1. Not clear how much is being supplied under PURL anyway. 2. This threat is a great way to ruin US defence sales prospects in Europe.

All excellent points - which is why Kellogg is no longer working for Trump, who would rather back Putin.

Once we are done with the ICC, we will be livestreaming the execution of Ukraine and paying Russia so that gas prices go down. It's crucial to buy from Russia so it could give more to Iran to target US troops when we restart the war, for which we need the gas prices go down. Stable genius.

News media 3 weeks ago, despite all evidence to the contrary of where this was going:

Zelensky on today's Trump–Putin diesel deal: “I think they [the Trump admin] are just using our team as a front. And that’s definitely dishonest, definitely not how partners should treat each other. And in my view, it’s a weak decision. Unfortunately, it’s a weak decision by strong partners."

It's a mutually-beneficial arrangement for both Putin and Trump. Putin will blame Ukraine for his failure to supply the fuel and Trump will blame Ukraine for the failure for prices to fall and any mid-term disaster. It's a cynical ploy designed to squeeze Ukraine.

I agree.

Fortunately, they're not (mostly). Ukraine builds its own drones.

Exactly. Trump is a willing participant, with his recent suggestion that Ukraine’s strikes on RU refineries were to blame for diesel prices, not his own idiotic war against Iran.

Zelenskyy is right. Let's hope Ukraine has a healthy stock of drones and cruise missiles to apply its own sanctions on Russian refining and exports. One benefit of Trump ending almost all aid to UA is that he no longer has much leverage in Kyiv to persuade it not to.

'Fierce individuality' is a questionable description of any Greek state, but even if you think Athens came closest to it, how typical was Athens? Sparta definitely didn't go in for it (& was keen on infanticide as a way of getting rid of sickly infants...). Lots of other cities ruled by 'tyrannoi'.

This is truly grotesque. It is barbaric enough that the state still kills its citizens; inviting spectators just adds an additional layer of cruelty. Or should I be grateful that Hegseth isn't having him torn in half by teams of horses, or mutilated and lynched?

As someone has a degree in classics, I'd say that the person who wrote this speech does not. Or if they do, they weren't paying attention to little things like Sparta's system of government, or the Melian Dialogue, or the Sicilian expedition. And they clearly haven't heard of hubris & nemesis.

I'm looking forward to this. Russia's 'everywhere war', as the Sahaidachnyi Center in Kyiv calls it, started long ago - even before 2014 - but Europe still reacts to events piecemeal. RU has a strategy for dealing w Europe; Europe (EU & like-minded, including the UK) needs a strategy to deal w RU.

Starting a war with France, eh - I think you may have discovered the secret plan! Seriously, we do need more air defence/counter-drone tech for specific bits of critical infrastructure, but not a Great British Dome supposedly on the cheap.

Absolutely nothing. UK, at secondary school 1972-1979.