war footing’?
February 21, 2025
It looks like a carve up of Ukraine to serve US and Russian interests. Poland was always being carved up; at one time it was described as a country in three stomachs, Prussian, Russian and Austro-Hungarian IIRC. No wonder Poland has raised its defence spending to close to 5% along with the Baltic states.
February 21, 2025
Sadly neither the UK or Europe have politicians of sufficient merit to undertake any form of peace negotiations. For years we have been vassal states of the US and happy to shelter under their wing.
One looks at today’s front bench sitting alongside the lawyer PM and shudder at their complete incompetence and naivete.
February 21, 2025
Ukraine is fighting and dying for freedom. There was a time when that would have counted for something with the world’s free peoples. That was also when stabbing your friend in the back was not good form.
I wonder who Trump would have backed in WW2.
Could it be that he is rolling the pitch for a run-in with China? Does he think Putin can be bought off with Ukraine? Does he imagine Putin will stay bought?
February 21, 2025
‘Dying for freedom’, Nick? Yes, they’ve been dying for the Ukrainian president’s freedom to imprison his opponents and opposition journalists, to ‘lose’ over $100bn in foreign aid that’s unaccounted for, and to make war on his own people if they don’t want to use the ‘correct’ language. If you call that freedom and democracy, I don’t.
February 21, 2025
Fully agree with Nick – looks like Trump is trying to get Russia on side before the big one with China – everything about Trump is simplistic but Putin has been around much longer and is playing a different game.
February 22, 2025
There will be no conflict with China. Calm down!
February 21, 2025
As I’ve said before what is the point of Starmer and other EU states saying they’d supply peace-keeping forces when Russia would never allow that, and in fact have already said that ? When has a state ever agreed to peace-keeping forces drawn from states they regard as combatants and enemies ? The usual route would be UN peace-keepers manned with troops from independent countries.
Anyway, Starmer is so sensitive to UK’s past colonial role (see Chagos) that I’m surprised he wants to send our troops overseas to areas where we have no direct interest – the Global South (Africa, India, South America) are not that bothered about this war (or even support Russia) so why doesn’t Starmer listen to them as he is doing over Chagos ? It is also interesting that news coverage of Trump’s posturing on this is way down the news agenda in USA, people there aren’t that exercised by it either. When Russia invaded Crimea under Obama there was de facto acceptance of the new borders and no hysteria from the EU or USA, I imagine that will be the eventual outcome now too.
February 21, 2025
The EU does not deliver solutions
It specialises in failure
February 22, 2025
And posturing; they’re very good at that. Just look at every gathering of EU “Leaders.” Oh, and their tiny armies have lovely uniforms … but broom handles for guns 🙂
February 21, 2025
A good summary of where we are, but there are still issues around NATO:
That does not fit in with what NATO commanders have been saying – they want Russia totally defeated, and sod any buffer zones.
It needs repeating again that Russia requires safe borders, which for them means buffer states.
To be honest, I cannot trust the motives of those leading NATO nor our warmongering leaders when it comes to Ukraine – None of it adds up.
The UK and EU nations are simply stalling the peace process for no good reason – no good will come of their actions, and certainly they will never be able to supply Ukraine with the arms, money and men that would make a difference.
February 21, 2025
One of Russia’s greatest generals and war heroes-Generalissimo Count Aleksandr Vasilyevich Suvorov,undefeated in a long career (that only ended with his death- from natural causes- in 1800),wrote:
“A man who loves his neighbours,a man who hates war,must finish off the enemy so that one war is not followed by another.”
February 21, 2025
The bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 by NATO which was done without UN approval did not help Putin to grasp that NATO is purely a defensive organisation. In fact up to 1999 there were joint agreements being signed. NATO and Russia were sharing military duties with longer term possibilities of Russia actually being in NATO. At the time Ukraine, Belarus and Russia were considered as one block.
Things seem to have gone down hill since then with the liberal elites in West coming to power with their Russophobia and globalist view of the world. Russia was seen as a treat to this and they set out to move East via NATO and EU membership. Things came to a head with the West inspired overthrow of the democratically
elected Government in Ukraine and following failures to support various Minsk agreements lead to the War, with Ukrainians flighting ethnic Russian Ukrainians initially and then Russians. A civil war at first and nearly WWIII until Trump came on the scene.
Without Russia as the Enemy there is no justification for NATO.
