This is a gut-wrenching time for both Europe & the rest of the world. Instead of solutions to defeat Russia, we have little progress on coming up with 'any' plan -especially since Europe is not out of the woods for conflict spreading. I had booked a 'river' boat cruise thru Europe ( my bucket list) for July next year - will there be a Europe left . . . I can't believe this is happening.
Yes, absolutely more panic is needed on the part of Europe. Putin decimated urban centers in the Middle East and Africa to flood Europe with anti western Fifth Columnists. They are now so many Little Green Men and they need to be repatriated. Hopefully the Gaza Riviera concept works.
And two important points need amplification. Iran did not have nukes...the cornered rat does.
Also, Drill Baby Drill is working and OPEC will be opening the spigot more in the coming weeks.
Russia might be most easily defeated in the oil markets than any other theater especially as Ukraine continues to improve its home grown weaponry that is state of art offensively and defensively.
Russia, as you noted, planned the invasion of middle east refugees to swamp Europe. He's been ahead of the 'game' for years - plans are working well for him.
Aside from our isolationist, emotionally unempathic (cut and run), quite adolescent leadership; our servile, cultish one-size fits all lack of internal dialogue about any existential issues of Western survival, we seem to have exported to China our capacity to project power!
The financialization of our economy, which best serves our grotesquely fattened and comfortable elites, has neglected for decades what used to be a formidable USA manufacturing powerhouse.
The “rare earth” metals used in munitions, to use but one example, also in ICE catalytic converters, solar panels, batteries and a host of other products was short-sightedly assigned to “third workd” countries for their “cheap labor” and our other NIMBY or LULU concerns (not in my backyard and locally undesirable land uses).
Mining and extractive industry is good for them, but not for us. Our current admin’s perception that Mexicans are little more than criminals and rapists, etc. and represent our NIMBY or “deplorable” concerns is not far from White House thinking, nor “business-as-usual” comforts of our economic elites, until we need what they do, but unfortunately haven’t well planned for!
We’ve never been much for longer-term thinking and planning in the good, ole US of A. We like checkers, not chess. We need a better democracy, not a smarter group of elites! Our national/international problems have long been apparent. They’re just too uncomfortable to talk about, and too difficult for some of us to contemplate their remediation!
A little more resilience wouldn’t be a bad thing, nor some empathy for others whose ideas are under-represented in what is our “national dialogue!” It very much sounds to me like “grown up” time, i.e., learning from past mistakes!
Enjoyed reading your points of view today.The US leader has continuously postured" the watch me fiddle" while Ukraine burns and scores of people die from neglect.
Thanks for pointing out to anyone who's listening what's going on and its implications for the future. Hopefully, Trump's thin skin and desire to establish a legendary legacy will prove powerful enough to cut through whatever hold Putin appears to have had over him. And hopefully, journalism will speed this along.
The longer the war drags out, the more Putin himself is at risk. This simple fact will result in increasing attacks on Ukraine, using up all available inventory, including chemical weapons. The question remains, can Ukraine hang on long enough for Putin to hang himself?
Perhaps UK and EU owe Trump a favour? He has united them to at last take on Russia which he won't do nor craven GOP. America in decline and Trump leads the way now in cognitive decline unchallenged by GOP.
I agree with your excellent analysis. I was hoping that when Trump ignored the advice of Tucker Carlson on his Iran decision, that this might be a sign that Trump was starting to see the light regarding Putin. One huge problem is that within Trump's inner circle are those who are influenced by the Russian propagandist, Aleksandr Dugin. J.R. Nyquist and Trevor Loudon have written about this extensively.
Let's face it, Putin is a brutal dictator and disruptor, look at all the chaos he's orchestrated around the World (how many lives have been lost).
Trump, another wannabe dictator, continues to be manipulated by Putin. The war in Ukraine was not stopped in 24 hours, as he had professed would happen if elected. The US and NATO have invested billions to support Ukraine / Zelenskyy (an honest broker) with no / little success. Putin's Special Operation that was supposed to be over in a few days with no lives lost - WRONG.
