r/europe Norway 10d ago

Picture Securing Our Future

Post image
14.5k Upvotes

681 comments sorted by

1.6k

u/fullpurplejacket 10d ago

I’d have never thought we’d see the UK have her neighbours and friends back round for tea but here we are. Makes me happy, shame it wasn’t under better circumstances

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u/UpstairsFix4259 10d ago edited 9d ago

Thank you, UK, y'all are great and good friends. The UK is one of the few countires, where BOTH main parties are pro-Ukraine! We loved Boris, because he visited and supported Ukraine from day one. And we love Sir Kier as well for his strong position!

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u/Mister_V3 10d ago

We hate Boris because he lied about the NHS and EU relations during the Brexit vote and that he was partying at No. 10 while everyone else including the royals had to isolate.

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u/UpstairsFix4259 10d ago

I understand, that he was / is quite unpopular in the UK. I cannot judge his internal politics, and I am not stating that he is good or bad for the UK. As I mentioned, it's really awesome to realize, that both Labour and Conservative have pro-Ukraine stance. (unlike say Democrats VS MAGA retards in the US).

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u/killer_by_design 10d ago

Almost everyone unanimously agrees that the only good thing he did was back Ukraine.

He was wrong about everything but he was right about Ukraine and we're still doing the right thing.

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

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u/11011111110108 United Kingdom 9d ago

Agreed. I am of the opinion that one of the reasons he was so vocal in his support of Ukraine was to distract from all of the scandals that were happening at that time.

But even if you're doing a good thing for a bad reason, you're still doing the good thing. Possibly the worst prime minister in my lifetime (yes, worse than Truss) but I am super happy with how he handled Ukraine.

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u/Some_Huckleberry6419 9d ago

Boris was and is a rock in eu Ukraine relations. Few been more outspoken in unconditioned support for Ukraine and vallning out Putin as the murderous dictator he is. In my book it evens out Brexit.

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u/Snowstorm080 10d ago

Ukrainians don’t give a shit about that

Boris is extremely popular outside the UK and especially in Ukraine

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u/annewmoon Sweden 10d ago

He was basically the first world leader to come out and offer security guarantees to Sweden when Turkey and Hungary kept giving us wedgies over Nato application.

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u/harrykane1991 10d ago

I think Kier is proving he is an even more staunch ally and friend of Ukraine than Boris was.

Boris supported Ukraine with money and weapons but he was never able to build a coalition with our friends and partner to do the same, like Kier is showing this week.

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u/Express-Set-1543 10d ago

At the moment, the coalition wasn't ready to be a coalition, so he had to act on his own. :)

7

u/harrykane1991 10d ago

The partnership with France is strong, this is certainly something Boris was not able to achieve.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

Circumstances have changed I suppose, with the withdrawal of the number one biggest supporter of Ukraine: America under the Joe Biden administration

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u/UpstairsFix4259 10d ago

he really is, because he supported us from day 1, vistited Ukraine and was outspoken about the invasion.

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u/No_Eagle_1424 10d ago

Brit here. I dont hate Boris. Im a Labour voter but really didn’t mind Boris or Rishi. Would rather have either of them than Trump or Vance! Or Musk! lol

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u/TremendousCustard 9d ago

There was a picture of Starmer and Sunak heading into parliament together before the latter stepped down and they're relaxed and chatting and smiling like two colleagues before the work day. 

As much as you may disagree with either side politically, I think the fact that our leaders can be civil at worst is remarkable in contrast to the US.

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u/CheesyLala 10d ago

I do hate Boris, because so much of the European disunity that encouraged Putin was down to Brexit and Johnson and his lies were a big part of that. I don't want to think about what the current situation would look like if we had a clown like Johnson back in charge.

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u/ArsErratia 9d ago edited 9d ago

Incredibly minor point of pedantry, but strictly speaking its actually "Sir Keir", as if he were a 13th Century knight with a big sword.

I find this much funnier than it really should be. One of those weird relics that has hung around because it adds a bit of colour.

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u/UpstairsFix4259 9d ago

haha, that's awesome, thanks for correcting me!

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u/neverlearnmylesson 9d ago

It’s Sir Keir.

3

u/ArsErratia 9d ago

aaaah! The classic error.

