And because I love good news stories, particularly about eyes (I had cataract surgery on both my eyes about 20 years ago -- something like 7th generation for early onset, I blame the Swedish genes) -- this shows how British research is helping people around the world. The condition was so rare that the candidates had to be brought from the US, Türkiye and Tunisia but it is wonderful these children have regained a proportion of their sight. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/21/blind-children-see-first-time-british-breakthrough/ or https://archive.ph/Hi2hf
That much is true. But I do worry about the long term damage Trump's words are going to cause to US interests and if it will embolden Russia re the Baltics. Sweden just uncovered more cable cutting. It is low level nuisance but probing.
It has been a hard week. His rhetoric surprised me. I am hopeful for some actual results.
Words are mere words, intentions are just that. What counts are actions.
Who knows what Trump was thinking? He has a bent for stream-of-consciousness verbalizing and values loyalty, but will patch things up with former adversaries. He says things simply to gain leverage for making deals. We know he wants this war to end and thinks the U.S. is wasting money there, especially because Ukraine is more important to Europe than to us (Biden’s personal interests are no longer at stake!). We have to watch what this administration does vis-a-vis Ukraine before judging his endgame.
National interests are different here. Europe knows what Russia can do. Poland and the Baltics especially. More cables were cut today -- this time near Sweden.
Great roundup as usual, Michelle. I am glad Paddy is back to his old self. He is still super cute!
I like the term vranyo. Very handy.
I was not impressed by Trump's post about Zelensky, perhaps there is something more to it but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The Russia Ukraine war is a shit sandwich and I really have no idea what the heck is happening over there. But the Biden family's actual or perceived corruption cannot be taken out of this story and how many Americans now perceive Ukraine and Zelensky.
Where is Shiri Bibas?? I have thought and prayed a lot about this poor family. I was not sure hamas would give back any of their bodies because they are most valuable when the question of whether they are alive or dead is unanswerable. We know other female hostages were kept as slaves in the homes of gazans. Where is she? How terrible.
Everyone wants to know where Shiri Bibas is. It could have been a mix up but I doubt it.
I sincerely hope she did not have to watch her children being murdered and hearing their screams. The depravity is there for all to see. Apparently Qatar was less than pleased with Hamas and the spectacle.
Trump has now said that Russia started the war. I never thought to see headlines about the return of British tactical nuclear weapons. It was not on my bingo card, but Merz who should be running Germany (if the polls are correct) after Sunday has that in light of US remarks, they are considering buying into France or British nukes. If the US pulls out, there is a deterrence gap concern. I https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/21/how-return-british-tactical-nuclear-weapons-save-europe/ or https://archive.ph/x1bDi
I’m not smart enough to know what the solution to Ukraine is. Hell, I’m not smart enough to comment here with you all! But I do know there cannot be an endless stream of US dollars. What is the end game? I had this discussion with a friend this week. In a perfect world you get Russia out of all of Ukraine, including the Crimea which Obama did nothing about. But that isn’t going to happen. So what do we do? Seems the choices are a negotiation, or US/NATO engagement. If the latter, are the people of the US and UK/EU ready for what that means? I personally doubt it. Thanks as always Michelle, I appreciate your insight from across the pond!
I don't know what the answer is either. Ukraine wants to stay as Ukraine and they have fought very hard for that right. The question of what happened to the military aid money is not as simple as some make out. At least 26 bil from some countries according to Wallace (I assume he includes the US in this) went to purchase replacement kit for that country and didn't actually go to Ukraine. I think the conflict will be frozen (again). Obama caused many problems when he gave up the Donbas and the Crimea. Trump should be going on about the St Javelin icon as he enabled Ukraine's fightback to happen. He and Zelensky don't get on for whatever reason. Poroshenko has offered to mediate. Trump gets on with Poroshenko -- hence the javelin missiles
I think Zelensky signed something when Kellog visited him yesterday.