It's time to call out Putin, and Europe has to claim Ukraine's independence and be prepared to defend it and allow Ukraine to attack Russia aggressively. Diplomacy does not work with Putin or mobsters.
Enough is Enough. Far too many lives have been lost and precious assets destroyed. Putin has started WW III, and we're too blind to acknowledge it. War with weapons and War with technology. So sad...
Thanks, Diane, for yet another brilliant assessment. I get the feeling we are near a culminating or turning point in the Ukraine-Russia War, where actions or inactions by the US and Europe may dictate the outcome of the three-year+ war. Trump’s refusal to punish or penalize Putin in any meaningful way is a win for Russia and a loss for Ukraine, with possible tragic consequences for Ukraine, Europe, and the world.
You note that for years, Putin has victimized Europe in the form of espionage, disinformation, and sabotage of critical undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea. Russian attacks on structures and communication lines are acts of war that justify a robust defensive response, and yet Europe has done next to nothing to stop such Russian aggression.
It’s not as if Europe lacks effective means to counter these overt acts of war. To begin with, they could confiscate the $300 billion in Russian assets. Only God knows why they haven’t done it yet.
Europe, however, possesses other means to stop Putin if it chooses to — an act that conceivably would cripple the Russian economy overnight: close the Oresund Straits between Copenhagen and Sweden to Russian shipping, Russia’s only opening out of the Baltic Sea to the world. Such a closure is entirely plausible because the Baltic Sea, in effect, has become a NATO Lake and the Oresund Strait its choke point. Moreover, such an action would not require military intervention, but rather courage and resoluteness. Are you aware if NATO members considered such an action?
I believe Putin has donated mega bucks to the “ save the bankrupt trump fund”
And now he controls Trump. One day this will be exposed . Until then it’s more of the fake tough guy talk by Trump
And then one more kiss to Putin .
There is no other logical reason for Trump to be caving in on Putin.
Let’s hope nato finds a way to give Zelensky what he needs to squash the butcher from Moscow
This is a gut-wrenching time for both Europe & the rest of the world. Instead of solutions to defeat Russia, we have little progress on coming up with 'any' plan -especially since Europe is not out of the woods for conflict spreading. I had booked a 'river' boat cruise thru Europe ( my bucket list) for July next year - will there be a Europe left . . . I can't believe this is happening.
Donald seems to have a blind spot in dealing with Putin. The alternative hypothesis is that he is in cahoots with him while he strings us along.
Yes, absolutely more panic is needed on the part of Europe. Putin decimated urban centers in the Middle East and Africa to flood Europe with anti western Fifth Columnists. They are now so many Little Green Men and they need to be repatriated. Hopefully the Gaza Riviera concept works.
And two important points need amplification. Iran did not have nukes...the cornered rat does.
Also, Drill Baby Drill is working and OPEC will be opening the spigot more in the coming weeks.
Russia might be most easily defeated in the oil markets than any other theater especially as Ukraine continues to improve its home grown weaponry that is state of art offensively and defensively.
Russia, as you noted, planned the invasion of middle east refugees to swamp Europe. He's been ahead of the 'game' for years - plans are working well for him.
Not too often Al-Jazeera calls it right. Interesting that it’s in calling out Putin. Another sign of waning Russkie influence in the Middle East?
Aside from our isolationist, emotionally unempathic (cut and run), quite adolescent leadership; our servile, cultish one-size fits all lack of internal dialogue about any existential issues of Western survival, we seem to have exported to China our capacity to project power!
The financialization of our economy, which best serves our grotesquely fattened and comfortable elites, has neglected for decades what used to be a formidable USA manufacturing powerhouse.
The “rare earth” metals used in munitions, to use but one example, also in ICE catalytic converters, solar panels, batteries and a host of other products was short-sightedly assigned to “third workd” countries for their “cheap labor” and our other NIMBY or LULU concerns (not in my backyard and locally undesirable land uses).
Mining and extractive industry is good for them, but not for us. Our current admin’s perception that Mexicans are little more than criminals and rapists, etc. and represent our NIMBY or “deplorable” concerns is not far from White House thinking, nor “business-as-usual” comforts of our economic elites, until we need what they do, but unfortunately haven’t well planned for!
