Replies

What a wonderful sideshow!

Meanwhile, in the real world in Turkey TODAY, NATO meets "informally" with NATO financial commitments being discussed:

"Rutte refused to confirm the numbers under consideration, but he acknowledged the importance of including infrastructure in the equation, 'for example to make sure that bridges, yes, are there for you and me to drive our cars but also if necessary to make sure that the bridge will hold a tank. So all these expenditures have to be taken into account.'
"But he didn't signal any progress on narrowing the numbers down after the meeting, which came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waited, apparently in vain, in the Turkish capital Ankara for Russian President President Vladimir to hold face-to-face talks on ending their 3-year-old war.
"It's difficult to see how many members would reach a new 3.5% goal. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not even spending 2% yet, although Spain does expect to reach that goal in 2025, a year past the deadline.
Source: NATO weighs a US demand to massively hike defense spending as some struggle to meet the current goal AP, 15 May 2025

Europe. Leading from behind....

This is why the sideshow is so-o-o important today. NATO members are not stepping up to meet their commitments.

Istanbul has descended into the Clown show we all thought it would.

🇷🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦 I have a bad feeling with Lindsey Graham at the Turkey negotiations. pic.twitter.com/IDJtvchHpI— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 (@Alex_Oloyede2) May 15, 2025