trump

[KevinJ]

Trump and Vance are very impressive. Vance gave a great speech in Munich yesterday.

You are joking, right?

No, it was superb. I think it was the greatest political speech by any politician I have ever heard. Calling out the total failure of European governments. The loss of freedom of speech etc.
I hope we get to see 8 years of President Vance after 4 more years of Trump. If only we had such a leader here in the UK. We need our own Trump and Vance.

Be careful what you wish for. Dumb Vance, who believes the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and didn't once criticise Putin or his country where freedom of speech is genuinely blocked, instead ranted about some strange " enemy from within" in Europe. His is stupid and dangerous and not our friend. I don't think a man who believes religious nutjobs should be allowed to protest outside abortion clinics is either clever or fit for the job.

[KevinJ]

Make no mistake, with this administration, America cannot be considered a reliable ally. Sad times.

[warthog81]

Trouble is most other western politicians are like clones of each other, all woke liberals pushing the same failed policies over and over again, nothing ever changes. Here we have a President and team around him who appear to be very different indeed. It is so very refreshing. Besides Trump we have Vance, Hegseth, Gabbard and RFK Jr.

In terms of Putin and Russia, well the USA is not spending a fortune defending them, they are spending a fortune defending the nations he talked about in his speech which I think gives him the right to comment.

If Trump can end the war in Ukraine then it is a good thing. The longer it goes on the more risk there is of it turning into something far larger.

[Uncle Sam]

Unfortunately, Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference, coupled with Trump's comments and also Hesgeth's over the last week has severely distanced the current US administration to their European partners.

Will European and NATO partners want to share all INTEL with the current US administration? Do they trust them?

Why does Trump feel the US and Russia can sort a deal out in Ukraine without Ukraine or even European countries being part of the discussion?

I feel we are in unchartered waters. One the US could come to regret if events turn sour in the Western Pacific and they in turn want support.

[Unknown74]

How To (Not) Make Friends and Alienate People By Donald J. Trump....

[KevinJ]

With Trump talking (illegally) off record with his pal Putin I would immediately stop all intelligence sharing. Hopefully the European leaders meeting on Monday with result in a strong response to Trump's turncoat bullying. Putin must be laughing his head off right now.

[cat1]

He's asked us to raise defence spending, but what does that actually look like?
Will it be actual machinery and boots on the ground?

[iainpeden]

If Trump can end the war in Ukraine then it is a good thing. The longer it goes on the more risk there is of it turning into something far larger.

Trump will not end the war in Ukraine although there may be a cessation of hostilities for a while.

First of all it's obvious that the Trump/Vance statements this week has been for home consumption - "Look we're the tough guys we don't give a stuff about who we upset". The statements are hugely damaging to the UK/Europe/USA relationship and will certainly damage the sharing of intel and also damage the US defence industry - firstly in the tariffs imposed on the imported specialist steels and secondly because I hope the UK and Europe are re-examining all the orders for the F-35.

Second, Putin takes the long view. He is in charge for life while Trump has 3 years and 10 months (and only a couple of years before he is a lame duck president) left. Putin will step back, rebuild his forces and continue - along with China - building the soft power relations they have (India, Brazil etc) and then go again in 4 years time.

Essentially at this point under this administration the Rules Based Order which has kept us free from war for the whole lives of the vast majority on this forum has been torn up. The USA and Russia are to meet soon to " sort out the situation". So that ignores the fact that Ukraine is a sovereign country and also ignores the fact that Europe as a whole has put more in monetary terms, into the defence of Kyiv than the USA. So what does Trump get out of it? The kudos in the USA of ending the war (yeah right!), bragging rights (all he really gets) and what he is really after - the $500 billion dollars worth of rare earths and metals just waiting to be mined in the Ukraine.

Trump and Vance and Putin are pure evil and I for one will have no problem at all at Fairford in July telling any US service "person" that.

[iainpeden]

He's asked us to raise defence spending, but what does that actually look like?
Will it be actual machinery and boots on the ground?

In aviation terms hopefully a cancellation of the F-35 across Europe and increased orders for Typhoon and Tempest. It has also proved to be a mistake to buy the P-8 and the Wedgetail when the Kawasaki P-1 was available and a number of European air forces use other ELINT a/c.

[Alf]

He's asked us to raise defence spending, but what does that actually look like?
Will it be actual machinery and boots on the ground?

In aviation terms hopefully a cancellation of the F-35 across Europe and increased orders for Typhoon and Tempest. It has also proved to be a mistake to buy the P-8 and the Wedgetail when the Kawasaki P-1 was available and a number of European air forces use other ELINT a/c.