We’ve never been much for longer-term thinking and planning in the good, ole US of A. We like checkers, not chess. We need a better democracy, not a smarter group of elites! Our national/international problems have long been apparent. They’re just too uncomfortable to talk about, and too difficult for some of us to contemplate their remediation!
A little more resilience wouldn’t be a bad thing, nor some empathy for others whose ideas are under-represented in what is our “national dialogue!” It very much sounds to me like “grown up” time, i.e., learning from past mistakes!
When 9/11 happened, there were a handful of people in the US State Department who read and spoke Arabic. No wonder it was all a surprise. Same now.
Enjoyed reading your points of view today.The US leader has continuously postured" the watch me fiddle" while Ukraine burns and scores of people die from neglect.
Thanks for pointing out to anyone who's listening what's going on and its implications for the future. Hopefully, Trump's thin skin and desire to establish a legendary legacy will prove powerful enough to cut through whatever hold Putin appears to have had over him. And hopefully, journalism will speed this along.
The longer the war drags out, the more Putin himself is at risk. This simple fact will result in increasing attacks on Ukraine, using up all available inventory, including chemical weapons. The question remains, can Ukraine hang on long enough for Putin to hang himself?
Perhaps UK and EU owe Trump a favour? He has united them to at last take on Russia which he won't do nor craven GOP. America in decline and Trump leads the way now in cognitive decline unchallenged by GOP.
Excellent analysis thank you
I agree with your excellent analysis. I was hoping that when Trump ignored the advice of Tucker Carlson on his Iran decision, that this might be a sign that Trump was starting to see the light regarding Putin. One huge problem is that within Trump's inner circle are those who are influenced by the Russian propagandist, Aleksandr Dugin. J.R. Nyquist and Trevor Loudon have written about this extensively.
Read: https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/putins-rasputin?utm_source=publication-search
I wrote this in 2021
Thank you for sharing your essay from 2021. It is very prescient.
Let's face it, Putin is a brutal dictator and disruptor, look at all the chaos he's orchestrated around the World (how many lives have been lost).
Trump, another wannabe dictator, continues to be manipulated by Putin. The war in Ukraine was not stopped in 24 hours, as he had professed would happen if elected. The US and NATO have invested billions to support Ukraine / Zelenskyy (an honest broker) with no / little success. Putin's Special Operation that was supposed to be over in a few days with no lives lost - WRONG.
It's time to call out Putin, and Europe has to claim Ukraine's independence and be prepared to defend it and allow Ukraine to attack Russia aggressively. Diplomacy does not work with Putin or mobsters.
Enough is Enough. Far too many lives have been lost and precious assets destroyed. Putin has started WW III, and we're too blind to acknowledge it. War with weapons and War with technology. So sad...
Quality not quantity is required. SEAD abilities, weapons reach, hypersonic defences, smart 155 amunition. Not ship loads - plane loads. And quality decisions.
Thanks, Diane, for yet another brilliant assessment. I get the feeling we are near a culminating or turning point in the Ukraine-Russia War, where actions or inactions by the US and Europe may dictate the outcome of the three-year+ war. Trump’s refusal to punish or penalize Putin in any meaningful way is a win for Russia and a loss for Ukraine, with possible tragic consequences for Ukraine, Europe, and the world.
You note that for years, Putin has victimized Europe in the form of espionage, disinformation, and sabotage of critical undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea. Russian attacks on structures and communication lines are acts of war that justify a robust defensive response, and yet Europe has done next to nothing to stop such Russian aggression.
It’s not as if Europe lacks effective means to counter these overt acts of war. To begin with, they could confiscate the $300 billion in Russian assets. Only God knows why they haven’t done it yet.
Europe, however, possesses other means to stop Putin if it chooses to — an act that conceivably would cripple the Russian economy overnight: close the Oresund Straits between Copenhagen and Sweden to Russian shipping, Russia’s only opening out of the Baltic Sea to the world. Such a closure is entirely plausible because the Baltic Sea, in effect, has become a NATO Lake and the Oresund Strait its choke point. Moreover, such an action would not require military intervention, but rather courage and resoluteness. Are you aware if NATO members considered such an action?