By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
He has to take notes from Macron who I thought was impressive.
With that said, I am not expecting anything from Trump other than some minor tariff soundbites so Starmer has something to show for it.
We really need Ukraine to say no minerals without security guarantees. If they sign that deal with Trump saying it's Europe's problem that will be a disaster.
Starmer in Washington. on 09:42 - Feb 27 by ElderGrizzly
Coming away without appearing to endorse the white supremacist in the White House would be a start.
Whatever really happens, Trump will spin it to his advantage anyway.
If we want to get something out of this meeting other than a warm feeling of self-righteousness*, then there is no choice but to humour Trump, flatter him and cajole as one would someone else's spoilt child in mid tantrum.
That's not the same as caving in to everything he says. Starmer can retain a degree of control and, if he is clever enough, feed the right words in the most acceptable manner. Like steering an oil tanker, apply a bit of rudder and it will slowly, slowly begin to turn. Shout at it and you will achieve nothing.
Starmer in Washington. on 09:45 - Feb 27 by J2BLUE
He has to take notes from Macron who I thought was impressive.
With that said, I am not expecting anything from Trump other than some minor tariff soundbites so Starmer has something to show for it.
We really need Ukraine to say no minerals without security guarantees. If they sign that deal with Trump saying it's Europe's problem that will be a disaster.
Ukraine isn't going to say no. Zelensky is fighting for his country's survival and has to stay ahead of the Russians in placating Trump.
That is a much higher priority than letting the Europeans off the hook.
Starmer in Washington. on 09:56 - Feb 27 by Pinewoodblue
Can’t see him politely correcting Trump, he doesn’t have the charisma of Macron.
I’m sick of people with ‘charisma’. They tend to be idiots. Empty vessels. Cameron and Johnson had charisma and where did that get us? Blair had it too, but it didn’t stop him lying through his teeth. Macron has it, but so what? He came away on Monday not looking too stupid and that was a result.
There is no dealing with Trump. He’s an odious bag of gas who only listens to himself and follows his own, simple, warped view of the world. He lies shamelessly. If Starmer can relay the same message as Macron and not get humiliated that’ll be the best he can hope for.
Tariffs? Forget it. Trump will hammer this country. Fairness doesn’t come into it or consequences. That rancid wart just doesn’t think that way. Ukraine? He’s going to try and financially shake Ukraine down and isn’t interested in anything else. The deal is done, f everybody else. Zelenski and the Ukrainian people asked for none of this.
Ukraine have been betrayed dressed up in a lie about saving lives. The last thing he cares about is lives. If I was to speak to Trump it’d be to tell him just that. Trust in America now and for the future is gone. It’s the same level is trust in Putin. America will gain dollars now but pay dearly for this in the future.
6
Starmer in Washington. on 10:18 - Feb 27 with 1573 views
Starmer in Washington. on 10:31 - Feb 27 by Pinewoodblue
Can you imagine being on jury service and being told off by the judge for being sent to sleep by Starmer.
Can you imagine being on jury service and sitting next to a mug like Trump and his annoying side k Musk with his chainsaw?
I couldn’t care a less how dull Starmer is. Not interested since I don’t wish to know the bloke. It’s about is he any good? I gather he wasn’t at CPS, but maybe he will deliver as PM. Jury is out on that one.
3
Bending over and taking it…. on 10:48 - Feb 27 with 1453 views
Starmer comes from a position of weakness. Trump holds the aces, threat of trade sanctions, possibility of a trade deal is always dangling just beyond reach. Does Starmer put the needs of the UK before the needs of Ukraine . There is some crossover in those needs when it comes to European security.
0
Starmer in Washington. on 11:04 - Feb 27 with 1380 views
Old Neville Chamberlain was defined by waving that bit of paper around. History paints him as a mug and a weak one at that.
The irony is that he wasn’t, unlike his predecessor Baldwin. Within the Tory party he was an utter tyrant and controlled every aspect of it. From what I’ve read he wasn’t the easiest of men. Attached is Churchill’s HoC tribute to him after he died in 1940.