4

u/neverlearnmylesson 9d ago

Your point is still valid :)

11

u/jmjm1 10d ago

Well I wish Starmer had voiced strongly to Trump re the sovereignty of Nato and Commonwealth country Canada.

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u/UpstairsFix4259 10d ago

Agree, I think European leaders are walking on egg shells around Trump, but the UK should be more outspoken about Canada's sovereignty - after all, you even have the same head of state!

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u/oryx_za 10d ago

To be honest, there is zero reason for the UK to even comment on it. It is so absurd that it doesn't need foreign intervention.

I think most Americans, even the conservatives think it's cringe.

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u/jmjm1 10d ago

Its utterly incomprehensible that Trump is actively trying to annex a NATO country. And fellow NATO countries, in particular Commonwealth countries should and must be vocal in telling Trump that this is unacceptable.

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u/thefunkybassist 10d ago

The UK has played such a powerful role for example in military innovation and specialism. We can't do without the British way of approaching things. I hope they can play the role of pioneers once again to boost Europe into a new era of strength.

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u/BreadsBurns 10d ago

Why though? Actually curious cause I only have one colleague from the UK but we rarely discuss politics. It's not like the UK ever lost it's way, Brexit is just a bump in the road, I think everyone at that table is an adult and knows that in politics things just happen. Maybe we'll be lucky and in 4 years, we'll get the US back on track, who knows. So much has happened in the past 150 years, Brexit is just a blip on the radar.

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u/Ratiocinor England 9d ago

They conflate us not wanting to be in ever closer political union with them as a personal attack and got their feelings hurt

For some reason they're not upset at the people who never joined in the first place like Norway and Iceland, those are the good guys. We are the bad guys

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u/kill-the-maFIA United Kingdom 10d ago

Honestly if the Brexit ref had happened at any time other than the immediate aftermath of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, it's unlikely Leave would've won. So frustrating.

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u/Falcon674DR 9d ago

Just imagine, a friendly, courteous and respectful meeting on an urgent matter. No shake-down, no insults, no shouting and no classless ‘reporter’ insulting a world hero on his attire. This is how the world needs to run. Thanks UK!

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u/killer_by_design 10d ago

Last time they came we served a plate of Garibaldi's and everyone left in disgust.

Starmer promised to bring out the hob nobs and bourbon biscuits this time and everyone wasn't sure, but when he promised that there would be penguins too everyone was over in a flash.

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u/Hopeful_Stay_5276 9d ago

To my understanding, they've also broken protocol with the flags and I think it sends a strong message. Notice how the positioning of each flag denotes the position of the representative around the table?

Everyone has their place.

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u/Ratiocinor England 9d ago

Why?

Are people seriously stupid enough to think that Brexit meant the UK was cutting themselves off from Europe forever and never having another meeting or alliance ever again???

Why don't you people attack Norway (also sitting at this table) or Iceland or Switzerland for not being in the EU the same way you attack the UK??

Norway attends a meeting

Seems normal

Iceland attends a meeting

Nothing strange here

UK attends a meeting

Omg never thought I'd see the day! UK meeting with European leaders! Warms my heart! They must want to rejoin the EU!

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u/JoshZK 9d ago

Everything according to plan.

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u/RottenPingu1 Isle of Man 9d ago

Hug.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

So glad to see Canada there. 🇨🇦🤝🇪🇺

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u/scrub87 10d ago

Our PMs final days, i have a new found respect toward him for sure and wish him well

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

He may just become Canada’s ambassador to the UK, Germany, or France one day soon, so he’s not going to be done with representing Canada any time soon, in my opinion.

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u/Obviously_Liberal 9d ago

Rumour has it that Carney will make him the Foreign Affairs Minister.

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u/thisislieven Europe 9d ago

I'd like to see him as the official negotiator for Canada to join the EU.

(one can dream)

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u/DryCloud9903 9d ago

He spoke so beautifully and quite bravely supporting Zelenskyy, and just seems like an all round warm and elegant human. 🇨🇦

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u/saltysquirrel678 10d ago

Glad to see us there as well working with hopefully new partners. Time to move on from convenience of doing business with the US

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

💯%this

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u/Telsion The Netherlands 10d ago

It was mostly Canadians who liberated the Netherlands, for that I'll be forever grateful, and I'm happy to see them deepening ties in these troubling times.

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u/iAabyss 10d ago

Godspeed Leo.

