His only real option since 7 Apr has been to declare victory and leave. CENTCOM offers him a 'go big' option. So now it's a classic 'go big or go home' choice - same problem only sharper.

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 4d ago

Trump cancels new strikes on Iran after Middle East allies’ request ft.trib.al/hZURI9Z

US making upfront economic concessions against Iranian future promises. On 7 March Trump said he wanted their 'unconditional surrender'. Instead, the US is now in the process of what I call a 'staged surrender' to Tehran as its position weakens. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2472/re...

If this is the US/Iran deal, it will be a victory only in Trump's own mind. The US lost this war on 7 April with the 'ceasefire'. It was the moment when raw US military power could achieve no more and the US had nothing more subtle to put into the campaign. www.thetimes.com/article/1d9f...

His view that Ukraine has no right to exist hasn't changed since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991. His speeches, his writings - there's no mystery about it.

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 2mo ago

“He likes to improvise, but what is important is that Putin has once again confirmed that Russia’s vision of how this war should end has not changed. These are the same maximalist demands we have been hearing for at least a year,” Oleksii Melnyk said.

“He likes to improvise, but what is important is that Putin has once again confirmed that Russia’s vision of how this war should end has not changed. These are the same maximalist demands we have been hearing for at least a year,” Oleksii Melnyk said.

Putin repeats maximalist war claims as battlefield reality shifts

Against the backdrop of Ukrainian drone strikes on St. Petersburg that sent plumes of smoke over the city, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in a lengthy discussion at Russia's flagship econo...

kyivindependent.com

Tan is quite right. This is more serious than the resignations of Streeting, Phillips or the 3 other ministers to go this past month - because Healey was totally loyal and his decision is not part of any political manoeuvring over the leadership. It is 100% about the financial state of defence.

UK Defence Journal@ukdefencejournal.org.uk · 2mo ago

The Commons Defence Committee has called John Healey's resignation a "grave moment", with chair Tan Dhesi saying the government "must take that warning with the utmost seriousness". https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/healey-resignation-grave-moment-says-defence-committee/

Don’t forget Georgia, under assault from Putin’s puppets. Georgia is European. @annagvarish.bsky.social

Totally agree Greg. The only success in war is ultimately political. And on that basis Trump is now losing this one badly. Hard to see him pulling even a limited political victory out of this. And last time I heard 'bombing back to stone age' was Curtis LeMay over Vietnam in 1965. That went well.

Greg Bagwell@gregbagwell.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A fascinating insider insight into the White House conduct of the EPIC FURY Campaign time.com/article/2026/0… “history also suggests there can be worse outcomes for a President who takes the nation to war than losing an election.” 🧵1/10

Makes me smile. For years the Royal Navy hasn't been prepared for peace - let alone war. RN hasn't been capable of performing the normal range of standard, diplomatic, protection tasks etc. Most of its ships are out of the water most of the time. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2391/re...

I don't post much on this as it's stating the obvious. But the more the Iran War spins out of control, the more Russia and Israel emerge as the only net winners. China is a 50/50 calculation. Everyone else - US, Iran, Gulfies, Middle East, Europe, global south, global economy- are all losers in it.

More or less sums it up - plus 3 x F-15s lost to friendly fire, 1x KC-135 lost to mid air incident, 1x KC-135 likely damaged, 1x F-35 damaged by hostile fire. 13 US dead so far, over 100 injured in various ways. True, Iran is a paper tIger. But even a paper tiger can cause chaos & maybe get lucky.

Matti J.@matzzzon.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Both the White House and the Kremlim are actively trying to get Hungary's Orban re-elected yet again next month. In both cases, to undermine traditional European liberal democracy. They have each committed to that in policy documents. Bizarre world with Europe caught between 2 rogue superpowers.

Personally, I'm not angry or somehow offended by the attitude. It's just the political and cultural reality we have to deal with. European liberal democrats have got to realise what's really important to them and hang onto those fundamentals.

Nicole@niculina.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Thank you for the reply! It's utterly galling

Yes Nicole! He spoke today about 'our good friends in Europe'. After MSC 25, MSC 26, Davos, Greenland, beating up Zelinskiy, the Nov25 Nat. Sec Strat and then the Jan 26 Nat Def Strat - 'Europe' doesn't feel it has much of a friend at all in Washington these days. The MAGA people despise us.

Nicole@niculina.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The "peacetime" president is using Europe's safety as one of many excuses for these strikes on Iran, even after his administration has spent the past year humiliating Europe and demanding it not depend on the US for security anymore 🤔

This guy is not any sort of official adviser to Putin, but is well known to have inspired his thinking over many years. There's no way back for them, or us, to the pre-2022 world in Europe. New times entirely for us all.

Savchenko Volodymyr@savchenkoua.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🤡 Chief ideologist of "Russian World," Alexander Dugin: "It's time for Russia to act truly tough. You'll soon understand what I mean. We've been too polite for too long. We trusted Trump and wanted to avoid the worst. Now, it seems, that's impossible. So let the worst happen."