Not sure P-8 and Wedgetail are mistakes with Germany and Norway having P-8 and also a possible order from Denmark. NATO has ordered Wedgetail along with USAF and Turkey already has them.

[KevinJ]

It's time to show America some balls in Europe, Trump obviously isn't on our side anymore, siding with murderous dictators instead. Putin has infiltrated the US and will get what he wants with Trump in power. With complete nutjobs like Musk, Vance, RFK Jr, Hegseth, Gabbard etc. running things they will soon tank their economy and cause civil unrest so there's no way they'll care about what happens to Ukraine or in Europe. Putin lies, Trump lies, they all lie. You can't trust them.

[Tally-ho]

Trump and Vance are very impressive. Vance gave a great speech in Munich yesterday.

I've just listened to the Vance speech in Munich, and thought it was pretty well rounded and accurate.
If it makes European leaders uncomfortable, then good, it's about time.

Correct you both are!

Don't be put out by those with zero understanding of global and geo-political events. The Donald, a leader who recently won by a landslide, is running rings around the has-beens, the wanna-bees, the moaners and losers ... the list is long! The deep state tried to stop him, an assassin tried, but even at 78 the man is in his element and only just getting going!

How green is my valley! Now let's see the incoming . . .

[cat1]

RWR going wild...

[Jazz]

Trump and Vance are very impressive. Vance gave a great speech in Munich yesterday.

I've just listened to the Vance speech in Munich, and thought it was pretty well rounded and accurate.
If it makes European leaders uncomfortable, then good, it's about time.

Correct you both are!

Don't be put out by those with zero understanding of global and geo-political events. The Donald, a leader who recently won by a landslide, is running rings around the has-beens, the wanna-bees, the moaners and losers ... the list is long! The deep state tried to stop him, an assassin tried, but even at 78 the man is in his element and only just getting going!

How green is my valley! Now let's see the incoming . . .

Well said Sir

As in the US, we have the common sense silent majority and the screaming emotional ranters LOL

Beggars belief that people would want 4 more years of brandon or the DEI hire! The world was on the brink after their totally incompetent and useless 'leadership'.

If it wasn't for TDS, President Trump would have won the nobel peace prize for the Abraham Accords.
Where peace has been impossible for the leftists and pathetic EU to create, only President Trump can achieve this, as he WILL with Ukraine.

But as we know, that same TDS (and now EDS LOL) that deranged lefties suffer from, will never acknowledge that. Indeed they would rather things get worse... just so they can say "i tOld yOu tRuMp woUlD mAkE iT wOrSe"

[iainpeden]

No, it was superb. I think it was the greatest political speech by any politician I have ever heard.

Oh dear!

The Gettysburg Address by Lincoln
Many of Churchill's wartime addresses to Parliament.
Martin Luther King's "I have a dream"
Even Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech savaging Maggie.

and that's without thinking about it and Vance's speech doesn't come within a million miles of any of them.

[Nighthawke]

I must admit I haven't heard Vance's speech but from what I've read so far I suspect my father-of-the-bride wedding speech ranks higher

No apology for injecting a bit of humour here.

[Sparts99]

Last Thursday Trump fired 300 staff in the National Nuclear Security Administration. Then Friday morning reversed the decision when it was realised they oversaw nuclear weapon production. The man's a loose cannon.

[KevinJ]

Typical Trump fans thinking any criticism is "screaming emotional ranting" when they have no argument. He didn't win by a landslide for a start, another lie swallowed whole. He is the enemy of democracy because it gets in his way. You'll soon see how many promises he keeps and what state the country will be in in 4 years. You only have to see how he attacks democracies in Europe whilst kissing Putin's backside, its sickening. When he cuts services and benefits for made up fraud its not just the people you don't like who suffer.

[KevinJ]

Last Thursday Trump fired 300 staff in the National Nuclear Security Administration. Then Friday morning reversed the decision when it was realised they oversaw nuclear weapon production. The man's a loose cannon.

If only they would refuse to go back to show up his incompetence.

[James Cutting]

Last Thursday Trump fired 300 staff in the National Nuclear Security Administration. Then Friday morning reversed the decision when it was realised they oversaw nuclear weapon production. The man's a loose cannon.

They are also struggling to reach out to them, since they were locked out of their federal emails, ludicrous to even think about firing such important positions as though. Apparently, more than 60 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration since inauguration day

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g3nrx1dq5o