Biden’s unorthodox solo press conference appearance at the end of the NATO summit was billed as make or break. The octogenarian’s opening performance lived up to the stakes…
The US President finished his speaking section by introducing President Zelensky as… “President Putin“. A gasp filled the room…
The BBC helpfully clarified on its live blog “Vladimir Putin is the president of Russia.” Biden tried to recover:
“I’m so focused on beating Putin! We got to worry about it! Anyway…“
British hacks naturally took the opportunity to ask Starmer afterwards if he still insisted that Biden’s cognitive abilities were fine. The PM urged to “look at the substance of what has been achieved over the last days… a bigger NATO, a stronger NATO, a real sense of resolve… Zelensky described the sessions as a success.” Starmer said Biden “deserves credit for that, as does the team that works with him.“ A careful answer there with reference to Biden’s team…
At the extremely long subsequent news conference Biden referred to Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump“. Now that would be quite the joint ticket…
Starmer has been accused of making his first defence blunder this week by letting it become public knowledge that pioneering Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles can be used by Ukraine on Russian soil. The policy is good and standard, the visibility not so much…
The missiles haven’t been used this year so far. Sources tell The Telegraph they are “disappointed” and that Ukraine needs to “seek assurances elsewhere first.” Lord Dannatt makes the point that from “an operational security point of view, the less you say about things you might do, the more effective they are.” Attempts to gain political credit shouldn’t trump the Ukrainian war effort…
Tucker Carlson made some wild claims overnight about his attempts to secure a potential interview with Boris Johnson. The pair are involved in a spat over the Ukraine war, off the back of Carlson’s fawning ‘interview’ with Putin…
According to Johnson’s team, a million dollar donation solely to Ukrainian veterans’ organisations was floated. As it turned out, negotiations were scuppered by the killing of Alexei Navalny, with Johnson’s side standing the idea down given the latest Kremlin crime. Meanwhile, the battle over support for Ukraine on Capitol Hill still rages, with the Biden White House blaming the Ukrainian loss of the crucial town of Avdiivka on reluctant Republicans who have been blocking further military and financial support. It’s still a debate Guido would love to see one day…
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s The Hill op-ed is causing waves across the pond. His piece urges Congress to pass a funding package for Ukraine, with a warning to the leaders of the Free World that he is “going to drop all diplomatic niceties.” Lord!
Predictably, Trump backer Marjorie Taylor Greene didn’t appreciate it. Referencing Cameron’s article where he likens Congress’ inaction in funding Ukraine to appeasing Hitler, Greene told a Sky News reporter he “needs to worry about his own country and frankly he can kiss my ass”, then swiftly slamming the door behind her. Trumpies gonna Trump…
As Putin’s illegal invasion blazes on, legislators in Ukraine are looking to make an important reform to keep morale high – the legalisation of medical cannabis. In mid-July the Ukrainian parliament passed the first reading of a medical cannabis bill allowing for its purchase, distribution and prescription of medical cannabis. Campaigners say this will be crucial as Russia’s invasion has left over half the population at risk of developing PTSD.
As it stands, the bill doesn’t change cannabis’s standing as a prohibited substance – which would restrict research – however, according to Politico, legislators are now scrambling to change this. It’s good to see some joint-up thinking.
Of all the names to mix up…
