Trump administration 2024-2028

[Brad Sallows]

One US legislator wants to prevent the US military from being used to annex territory.

A stunt. Congress already has authority to restrain military operations by presidents, assuming they care to exercise it. If they won't exercise it, unnecessary showboat legislation won't help.

 

[GK .Dundas]

Perhaps that characteristic can be put to better use.

....

Meanwhile -

I noted in the Bloomberg video with the PM of Norway that I posted in the Europe thread the number of times that the PM referenced the UK, the Nordic Alliance and the Baltics, essentially the Joint Expeditionary Force. I have also noted the lack of support by Keir Starmer for Canada.
Britain may not be a reliable ally but, perhaps, we can make something out of the Nordics. They did reach out to us a couple of years ago and were turned down by our isolationist government. The same government that turned down Japan and Germany leaving us without friends.

But our window may be closing, if it hasn't closed already.

Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky will not attend talks with Americans at Saudi peace summit

Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend high-level talks between Ukrainian and US negotiators next week but insisted his country is “fully committed” to peace talks.

www.telegraph.co.uk

The US has been supportive of the Joint Expeditionary Force even when Sweden and Finland were neutral. The USMC and the USN has exercised with JEF since 2014.

Trump seems to be quite happy to have the Europeans look after Europe but not thrilled if Europe extends into Greenland. How thrilled would he be if Europe extended into Canada?

...

Meanwhile

In the US, Indian, Ukrainian and Turkish press

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-vs-canada-51st-state-wildest-threats.html

Trump doubles down on 'Canada 51st state', asks Trudeau to revise border: Report

Amid the simmering US-Canada tensions, a New York Times report has revealed that during two phone calls with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 3, Donald Trump said he wanted to “revise the boundary" between the two neighbouring nations.

www.indiatoday.in

Trump wants to renegotiate US-Canada border agreement – NYT

Read more

newsukraine.rbc.ua

Trump tells Canada he wants to renegotiate border treaty: Report

During Feb. 3 call with Trudeau, Trump questioned validity of 1908 border treaty, suggested revising the boundary, New York Times reports - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

Trump told Trudeau he wants to renegotiate the border | Forexlive

It's unclear what parts of the border Trump was talking about

www.forexlive.com

How Trump’s ‘51st state’ Canada talk came to be seen as deadly serious

Trump, in an early February call, challenged the border treaty between the two countries and told Trudeau he didn’t like their shared water agreements.

www.seattletimes.com

The British, Swedish and Danish press all seem very quiet about Canada's woes.

....

Declaring a National Energy Emergency

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50

www.whitehouse.gov

Gaza: Israel’s Energy Cuts Violate Laws of War

www.hrw.org

What are the laws of war, and how do they apply to the Israel-Gaza conflict?

Whether something is a war crime is a complex determination — and violations of International Humanitarian Law are notoriously difficult to prosecute

www.cbsnews.com

....

Trump told Canadian officials he wanted changes to the Columbia River Treaty

The agreement, currently under renegotiation, co-ordinates hydroelectric power production and flood control along the Columbia River flowing from B.C. through the U.S. Pacific Northwest

www.theglobeandmail.com

....

Is it noteworthy how much of Ontario's power is generated on the shores of the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway?

How long to prep for demolition ?
What can I say I'm a scorched earth kind of guy ?