I write while looking out over England’s largest lake, over whose glassy depths I glided most idyllically by canoe yesterday under a blazing sun. Mine eyes lifted unto the hills of Grasmere Common, I haven’t time to explain the divers ways in which that Independent header is utter bollocks. I’ll do that on my return to the steel city. Meanwhile here are the main points.
First, there was no deal to be had. With hands tied by a Neocon wing personified by Lindsey Graham, Trump couldn’t begin to get close to meeting Russian demands which have been clear and consistent since February 2022: first and foremost a neutral Ukraine with revised security architecture on Russia’s western and southern flanks.
Second, Trump’s megaphone diplomacy – “severe consequences” if Russia fails to “deliver” in Alaska – is not only childish and, since neither primary nor secondary sanctions have worked, an empty threat. It symbolises the degeneration of Western political elites at large, especially when contrasted with the gravitas of a Putin or Lavrov. (Though the average Westerner, shielded from uncurated access to either, won’t know this.) And should anyone protest that Trump is not typical of Western political elites at large, let me say in his defence that at least he was talking to Russia. Biden wasn’t. Starmer, Merz and von der Leyen aren’t.
Third, part of said megaphone diplomacy spoke of “land swaps”. While Western media focused on how this played on Planet Zelensky, a better use of air time would have been to point out that Russia, winning hands down on the battlefield, will be conceding nothing in this regard. Amusingly, when Judge Napolitano asked John Mearsheimer on the eve of the summit whether Trump had in mind Russia ceding the Kaliningrad exclave for the Donbas, Mearsheimer laughed and accused the judge of crediting the Donald with too much sophistication!
Fourth and most important, Russia holds all the cards.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to hop on a bus to Keswick, Coniston or Hawkshead. All equally appealing, so I’ll decide on the basis of which leaves first.
* * *
There is a nice little bus that runs through Ambleside to the Langdales, terminating at Old Dungeon Ghyll. But yes, you are spoiled for choice. Have a great day.
Uncanny. I was sat at an Ambleside bus stop, just before the Skelwith Bridge turn off. Depending on which bus showed up first, I’d go to Coniston for a hike up Church Beck, or Hawkshead for a lowland ramble. As I waited I read your comment. Knock me down with a feather if the 516 to Dungeon Gill didn’t show up 30 seconds later! So here I is, having pie and pint at the Old Dungeon Gill Climbers’ Bar after a strollette in the Langdales. Gorgeous day, gorgeous scenery. Hope my pix will do justice.
Many more good days like that to you, Phil.
PS – song for the day:
Nothing was delivered
And I tell this truth to you
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it’s true
Now, I hope you won’t object to this
Giving back all of what you owe
The fewer words you have to waste on this
The sooner you can go
Nothing was delivered
But I can’t say I sympathize
With what your fate is going to be
Yes, for telling all those lies
Now you must provide some answers
For what you sold that’s not been received
And the sooner you come up with them
The sooner you can leave
Now you know nothing was delivered
And it’s up to you to say
Just what you had in mind
When you made ev’rybody pay
No, nothing was delivered
Yes, ’n’ someone must explain
And as long as it takes to do this
Then that’s as long as you’ll remain
The Band and the Bob! I’ll see if I can find on YouTube for a TFTD
It was meant. I have spent many a happy hour in that bar. I look forward to seeing the photos.
Written in the stars..
Most of what I’ve been picking up today points to what we used to refer to in my Union days as (in this case) Trump being taken for a walk in the Park.
For a kind of overview of this theme, over to Danny Haipong talking to Pepe Escobar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlk_LlxeR_U&ab_channel=DannyHaiphong
One observation worth making at this stage concerns the question as to what exactly the big issue which Putin and Trump could not agree on was, which is getting a fair amount of attention?
The emerging consensus – including by Escobar in the podcast linked above – is this has to be releated to Ukraine.
Playing contrarian I’m far from convinced this is the case.
Simply because much of the alt-sphere media commentory in the run up to yesterdays meeting in Alaska correctly sussed out that the Russian position went beyond Ukraine to focus on root causes. Implying, again accuratly, that Russia, and by extension BRIC’s, security requirements go beyond Ukraine.
Point being that meeting this root cause objective will nowhere near be achieved by resolving the Ukraine issue alone. Because Ukraine merely represents one front in a developing multi-front threat which includes Ukraine but also – as pointed out in this article – the Eastward expansion of NATO from Europe; the equally significant security threats across the South Caucuses (Armenia/Azerbijan, Georgia etc); and the related threat from the conflict in West Asia/Middle East towards Iran in respect of the North South Corridor from The Baltics down to the Indian Ocean.
Which is not just about the security of Russia alone – and it is significant that Putin spoke to the key BRICS players prior to Alaska – but about Eurasia and possibly even the wider BRICS.
Consequently, it seems more plausible to surmise that the ‘major’ issue upon which Trump said he and Putin could not agree has more to do with these wider concerns taking in Eurasia and the BRICS rather than anything to do with just one of the fronts in play, Ukraine alone.
A walk in the park has come to indicate an easy task; a doddle. Sure you don’t mean a walk down the garden path?
Absolutely agree that Russia (and as you say, BRICS) need something bigger than a neutral Ukraine now. Moscow, Beijing, New Delhi et al have seen from Minsk – and from the 2016 ‘freezing’ of the dirty war on Syria pending the West regaining the momentum and allowing Al Jolani’s thugs to “break out” of Idlib at the end of last year – that Europe’s and USA’s words are worthless.
It’s a new and overarching security architecture in Europe (to be followed at some point by the same in South Asia) or it’s WW3.
I guess it’s contextual.
We always used the term to describe a situation where someone was taken to one side and given the facts of life according to those doing the talking.
This could refer to anything from someone clearly going off half-cocked who needed to be straightened out (which is clearly what Putin did on Friday in Alaska) to someone who suddenly does a one hundred and eighty-degree turn because someone has got to them – i.e they’ve been taken for a walk in the park (as Putin once described happens to new US Presidents after the men with suits and briefcases turn up at the White House shortly after inauguration day).
Ah.
“someone who suddenly does a one hundred and eighty-degree turn”.
You are out of step with the latest fashion in geometry, Dave. 360 degree turns are all the rage now in Europe and the UK. Baerbock was actually a prophet. I imagine the clowns will get dizzy eventually and forget just where they think they’re heading. Just as well, as the ‘Dustbin of History’ doesn’t sound too pleasant.
I appear to have been Baerbocked!
Isn’t that slang for penetrative sex without a condom?
I wouldn’t know.
Me being too tired for such activity after a hard day’s housework.
That was Michael Parenti’s excuse