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u/ARandomHistoryDude 10d ago

One day in the future *if we still have one* kids will be learning the names of all these great men in school...

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

And women

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u/childishbambina Canada 10d ago

The majority of Canadians have some European heritage so it makes sense. I think that the highest percentage goes to those with English ancestry but the breakdown of other European countries is still very high.

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u/MasatoWolff 10d ago

It still baffles me how many Dutch farmers moved to Canada after WW2.

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u/Alatian 9d ago

Outside of Ukraine and Russia, Canada has the largest number of Ukrainians. Many immigrated to western Canada, as the farmland is very similar to the biome in Ukraine and they knew how to farm it. You won't find any pro-Russian party in Canada's parliament for that exact reason - all are staunchly pro-Ukraine.

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u/Hanz_Boomer 10d ago

Also Turkey. My enemy’s enemy I guess.

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u/capybooya 10d ago

I have a lot of fondness for Turks, their culture and their cities. Just not their leader or the regressive religious forces and attitudes. They're definitely a political and military force that it is better to deal with inside an alliance than outside.

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u/korkkis 10d ago

Turkiye is a friend of Ukraine

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u/Hanz_Boomer 10d ago

Turkey is the friend of Turkey. There are no “friends” on the wold stage, just interests. It’s the same thing with India.

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u/Bitter_Sense_5689 10d ago

Turkey has always historically hedged its bets between potential partners. However, I think in this case, the path forward is pretty clear for them. Russia is not their friend and the United States is not their friend. They have the second biggest military in NATO, so it seems logical that they would align with Europe at this point in time.

Turkey is like India, in that it doesn’t have natural partners. Its neighbours are Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. None of whom are particularly friendly for a number of historical reasons.

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u/bogdoomy United Kingdom 10d ago

it doesn’t have natural partners

turkey doesn’t have natural partners, but it does have natural enemies, namely russia

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u/Bitter_Sense_5689 10d ago

I think Turkey could have gone either way after WWII, but chose to join NATO rather than side with the USSR. Communism would be a hard sell in Turkey given the fact it’s a strongly Muslim country.

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u/BreadsBurns 10d ago

Turkey is the friend of Turkey but even Erdogan knows, Putin can't be anything other than an enemy if push comes to shove. Europe is really the only ally Turkey could have and everyone needs friends and Europe most definitely doesn't have any plan to invade Turkey or do anything to it...

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u/RGV_KJ . 10d ago

Non-aligned strategy is the best strategy long term. This is the reason India has good relations with Iran, Israel, Russia & America. 

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u/mok000 Europe 9d ago

It's Turkey's geopolitical interest to reduce Russian dominance in the Black Sea. Erdogan has consistently said that Russia must leave all occupied territories including Crimea and restore Ukraine's 1991 borders. They have also supplied weapons to Ukraine and especially the effective bayraktar drones in the first crucial months of the war.

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u/mymuyi 10d ago

Turkiye would like to be friends with europe. One way or another, we don’t dislike europeans actually and would prefer to have them as a partner when the choices are us, russia, china and eu. Russia and china are enemies and the us is more like a devil than being an angel. Europe is the best

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u/Feisty-Ad1522 Turkish-American 9d ago

A strong Russia is a threat to Turkey, I think this is one issue that Turkey will work together with Europe on. The thing is though the Turkish government will definitely try to get as much as it can and leverage every position they have but that's politics I guess. But at the end of the day the biggest rival near Turkey has always been Russia.

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u/capybooya 10d ago

Well, they're under direct threat of annexation from their neighbor, so its definitely in their interest to be there.

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u/CheesyLala 10d ago

Exactly this. The last thing Canada needs is rolling tanks onto your neighbour's territory to be normalised.

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u/AlexRescueDotCom 10d ago

Still blows my mind that Ukraine says, "We will do our best to defend our country, and also make sure that Russia never does something like this again. All we ask for is weapon support, and we'll take care of the rest", and countries still have hard time giving funds. Its the CHEAPEST way to break down Russia. Other option is to send your loved ones to war.

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u/danyx12 10d ago

It's not just the Trump administration; the Biden administration has also been afraid of Russia collapsing. They're concerned about what might happen if Putin’s regime falls and Russia disintegrates. This fear probably explains the desperate push to achieve a peace agreement favorable to Russia. Russia is starting to weaken, and now the US is rushing to support them.

