This suggestion of UK and France agreeing with Denmark to protect all Danish territory from attack and extend their nuclear umbrellas over Greenland, with explicit citing Trump's own words re vulnerability of Greenland, would be (chefs kiss).

To resist Trump’s designs on Greenland here are two proposals: 1/ UK (and poss France) should conclude a mutual defence treaty with Denmark. Ostensibly facing Russia, but… 2/Congress should pass (by a discharge petition in the House if needed)

To resist Trump’s designs on Greenland here are two proposals: 1/ UK (and poss France) should conclude a mutual defence treaty with Denmark. Ostensibly facing Russia, but… 2/Congress should pass (by a discharge petition in the House if needed)

Where the hell are Google and Apple enforcing their app store terms of service on X? Grok doing CSAM should instantly be a removal from the app store. Any other app doing this would be pulled instantly. Journalists should be asking for comment from these companies.

Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."

Abolish ICE. Really.

Mitch McConnell: The use of force to seize the sovereign democratic territory of one of America’s most loyal and capable allies would be an especially catastrophic act of strategic self-harm to America and its global influence. www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index...

Unfortunately @davidallengreen.bsky.social disabled quotes so I have to record my disagreement like this. Our fight with is w the admin not w the United States. As the NDAA has shown the transatlantic alliance has a majority in congress and we need to work with our American friends against Trump.

Trump to Rubio: I’ll give you what you want, just wait a year snd a day Rubio: ok Trump tosses Machado aside and does deal with Delcy Rodriguez

This is largely a matter of timing. They want to you write something topical in a couple of hours so depth is impossible.

Ahem bsky.app/profile/auon...

Venezuela’s government is arresting journalists and sending paramilitary forces to suppress anyone who is too happy about Maduro's removal giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... via @FT

Good. But Trump would probably find someone to do a deal with in exchange for oil reserves

The US is not “in” Venezuela. Trump just said some stuff after Maduro was removed. But stuff Trump said isn’t necessarily true. Check sources (especially Spanish language ones if you can) before repeating what Trump happens to spout.

Except that Maduro rigged the election so was not the lawful president of Venezuela. This does not make his removal lawful or wise - but he was only the de facto president. The lawful - not but actual - president was Edmundo Gonzalez.

And this is where this excellently predicted scenario starts to unravel (not an attack on @aphclarkson.bsky.social whose work here has been good) Decapitation strikes seem to have half-worked. Defence minister and Vice President are alive. Even messier.

Comparison to Panama 1989: in that case US courts had indicted Noriega for drug trafficking, and Panama had declared a state of war with the US and had killed a US Marine. No comparison really

Trump thinks he’s redoing the Noriega operation. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...)

Im seeing discussions about consultations with congress, authorizations of force etc. I have to say this transcends any of what I would call sub constitutional technicalities. The president has gone to war with a foreign power and, it seems, kidnapped a foreign head of state on the basis of nothing.

I have a piece on @bloomberg.com today about why the global collapse of the centre-right is the most important political trend of the past decade. And whether it can recover. (Gift link) eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3...

See also: civil society grant application processes

There’s a vision of government here - people elect politicians to make decisions, and stuff that gets in the way of those decisions is undemocratic, etc. It just doesn’t lead to good decision all thinks considered. And it’s odd for a centre left govt to try and govern this way.

good grammar of civility - Obama deployed decorum - followed by Jim Hacker

Trump may be extreme in all sorts of ways, but looking at the last 30 years of US politics, there’s no reason to think of Trump as an anomaly.

Was in a pub and a blonde woman and her extremely scruffy male companion asked to share our table. Turned out to be Sienna Miller and some other actor.

Indeed. If there’s a European plan, it’s to keep Trump talking and tell him US help to Ukraine is “leverage” over Russia. It needs to be accompanied by accelerated reduction of UA dependence on American support. It’s not clear to me this is being accelerated enough.

Thus, any security guarantees are useless if the person who is meant to implement them is somebody like Trump, who cannot be trusted at all. And considering the current chaos in the U.S. there is a real risk American voters place another maniac in the White House soon again.

Trump: “Russia wants all of the Donbas : Ukraine’s against it. Positions need to be aligned.” Also Trump: “this is very difficult.”

With relevance to the EU too where there’s much ill guided industrial policy.

12/12: Conclusion: Russia’s economy is alive but fragile. The buffers from 2022 are gone. Trust, liquidity, and confidence are now holding together a fragile system teetering on the brink. In this state, one major shock wouldn’t be absorbed, it would push it off the edge.

Erm. That’s how’s security guarantees work: we guarantee to go to war to protect someone. Otherwise they’re not guarantees.*

Latest developments in “mechanized cavalry”

And the guy thought pre-aicode was “perfect” 😂

A transatlantic showdown over tech policy (as opposed to, say, net zero) could actually have a unifying & galvanising political effect within the EU. The union’s digital regulations are broadly popular and many voters actually want more, not fewer, controls on Big Tech. yougov.co.uk/technology/a...

Oops.

On the first day of Christmas my Trumpy gave to me… A pardon in a pear tree

Lunacy. Even Saudi Arabia’s building wind turbines.

Charles Tilly, somewhere in heaven, smiles in appreciation

How St Paul’s ensures the protected views of the cathedral stay that way

Internal Russian negotiating team meeting latest

The Trump administration wants to carve Europe up for profit. Fortunately, Europe, and allies in Congress, are fighting back

A war on another continent that has invested $2 trillion in the United Stated and in which the US has invested $2 trillion.

This is no more likely than Ireland increasing its defence budget to an acceptable level, but we could maybe ask Santa for both. Merry Christmas 🦌🎄🦌 (Whole thread is useful)

Using enhanced cooperation is very significant from an institutional perspective. Now for the future, the question is if this is the rump Visegrad we can expect to see more? A lot will depend on the outcome of the Hungarian election.

Communism’s never been properly tried latest giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... The Brexit implementation fiasco

Clear explanation of EU Ukraine funding decision here

Sleeping with the Enemy…

2/ Two factions are linking up, ominously 1 - Vance’s which wants nationalists to win, and don’t mind a a weaker europe as long as it’s a whiter one 2 - The pro-Russians who want a weaker Europe and think nationalists - even anti-Russian ones like Poland’s Nawrocki - are a way to get one

The Trump administration’s new national security strategy is yet another warning for Europeans that this administration means them ill 🧵 conservativehome.com/2025/12/18/g...

Hah.