IanS

My life is enriched by good company, music, books, film, food and travel.

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

For all of my life Russia has tried to decouple Europe from America and break the North Atlantic Alliance. It never succeeded. Instead it lost the Cold War, leaving NATO more powerful than ever. 

But now success is staring the Kremlin in the face. All thanks to Donald Trump. 

Denmark’s Prime Minister says that if Trump tries to take Greenland by force it would destroy NATO. He’s right, of course. The problem is President Trump doesn’t seem to care. 

Previous Presidents have toyed with the idea of acquiring Greenland. Harry Truman even made an offer in 1948 — $1.5 billion in today’s money, since you ask. The Danes turned him down. 

But Trump is the first President to threaten force if he can’t get what he wants by negotiation. 

Nobody should underestimate the catastrophic consequences for NATO if its leading member annexed the territory of a smaller member. It would be the abnegation of everything NATO is meant to stand for. 

Nobody denies Greenland is gaining in strategic importance to America. Melting ice is opening up new sea lanes around it of growing geopolitical and economic significance.

It sits almost midway in the Arctic region between Russia’s northern coast, with its intercontinental ballistic missile bases, and the US mainland. It is on the approach route to America should these missiles ever head this way. It’s why America already has a crucial Space Force base in Greenland. 

So when it comes to Greenland the US obviously has skin in the game. But the crucial point is that, in security terms, America can have whatever it wants in Greenland without annexing an ally against its will. 

After it turned down Truman, Denmark signed up to the 1951 Greenland Defence Agreement (renewed in 2004). It gives the US the right to build as many bases as it wants and station unlimited numbers of military folk there. During the Cold War around 15,000 US person were based in Greenland. It’s now 200. 

Trump claims Greenland is under threat from imminent takeover by China and/or Russia. It isn't, of course. 

They haven’t seen a Chinese ship up there for 12 years. But if Trump truly believes it, there's nothing to stop him from ramping up US military assets in Greenland back to Cold War levels or more.
Moreover his European Nato allies are on side – the defence of what's being called the 'High North' does need to be bolstered. That's why they sanctioned some extra troop deployments to Greenland last week, a small first step to increase Nato resources in the Arctic. 
But instead of welcoming the move, Trump inexplicably saw it as a threat to America, designed to thwart his ambition to grab Greenland. 
So he slapped penal tariffs on the UK and seven other NATO allies. He always puts higher tariffs on America’s friends than its enemies  
The Trump administration depicts Greenland as a defenceless frozen waste in danger of being picked off by NATO’s enemies. It’s a nonsense. 
Greenland is a self-governing Danish protectorate. As such it is fully covered by NATO security guarantees, including the all-important Article 5 — which says an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
Yet Trump still wants to grab Greenland, all part of his mission not just to be Imperial President of the USA but Imperial Overlord of the whole Western Hemisphere. 
In an almost deranged message to Norway’s prime minister today he even suggests he’s keener than ever because Norway denied him the Nobel Peace Prize.
There is no dealing with such nonsense. Europe and Canada will need to start preparing for a NATO without America, embracing all the extra defence spending that will entail. 
Under Trump America is on the brink of becoming the enemy, not our most important ally. As a lifelong supporter of the US it is chilling to write and say such words. 
The stakes could not be higher. As I speak there is despair in European capitals and delight in Moscow. That should tell you everything about the dangerous watershed we’ve now reached.

[Dominic Grieve @dominicgrieve_]

Your post is quite astonishing.
You either believe in jury trial or you do not. For as long as I can remember the Conservative Party has seen it as a key part of our freedom under law. If so, you have to accept the right of a jury to bring in a verdict with which you might disagree.
You call it "two tier justice" and try to blame the Labour government for something that you know or ought to know has nothing to do with them. That is the hallmark of the the rabble rouser not a Shadow Home Secretary.

[Rory Stewart @RoryStewartUK]

To take a step back from@the outrage, comedy and click bait here is a really good clear read for anyone who wants to understand WHY trade deficits do not make a country poorer (and what exactly Trump’s team has misunderstood about trade and manufacturing). https://t.co/tXv5qsrmDz

[Jonathan Pie @JonathanPieNews]

This already happened, after 9/11. And every single member state backed the US. He really does talk a load of old blathering shite.

[Rory Stewart @RoryStewartUK]

The VP @JDVance is talking to European allies in the same patronising condescending tone that was used by Americans and their allies for twenty years in Iraq and Afghanistan. It tells us far more about the US than it does about Europe,

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

@easyJet Are you going to be flying LGW to SOF after end of March 2025. I want to go in June 2025 and you were the only direct airline. Should I keep waiting or book another airline from a different London airport?

[Jess Phillips @jessphillips]

Today I have written to the Prime Minister about the conduct of one of his members of parliament, ex-PM Liz Truss.

[Victoria Coren Mitchell @VictoriaCoren]

Always nice to remember, every so often, that this exists.
https://t.co/mbSP1kWUir

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

@AskCurve if a transaction turns out to be fraudulent (eg product bought on line that doesn’t arrive) how do I report it and get my money back?

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

@bbcstrictly why am I getting “oops this page doesn’t exist” instead of the voting options? @BBCOne @BBCBreaking

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

I entered the Cabaret Lottery for £25 tickets on @TodayTix! Tap here to enter: https://t.co/I4VNLYpqsZ

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for @TinaTheMusical with @TodayTixUK! Tap to unlock: https://t.co/K4K6Ac4rvD

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for Book Of Mormon on @TodayTixUK! https://t.co/vDdg1utI7X

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for Grease on @TodayTixUK! https://t.co/i5X2aQBzd2

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

I unlocked £30 Rush tickets for The Time Traveller's Wife on @TodayTixUK! https://t.co/Sx80r9l1rt

[IanS @IanSPointOfView]

@AskCurve I received your email about Launchpad and followed your recommendation to check it out. It has lots of things that don’t apply to me BUT IT’S MISSING ACCESS TO MY RETAILER OFFERS!!!
How do I get them back?
NB I have a legacy card.

[Marina Purkiss @MarinaPurkiss]

If you have someone…

Who just hears stuff

And repeats it as fact

Without questioning its veracity

You might label them a gossip.

At the BBC…

You label them Political Editor and give them a Sunday Morning politics show.

https://t.co/8OfYXxfzUv

[Chris Packham @ChrisGPackham]

You couldn't make it up . . . and you don't have to as Southern Water spill potentially 1.2 million litres of untreated wastewater and sewerage into a river in the New Forest National Park @NewForestNPA @BBCSouthNews @EnvAgency @Ofwat @Feargal_Sharkey But don't worry because they are 'sorry' . So are the fish , damselflies , kingfishers and otters . . .

[James Hogg @JamesAHogg2]

As we all know, Parky was from Yorkshire, as was David Bowie's dad.

This is a corker 👊