February 21, 2025
@john McDonald +1
February 21, 2025
NATO is just the modern multi-national equivalent of the army of the East India Company.Our host seems nostalgic for such an ‘enterprise’.
February 21, 2025
@John McDonald. +1. Spot on.
February 21, 2025
The key differences between the war in Ukraine and the war around Israel are:
1) The war around Israel is existential and about religion.
2) The war in Ukraine is, except for UK, about territory and resources. For UK it is about upholding law and order.
The West has some chance of understanding the issues around Ukraine, but since it has ditched God, not a clue about the war around Israel. It still treats the Islamic side as if some kind of state autonomy would satisfy it. There is no chance of that whatsoever but the West cannot understand it.
What the EU wants in Ukraine is not what UK wants. The UK wants the invader to be repelled and nothing more for itself. The EU wants control of Ukraine’s mineral resources for its Green Energy and territorial expansion is the way to get it. Such expansion is a long standing mode of EU operation and the prospect of controlling Ukraine’s resources adds extra impetus. We should not be surprised that the EU reacted hysterically to Trump walking in and taking them away. The EU can still pay for them as it did before the Russian invasion as per its pre-war Critical Minerals agreement just like everyone else but the whole point of Germany’s reversal of its policy of supplying only blankets and helmets to supply armaments was to gain EU control of the mineral resources, make money from them and reduce dependence on China. Bravo Trump for removing the spoils of war from the EU’s greedy malevolent grasp. The EU has been meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs for over a decade, telling Ukraine it cannot be independent but must choose between the EU and Russia, and, most notoriously, funding the Maidan rioters to overthrow the presidency of Yanukovych and then conniving with US Democrats to impose the presidency of Poroshenko.
The next issue for Ukraine is its failure to grant autonomy to the predominantly Russian speaking regions as it agreed to do in Minsk2. These lie mainly in the mineral rich areas that the EU wants to get its hands on.
The other key difference is that Ukraine is external to UK. The Islamists seeking the extirpation of Jews in the Middle east enjoy well established support, entrenched institutional support withiin UK.
There should not be any doubt as to which is the greater and more immediate threat to Western civilisation. But it would seem our political classes do not find it easy and a great many lkean in the wrong direction.
February 21, 2025
Sir John
We live in a mixed-up World full of contradictions. To many wannabee politicos wanting to dictate their personal ideology on everyone-else and generally excluding themselves from it.
Democracy has it faults, but it is the safest bet. Not interpreted democracy but proper from the ‘bottom up’ democracy. The phrase government for the people by the people should be kept upper most. Some argue that putting the ‘man’ in the mirror in charge to take care of his responsibility’s makes it tough on the egotistical demigods that desire to rule the roost, but if they(the rulers) can’t work with the people that is their problem and no one else’s.
Swayed off subject there to point to the real blame, if you can call it that. Ukraine throughout history is as much of a mess as is Great Britain, although being an island we have been afforded some protection. Nevertheless, we (the UK) have been invaded many times over and are still being invaded today, each invader wanting to stamp their ideology on the indigenous inhabitants – by escaping what the call oppression then oppresses those that let you in. Kyiv has the situation of once being the capital of Russia and then after regime change had Russian speakers invading the South seemingly to get away from Russian oppression.
There is no straight forward realistic answer to these present-day situations and certainly not ones that can be spelled out here in a few short sentences.
The UK should steer well clear of any involvement and it certainly should not put its own armed forces in to police anything. Unfortunately, our absentee PM and his Government supported by a rogue Parliament will seek to do anything the ingratiate themselves(personally) with their unelected unaccountable bosses in the EU.
February 21, 2025
I was appalled when Zelensky was invited to address the Commons.
Nearly three years, and over half a million needless casualties, ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwlHJTdISLU
I don’t suppose he’ll be invited again to celebrate the anniversary.
In 1991 John Major hoped that the EC would stretch to the Urals:
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2025/02/17/the-eus-expansion-comes-up-against-russia/#comment-1499531
but the EU empire may now have peaked only half way there.
https://g.co/kgs/QLQiigp
Did he really think that Russia would agree to be split up?