NATO is having problems in the Baltic with Russia and China. The US are not involved in the policing. A price for ending the Ukraine conflict will not include the demilitarization of all Baltic countries (one of Russia's demands). Russia are making noises as the article about Germany and this new NATO operation make clear. https://archive.ph/5HoRS Germany has brushed it (for now). Germany is one of the more pro-Kremlin countries. The AfD because of where their heartland is (old E Germany) tends to be more pro-Kremlin. Hard right doesn't mean what it used to. I don't pretend to understand all the groupings in Germany. Sunday's election is going to be interesting.
Hello Northumberland! Another fine roundup this Friday.
I was sorry to hear about President Trump's remarks about Ukraine. I'm glad to hear about the UK and Europe discussing a peace-keeping force. TY for introducing the term vranyo.
That was interesting about Blue Labour.
And shocking about the GMC.
It just figures about the pro-Palestinian groups and Cambridge. And that's shocking about the Bibas family in Israel.
That about Gen-Zers flying is typical.
That was interesting about King Thutmose II's tomb.
Good luck on Your revisions of the book. And Paddy did, indeed, look very cute.
With all due respect Michelle, how many Ukrainians, and Russians too, is Europe willing to sacrifice only to end up in the same place? That is with Russia controlling the Russian speaking Donbas and crimea or worse owing Kiev.
And is Starmer that stupid to think a 30,000 force can do much of anything? But hey I suppose Russians can kill British soldiers just as easily. And then what? WWIII?
I do think Europe should be paying more and will be paying more.
The US defence budget covers all the operations the US does. There are reasons why the US wants to maintain bases in Britain, Germany, and now Poland plus a few other places. The US has also signed multiple treaties. The way the US supplies bases should be looked at. It is my understanding that the US supplies 100% from the US including all the food, nothing local. I could be wrong but it is what I've heard.
Can a 30k force do anything? It depends on the weaponry. Ukraine and the Israeli conflicts have altered the nature of war. A lot of the high tech stuff has been tried and found to work on the NATO side. Less successful has been the Russian and Chinese kit. Russia does not have air superiority at all.
There are reasons why reading the British Defence Intelligence reports (posted on the MoD twitter feed btw) is important. Russia has just started cancelling the contract ending dates of those who have signed up. Those who refuse are being sent to the meat grinder. https://x.com/DefenceHQ/status/1892866763873730983
No of course not. There has always been a question of who cut the first cable. But in not investigating or not reporting on what really happened if they did and allowing that to happen with impunity I think set the stage for the rest. And Germany laughing at Trump and continuing to buy Russian oil and gas helped fund Russia's war aspirations. That’s been memory holed. Are they still buying?
No one says kick the Baltics out of NATO. They are in NATO. Ukraine is not and never will be.
Russia is stop gapping enlistments. Ukraine is press ganging and shanghaiing men off the streets into the meat grinder. it IS a meat grinder. That’s why stopping it is a good idea.
But if Europe wants it to continue, have at it. I for one am tired of paying bureaucrat salaries and pensions out of my tax money.
One of Putin's demands for ending the Ukrainian conflict is apparently the demilitarization of the Baltics and no NATO troops there. It is eyeroll but the demand is there and was apparently repeated.
Oh I think freezing it is a good idea. I have figured that was going to happen since at last Sept. It is about the policing and ensuring that it holds. No one trusts Russia or indeed the CCP.
Germany in general have spoken out of both sides of their mouth. The amount of money certain former politicians trousered is a case in point. I believe both pipelines are currently shut. If a ceasefire/peace deal can be agreed, then they will reopen. This will result in Europe not buying as much American LPG. The price will fall.
Once the British got their shiny new tool, they weren’t shy about using it. The Twitter Files were full of loony “IPA” dramas that underscored just how terrifying these laws can be. In one bizarre episode in August of 2021, Twitter was asked to turn over data on soccer fans to a collection of alphabet soup agencies, including the Home Office and the “Football Policing Unit.” The Football Police informed Twitter that “in the UK… using the ‘N word’ is a criminal offence — not a freedom of speech issue.”