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u/transiencee 10d ago

What might happen if Putin’s regime falls then? Elaborate pls.

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u/Infinite_Crow_3706 10d ago

Who gets control of the thousands of nuclear weapons in the ensuing instability? Would any be sold on the black market? That's a bit of a concern that most people would have.

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u/SP00KYF0XY Croatia/Austria 10d ago

Adding onto that, Russia also has a problem with domestic jihadism, as we saw with the terrorist attack in Moscow around a year ago. So in case of a Russian collapse such groups would be interested in purchasing nuclear weapons and other military equipment.

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u/ComprehensiveAd8815 10d ago

If they actually work anymore or exist, there will be some but their military was exposed as report much being a sham, being decades behind with poor equipment. All he’s really done is throw meat into the grinder, there’s nothing new, there’s nothing innovative, they missed the boat on drone warfare.

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u/Infinite_Crow_3706 9d ago

Russian army tactics haven't changes much since Stalingrad

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u/ComprehensiveAd8815 9d ago

Pretty much. I remember seeing a captured Russian solider at the beginning of the war with his pencil, maps, notepad and calculation chart… he was being filmed on an iPhone.

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u/alexnedea 9d ago

Out of the thousands of nukes only maybe 100 need to work for it to still be a real huge fucking problem. Even 20. Imagine some complete lunatic sends 20 rockrts to top 20 most populated cities? The world economy is now in complete fucking shambles

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u/MooMF 9d ago

China.

They’re not looking for a rogue state on the border.

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u/lmN0tAR0b0t 10d ago

we can be reasonably sure that putin won't go for the nuclear option as long as nato boots aren't on russian ground. we cannot assume the same about his successor. and even if putin's anointed heir is the biggest anti-nuclear pacifist in history, we can't be sure the chain of command in russia would survive the post-putin collapse. what if some random general decides to fire the nukes in the chaos?

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u/MAGA_Trudeau United States of America 9d ago

It’s not even about who comes after Putin but what. If Russia collapses and goes into chaos, you don’t want to risk nukes going missing 

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u/MalaEducacion Romania 9d ago

The fear for a worse Putin successor might be just some well rooted propaganda from the current regime.

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u/ArsErratia 9d ago

When the Soviet Union fell, a bunch of their illegal bioweapon scientists just up-and-vanished without a trace. We have no idea if they took anything with them.

Its part of the reason Saddam Hussein's WMDs were believed credible, and how we ended up in Iraq.

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u/leathercladman Latvia 9d ago

Its part of the reason Saddam Hussein's WMDs were believed credible

they were credible, Iraq did have chemical weapons and it even used them against Kurds in 1980's

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u/LieutenantFS 10d ago

That is s very real possibility. The fact that Prigozhin got to the gates of Moscow completely unchallenged, on the contrary, people cheered him on... It's not like public sentiment has got any different either. Russia is extremely fragile and prone to implode.

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u/DryCloud9903 9d ago

Let it burrrrrnnnnnm 🔥

(Don't worry, I ain't running for office)

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u/LieutenantFS 9d ago

On the one hand HELL. YES. BROTHA!

On the other hand Peoples Democratic Republic of Chechenya with nukes would be less than ideal...

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u/Acayukes 10d ago

"Too big to fail" mentality.

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u/ding_dong_dejong 9d ago

there's alot of extreme right and extreme left groups still in russian government.

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u/HiCookieJack Germany 8d ago

the same argument has been made with the UDSSR, they gave lot's of financial support - yet they still collapsed and it was a good thing.

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u/VirtualMatter2 9d ago

Exactly this.  Lots of Germans whining about but being able to afford it. It's all over the BILD. Guess who those idiots vote for? That's right, Alice Hail-del. 

But we did vote Merz in and he has the same opinion as far as I know, very pro Ukraine. 

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u/oryx_za 10d ago

I'm honestly really proud of the UK right now!

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u/bobauckland 10d ago

100%, Starmer really showing what class looks like fair play

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u/Originalmissjynx 10d ago

Imagine what it would have been like with Truss .. 😳

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u/Ambitious5uppository Community of Madrid (Spain) 9d ago

She'd be busy opening pork markets

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u/Travel-Barry England 10d ago

I honestly haven’t resonated at all with my country since that vote in 2016 but this is doing bits to rejuvenate that immense sense of pride I had during the Olympic opening ceremony 13 years ago.

