BubsyFanboy

Nuclear+renewables is probably the best solution

It'll probably happen not far away from now.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.

The UK prime minister said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was "essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future".

Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK was prepared to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by "putting our own troops on the ground if necessary".

"I do not say that lightly," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way."

The prime minister added: "But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine's security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country."

The end of Russia's war with Ukraine "when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again", Sir Keir said.

UK troops could be deployed alongside soldiers from other European nations alongside the border between Ukrainian-held and Russian-held territory.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC the government sees the war in Ukraine as "the frontline for Europe and the frontline for Britain".

He said the UK is "prepared to play its part in securing the long-term future for Ukraine, for Europe and for Britain's national security".

Sir Keir's announcement comes after the former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, told the BBC the UK military was "so run down" it could not lead any future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said sending troops to Ukraine would come at a "considerable cost" and require an increase in funding for the military.

"Frankly, we haven't got the numbers and we haven't got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment," he said.

The PM has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire.

He is due to visit President Donald Trump in Washington later this month and said a "US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again".

Sir Keir is meeting with other European leaders in response to concerns the US is moving forward with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, US officials say.

On Saturday the US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said European leaders would be consulted only and not take part in any talks between the US and Russia.

A senior Ukrainian government source told the BBC on Sunday that Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia.

Trump earlier this week announced he had had a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that negotiations to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine would begin "immediately".

Trump then "informed" Zelensky of his plan.

On Sunday, Trump said that he expected Zelensky to be involved in the talks. He also said he would allow European nations to buy US weapons for Ukraine.

Asked by the BBC about his timetable for an end to fighting, Trump said only that "we're working to get it done" and laid the blame for the war on the previous administration's Ukraine policies.

Writing in the Telegraph, Sir Keir said "peace cannot come at any cost" and "Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin's position that Ukraine is not a real nation".

He added: "We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government" - in reference to a deal negotiated in Trump's first administration, which was later enacted by the Biden administration.

"I feel sure that President Trump will want to avoid this too," said Sir Keir

The UK currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence and has committed to increase defence spending to a 2.5% share of the economy, without giving a timeframe for this.

Trump has called for Nato members to spend 5% of GDP on defence, while Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has suggested allies should spend more than 3%.

Lord Dannatt - who was head of the Army from 2006 to 2009 - told the BBC a rise to 2.5% would be "nowhere near enough" and would only "fill the potholes" left by current underspending.

He estimated up to 30,000 UK troops would be needed on rotation for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, which would likely require mobilising reservists.

Streeting told the BBC he would not speculate on the number of troops the mission would require, adding it was for the prime minister, defence secretary and foreign secretary to decide.

"But what I would say is the prime minister doesn't talk about deploying British service men and women lightly," he said.

The meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron will see Sir Keir joined by leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, and Rutte.

Aside from that gaffe he does have a good history of being a diplomat though.

Pretty high for what is mostly flights

Meanwhile, everyone in r/worldnews (the mods there perma-ban people over derailing comments btw) say the woman was lying

I agree with you either way (at least regarding the DNC being a husk of a party), but I'd really like to see that rant.

Title changed due to no other media article mentioning "almost 600 people" being targetted with the Pegasus spyware in Poland.

Title changed due to no mention of "almost 600 people" being targetted in other media articles on the affair.

It's still funny how PiS have used pretty much the entire state apparatus (public media, state companies, outright bribing rural populations to vote*) and still de facto lost.

*which as a side note some have claimed to have been another source of KO and TD votes

the former

Before you comment, this is the full announcement:

Announcement of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage

Due to the decision of the President of the Republic of Poland to suspend financing of public media, I decided to put into liquidation the companies Telewizja Polska S.A. and Polskie Radio S.A. and Polish Press Agency S.A.

In the current situation, such action will ensure the continued operation of these companies, carry out the necessary restructuring and prevent layoffs of employees in the above-mentioned companies. companies employees due to lack of financing.

The state of liquidation may be withdrawn at any time by the owner.

Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz Minister of Culture and National Heritage

And now some context from the article:

Today, Duda proposed his own alternative bill that would have maintained other government spending in the budget – such as the public sector pay rises – but did not include the funds for public media.

However, this morning, the speaker of parliament, Szymon Hołownia, who is one of the leaders of the new ruling coalition, said that he would not convene an early sitting of the house to discuss the president’s proposal, as Duda had requested.

This afternoon, before Sienkiewicz’s decision was published, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the cabinet had decided that the 3 billion zloty previously earmarked for public media would instead be spent on cancer treatment and mental healthcare for children.

Tusk added that Duda’s veto had forced the culture minister to make certain decisions, which would be done “calmly and rationally”.

However, Sienkiewicz’s decision was condemned by figures linked to PiS and to the former management of public media. Samuel Pereira, a senior editor at TVP under PiS, said that the “usurpers are trying to bypass the National Court Register” – the body responsible for validating Sinkiewicz’s previous decision.

Shortly afterwards, President Duda’s chief of staff, Marcin Mastalerek, published a statement declaring the decision to put public media into liquidation as “an admission of defeat by the government”.