Europe

[Kirkhill]

JFHC

Brussels just can't stop shooting itself in the foot.

Bad enough to lock the Brits out when the Northerners and Easterners are working more tightly with them than the people south of the Dyle. But to lock out the Turks who not only have a dynamic defence industry, but are agressively following its own policy of nuanced neutrality to its own ends, that is sheer idiocy.

At very least treat them like WW2 Swedes who kept both side's wheels rolling.
Erdogan is happy to play with Zelensky and Putin, Johnson and Israel, the Islamists and the Chinese. He is playing our current chaos a whole lot more smartly than any other major leader I can think of.

I can easily foresee an outcome that connects London and Stockholm to Qatar and Beijing through Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium/Byzantia and leaves Paris and Washington on the outside in splendid isolations.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Welcome to the Battle for the Soul of Europe... I'll just assume they haven't invited the British

MCC Brussels Conference on the Future of the Continent Begins Today​

On December 3 and 4, the European capital is hosting one of the most relevant debates of the moment. ‘Battle for the Soul of Europe’, an event organised by MCC Brussels that brings together academics, analysts, MEPs and cultural leaders from different generations, addresses a question that can no longer be avoided: Where is Europe heading, and who defines its identity?

In a context of political crises, migratory pressure, economic fatigue, and a growing disconnection between EU institutions and citizens, the forum seeks to open a discussion that—according to its organisers—the European Union itself has avoided for far too long. The central thesis is clear: the EU is undergoing a profound questioning of its very essence, a drift that, for many, has accelerated in recent years due to political decisions disconnected from Europe’s cultural and historical reality.

MCC Brussels Conference on the Future of the Continent Begins Today

The event examines the growing distance between EU institutions and the Union’s citizens amid a full-blown European identity crisis.

europeanconservative.com

 

[HavokFour]

Not a great development, and no different from someone wanting to damage NATO.

German army chief says contact with US military cut off by Pentagon

Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration

www.thetimes.com

Archive


Here's the interview mentioned in the above article.

The New German War Machine

After World War II, Germany embraced pacifism as a form of atonement. Now the country is arming itself again.

www.theatlantic.com

Archive

 

[GR66]

Not a great development, and no different from someone wanting to damage NATO.

German army chief says contact with US military cut off by Pentagon

Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration

www.thetimes.com

Archive


Here's the interview mentioned in the above article.

The New German War Machine

After World War II, Germany embraced pacifism as a form of atonement. Now the country is arming itself again.

www.theatlantic.com

Archive

From the first article:

However, Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, who took charge of the German army in October, has publicly expressed the widespread concerns that the military partnership is starting to unravel.

In an interview conducted a few weeks before his promotion, published by The Atlantic, an American magazine, on Monday, Freuding said he had previously been able to exchange text messages with his US opposite numbers “day and night”, but the channels had now been “cut off, really cut off”.

 

[Kirkhill]

Welcome to the Battle for the Soul of Europe... I'll just assume they haven't invited the British

MCC Brussels Conference on the Future of the Continent Begins Today​

On December 3 and 4, the European capital is hosting one of the most relevant debates of the moment. ‘Battle for the Soul of Europe’, an event organised by MCC Brussels that brings together academics, analysts, MEPs and cultural leaders from different generations, addresses a question that can no longer be avoided: Where is Europe heading, and who defines its identity?

In a context of political crises, migratory pressure, economic fatigue, and a growing disconnection between EU institutions and citizens, the forum seeks to open a discussion that—according to its organisers—the European Union itself has avoided for far too long. The central thesis is clear: the EU is undergoing a profound questioning of its very essence, a drift that, for many, has accelerated in recent years due to political decisions disconnected from Europe’s cultural and historical reality.

MCC Brussels Conference on the Future of the Continent Begins Today

The event examines the growing distance between EU institutions and the Union’s citizens amid a full-blown European identity crisis.

europeanconservative.com

God invented the Channel for a reason. The sooner Britain turns back to the waves and Hakluyt's advice, the better.

 

[Kirkhill]

From the first article:

Can't quite make out if Donald Trump is Severus Alexander or Romulus Augustulus.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Can't quite make out if Donald Trump is Severus Alexander or Romulus Augustulus.

I thought he was Nero?

 

[Kirkhill]

I thought he was Nero?

Rome survived Nero.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Rome survived Nero.

For the short term….

 

[PrairieFella]

For the short term….

Im not sure if 400 years is the short term haha.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Im not sure if 400 years is the short term haha.

Yes and no.
The Empire had its first split around 200yrs after Nero and the ‘official’ about 120yrs after that.
But you’re right it didn’t happen directly after his reign ended.

 

[Halifax Tar]

God invented the Channel for a reason. The sooner Britain turns back to the waves and Hakluyt's advice, the better.

You think the UK and Ireland can be saved at this point ?

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Im not sure if 400 years is the short term haha.

The Chinese think so. They still think it's too early to tell if the French Revolution worked out fine.

 

[daftandbarmy]

God invented the Channel for a reason. The sooner Britain turns back to the waves and Hakluyt's advice, the better.

The English Channel: The World's Largest Tank Trap

 

[Czech_pivo]

The Chinese think so. They still think it's too early to tell if the French Revolution worked out fine.

Thoughts if the American Revolution worked out fine, lol?

 

[GR66]

A pretty significant bilateral agreement on military cooperation between the UK and Norway:

UK and Norway ink new Lunna House Agreement - Naval News

British and Norwegian prime ministers today inked the new "Lunna House Agreement", a defence agreement that paves the way for increased cooperation between the UK Royal Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy.

www.navalnews.com

The new Lunna House Agreement will see the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy operate an interchangeable fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates. It follows a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years.

At the heart of the agreement is the new joint fleet of Type-26 anti-submarine warfare frigates – eight British and at least five Norwegian – backed by the biggest British warship deal in history. The £10 billion deal between the UK and Norway, signed in September, is a major boost to British shipbuilding and supports over 4,000 high-skilled British jobs.

Both navies will operate as one – sharing maintenance facilities, technology and equipment to create truly interchangeable forces able to deploy rapidly wherever needed.

The agreement will also see:

• UK joining Norwegian programme to develop motherships for uncrewed mine hunting and undersea warfare systems.
• Year-round training of Royal Marines in Norway, preparing them to fight in sub-zero conditions.
• Royal Navy adopting advanced Norwegian naval strike missiles.
• Deeper collaboration on Sting Ray torpedoes, helping to boost munitions stockpiles.
• Joint wargaming between our Armed Forces.
• UK and Norway leading NATO’s adoption of autonomous systems in the High North.

The Lunna House agreement will also see deeper industrial collaboration between the UK and Norway, supporting skilled jobs while enhancing warfighting readiness.

The new agreement confirms that the UK will join Norway’s programme to develop innovative offshore support vessels, which will act as motherships for uncrewed mine hunting and undersea warfare systems.