Feb 21, 2025 09:57 PM
(This post was last modified: Feb 21, 2025 10:23 PM by C C.)
RELATED (scivillage): Europe’s feelings about sending troops to Ukraine
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Trump says Starmer and Macron ‘haven’t done anything’ to end Ukraine war
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics...12618.html
INTRO: The Prime Minister and the French president are due to visit Mr Trump separately in Washington next week amid a growing rift between between the US leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US president began negotiations on ending the conflict with Russia, but excluded Kyiv from the talks on Tuesday.
Mr Zelensky has “been in the meetings for three years and nothing got done,” Mr Trump told a Fox News podcast. “So I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings to be honest with you,” he added.
Asked about the upcoming visits from the UK and French leaders, he said: “They didn’t do anything either (to end the war). The war’s going on, no meetings with Russia, no nothing.
“They haven’t done anything. Macron is a friend of mine, and I’ve met with the Prime Minister and he’s a very nice guy (but) nobody’s done anything.”
Sir Keir has faced pressure to take a firm line with Mr Trump on support for Ukraine when he visits... (MORE - details)
A sobering message for Starmer ahead of talks with Trump
https://www.reaction.life/p/a-sobering-m...rmer-ahead
INTRO: As Britain’s Prime Minister gears up for a critical meeting with Trump in Washington next week, NATO’s former second-in-command to Europe has a sobering message for him.
Keir Starmer “will just be laughed out of court, frankly”, warned General Shirreff today, “unless there’s been a clear signal from the UK Government that defence spending is going to rise to probably around 3 per cent as a starter”.
Britain spends around 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, which is higher than NATO’s current target of 2 per cent. But it’s well below the whopping 5 per cent figure Trump is demanding of other alliance members, while threatening to encourage the Russians “to do whatever the hell they want” to any NATO country that doesn't cough up.
In its election manifesto, Labour promised to increase the military’s budget to at least 2.5 per cent, which would cost around £5bn extra a year. In recent weeks, ministers have avoided confirming their up-to-date target until the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review is published.
Of all the major European powers, only Poland has committed to spending anything like the 5 per cent Trump has demanded, with Warsaw planning to spend 4.7 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2025.
Opinion polls indicate that there is broad public support for raising defence spending to 3 per cent. However, we should be under no illusion about the scale of the challenge to get there.
According to estimates made by RUSI back in 2022, increasing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 would require £157 billion worth of additional spending over eight years. For context, the government’s contentious winter fuel payment cut to pensioners is forecast to save £1.3 billion in 2024-25.
This comes at a time when Britain’s tax burden is already at a post-war high... (MORE - details)
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Trump says Starmer and Macron ‘haven’t done anything’ to end Ukraine war
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics...12618.html
INTRO: The Prime Minister and the French president are due to visit Mr Trump separately in Washington next week amid a growing rift between between the US leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US president began negotiations on ending the conflict with Russia, but excluded Kyiv from the talks on Tuesday.
Mr Zelensky has “been in the meetings for three years and nothing got done,” Mr Trump told a Fox News podcast. “So I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings to be honest with you,” he added.
Asked about the upcoming visits from the UK and French leaders, he said: “They didn’t do anything either (to end the war). The war’s going on, no meetings with Russia, no nothing.
“They haven’t done anything. Macron is a friend of mine, and I’ve met with the Prime Minister and he’s a very nice guy (but) nobody’s done anything.”
Sir Keir has faced pressure to take a firm line with Mr Trump on support for Ukraine when he visits... (MORE - details)
A sobering message for Starmer ahead of talks with Trump
https://www.reaction.life/p/a-sobering-m...rmer-ahead
INTRO: As Britain’s Prime Minister gears up for a critical meeting with Trump in Washington next week, NATO’s former second-in-command to Europe has a sobering message for him.
Keir Starmer “will just be laughed out of court, frankly”, warned General Shirreff today, “unless there’s been a clear signal from the UK Government that defence spending is going to rise to probably around 3 per cent as a starter”.
Britain spends around 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, which is higher than NATO’s current target of 2 per cent. But it’s well below the whopping 5 per cent figure Trump is demanding of other alliance members, while threatening to encourage the Russians “to do whatever the hell they want” to any NATO country that doesn't cough up.
In its election manifesto, Labour promised to increase the military’s budget to at least 2.5 per cent, which would cost around £5bn extra a year. In recent weeks, ministers have avoided confirming their up-to-date target until the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review is published.
Of all the major European powers, only Poland has committed to spending anything like the 5 per cent Trump has demanded, with Warsaw planning to spend 4.7 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2025.
Opinion polls indicate that there is broad public support for raising defence spending to 3 per cent. However, we should be under no illusion about the scale of the challenge to get there.
According to estimates made by RUSI back in 2022, increasing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 would require £157 billion worth of additional spending over eight years. For context, the government’s contentious winter fuel payment cut to pensioners is forecast to save £1.3 billion in 2024-25.
This comes at a time when Britain’s tax burden is already at a post-war high... (MORE - details)