Above, Their Majesties, King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Villa Wolkonsky in Rome back in April. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Buckingham Palace.
Attributed to the Greek Aesop; yes, he of the fables, today’s post’s title refers our reader’s attention to another round of meetings the peripatetic President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4gpzep9n8et) is undertaking.
“We stand with Ukraine…..” says Sir Keir Starmer. This in very marked contrast to Donald J. Trump!
Back in 2024 during the US presidential election campaign, I stated that that election would be for the UK the most significant since the election of 1940.
I think that I have been proved right!
Mr Trump’s new defence strategy has overturned an order in Europe and in NATO that has existed since it’s founding in 1949.
It would be easy to heap all the blame for what happened next upon the shoulders of Mr Trump. However, the election of Mr Trump did not happen by pure chance. There were reasons why many Americans voted for Trump.
One of the common bones of contention amongst Americans not possessing vast riches is healthcare; namely the cost of it! Of course, healthcare – the NHS – is a hot topic with British voters. However, the difference is that whilst British voters complain about waiting lists and lack of facilities such as dentistry, Americans complain about the exorbitant cost – to them personally – of healthcare.
Here is a FACT: Many Americans look enviously at the UK and the NHS. Then they angrily comment about how European nations like the UK have generous welfare benefits that they do not have to anything like the same degree. They then complain that they are being asked to shoulder most of the burden for defending Europe against Russia.
They have a point!
Another FACT: European nations with their lower (than the US) defence expenditures took advantage of the status quo ante Trump for far too long. They ignored warning signs. Many (France, Germany, the UK) now are trying to play catch up and are increasing defence expenditure. Others (Spain in particular) are refusing point blank.
This MUST change!
Hard choices have to be made.
Hard choices loose votes.
Votes have to be lost.
One thing Europe cannot afford is to have Ukraine loose to Russia.
The Russo-Ukraine War has developed into a war of attrition and wars of attrition cease when one side becomes exhausted before the other side.
The way Ukraine can WIN this war is to hinder the export of Russian oil to such an extent that Russia collapses economically.
This means that the ships comprising Russia’s shadow fleet have got to be subjected to a campaign of covert hindrance. That means that the operations of the tankers have got to be interfered with in such a way as to reduce to a minimum injury (and of course, death) to the crews of these ships. Sinking the ships is not required. What is required is to hinder their operation to the extent necessary to cause them to be unable to load the oil that they would currently be contracted to load at Russia’s oil terminals.
FACT: If Russia cannot load the oil, countries like India will not pay for it!
FACT: If Russia cannot sell her oil, she cannot afford to prosecute the war.
FACT: France and the UK have experience of covert operations. Any covert operations would have to be carried out by Ukrainian personnel however.
FACT: The MoD and the Royal Archives have the documents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) from World War Two. They need to be dusted off and read.
FACT: NATO and Europe need to plan for a future without the USA!
For those readers who are wondering why I have chosen a seemingly unrelated photograph to head up today’s blog-post, I would draw attention to some recent criticism of the King but would suggest that the best argument to retain the monarchy and to avoid a presidency are enshrined in two words: Donald Trump!