Twitter executives scrambled to explain to football’s cyber-bobbies that many of their suspects were black themselves, and tweets like “RAHEEM STERLING IS DAT NIGGA” were not, in fact, “hateful conduct.” (The idea that British police needed American executives to interpret sports slang is a horror movie in itself.) Accounts like @Itsknockzz and @Wavyboomin never knew how close they came to arrest
Talk about Vranyo....The notion of Euros defending themselves. The billions of US taxpayer dollars sent for Ukraine's "defense" that were stolen. Ignoring that Boris scuttled peace talks, allowing hundreds of thousands to die needlessly. The lie that constant talk of NATO expansion was not antagonistic. Or that Biden did anything to avoid the war. Or now that a return to Ukraine's pre 2014 borders is anything but madness given that it was a fait accompli under Obama and his Europals. (Psst.. tell Vlad I'll have more flexibility after my re-election.) Or the greatest lie of all - that Ukraine was winning and its vaunted Spring offensive would push Russia into the sea. When the UK and Euros stop arresting their citizens for expressing themselves freely, maybe we'll take them seriously when they hyperventilate about Putin. Until then, Ukraine remains a kleptocracy and we're sick of supporting the lies. This disaster needs to end. And until we see the deal Trump ultimately gets. maybe this critics should try silence.
“His (Zelensky’s) country is under siege in a way the US has never been.”
Well, in 1814 the British occupied and burned Washington DC to the ground. If Lee had won the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, DC would again have been at great risk.
It is simply beyond belief that the EU with a GDP of $19 trillion can’t create a defense against Russia with a GDP of $2 trillion. Far past time for the US to cut those selfish assholes loose to defend themselves. We bailed them out in WW’s One and Two and have paid for their fucking defense since. Enough.
And Merz, the most likely victor is prepared to buy into the France or British nuclear arsenal -- something Germany has resisted because the US would provide a shield in anticipation of the US withdrawing its support as Germany is not about to change its laws to suit Vance's views on free speech. The Times are reporting . How true I don't know.
The defence of Europe is going to happen and is ramping up. AfD is pro-Kremlin -- Germany has been a funny one. You have to look at various former German politicians what they have been up to.
The last time the US fought for its survival in a major war on home territory was in 1865. Since then, all of its wars have really been for 'moral' purposes, not survival (although one could argue WW2 does become about survival after Pearl Harbor). If the US wants to go fully transactional, it can, but there will be costs.
And no the US has not paid for all European defence since that is hyperbole. There are also huge problems with US procurement and the way US defence contractors have padded contracts over many years. Hegseth is looking to cut 8% of the defence budget. I suspect he will be able to do that handily without sacrificing operational capability.
And because I love good news stories, particularly about eyes (I had cataract surgery on both my eyes about 20 years ago -- something like 7th generation for early onset, I blame the Swedish genes) -- this shows how British research is helping people around the world. The condition was so rare that the candidates had to be brought from the US, Türkiye and Tunisia but it is wonderful these children have regained a proportion of their sight. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/21/blind-children-see-first-time-british-breakthrough/ or https://archive.ph/Hi2hf
That is, indeed, very good news and truly amazing. TY, Michelle.
I thought you'd find it interesting
And Baroness Falkner (EHRC) has now written to NHS Fife and to the Scottish Government asking for a full explanation of their policies. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/news/our-letter-cabinet-secretary-health-and-social-care
My heart weeps for the Bibas children. I have seen the update and it is what the IDF have confirmed. https://x.com/TracyAnnO/status/1892975732248154193
The only silver lining I can find is that I’d rather be doing a face-palm over what Trump is saying than what Harris would be (theoretically) doing.
Other than that—I got nothing.
It’s been a hard week.
That much is true. But I do worry about the long term damage Trump's words are going to cause to US interests and if it will embolden Russia re the Baltics. Sweden just uncovered more cable cutting. It is low level nuisance but probing.
It has been a hard week. His rhetoric surprised me. I am hopeful for some actual results.
