Security Guarantees? Trump Believes He Is The Guarantee – Guido Fawkes

The PM’s voice seemed to break gently as he read out the names and ages of a patrol in Afghanistan, all members of which were killed in one attack, over a decade ago. If it didn’t break, it softened, it betrayed a catch: “He was just a teenager.”

The House seemed to enjoy it, the emotional squalor of it, notwithstanding. “We will never forget their sacrifice,” the PM said, addressing backbenchers who barely remembered we’d been in Afghanistan.

He also said, quite confidently, “We particularly remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”

Go on, then – Name those dead soldiers!

We will always remember the name of the horse that was grievously wounded in the 1982 Hyde Park bomb – the soldiers, not so much.

Keir’s clever opening was defended as an artful rebuff to the American VP, without directly contradicting him.

Keir has picked up the rules of the game he’s in. He has been schooled by the master.

One of Trump’s greater achievements is to impress upon us in Europe how pitifully poor we are, and how pathetically dependent on the goodwill of the wealthy ally on whose generosity we have feasted for generations.

How refreshing it is – how bracing – to be dealing directly with the reality-based community.

Back in the world of human rights legislation, David Davis brought up the Northern Ireland Coroner who has accused British soldiers of unlawful killing, 30 years ago. The SAS had shot and killed an IRA hit-squad armed with an anti-aircraft machine gun which they had just used to blast a police station.

“Over 100 special forces soldiers have been summoned before these enquiries, and not one IRA leader,” DD said.

Our human rights PM replied with a lie-adjacent, “I just haven’t seen the details, so I can’t comment.’

At least some spirit of resistance is alive in the Tory underground.

Their leader had just put in her six questions as a demonstration of our national combat readiness for war.

For the last seven months, Kemi has been firing blanks, but at least they made a noise and produced smoke. Today, in the manner of German troops on a live ammunition exercise, she pointed a broomstick at the PM and said Bang.

What is the PM doing? she asked, in her first question.

“Everything we can,” he said. As an example, he had telephoned Zelensky yesterday afternoon.

Question two: Could he reassure us all about the UK being drawn into war?

He replied, “That’s the last thing anyone wants to see.”

Question three: “What steps is he taking to persuade America that it is also in their national interest to provide a security guarantee?”

Providing a security guarantee is entirely counter-productive according to Trump’s daring strategy, but calling for one is the parliamentary piety that unity demands.

It sounded like a dud question, but Keir said something that might have been worth picking up: “The President made absolutely clear his commitment to Article 5 of NATO, absolutely clear that he would have our backs”.

Really? There was an opportunity for an alert opposition to probe the meaning of “absolutely clear”, and “Article 5” and “have our backs”. But Kemi had larger fish to fry.

Have US-UK trade talks begun? she asked (sad sax sound effect).

Kemi’s final question weaseled around the need for a completely new approach to economic security. And because she has failed to mount any defence of the Tory legacy of 2.5% growth, the PM black-holed her.

The economy was a disaster and, “We have now turned that around.” Yes, a 180 degree-turnaround, to go yet faster in the direction of national bankruptcy.

But Kemi had no comeback, she was all out of ammo. We will recognise that feeling, more and more.

Ed Davey quoted the PM who had said “a minerals deal was not a sufficient guarantee for Ukraine”, and he wanted to know what the PM will do in the absence of what he calls “sufficient security guarantees”.

He – and they – are making Zelensky’s mistake. They haven’t discerned the flash point of the Oval explosion.

Trump believes his personal agreement with Putin will override all precedent. A foundation stone of his negotiation is his belief that Putin will not break an arrangement with his fellow maniac. It’s personal. Europe demanding military guarantees is saying to Trump, “Your self-belief is delusional. We do not trust you. We only trust your firepower.”

That is really not the way to be dealing with him. That way only lies tears and heartache.

So does the other way, more likely than not – but it will stop the war.