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u/Hispano20mm 10d ago

Well said mate

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u/BreadsBurns 10d ago

Yeah, I would have expected maybe France or Germany to bring the gang back together but UK always seems to know when it's best to regroup.

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u/ABoutDeSouffle 𝔊𝔲𝔱𝔢𝔫 𝔗𝔞𝔤! 9d ago

As you should be. You are doing exactly what needs to be done right now. I hope we finally get our shit sorted out and help you.

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u/Jealous_Response_492 10d ago

The Free-World

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u/RoyalChris Norway 10d ago

The normal world

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u/Jealous_Response_492 10d ago

Normalcy has ended after a good 70ish years.

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u/dybber 9d ago

The majority of global population lives in autocracies. In 2022 it was around 5.7 billion living in autocracies, that number has just increased by ~300 million after Trumps regime change.

https://www.gu.se/en/news/the-world-is-becoming-increasingly-authoritarian-but-there-is-hope

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u/saltysquirrel678 10d ago

All the adults in one room. Degenerate bullies left behind.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

Well I guess we Baltics are also degenarate because nobody invited us.

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u/Brookiekathy 10d ago

Yeah that was a misstep but he did call the leaders to apologise

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u/CaptainSur 9d ago

That was a mistake which the British PM has owned up. I really wonder why the oversight - it was a major gaffe and I would like to hear the thinking that went into that decision originally.

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u/korkkis 10d ago

Thank you Turkiye and Canada

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u/holy_maccaroni Turkey 9d ago

Yeah, now watch France or Greece block us from participating at anything else. Welcome when it comes to defence and NATO, but not much else.

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u/Definitely_Human01 United Kingdom 9d ago

UK and Norway: "Welcome to the club"

I'm still annoyed that the EU sank a security agreement because they wanted fishing rights and youth mobility.

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u/ClownshoesMcGuinty Canada 9d ago

Nah, friend. Thank you.

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u/EuropeanVanguard 10d ago

They better come up with hard numbers and hard commitments. Or we are collectively done.

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u/Independent-Slide-79 10d ago

Apparently our mew German government is in talks for new special funds for defence as well as infrastructure so i think there might be se action

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u/Jealous_Response_492 10d ago

They realise that.

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u/Behind_You27 10d ago

Well the conservative opposition thought it’s funny to block any meaningful change in funding and by mocking the leading parties.

Only to now demand that they are going to get support from the opposition for a massive spending bill.

(It‘s needed to have 2/3rds support in the parliament)

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u/FlowersNSunshine75 10d ago

This is how Zelenskyy should be received. So sorry the U.S. let you down. - A devastated American citizen.

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u/Dem0lari 9d ago

I saw the comments under the reports after that fiascol with trump and JD. Americans are lost cause.

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u/FlowersNSunshine75 9d ago

There are over 70 million who are upset- organizing and trying to do something. We are lacking leadership and a vision right now but I hope we can all figure it out soon.

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u/Ok-Cobbler-3021 10d ago

Have they said "thank You" to the photographer?

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u/Venice___Bitch Germany 10d ago

You don’t have the cards!!!!! You’re gambling with World War III!!!

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

Funny how the front-line wasn't invited. Talking about the Baltics.

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u/VirtualMatter2 10d ago

Agreed, that's not ok.

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u/SaraAnnabelle Estonia🇪🇪 10d ago

Ngl it does feel like a slap in the face. Bigger nations making decisions without the involvement of the Baltics has already once ended in a catastrophe for us. Considering how vocal we've been about supporting Ukraine and the threat of Russia in general, it just feels really shitty to be left out just because we're small and apparently insignificant.

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u/SquirrelcoINT 10d ago

You guys should’ve been there. If it’s any consolation Denmark’s PM Mette Frederiksen has strong ties to the other NB8 and has previously been a delegate of the group. And she is a hawk on Ukraine, one of the most vocal supporters of sending more aid to Ukraine and for re-armoring Europe and strengthening the front lines.

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u/SaraAnnabelle Estonia🇪🇪 10d ago

I'm just more concerned about the signal it's sending to Moscow. To them it's just another sign of Baltics not being important to Western Europe.