Words are mere words, intentions are just that. What counts are actions.
Who knows what Trump was thinking? He has a bent for stream-of-consciousness verbalizing and values loyalty, but will patch things up with former adversaries. He says things simply to gain leverage for making deals. We know he wants this war to end and thinks the U.S. is wasting money there, especially because Ukraine is more important to Europe than to us (Biden’s personal interests are no longer at stake!). We have to watch what this administration does vis-a-vis Ukraine before judging his endgame.
The words bothered enough Europeans. I agree the actions count. Kellog, Trump's envoy has just praised Zelensky as an embattled and courageous war leader. It sounds like Zelensky gave whatever assurance Trump actually required. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/21/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news-china-trump/
National interests are different here. Europe knows what Russia can do. Poland and the Baltics especially. More cables were cut today -- this time near Sweden.
Great roundup as usual, Michelle. I am glad Paddy is back to his old self. He is still super cute!
I like the term vranyo. Very handy.
I was not impressed by Trump's post about Zelensky, perhaps there is something more to it but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The Russia Ukraine war is a shit sandwich and I really have no idea what the heck is happening over there. But the Biden family's actual or perceived corruption cannot be taken out of this story and how many Americans now perceive Ukraine and Zelensky.
Where is Shiri Bibas?? I have thought and prayed a lot about this poor family. I was not sure hamas would give back any of their bodies because they are most valuable when the question of whether they are alive or dead is unanswerable. We know other female hostages were kept as slaves in the homes of gazans. Where is she? How terrible.
Everyone wants to know where Shiri Bibas is. It could have been a mix up but I doubt it.
I sincerely hope she did not have to watch her children being murdered and hearing their screams. The depravity is there for all to see. Apparently Qatar was less than pleased with Hamas and the spectacle.
Trump has now said that Russia started the war. I never thought to see headlines about the return of British tactical nuclear weapons. It was not on my bingo card, but Merz who should be running Germany (if the polls are correct) after Sunday has that in light of US remarks, they are considering buying into France or British nukes. If the US pulls out, there is a deterrence gap concern. I https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/21/how-return-british-tactical-nuclear-weapons-save-europe/ or https://archive.ph/x1bDi
According to the Times of Israel, "Hamas claims ‘mix up,’ asks Israel to return remains of Gazan woman it sent in coffin it claimed held Shiri’s body." https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-21-2025/
WTF. These are the worst people.
I’m not smart enough to know what the solution to Ukraine is. Hell, I’m not smart enough to comment here with you all! But I do know there cannot be an endless stream of US dollars. What is the end game? I had this discussion with a friend this week. In a perfect world you get Russia out of all of Ukraine, including the Crimea which Obama did nothing about. But that isn’t going to happen. So what do we do? Seems the choices are a negotiation, or US/NATO engagement. If the latter, are the people of the US and UK/EU ready for what that means? I personally doubt it. Thanks as always Michelle, I appreciate your insight from across the pond!
I don't know what the answer is either. Ukraine wants to stay as Ukraine and they have fought very hard for that right. The question of what happened to the military aid money is not as simple as some make out. At least 26 bil from some countries according to Wallace (I assume he includes the US in this) went to purchase replacement kit for that country and didn't actually go to Ukraine. I think the conflict will be frozen (again). Obama caused many problems when he gave up the Donbas and the Crimea. Trump should be going on about the St Javelin icon as he enabled Ukraine's fightback to happen. He and Zelensky don't get on for whatever reason. Poroshenko has offered to mediate. Trump gets on with Poroshenko -- hence the javelin missiles
I think Zelensky signed something when Kellog visited him yesterday.
NATO is having problems in the Baltic with Russia and China. The US are not involved in the policing. A price for ending the Ukraine conflict will not include the demilitarization of all Baltic countries (one of Russia's demands). Russia are making noises as the article about Germany and this new NATO operation make clear. https://archive.ph/5HoRS Germany has brushed it (for now). Germany is one of the more pro-Kremlin countries. The AfD because of where their heartland is (old E Germany) tends to be more pro-Kremlin. Hard right doesn't mean what it used to. I don't pretend to understand all the groupings in Germany. Sunday's election is going to be interesting.