February 22, 2025
Indeed this is very much a war about grasping imperialist EU expansion. The EU wants to get its hands on Ukraine’s vast mineral reserves to support its Green Energy. That and its normal mode of imperial expansion are all there is to it. The only thing standing in its way is Putin and now Trump. The EU has for decades been interfering in Ukraine’s internal affairs, for example, funding the Maidan rioters in order to overthrow the government (Yanukovych) and conniving with US Democrats to impose an EU leaning successor – Poroshenko. Ukraine failed to implement its agreememnt under Minsk2 to grant autonomy to Russian speaking regions. Ukraine, after gaining independence from the Societ wanted to be independent and neutral. Merkel denied it that choice and forced it choose either Russia or the EU.
Germany and the EU blackmailed Zelensky in his darkest hour 3 days after Russia invaded to sign over the future sovereignty of Ukraine to the EU. Only then would Germany supply armaments rather than just blankets and helmets.
I was not aware that the EU’s financial support of Ukraine is all or largely a loan to be repaid until it was disclosed by Trump. He may have exaggerated but his response of denying the EU its spoils of war is an excellent move.
The EU is a blight on Europe and the world. Ukrainians are paying the price of the EU’s greed and imperialism with their lives and treasure. Ukraine has been well and truly suckered by the EU which will never allow it to gain independent sovereignty, nor democracy.
February 21, 2025
A reply from HMG regarding the petition to raise income tax threshold to £20,000 shows the government up as chronic liars!
Committed! They should be. What a falsehood – they’ve done everything possible to raise every last possible tax.
We now learn they are lowering the NI threshold drastically to ensure employers pay more!
February 21, 2025
You give us a good picture of the preposterous protection racket and its hanger-on, Starmer. It has long perplexed me that they won’t allow Israel to win against Iran when Israel can win, yet insist on cheering on the much bloodier and longer war in the Ukraine which has clearly been lost after two years of stalemate.
February 21, 2025
No serious military or geopolitical analyst thinks Israel (by itself) can win against Iran,particularly as the latter is supported by Russia and China.And who wants to take on all three of them?
February 22, 2025
That’s what Trump and Putin are working on. Neither want conflict in the Middle East. Israel must be allowed to survive and without the sword of Damacles over its head.
Putin will ‘control’ Iran.
February 21, 2025
UK armed forces are not Policemen they are trained to keep us the UK Citizen safe, that does mean they will ‘kill’ and harm people that indicate aggression against us – with the first order as with all ‘first responders’ protect yourself. Things do go wrong, but if there should be blame it should stand with the Politicos that put them in that situation – they should be the first ones charged.
As it stands the risk to our armed forces doing the job they are trained to do and then being hounded, belittled. dis-guarded and attacked by the laws those that are the real cause of conflict means they should personally them-selves keep well clear – your Government dislikes you and will treat you as fodder, their fodder.
February 21, 2025
What war ! All the worlds politicians are on holiday in South Africa at the G20
February 21, 2025
One jolly after another
February 21, 2025
So they have gone to see that war close up then – courageous as Sir Humphrey would have said.
February 21, 2025
The biggest surprise coming from the Ukraine war is how little Russia has advanced in three years. None of these world powers are so great it seems especially when it comes to the fight – remember how the little Vietnamese humiliated the great US army. Here we see the brave Ukranians are fighting for their homeland and even with a falloff of delivery of heavy munitions I have no doubt that they will fall back on guerrilla warfare and house-to-house street fighting – the fight will go on and Putin has to be sorry he started this as he gers older. Trump is what he is a man in a hurry with only three and a half years to go and whereas european political leaders are trying to keep on his best side they are wasting time because with this flawed psychological makeup Trump only despises people who suck up therefore it would be more productive for people to just ignore him. So it looks like the great deal maker has no deal to make except he wants to get his hands on the ukranian rare earth minerals and build that hotel and golf course in Gaza – a despicable sort of person with no understanding of humanity he knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing.
February 21, 2025
The aim is to demilitarize Ukraine-this is being achieved ,look at the enormous amount of military kit destroyed and the rapid expansion of Ukrainian military graveyards-land issues can be resolved when there is no one left willing or able to fight.
February 21, 2025
I think you need to look at what the Ukraine war is actually like, James. WWII-style rapid advances are impossible now with ubiquitous satellite and drone surveillance. The advantage is strongly with defence. That’s why out-in-the-open full-scale advances on both sides have failed, e.g. the Ukraine summer 2023 offensive and the Russian armoured attack on Ugledar earlier the same year. We shouldn’t make the same mistake as those who try to fight the last war.
February 21, 2025
The collective brainpower of AI has a solid overview on most things. Ask AI what solves woodworm, what extends life, or what is the tensile strength of lead and it reveals the solution.