Been speaking about this very issue at Sky News. If Eur (though not US) forces seize dark fleet tankers - which they should - they have to be able and prepared for Mocow to escalate into a bigger militarized incident. Happening before too long, I expect. (Patrushev's the arch nutjob in the Kremlin.)

The Ukrainian Review@theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 6mo ago

😵‍💫 Patrushev warned that Moscow could also take measures against European shipping if Europe attempts to seize Russian ships. ❗️Patrushev said Russia must deliver a “tough answer.” He specifically mentioned UK, France, and Baltic states. Read more 👀 theukrainianreview.info/russia-threa...

A direct result of current US policy - Canada redefines its genuine friends. Important to European NATO that Canada is an intrinsic part of it.

Mark Carney@mark-carney.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Canada is now the first non-European country to be granted a membership in SAFE. This is a gamechanger program that means Canada can rearm our Canadian Armed Forces members more effectively and scale up our defence industries with more contracts overseas.

🇺🇦🇸🇪🇫🇮🇺🇸Ben Hodges:“NATO would be better the day the Ukrainian flag is raised in Brussels. Just as we got better when the Swedish and Finnish flags were raised.”

Britain between two aggressors. The Kremlin wants to take us on as a lesson to other Europeans. The White House wants to take us on as an example of 'civilisational erasure'. Both trying to undermine our society & democracy. Must hold on, be confident in ourselves. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Why Maga loathes London

Trump and his supporters see the UK capital as the symbol of a Europe facing ‘civilisational erasure’

giftarticle.ft.com

Not true. Babis is parroting the Moscow narrative that is taken up by all the Kremlin's allies and useful idiots in Europe. The 2022 Istanbul meeting is well documented. They weren't very close to a deal and it was finally scuppered when all the Bucha massacres came to light.

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦@maks23.bsky.social · 6mo ago

❗️🇨🇿 In April 2022, Kyiv and Moscow were as close as possible to concluding a peace agreement, but this process was disrupted after Boris Johnson's intervention, - Czech Prime Minister Babis

The CIA, without any explanation, has just cut any further publication of its annual 'World Factbook'. This has been used for years by the US and many others as an authoritative set of hard, mainly statistical facts about every country. Presumably the CIA has given up on bothering with real facts.

This is the line the Putin puppets across Europe are all taking. None of it is actually true. Ukraine can sustain its fight for a long time yet, if it's determined to do so - and that's entirely for them. They will get better in most dimensions of the war, whereas Russia is now at peak performance.

Savchenko Volodymyr@savchenkoua.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🇮🇹❗️🇺🇦 Italian Deputy PM Salvini: We have heard Zelensky who, after all the money, after all the efforts, after all the aid, even has the nerve to complain. My friend, you are losing the war, you are losing men, you are losing credibility and dignity. Sign the peace agreement as soon as possible.

457 British troops lost their lives in Afghanistan. Trump avoided military service 5 times. How dare he question their sacrifice. Farage and all the others still fawning over Trump should be ashamed.

Some people think Trump's comments were a sort of tactic following the Davos climbdown. But I think his comments were actually just what they seem - freewheeling ignorance from an old man who is accorded Papal Infallibility by his followers. bsky.app/profile/theg...

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 6mo ago

Trump prompts outrage with claim Nato troops avoided frontline in Afghanistan

Maybe the President would like to chat to the 800+ families who lost someone helping support US policy in Afghanistan?

General view is that the trade bazooka is so big the EU won't use it as results may spiral. Maybe. But that was said about cancelling Nordstream 2 in 2022 after Russia's new invasion, and yet it happened. This challenge is different but just as important for Europe's future.

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 7mo ago

The EU is preparing a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on NATO allies over Greenland, with leaders set to discuss retaliation options at a summit on Jan. 22, two people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The parallels between Putin and Trump have become quite remarkable: imperialists, bullies, re-writing history, searching for motives to justify personal grandeur, surrounded by people too frightened to oppose them, out of control, and apparently losing grip on reality. bsky.app/profile/maks...

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦@maks23.bsky.social · 7mo ago

🇪🇸🇺🇦 Spanish PM Sanchez: "A US invasion of Greenland would make Putin the happiest man in the world. Why? Because it would legitimize his invasion of Ukraine. If the US were to use force in Greenland, it would be a fatal blow to NATO. Putin would have double reason to rejoice."

I would challenge any Trump apologists to state what the security threat to Greenland actually is (and I mean real facts here) that can't be met already. If they really want to worry like this, then Alaska is far, far more at risk. Why not wet yourself about that? www.ft.com/content/1dfa...

Nato troops to be in Greenland on ‘more permanent’ basis

Some European countries are sending soldiers to the Arctic island after Donald Trump intensified threats to take control

ft.com

Military theatre of the absurdist genre. Sending troops we don't have to a place that doesn't need them, in an attempt to blunt the vainglorious project of a supreme narcissist who happens to be President of the US. www.thetimes.com/article/80da...

Britain joins Greenland Nato mission designed ‘to keep Trump happy’

The reconnaissance exercise will establish what a more sustained ground deployment of troops could look like in an effort to reassure the United States

thetimes.com