And I always enjoy comments.
Hello Northumberland! Another fine roundup this Friday.
I was sorry to hear about President Trump's remarks about Ukraine. I'm glad to hear about the UK and Europe discussing a peace-keeping force. TY for introducing the term vranyo.
That was interesting about Blue Labour.
And shocking about the GMC.
It just figures about the pro-Palestinian groups and Cambridge. And that's shocking about the Bibas family in Israel.
That about Gen-Zers flying is typical.
That was interesting about King Thutmose II's tomb.
Good luck on Your revisions of the book. And Paddy did, indeed, look very cute.
And, as always, TY Michelle!
Hello back at you JT.
I thought the Gen Z thing was so typical. Hypocrisy is a human condition.
I keep hoping Farage was right about Trump and that it is an unorthodox negotiating position.
With all due respect Michelle, how many Ukrainians, and Russians too, is Europe willing to sacrifice only to end up in the same place? That is with Russia controlling the Russian speaking Donbas and crimea or worse owing Kiev.
And is Starmer that stupid to think a 30,000 force can do much of anything? But hey I suppose Russians can kill British soldiers just as easily. And then what? WWIII?
With all due respect, should Russia be able to cut vital undersea cables etc in the Baltic? Why should all the Baltic states be kicked out of NATO? This is the latest on the undersea cable war -- Germany are taking a lead https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/21/germany-takes-the-fight-to-russia-in-undersea-cable-war/ or https://archive.ph/5HoRS
I do think Europe should be paying more and will be paying more.
The US defence budget covers all the operations the US does. There are reasons why the US wants to maintain bases in Britain, Germany, and now Poland plus a few other places. The US has also signed multiple treaties. The way the US supplies bases should be looked at. It is my understanding that the US supplies 100% from the US including all the food, nothing local. I could be wrong but it is what I've heard.
Can a 30k force do anything? It depends on the weaponry. Ukraine and the Israeli conflicts have altered the nature of war. A lot of the high tech stuff has been tried and found to work on the NATO side. Less successful has been the Russian and Chinese kit. Russia does not have air superiority at all.
There are reasons why reading the British Defence Intelligence reports (posted on the MoD twitter feed btw) is important. Russia has just started cancelling the contract ending dates of those who have signed up. Those who refuse are being sent to the meat grinder. https://x.com/DefenceHQ/status/1892866763873730983
The battlelines have been basically static for over a year. https://x.com/DefenceHQ/status/1892892963660775499/photo/1
A lot is how many men is Ukraine willing to sacrifice? Nobody wants to be putting boots on the ground with the trench warfare.
No of course not. There has always been a question of who cut the first cable. But in not investigating or not reporting on what really happened if they did and allowing that to happen with impunity I think set the stage for the rest. And Germany laughing at Trump and continuing to buy Russian oil and gas helped fund Russia's war aspirations. That’s been memory holed. Are they still buying?
No one says kick the Baltics out of NATO. They are in NATO. Ukraine is not and never will be.
Russia is stop gapping enlistments. Ukraine is press ganging and shanghaiing men off the streets into the meat grinder. it IS a meat grinder. That’s why stopping it is a good idea.
But if Europe wants it to continue, have at it. I for one am tired of paying bureaucrat salaries and pensions out of my tax money.
One of Putin's demands for ending the Ukrainian conflict is apparently the demilitarization of the Baltics and no NATO troops there. It is eyeroll but the demand is there and was apparently repeated.
Oh I think freezing it is a good idea. I have figured that was going to happen since at last Sept. It is about the policing and ensuring that it holds. No one trusts Russia or indeed the CCP.
