According to the DNB this move has nothing to do with the political climate in the US i.e. Donald Trump.

But I think most Dutchies share in my relive that the bulk of our national gold reserves are now stored in places that are actually safe from foreign interference.

Case closed, Panthera for the win.

Seriously though, Putin can’t back his ass out of the dumpster fire that he himself lit and both Europe and the US have been trying desperately to find a clean and easy way out of this mess literally for years, including throwing him the political lifelines that could’ve gotten him out before it got worse.

The fact that what you’re proposing hasn’t ever been seriously proposed by anyone in the US or EU, is probably because its the absolute dumbest bat%#* insane brain fart of an idea that anyone’s come up with so far…

Just to get this straight: you believe that we should allow Russia to just walk away without so much as a taunt, sticking the EU with the bill of rebuilding a giant gaping hole of a country in the heart of Europe, with the threat that if Russia ever tries anything, we’ll station a non-existent European army, even though we’ve disbanded the organization that’s supposed to command, supply and organize this army, after also excluding its key supplier of weapons, troops and logistics, while hoping he doesn’t nuke us now that we’ve voluntarily broken our nuclear triad, and to just assume till then that the same man who wiped his ass with most of the international treaties that Russia ever signed will actually keep his word and not take advantage of our self-imposed weakness?

Damn, bro… you’re like the spouse lying in the hospital bed with a concussion, swollen face, and broken jaw murmuring: ‘he’s changed, it’s not his fault, I deserved it…’

That is actually a stroke of brilliance.

4 million is a lot of money, but it is also a pathetically low amount if you’re trying to make a dent in European politics

In fact, there are so many leftists in Europe -who would jump at the chance of publicly humiliating Trump- that I honestly believe you could raise 4 million just by starting some sort of kickstarter.

The German government confirmed that this was a deliberate act of aggression by Russia aimed at German citizens and assets, but their response has been tame at best. I doubt this will raise so much as an eyebrow in Russia. And it will certainly invite more Russian aggression.

For years Germany has been reluctant to call out Russian crimes and has been resisting calls to scale up support for Ukraine. I’m no expert, but Russia really crossed a line this time and I feel like Germany should’ve used this moment to respond more publicly and decisively.

For example by sending more troops to the Eastern border, acting against a black fleet tanker or significantly boosting their support for Ukraine (Taurus missiles?).

Here’s the thing: Putin genuinely believes the West is hedonistic and degenerate. His view, which is enforced by the people around him, is that we will avoid war at all costs.

Putin’s logic therefore is that he doesn’t actually have to defeat NATO on the battlefield, but that he simply needs to scare and intimidate us enough for us to break cohesion and back down.

In other words, with every single month that goes by without the EU withdrawing their support, Putin will be tempted to escalate further, hoping with each new provocation that this will will finally be the one that breaks the West’s defiance.

This is laughable offcourse, as many EU countries are directly being threatened by Russia’s aggression and thus have a vested interest not just in defended themselves, but in having Russia choke itself on Ukraine.

In other words, yes Russia’s army can’t stand toe to toe with NATO but Putin’s misguided beliefs and strategic incompetence are nonetheless increasing the chances of this war spilling over into a full scale war between NATO and Russia.

Maybe return the favor?

The EU has pretty advanced cyber capabilities, but we somehow lack the will and/or capability to respond with a massive DDoS of our own?

The last time a CIA director had direct talks with his Russian counterpart, it was to warn the Russians not to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The last time before that, it was to warn the Russians not to invade Ukraine.

Russia is presumably behind the incidents in Leipzig and Rome earlier this month, which constitute direct attacks on NATO military assets and are a severe escalation of the conflict.

In addition Russia has placed ballistic missile launchers in Belarus, has started bombing the border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine, has started engaging in routine airspace violations into NATO territory, all while laying the political groundwork for a massive and forced mobilization.

It seems very reasonable that Ratcliffe’s visit is in response to either the recent attacks or new intelligence pointing to further escalation.

Find something ‘woke’ and brand it a terrorist organization? Am I paranoid for thinking MAGA might be setting the stage for persecuting certain political groups?

“Over here! Look over here!” “Definitely don’t look over there!”

You’re talking as if MAGA will just disappear the moment Trump gets ousted. It won’t.

MAGA makes up the majority of the Republican party. And their criticism of Trump is not about democratic decline, rampant corruption or ICE, but about inflation, Iran and the general consensus that Trump is not being true to his word.

Far right influences have been steadily gaining ground within the Republican party for over two decades. And by this point the leading ideology within the party is anti-democratic, anti-free speech, racist and imperialist. There are no moderate Republicans just waiting backstage to steer their party back to the way it was.

Instead we have a whole cadre of ideologically motivated crazies who are more than able to carry the project further after Trump is finally ousted.

Ye… Russian and Chinese infiltration are exactly the reason why leftists and centrist blocs in the EU introduced things like the GDPR and Cybersecurity laws.

And why right wing extremists are constantly subverting efforts for more control and regulation.

Just when you thought the fool couldn’t possibly get any dumber…

Leaders around the world are treating the US military defeat against Iran as a given and are planning for a future that does not include the US in any decisive role.

The current response of the nations in the Middle East is telling: plans are being drawn up and security cooperations being forged, while pretty much ignoring the US altogether.

Its likely a precursor for what we’ll see happen with nations surrounding the Sea of Japan and South China Sea in the upcoming months.

The largest, most powerful nation on earth has literally botched this war. Militarily, politically and economically. And as a result we’re now witnessing the US led global world order unravel completely. I think we’ve entered a very scary time.

Except it won’t really be the end of it and therein lies the risk. Trump maybe thinking that since the US has a base on the island and the Greenlanders have no army of their own, that the island is technically already his. It’s exactly the kind of incompetence and stupidity that got him entrenched in a forever war with Iran.

And just like Iran made a mistake by not posing a credible threat, Europe is far to lenient when it comes to threats like these. If Europe doesn’t respond with threats of their own, Dementia Donnie might actually start a second European war in Greenland.

I say second, because there is no way Trump is going to end the Iran-war before the midterm elections, even though he seems to think so.

In all honesty, the White House still doesn’t realize they’ve lost

To be fair, this doesn’t sound like something Israel or the US would do as this time.

Sure, there are motives, but it seems way to subtle and sophisticated a plan to have come out of the White House. It it were the US, then Trump would’ve made a grand spectacle out of it and would’ve hinted at his own involvement.

And Israel has way better things to do than to pester Spain. Not to mention the risks if they were caught. Of uniting and agitating a Europe that is currently divided on their support for Israel.

So that leaves Morocco, who at least enabled -and probably instigated- the border run.

Jesus christ, what the %#* is wrong with these people?

Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Denmark, a country the size of Virginia, is flexing up to fight either the US or Russia or even both. Denmark’s got some serious balls.

Not that they’ll go at it alone. Most Europeans would absolutely lose their shit when Trump actually tries to make good on his promise.

Plus, I doubt the military wisdom of trying to snatch Greenland with some sort of expeditionary force. Greenland is huge and hospitable. It would allow a defender to wage a prolonged war using drone warfare and guerrilla tacts, both of which the US has been ineffective to counter in recent conflicts.

The US would also have to supply its forces primarily by sea, which would make the US supply chain vulnerable to attacks with naval drones.

The president of the United States of America beat you to it.

Capitalism called.

They said “no”… ☹️