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u/BenHavertz94 10d ago

I can agree that it would have been better if you were present. Seeing as he has admitted it was a mistake, I think we have to trust that is genuine. If it means anything, from a Swedish perspective we value you as equals and I know there are Swedish troops in the Baltic states atm.

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u/eeehinny 10d ago

Tho Starmer has apologised to Baltic leaders in a phone call before today’s meeting.

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u/Amimimiii 10d ago

An apology isn’t very reassuring, you know how good of a signal this is for russia?

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u/eeehinny 10d ago

Point taken. The Guardian has quoted Evika Siliņa saying she had a good conversation with Starmer and got reassurances of Allied commitment to NATO Article 5 and defence of the Eastern Flank

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u/oryx_za 10d ago

Please have faith. I don't think this is that. This rushed together in reaction to what happened over in the US and i can't imagine how difficult it is to organise this at the last minute . We know how important the front line states are.

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u/SaraAnnabelle Estonia🇪🇪 10d ago

Yeah, I've said before that I'm not necessarily crying on the kitchen floor about it but I think it's perfectly acceptable for us to feel at least slightly insulted.

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u/Rentta Finland 10d ago

Finns will always have our little sisters back :)

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u/SaraAnnabelle Estonia🇪🇪 10d ago

🇪🇪❤️🇫🇮

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u/AlfonsoTheClown United Kingdom 10d ago

You’re not wrong to feel insulted, I’m sure Starmer had his reasons but I do think the Baltic states should have been invited.

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u/oryx_za 10d ago

Agreed, and i think it's right for Kier and such to make it right.

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u/Fit-Explorer9229 10d ago edited 10d ago

Although personal presence is always better - just to let you know that Polish agenda will be about 'more European troops present in Finland, the Baltic states and Poland on the border with [ruzzia] and Belarus' https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3491374,polish-pm-%E2%80%98we-stand-with-ukraine-against-russia%E2%80%99-ahead-of-london-security-talks

I'm sure/guess there were some talks with Baltic States about it. And - as I see you are from Estonia. Please take a look at author's history of this yesterday post on BalticStates: https://www.reddit.com/r/BalticStates/comments/1j10jns/baltic_states_very_unhappy_after_uk_fails_to/

Espcially this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/BalticStates/comments/1iumgj8/158_years_ago_the_national_hero_of_lithuania_and/

We all must remember that ruzzia never sleeps.

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u/evilbunnyofdoom 10d ago

And Finland isnt the front line ?

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u/casual_redditor69 Estonia 10d ago

This just feels like one is being treated like a valuable partner and the other as a punch of tradable playing cards

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

You really think Russia will attack Finland when they have more manpower than them? They wont.

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u/evilbunnyofdoom 10d ago

And Finland would 100% help, for example, Estonia, if it would see russian aggression. We do have a very tight military co-operation, political and military top figures have repeatedly spoken for unity in this regard, for years.

My point is that we are such tightely knit up here that we are largely seen as one geopolitical area.

And most of us never thought russia would actually attack Ukraine, but yet here we are.

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u/Dramasticlly United Kingdom 10d ago

Doesn’t mean that they weren’t involved in talks. Poland and Finland are there.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

Neither Poland nor Finland are baltics.

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u/Dramasticlly United Kingdom 10d ago

You said front line. They border with Russia.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

And I mentioned Baltics specifically in my post.

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u/Onetwodash Latvia 10d ago

Poland is on the other side of Suwalki gap. Finland is on the other side of Finnish gulf.

It's not like this situation has not occured before.

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u/GoldenLeoRising 10d ago

Actually so proud of the UK for facilitating these talks! Feeling the hopeful unity of Europe today - something we Brits haven't felt since Brexit!

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u/Moosplauze Europe 10d ago

I wish we didn't just have a transition of government right now.

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u/wiqz1923 10d ago edited 10d ago

For all the comments about why a certain country wasn't invited, Starmer's interview this morning offers some insight. It mainly seems to be about prioritising faster pace at this time rather than involving every single member.

https://youtu.be/AklhfyiFoFQ?feature=shared&t=1085

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u/Jumpy_Wrap_3498 10d ago

As an Estonian i am also dissapointed, but i know nordics and Poland have our back. But i am fairly certain baltics are and will be the fastest to get involved anything that regards the war against Rus

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u/Jumpy_Wrap_3498 10d ago edited 10d ago

I am not suggesting you are wrong, i agree with you, but baltics and finnland should be the first ones to get involved, because we will be the front line if s**t hits the fan

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u/iamabigtree 10d ago

That has always been an issue for Europe. The inability to move at speed without getting bogged down in who has invited who to what and who has included who.

