Very good discussion of the events which took place today at the Oval Office.
What is important, and Larry points this out--J.D. Vance "laid down the case" that this clown (literally) should go. Now, I want to stress--and I understand that it may require additional elaboration. If (keep in mind--IF, not when) the US stops already dwindling military aid to 404, this whole thing gets on Europe's shoulders and here is WHY Europeans shit their pants for the last few days: Europe cannot rearm or conduct anything better than regiment size combat. If one needs proof--look no further than Sahel and French forces' humiliation there (what's new). This, mind you is the BEST force Europe has, the rest is even more pathetic collection of disjoined TOEs and hardware designed to fight in the XX century against weak enemies, incompetent officer corps and combat training which (I am not kidding) evokes Homeric laughter from Russians. You cannot fix it in 20 to 30 years, if ever. And then, there is Mr. Oreshnik.
Europe has no manufacturing capacity, and it could be, if it decides to go, as Larch posited correctly, terrorism and sabotage rout, Russia can and will suffocate it by cutting off energy streams which still trickle through today and that will kill off the remnants of EU's real economy. Military-wise, Europe is not even in the same league as Russia, and I mean advanced weaponry. Against the background of what today could be semi-official start of dissolution of NATO, let me remind you this, again:
This time Russians may not be so benevolent, and they will wipe out (or sink) some UK assets if London will continue to exercise illusions about own greatness. Will UK declare war on Russia? Russia has a lot of scores to settle with London. If MI6 and British Ministry of Defense still didn't get the memo to 10 Downing Street--they better now. I am sure American side shared the photos of Yuzhmash with its British allies ... or maybe not allies at all, and, in fact, one of the enemies of the United States? While contemplating all that, recall what the CEO of Rheinmetall stated 10 days ago.
The EU has depleted its arms stockpiles due to the Ukraine conflict, leaving it exposed to a potential Russian threat, Armin Papperger, the CEO of German arms manufacturing giant Rheinmetall, has stated. The defense executive’s warning was voiced in an interview published by the Financial Times on Monday. It comes amid a renewed attempt at launching a US-Russia dialogue, with the sides on Tuesday holding their first meeting since the start of the Ukraine conflict. Speaking to the FT on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Papperger, the head of one of the key Western firms supplying Kiev with military equipment, projected sustained high demand for arms in the region, even if peace talks lead to a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire.
I have news for Herr Papperger--good luck trying to ramp up anything for REAL war.
Or, as Harry Callahan used to say: "Do you feel lucky, punk(s)?" Choose your own league, Europe.