However AI can’t make its mind up about the Russian-Ukraine war. It just refers the questioner to what some others think. That’s rather like Keir Starmer relying on Rachel Reeves to balance adding up. Not much intelligence there.
February 21, 2025
Is it true that Germany and Poland don’t want to participate in any peacekeeping that Starmer wants the British people to do in the Ukraine?
Gaza, did you see the BBC apology for not providing details that the film about Gaza they broadcast had Hamas links? The son of a Hamas official features, and the father narrates it. The film is cut and paste shots of the boy where people have noticed his hair is different lengths, he wears four pairs of shoes in what is shown as continuation shots. In other words, the BBC is accused of showing a shoddy documentary, the apologies are never given the same screen time. Then this week we saw the awful pictures of children celebrating over the coffins of two children and two adults, one was said to be the child’s mother but today it is revealed it wasn’t an Israeli body in the coffin. Why would anyone want this situation to carry on.
This whole situation of who owns and has the right to live on areas of land is getting skewed. Chagos, Gibralta, Falklands, Israel, As of October 2022, Russia occupies parts of Donetsk Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Kherson Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Mykolaiv Oblast, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and all of the Crimean peninsula with its armed forces, its mercenary groups like Wagner, Chechen Kadyrovites, and Russian-led separatists of the DPR and LPR.
What right does Putin think he has to this land. Just having ethnic Russians living there? So does that mean areas of our Cities are lost to England?
February 21, 2025
The Kadyrovites are not mercenaries-they are a powerful and relatively autonomous unit with the Russian army-and their commanders have considerable influence with the High Command.
Sweden is apparently willing to participate in an expeditionary force-someone should whisper ‘Poltava’ in their collective ears.
February 21, 2025
All of this is historic Russian land which is why Russians live there. Ukraine was created, but as it was part of the USSR, nobody thought there would be an aggressive foreign power with the old European politics, which would ban the speaking Russian, the Orthodox Russian Church and 12 opposition parties.
The U.K. does not fall into the same category. As Vance says, our attack is from within.
February 21, 2025
What right, a-tracy? The same right NATO invoked when intervening in former Yugoslavia – Right to Protect (R2P), as it was called. (And again in Libya.) The right to protect people being mercilessly slaughtered by a brutal regime. Sauce for the goose…
February 21, 2025
When Russia invaded the Ukraine, it was said by many that it would not have happened had Mr Trump still been in power, largely because Putin would not have known how he might have reacted. Everything we are now seeing shows how true that was. If the US stops its spending on the war, there is no way that the Ukraine can continue, so the sooner it come to terms with this, the better for all. One thing that is absolutely certain, is that for all the noise some of its leaders are making, there is no resolve in Europe to make up the shortfall from the USA, which is what I am sure that Mr Trump will tell Messrs Starmer and Macron, they will have to do, when they go to see him.
February 21, 2025
Ukraine will carry on fighting even without US support. Their industry has been turned onto a war footing, and whereas they previously relied on imported armaments, they can now manufacture their own. The alternative is an undisciplined Russian Army sweeping through with rape and pillage and no one to stop them. Unlike the Russians, they really have motivation to fight.
February 22, 2025
You seem to be on the same stuff as Zelensky. They are dragging people off the streets and press ganging them. Ukrainians re paying everything they have to get their men out of the country.m
Did you really not know?
February 22, 2025
And how do YOU know? All over Russia there are posters encouraging young men to enrol (BBC, 22/02/2025). I guess that must be equivalent to your ‘dragging people off the streets and press ganging them’.
And I still waiting for you to give us the list of the neutrally informative websites you are regularly consulting so that we can also learn all the beautiful things you know about Russia and Ukraine.
It is one thing to repeatedly say ‘Did you really not know’, but would be so much better if you’d share with us your sources of information. Don’t you think, you might even get a ‘Orden Svyatoy velikomuchenitsy Ekateriny’ (Order of St Catherine the Great Martyr, awarded to foreign citizens well known for their high moral values and compassion, for their outstanding contribution to peacekeeping, charity, humanitarian activities and the preservation of cultural heritage.)
February 21, 2025
This is real politik. The USA and Russia intend to carve up Ukraine between themselves; USA for economic benefits, Russia for political benefits. If the war does not end, I assume Trump will leave Ukraine to its own devices and the tender mercies of Russia. He will then do a larger economic deal with Russia, and hope to detach Russia from siding with China.
