Justin Trudeau hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Good2Golf]

2%
2.5%
3%
....
5%

Trump has just upped the ante.

Trump to demand Nato nations spend 5pc of GDP on defence

Countries told to bolster their budgets as president-elect passes burden of Ukraine war to Europe

www.telegraph.co.uk

Negotiating 101: Bracketing and Trump is leading the negotiation by setting the high bracket (5.0%).….and he could double-bracket as well, we shall see. Canada is way down on the backside of the low bracket (2.0%). Those that take defence seriously will probably make national statements of commitment at or slightly above the bracket mid-point (3.5%). They’ll be rewarded with acknowledgment of team play and a preferred place in Trump’s sphere of influence. The others may be double-bracketed on the high side of single-bracket mean (above 3.5%…3.75 to 4.25%+/-) and when they don’t or can’t, they will be on the outs with Trump and he’ll beast them until they at least ante up to the original mid-point (3.5%).

And he wants Europe to buy more Alberta Oil and Gas.....

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-eu-should-make-up-tremendous-deficit-with-us-by-purchasing-its-oil-2024-12-20/

After he has got his mark up and resold it through American ports.

WSC (Western Select Crude) - 56USD > Alberta sells to America
WTI (West Texas Intermediate) Crude - 70USD > America sells to Europe…

 

[dimsum]

2%
2.5%
3%
....
5%

Trump has just upped the ante.

Trump to demand Nato nations spend 5pc of GDP on defence

Countries told to bolster their budgets as president-elect passes burden of Ukraine war to Europe

www.telegraph.co.uk

And he wants Europe to buy more Alberta Oil and Gas.....

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-eu-should-make-up-tremendous-deficit-with-us-by-purchasing-its-oil-2024-12-20/

After he has got his mark up and resold it through American ports.

The line in the article about complaining that there is a trade deficit in cars going to EU vice from the EU made me laugh.

A huge proportion of Americans don’t even buy American-company cars. What makes anyone think Europeans will when they have BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, etc?

 

[YZT580]

The line in the article about complaining that there is a trade deficit in cars going to EU vice from the EU made me laugh.

A huge proportion of Americans don’t even buy American-company cars. What makes anyone think Europeans will when they have BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, etc?

many of which are owned and built off-shore.

 

[dimsum]

many of which are owned and built off-shore.

Sure - still not American-led companies though.

If those cars are still built somewhere in Europe, and the trade skews towards them, then the point is still valid.

 

[AmmoTech90]

Yes, that European component, Stellantis, should definitely pull out of the US market.

 

[quadrapiper]

The line in the article about complaining that there is a trade deficit in cars going to EU vice from the EU made me laugh.

A huge proportion of Americans don’t even buy American-company cars. What makes anyone think Europeans will when they have BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, etc?

Get the impression that the European market looks to Japanese and Korean automakers (maybe Chinese too, now) if they're after an alternative to domestic, too.

Ditto (though this is even more of an impression) agricultural and construction kit.

 

[KevinB]

Negotiating 101: Bracketing and Trump is leading the negotiation by setting the high bracket (5.0%).….and he could double-bracket as well, we shall see.

I suspect his minimal accepted number from anyone is 3.5% at this point.

He is being looped in to NATSEC briefs again, and aware of what Putin is planning and what Xi is capable of, and why NATO needs to have everyone above 3% at this point, and planning on seeing what 4 and 5% would look like as well as war planning for a large scale conflict.

Canada is way down on the backside of the low bracket (2.0%). Those that take defence seriously will probably make national statements of commitment at or slightly above the bracket mid-point (3.5%).

Agreed.

They’ll be rewarded with acknowledgment of team play and a preferred place in Trump’s sphere of influence.

The others may be double-bracketed on the high side of single-bracket mean (above 3.5%…3.75 to 4.25%+/-) and when they don’t or can’t, they will be on the outs with Trump and he’ll beast them until they at least ante up to the original mid-point (3.5%).

I don’t think he will accept anyone under 3% period. It won’t just be on the outs, there will be significant pressure applied to make them course correct from many avenues we have. I suspect that could also mean influence activities by USG assets as well to undermine leaders of nations who don’t step up.

 

[quadrapiper]

I suspect his minimal accepted number from anyone is 3.5% at this point.

He is being looped in to NATSEC briefs again, and aware of what Putin is planning and what Xi is capable of, and why NATO needs to have everyone above 3% at this point, and planning on seeing what 4 and 5% would look like as well as war planning for a large scale conflict.

Noting that he's not known for consistency at the best of times, it would aid his cause if it wasn't coupled with a less-than-straightforward approach to Putin. To say that the US isn't up to/interested in shouldering the entire burden of keeping Europe out of VVP's grabby little hands is legitimate; it would, though, cost him and his country nothing for him to be much, much clearer about telling the Russians to leave Ukraine. "We've got the very best missiles, made by wonderful Americans, and I'm going to give Ukraine and my good friend (listen to him somehow mangle Volodymyr) all of those missiles, and tanks! Did you know how many tanks we have just sitting around? I'm going to give them all to Ukraine so they can recapture their own great country. I don't care about red lines, never trusted any Reds, but I do care about borders... people need to stay on their side of borders... (cue rambling re: Mexico)"

Raytheon, Lockmart, and the rest need to up their schmoozing/bribery game, too.

It would also be an easy way to distinguish himself from the Biden admin's Sullivan-driven dawdling.