Starmer will try to show that everything is fine with US. The line will be that they came to give us a scolding & now we're stepping up. He will exploit these mercurialities as long as possible to maintain a (fake) united Western front & give the UK a traditional bridging role between EU/US.
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Call him out and risk war on two fronts, one of which being the biggest superpower in the world, both of which are run by mad men. It still may come to that, but perhaps we shouldn't hasten it.
No point in chucking everything out immediately while nobody truly knows where things will settle.
His red line on Ukraine has not changed - he's said the same thing for months.
He should be given neither.
I agree no need to actively poke the bear but this fools no one.
Just be authentic @teamlabouruk.bsky.social
"UK & EU have a different strategy vis a vis Ukraine and here's why..."
He must also look at alternatives, should the US crumble, but walking away from the US now is simply dancing to Putin's Bagpipes.
There in #Starmers complacency and wooden rigidity is the danger to Europe if we believe him.
Does he really believe all The European Air forces + Ukraine would be unable to guard Ukrainien skies without USA??
I do believe he’d follow through as well.
There’s hope for 2025 yet.
If Russia cannot defeat a small neighbour after 3 years, Putin must be aware the forces of Europe would crush his poor military.
Fast.
As ever though, the problem
is Putin’s ability to use the nuclear threat.
I'm not arguing against, just that we should go into it with our eyes open.
I don't think his armed forces are as good has he lets on, and he know it.
So, leave him an exit ramp, but don't back down. As I say a delicate balance.
There are basically two major targets in Russia, Moscow and St Petersburg, where the VAST majority of the Russian power brokers and their families live.
I pray you're right and I'm wrong.
One tiny navyless nation has destroyed the myth.
Meanwhile, the rest of the conference would wonder what the bloviating scarecrow was doing there.
We need to act collectively now.
It's critical that Starmer assertively stands up to Trump .
On that message he has been consistent.
The skill is to give nod and a wink to everyone else.
I agree it's fantastic that Starmer has said we'll provide troops, but at the moment it's not a clear divergence from Trump's plan.
go along with his master’s plan
Is that how Trump would have the leverage to exclude Europe from negotiations?
The only way Europe has out of this is to jettison Trump/US and declare a separate treaty with Ukraine.
It’s the same playbook Trump used with Afghanistan - “peace talks” with the Taliban while completely excluding the actual Afghan government. And look how that turned out.
This is on both a conceptual and a practical level.
All they seem to be offering Ukr is the chance to hand over mineral resources to US.
A peace long enough to get him his "noble" prize is all that matters.
They may also threaten Europe with various things unless it also prevails on Kyiv.
An interesting issue will be sanctions. Will Europe be forced to lift them?
Also, the US has commercial interests in Ukraine (rare metals and rebuilding) that perhaps will slow down the withdrawal ...
The war is not particularly popular even if seen as necessary.
If there is a semi-legitimate poor peace deal any politician saying no to it knows he will later be politically responsible and attacked on continuing the war.
But I did say I was coming from a litigation perspective ;-)
H has to go.
Not in jest.
Trump's waffling on the extent to which the UK & EU are 'out of line' might suggest he'll exploit the tariff scheme to drive a wedge between 🇬🇧 & 🇪🇺
Not a lot to be lost as whichever way he goes, it will be over more quickly.
I like it, good plan 👍
She's had the option of backing the government and showing solidarity...or alternatively, to exploit the situation for political point scoring.
She went for the latter.
They're unfit.
I mostly agree with your posts, but here I've got to draw the line! 'Poodle-like'? Hang on!
As a Poodle owner, a proud member of Poodle owners community, I feel that I need to point out-
They are the most intelligent dogs, and do exactly what they like! My babe is disgusted, too!
Sounds like a solid plan.
No troops = no say
His Brexit red lines were conceived in a time before this crisis and were naïve but presumably he deemed them essential to gain red wall votes. Now they’re more like an impediment. If Ukraine is European, Ireland is, then we are too.
But, Starmer isn’t stupid. He knows that it wouldn’t be the UK’s interests to aggravate the super power of the world, regardless of how abominable Trump is.
So keep the vanilla messaging. And act with bravery.
But we need to be building defences, like new controls on social media, election interference, foreign funding of political parties, media ownership, etc.
This is where the next war will be fought.
Nothing was done so here we are today.
Meanwhile Labour have redlined Leveson 2 .. they’ve actually dismantled the tools to rebuild our democracy.
You can see the likely leaders of a fascist UK on Question Time on a regular basis.