February 21, 2025
Indeed “hope to detach Russia from siding with China”.
That won’t happen. Trump is shooting to his own leg if really trusts Russia.
It amazes me that a country that is economically size of Italy, not a superpower and an aggressor (even it would like to be) is now wanted to join G7 (or will it then be G8) by POTUS.
Maybe he has some cleaver plan but at the moment it looks like Putin is taking him for a ride.
February 22, 2025
Russia’s economy is real;western economies are illusory-as you are about to find out.
Russia is in the sweetest of sweet spots.
February 21, 2025
“It is odd that the western governing elites press hard for peace in Gaza rightly pointing to the deaths and destruction in the war, yet do not press for peace in Ukraine where there are also terrible deaths and destruction of property.”
Didn’t PM Johnson make a surprise visit to Ukraine in 2022 to talk Zelenskiy out of holding any peace talks?
The “western governing elites” want to continue the war in Ukraine as it is costing taxpayers a lot of money and just like the reasons for high wasteful spending to justify high taxation, mass immigration and Net Zero it is all because socialism depends upon people remaining poor.
In the case of Gaza, “the governing elites” would like to bring the Gazans to the UK, as we have already seen.
February 21, 2025
If Ukraine had sought peace, it would just be seen by Putin as weakness so he would demand more.
The same is true today.
February 21, 2025
Ukraine has been betrayed by the EU. They have not given them sufficient, modern and deadly weapons, which had done in the first months of the war, Ukraine could have won. Putin would have realised the West was serious and backed off. You cannot fight and win a defensive war!
So we are where we are. I am sorry President Trump has been so critical of President Zelensky, which does not help calm the situation. But how does Trump bring Russia to the table without conceding the facts on the ground?
I hope the courage and sacrifice of the Ukrainians are recognised and rewarded somehow. But the EU and UK have to wake up and face reality. They need to rebuild our armed forces urgently. They now know without any doubt that Putin only respects strength.
February 21, 2025
The war needs to stop. Too many people have been killed for no advantage at present. The dead bodies lie in the streets and have not been removed for burial as there is no one there to do it (I know this from my animal rescue people who have been there and are doing what they can to help on the human side as well as help for animals and farms). How you gain peace is the question. The Russians must not be allowed to just keep all they have taken without consent. Ukraine must see some advantages for all the trauma they have experienced and will in the future. Trump should stop slagging off Zelensky at this point (do an analysis after we have things sorted). If Zelensky had not been there as a unifying leader (whatever you think of him now or in the future) Putin would have just taken the whole lot of Ukraine. I feel so badly for these people after the way they were treated by Stalin in the 1930s when he starved them and took all their food. They have suffered enough and must not be the underdog and have all their assets of minerals etc., stolen off them for greed by the US.
February 21, 2025
I wonder whether (some) contributors here get their info from the fake sites put together by RT or Sputnik.
Do they check? Can they check? Are they willing to check? Are they able to check?
February 22, 2025
No. It’s been censored. Alternative news is available on the western net.
February 22, 2025
Or maybe they get their information from the Kremlin and The White House?
You should check both now and again.
February 22, 2025
Best not to get it from the BBC. Unmitigated propaganda.
February 21, 2025
I suspect President Trump will want to clear Ukraine & Russia from his in-tray ASAP so he can concentrate on China and Iran/Middle East. Sometimes we have to choose the lesser evil to prepare for the longer term.
February 21, 2025
HUBRIS
February 21, 2025
Also, key to wisdom and being a great leader:
1) Accept that things are NOT easy (Ukraine is NOT an ‘in-tray’. Ukraine is a place where millions of vulnerable people are at war – a war started by a Machiavellian-like despot who is a dangerous threat to the West including USA mid to long-term not just Europe short-term and more).
2) Know the limits of your talent (ambition is great as long as it is matched by sufficient talent and benign).
The history books are littered by people not just crippled with hubris, leading to failure and catastrophe but also connected to this, people who don’t learn from the hubris of the past.
February 22, 2025
Can I join the guessing game?
1. Biden
2. Biden (or Obama, May, Clinton, Johnson-the-Destroyer, Bush, Starmer … OK, I give up unless this is a multiple answer question.)