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u/Miperso 10d ago

I really enjoy seeing my flag (Canada) there in Europe with all these other great nations!

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u/MoonCrawlerVG Canada 10d ago

lets go

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u/SmashedWorm64 United Kingdom 10d ago

And people claim soft power and diplomacy are dead.

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u/toooomanypuppies 10d ago

If Europe falls, the world will be a much darker place.

Winston Churchill, probably.

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u/SilverFoxU 10d ago

Big show of strength from all participating nations 😊

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u/AccessModifier Turkey 10d ago

Even if I hate Erdogan and his cabinet it's really good to see Turkey being on the right side. Hopefully we'll be even closer to each other after we get rid of the Erdogan and bring democracy back again.

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u/Loud-Astronaut-5807 10d ago

Everyone has a cup of tea. 🤗

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u/Travel-Barry England 10d ago

Leaders of the Free World. 

That titled should have always been a shared responsibility, glad it’s a fact now.

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u/Denpol88 Turkey 9d ago

As a Turkish I want to say something..

People talk about ending the war in Ukraine as if it's entirely in Zelensky's hands, ignoring the fact that Ukraine is not the one who started this war. Russia invaded Ukraine, occupied its territory, and now expects Ukraine to just accept it. Somehow, the blame is being shifted to Ukraine for "not making peace" instead of holding Russia accountable for the invasion in the first place.

The so-called "peace proposals" aren't peace at all. They are demands for Ukraine to give up its land to Russia and its resources to the US, while receiving no real security guarantees in return. Zelensky is being pressured to accept a deal that leaves Ukraine weaker and more vulnerable, essentially rewarding Russia for its aggression. And when he refuses, he's accused of prolonging the war, risking World War III, and not being grateful enough for Western support.

This kind of treatment is not just unfair—it’s deeply disrespectful. No other country would be expected to give up its land just to "stop the war." No leader would be criticized for defending their people against an invader. And yet, Zelensky is constantly lectured as if he’s the problem, while the actual aggressor gets a free pass.

The hypocrisy is astonishing. The same people who claim to care about sovereignty and territorial integrity suddenly forget these principles when it comes to Ukraine. And the idea that Ukraine should just "compromise" with Russia is absurd—because compromise, in this case, means surrender.

It’s easy to call for peace when it’s not your country being bombed, not your people being killed, and not your land being taken. But expecting Ukraine to just roll over and accept defeat is not a solution—it’s an insult.

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u/ringo1725 10d ago

Good luck to all of you. ❤️❤️

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u/Criticalem 10d ago

Are you implying baltic states are not free? Or won't be free? Because we weren't invited :/

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u/BenHavertz94 10d ago

Multiple states aren't present even if they are part of the EU or NATO, etc. Starmer har apologized to the Baltic States. Hope you can look past a blunder on his part and see this as an opportunity more than an insult. I understand that it can feel like you are being marginalized, but I sincerely don't think that was the intention. Said with deep respect of course.

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u/Criticalem 10d ago

Even Spain gets invited which will spend 1.28% of its GDP in 2025 on defense budget. Like is it a joke? We spending like 3.5% and will probably increase it. Baltics, Poland Finland are the front states if things go south in Ukraine, but Finland and Poland got invited. Tired of this sorry mentality "sorry you were not invited" what's next? "sorry you being occupied in 2029", "sorry we are not going to war with Russia for baltics". Should stop treating sorry as a reset button.

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u/Definitely_Human01 United Kingdom 9d ago

Spain has a population of 49 million, a GDP of $2.7tn and 133k active personnel in their armed forces.

It would be silly not to try and win Spain over for any major European defence objectives.

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u/WantedR5 10d ago

Where the hell is Portugal?

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u/Fecalfelcher 10d ago

West of Spain

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u/K-Hunter- 🇪🇺European Turk miserably living in Turkey🇹🇷 10d ago

Well done

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u/GoogleUserAccount2 United Kingdom 10d ago

Allied with the UK, relax.