My view was that he was certainly taken in by Hitler but more by desperate hope to avoid the horror of WW1 than anything else. A peculiar, interesting character.
0
Starmer in Washington. on 11:07 - Feb 27 with 1368 views
The great UK ambassador meeting an even greater American American supremo (Well that's what they both think anyway) Shake hands and say a few niceties and a smile for the camera. Come back to the UK like he's achieved his aim when in reality Trump has already made his mind up to carve up the Ukraine between himself and Putin and pretend Zelensky has got a great deal for his homeland. It's obvious Trump want's a cut of the minerals in the Ukraine. He's not interested in peace unless that comes with a piece of the Ukraine.
0
Starmer in Washington. on 12:29 - Feb 27 with 1069 views
Starmer in Washington. on 09:45 - Feb 27 by J2BLUE
He has to take notes from Macron who I thought was impressive.
With that said, I am not expecting anything from Trump other than some minor tariff soundbites so Starmer has something to show for it.
We really need Ukraine to say no minerals without security guarantees. If they sign that deal with Trump saying it's Europe's problem that will be a disaster.
The reality, full stop, is that Trump is returning the USA to a hemisperist Foreign Policy.
He won't let the US military come to Europe's aid.
This was a policy which held dominant sway in the USA for large periods of the early 20th Century, and is why they entered WW1 and WW2 so late.
Broadly speaking, if it's not in the USA hemisphere of influence (North and South America and US Pacific Islands, including Hawaii) then it's not the USA's problem.
Trump has been saying it for long enough. Nobody took him seriously.
Lots of pro-Democrat talking heads in the States mocked his negotiations with Putin, saying "He says he is the best at deals, but you don't give everything that the other guy wants straight away!"
They missed the point. Trump wasn't negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, he was negotiating a shift in European power dynamics which would enable him to remove tens of thousands of US service personnel, and save billions a year. That's his win. And would then lumber Europe with those costs, weakening their position as a potential economic threat to the USA.
Meanwhile, with Russia no longer the enemy, he would be able to focus US Foreign (and Economic) Policy goals on competing with China in the Pacific.
Bad news for Europe, terrible news for Ukraine, but definitely a win for Trump. And possibly good news for Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Maybe for Australia and New Zealand, too.
I am a huge supporter of Ukraine, but Trump has played an absolute blinder for naked, cynical American self-interest.
And the "Rare Earths and Minerals" Deal would just be the icing on the cake.
2
Starmer in Washington. on 12:47 - Feb 27 with 992 views
Starmer in Washington. on 12:29 - Feb 27 by ArnoldMoorhen
The reality, full stop, is that Trump is returning the USA to a hemisperist Foreign Policy.
He won't let the US military come to Europe's aid.
This was a policy which held dominant sway in the USA for large periods of the early 20th Century, and is why they entered WW1 and WW2 so late.
Broadly speaking, if it's not in the USA hemisphere of influence (North and South America and US Pacific Islands, including Hawaii) then it's not the USA's problem.
Trump has been saying it for long enough. Nobody took him seriously.
Lots of pro-Democrat talking heads in the States mocked his negotiations with Putin, saying "He says he is the best at deals, but you don't give everything that the other guy wants straight away!"
They missed the point. Trump wasn't negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, he was negotiating a shift in European power dynamics which would enable him to remove tens of thousands of US service personnel, and save billions a year. That's his win. And would then lumber Europe with those costs, weakening their position as a potential economic threat to the USA.
Meanwhile, with Russia no longer the enemy, he would be able to focus US Foreign (and Economic) Policy goals on competing with China in the Pacific.
Bad news for Europe, terrible news for Ukraine, but definitely a win for Trump. And possibly good news for Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Maybe for Australia and New Zealand, too.
I am a huge supporter of Ukraine, but Trump has played an absolute blinder for naked, cynical American self-interest.
And the "Rare Earths and Minerals" Deal would just be the icing on the cake.
He would also be able to reduce the size of the regular army as if you aren’t going to make a commitment to come to the aid of Europe you need 200,000 less grunts.
He would increase National Guard, thry only get paid when on active service.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