I should say that they have now 'denied' it but say that they always have concerns about this and it remains a foreign policy major aim for Russia as they said that they never agreed to it.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/21/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news-china-trump/
Germany in general have spoken out of both sides of their mouth. The amount of money certain former politicians trousered is a case in point. I believe both pipelines are currently shut. If a ceasefire/peace deal can be agreed, then they will reopen. This will result in Europe not buying as much American LPG. The price will fall.
Agree. A new group of military-industrial thieves want to change to a new, EU, brand of washing machines. The American one broke.
I also believe that one cannot mind-read anyone, especially Trump. What it looks like a simple pawn sacrifice, may end in a checkmate.
Matt Taibbi reports:https://substack.com/home/post/p-157347624
Once the British got their shiny new tool, they weren’t shy about using it. The Twitter Files were full of loony “IPA” dramas that underscored just how terrifying these laws can be. In one bizarre episode in August of 2021, Twitter was asked to turn over data on soccer fans to a collection of alphabet soup agencies, including the Home Office and the “Football Policing Unit.” The Football Police informed Twitter that “in the UK… using the ‘N word’ is a criminal offence — not a freedom of speech issue.”
Twitter executives scrambled to explain to football’s cyber-bobbies that many of their suspects were black themselves, and tweets like “RAHEEM STERLING IS DAT NIGGA” were not, in fact, “hateful conduct.” (The idea that British police needed American executives to interpret sports slang is a horror movie in itself.) Accounts like @Itsknockzz and @Wavyboomin never knew how close they came to arrest
Talk about Vranyo....The notion of Euros defending themselves. The billions of US taxpayer dollars sent for Ukraine's "defense" that were stolen. Ignoring that Boris scuttled peace talks, allowing hundreds of thousands to die needlessly. The lie that constant talk of NATO expansion was not antagonistic. Or that Biden did anything to avoid the war. Or now that a return to Ukraine's pre 2014 borders is anything but madness given that it was a fait accompli under Obama and his Europals. (Psst.. tell Vlad I'll have more flexibility after my re-election.) Or the greatest lie of all - that Ukraine was winning and its vaunted Spring offensive would push Russia into the sea. When the UK and Euros stop arresting their citizens for expressing themselves freely, maybe we'll take them seriously when they hyperventilate about Putin. Until then, Ukraine remains a kleptocracy and we're sick of supporting the lies. This disaster needs to end. And until we see the deal Trump ultimately gets. maybe this critics should try silence.
“His (Zelensky’s) country is under siege in a way the US has never been.”
Well, in 1814 the British occupied and burned Washington DC to the ground. If Lee had won the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, DC would again have been at great risk.
It is simply beyond belief that the EU with a GDP of $19 trillion can’t create a defense against Russia with a GDP of $2 trillion. Far past time for the US to cut those selfish assholes loose to defend themselves. We bailed them out in WW’s One and Two and have paid for their fucking defense since. Enough.
I have found a primer on the German election: https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/german-election-polls-2025-who-will-win-afd-news-rghmsfk8q or https://archive.ph/TcQUY
And Merz, the most likely victor is prepared to buy into the France or British nuclear arsenal -- something Germany has resisted because the US would provide a shield in anticipation of the US withdrawing its support as Germany is not about to change its laws to suit Vance's views on free speech. The Times are reporting . How true I don't know.
It is not just Ukraine. The undersea cable war in the Baltic is going on at the same time.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/21/germany-takes-the-fight-to-russia-in-undersea-cable-war/ or https://archive.ph/5HoRS
The defence of Europe is going to happen and is ramping up. AfD is pro-Kremlin -- Germany has been a funny one. You have to look at various former German politicians what they have been up to.
The last time the US fought for its survival in a major war on home territory was in 1865. Since then, all of its wars have really been for 'moral' purposes, not survival (although one could argue WW2 does become about survival after Pearl Harbor). If the US wants to go fully transactional, it can, but there will be costs.
And no the US has not paid for all European defence since that is hyperbole. There are also huge problems with US procurement and the way US defence contractors have padded contracts over many years. Hegseth is looking to cut 8% of the defence budget. I suspect he will be able to do that handily without sacrificing operational capability.