February 21, 2025
Sir John
The real problem –
The UK has slid back in to the control of the unaccountable and the unelected by the BACK DOOR all thanks to our absentee PM and team
From Guido
Starmer’s 92 EU surrender staff have been busy working on their path to steer Britain back to Brussels, with The Times reporting Labour plans to sign the UK up to an “Australian-style” Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU – reopening the door to free movement. Despite repeated assurances from the government that Britain wouldn’t join, Labour is preparing to let tens of thousands of 18-30-year-olds from the EU live and work here. Which obviously comes with concessions…
As Guido has said, this deal comes with a huge price tag. UK negotiators have reportedly caved to EU demands on food safety alignment and carbon “cap and trade” allowances – all under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.
https://order-order.com/2025/02/21/uk-to-take-ecj-jurisdiction-in-eu-mobility-deal-surrender/
Complete capitulation and giving up on by our absentee UK PM and Government “Submitting to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and accepting EU regulations, while having no say whatsoever over those regulations”
February 21, 2025
The World and Trade
This alignment by our absentee PM – ‘could severely restrict the UK’s ability to negotiate new trade agreements, notably with the United States, and might jeopardise existing deals with nations like Australia and New Zealand.’
February 21, 2025
What if this new friendship with Russia doesn’t last what if the peace deal for Ukraine falls flat and Putin drops him for closer ties with China and Iran – what then for the great deal maker – he’s so full of it I bet you he hasn’t even thought about that.
February 22, 2025
Trump has one aim, to get the USA out of Ukraine. He will propose a deal – he hopes, but Zelensky is spitting in his face. Trump cannot force Ukraine to settle, but he will honourably pull the USA out of Europe – he will propose a Security Deal for Europe too, but we can spit in his face if we like.
Then Trump will pull the USA out of NATO and Ukraine and the European NATO countries can fight on and with the support of Starmer and Macron and Van Der Leyen, I’m sure they will win a famous victory over Russia, China and indeed the European People who they have brutalised, do you agree?
February 22, 2025
Trump’s surrender to Putin is pathetic.
February 22, 2025
Are you saying that NATO is a combatant? Wow – and about to be comprehensively beaten in a manner that is undeniable?
Now that is pathetic. Even worst is that van der Leyen, Schultz, Macron, Starmer, Rutte, et al have their heads on the block and still don’t know whether they are winning or not.
Your heroes have destroyed the European civilization.
February 22, 2025
Ties with China and Iran can’t be any more closer than they already are!
February 21, 2025
My view is that compared to submitting meekly to a ghastly American-Russian stich-up deal the Ukrainians should keep shooting and sending the Russians to their graves. Let’s hope that our government and those of our European friends keep sending trains loaded with shells and ammunition to Lviv so that the Ukrainians can continue to do what they’re becoming really very good at doing.
February 22, 2025
Zelensky says he 1.5 million new troops. Have you signed up?
February 23, 2025
When is your flight to Sheremetyevo? When you’re there don’t get too close to a window specially if you happen to be several floors high: there seems to be violent draughts and subsequent unpredictable accidents.
February 22, 2025
It’s been a wake up call for Europe but I have no doubt greater Europe with a population of one billion will be well able to cope without the US – enough said
February 22, 2025
What happened to the Proliferation of Nuclear agreement where Ukraine agreed to give up Nuclear weapons and Russia, America and the Uk and other states agreed to defend it and not attack it, (as there were a third of russia’s nuclear weapons in Ukraine) The Budapest agreement remains valid . Presumably attack is the best form of defence and that Trump is now following Putin along these lines
February 22, 2025
They were never Ukrainian weapons. Ukraine is not a signatory to the Proliferation of Nuclear weapons Agreement. When the USSR collapsed (and Ukraine became independent) Russia took it nukes back a sit £as the inheritor state.
Bit like South African Nukes being sent to Israel before Mandela took over. Really you need a grown up in charge.
February 22, 2025
“NATO is a defensive alliance that would not threaten it unless Russia was invading a NATO country”. Do you really believe this? NATO have been slowly advancing towards Russia’s borders since the 1990s. I think Putin is right not to trust their intentions.
February 23, 2025
The EU is behaving like an other Tower of Babel, solely a talking shop which cannot make up its collective mind particularly when it really matters.
February 24, 2025
You don’t mention the loss of life which is the most important issue to me. Also, having worked at NATO Headquarters a long time ago when there were only a few member states it was better I think. Now you have too many countries as members and it is becoming unwieldly to control. It is going out of control as the EU has with too many factions involved with different problems.