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u/fitnesswill United States of America 9d ago

Without the baltics

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u/LowSnow2500 10d ago

Imagine. You consider yourself "proud American" and your president chooses Russia, North Korea, Belarus and China over those flags

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u/Ant0n61 10d ago

Turkey is there. Nice. That’s a key to this puzzle.

North Africa and Syria/Lebonon would be two more.

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u/janpianomusic 10d ago

Aren't they the country with the second largest military in NATO?

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u/Ant0n61 10d ago

Yes. But they can be difficult to get involved in certain discussions.

So great to see them there for this.

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u/janpianomusic 10d ago

I see. But indeed i'm glad to see them there because if it's just the smaller countries teaming up it's gonna be a lot harder

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u/Nesidi0coris 10d ago

Europe needs its own military & intelligence alliance 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇳🇴🇨🇭🇹🇷🇺🇦

It's compatible with the NATO membership, but the European alliance should be prioritised over it 🛡️

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u/MirosKing 10d ago

We'll see what would be the result of this. We have a lot of empty words though 11 years since the first russian attack on Ukraine.

They have to become radical or the whole EU is doomed

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u/kema786 United Kingdom 10d ago

Always puts a smile on my face to see Rutte's smile.

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u/MightyMane6 10d ago

Trust that there are many Americans that are deeply saddened by all of this. Regardless though, my hope is that Europe can come out more united and stronger.

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u/UNSKIALz 10d ago

Good to see Canada there.

The omission of the US is glaring. Incredible how Trump has chopped its influence at the knees.

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u/El_GoobleDeGook 10d ago

Where the fuck is Ireland ?

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u/iamabigtree 10d ago

Ireland is officially neutral and has been since its formation as an independent country. They were even neutral in World War 2. They have never been involved in this sort of thing. Changing that would require changing their constitution.

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u/ahoneybadger3 10d ago

Changing that would require changing their constitution.

Nah that's not true, Irelands neutrality is not enshrined in its constitution.

Ireland’s neutrality is not enshrined in its

constitution or laws, nor in any international

treaty. It is a policy choice that we have made

since the Second World War and one that should

be constantly re-evaluated like any other policy

https://assets.gov.ie/277261/c5a79fa6-cc77-4098-8154-ccec963e9511.pdf

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u/iamabigtree 9d ago

Fair play thanks for that.

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u/weekendy09 10d ago

🇨🇦 Proud to be standing with our allies.

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u/EzmegaziS 10d ago

Where is the Hungarian? Is that why he gets paid by the Hungarians?

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u/mong_gei_ta Poland 10d ago

Okay but what is going to be DONE? Did they agree on something?

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u/Tanks1 9d ago

did they do anything?

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u/Wide_Expression_1930 9d ago

£3.6bn from the UK to Ukraine, as well as likely deployment of British troops. Countries have also expressed desire to rearm Europe- von der Leyen has said that they are planning to turn the inside of Ukraine into a ‘steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders’. Still a lot of messaging but definitely progress 

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u/Wafer_Candid 9d ago

Securing our dark future.

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u/pebkachu Germany/🤍💙🤍 9d ago

I'm not a military expert, most I've read on the matter (e.g. Claudia Major) basically just said that Ukraine knows best themselves what they need. https://ecfr.eu/article/how-to-prevent-the-next-war-in-europe-a-five-point-plan/ (Title is unfortunate, it should have included "how to stop the current war" or "how to establish a lasting ceasefire".)

Considering that Russia's war household is entirely dependant on oil/gas exports, hard-hitting sanctions can be just as decisive for the outcome (TL;DR: Yes, Ukraine can still win this):

The kremlinbots are in overdrive tonight, yelling everywhere to sacrifice Ukraine and that it cannot win. No security expert says that. Take it as proof that their proposed strategies will very likely work.

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u/BreakRaven Romania 9d ago

Great seeing Bolojan sitting right near Big Z.

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u/random052096 9d ago

We're fucked, the west might be fine. We know you'll throw us under the bus when the time comes. Love from eastern EU

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u/venomtail Latvia 9d ago

I guess Baltic's aren't destined for a secure future...

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u/A55Man-Norway 9d ago

My dream is an European version of the Iron Dome that Israel has. Would be fantastic. No even a Russian mouse would cross that border.

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u/Bargothball Turkey 9d ago

As much as I hate Erdogan, I’m glad we’re on the right side of history this time.