TrueValueMetrics ... Impact Accounting for the 21st Century

Date: 2025-08-22 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00028604

RUSSIA / UKRAINE WAR KERCH BRIDGE Times Radio: Putin 'running out of road' as Kerch bridge bombed and US rounds on Kremlin allies PLAY YOUTUBE VIDEO Original article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEAYduc_xEI Peter Burgess COMMENTARY It is difficult to distinguish between solid factual news and mere commentary that varies in quality from near 100% wrong to quite good and quite quick! I know what I want to believe, but that is a vert bad way of choosing what I archive and what I don't. Currently I am finding a lot of reporting about how well Ukraine is fighting and much Russia is struggling. While I 'hope' this reportimg is reasonably factual, I have no way of validating its authenticity Worse ... as soon as I watch a video, the YouTube algorithms immediately suggest a long playlist of videos that are similar. These are mainly a waste of my time, and get me frustrated as I run out of time. Why is it that I want to get back to the reliable reporting of Walter Kronkite and the responsibility they had at CBS News back then in the good old days to get the news 'right'. Making sense of the ubiquitous spin is near impossible ... choosing one's preferred news is an insane aspect of modern life! Peter Burgess
Putin 'running out of road' as Kerch bridge bombed and US rounds on Kremlin allies Times Radio Jun 3, 2025 1.44M subscribers ✪ Members first on June 3, 2025 The Trump Report 'it is Trump's policy to try and make sure that their allies start doing the heavy lifting and get their military into gear.' Putin is 'running out of road' in his negotiations ploy as Ukraine intensifies attacks and the US calls for increased deterrence against Russian allies globally, Hamish De Bretton Gordon tells The Trump Report. Join this channel to get access to perks - / @listentotimesradio 📻 Listen to Times Radio - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio 🗞 Subscribe to The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/subscribe/... 📲 Get the free Times Radio app https://www.thetimes.co.uk/radio/how-... The Trump Report ... Times Radio Transcript 0:00 putin is reaching his culminating point much more quickly than Trump um he's lost you know devastating losses in the war over a million men um he's lost strategic military capability deep in Russia uh and uh he you know that even his great spin machine can do nothing except um you know try try and you know uh say something that's not happening that actually is happening and the economy and the position it's in at the moment with a lot of the rank and file barely able to eat the rumors of discontent um are growing and growing and growing and uh if Trump can force oil below $50 a barrel uh very quickly even Putin's um war machine is going to run out of money and he can't run it on thin air so um I hope that his road is a lot shorter than Trump's road hello and welcome to the Trump Reports i'm Luis Sykes today we're joined by Hamish De Breton Gordon uh former 1:01 British Army officer uh commander of the Royal Tank Regiment and former commander of the UK's Joint Chemical Biological and Nuclear Regiment uh Hamish has served on operations uh from the first Gulf War through to Iraq and Afghanistan and is very much a friend of the show hamish welcome back thank you very much for having me well Hamish if Trump's return to the White House upended the security infrastructure here in Europe he's had the opposite effect in the Asia-Pacific region uh speaking at the Shangla Dialogue Security Summit in Singapore US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsith has doubled down on ramping up deterrence against China is Trump right to be preparing for a military confront confrontation in this region well I think what's happening in the Indo-Pacific region and as you say Secretary of State Heskath has just been in Singapore talking yeah it's it's rather we're getting used to this sort 2:00 of approach from from Trump I think at the moment now it's pretty clear that Trump's main priorities are in in the Far East and he sees China very much as as the threat that that the US as in you know US mainland US central needs to focus on he is less concerned with what's happening in Europe and sees Russia less as a threat um now this is not surprising because you know Trump is the greatest businessman in the world uh so he tells us so I think it is business what this is all about at the moment the Chinese economy is just behind uh the US in time terms of scale and size and dollars and yen and all everything else uh but um it's growing at a great rate and I think Trump sees that you know as a direct threat so I think it's not surprising that um that his right-hand 3:00 man is out in in that part of the world reminding people of their responsibilities and again telling people they need to up their defense spending i think he's had a go at the Australians saying you need to be at 3.5% uh this seems to be a figure that's been baded around Europe as well so it's it it is Trump's policy and you know his close team to try and make sure that their allies start doing the heavy lifting and and get their their military into gear i think it's very you know the the main area of concern at the moment stand fast the South China seas for a moment but Taiwan now it's well known that the Chinese aspirations on Taiwan and there's been a lot of rhetoric between Beijing and and Washington about this uh and it would appear that president of China has told his military planners to make sure that they're ready by 2026 7 to invade Taiwan if necessary 4:04 training equipment etc etc um so everything is playing out relatively in the open and then one's sort of consider you know why is Taiwan so important to America well Taiwan is one of the biggest uh makers of semiconductors which is essential to virtually everything these days and it you know without being too cynical about it from a business perspective this may well be what what Trump's looking at here so I don't think anybody should be too surprised of course here in Europe we're we're rather more concerned you know about the Russians than the Chinese a and I think with all that's going on in in Ukraine and Russia at the very moment um Trump seems to be pretty silenced uh and you know he his team are focused in the Indo-Pacific which um is an area although you know I personally think that we in the UK should not be getting 5:01 involved and we should be focusing more in Europe but as we stand the British fleet is with with our very expensive and very powerful aircraft carriers are on their way at this very moment and and how serious then is the threat to Taiwan from China Now I mean you know I if China are incited to by this increase in in defense uh push from America could they take Taiwan as it stands well I think this is a a really interesting dilemma and very very good question um one could say that um the Chinese were galvanized uh by Russia's land grab into Ukraine you know I suppose theoretically and psychologically for similar sort of reasons that um you know China believes that Taiwan is part of China um as Putin 6:02 believed that Ukraine is or should be part of Russia and maybe because of the uh very sort of um loose or poor reaction by Trump to what's happening in Ukraine it's probably encouraged Beijing that actually yeah this is the very this is the very time to do something because Trump and the new administration aren't that interested in projecting power you know outside mainland USA however you it would appear certainly from what Heskus has been saying this week that may maybe Trump is you know that that would be a false assumption to make from Beijing because um Trump seems to value Taiwan far more than he does Ukraine when it comes to military perspective I think at this very moment the Chinese would be pushed uh to take Taiwan um but they are building up a 7:01 force and capability to enable them to do that and in the background of course they're also building up their nuclear capability without wanting to go too much into the detail of nuclear the the whole theory behind nuclear deterrence is is equilibrium and par now China although it is the fastest growing nuclear weapons state in the world it is vastly overmatched by the Americans you know so a factor of you know 100% sort of thing so in the background I'm sure that that is part part of the metrics that they're thinking about here so I think as we stand at the moment China would be pushed to take Taiwan but they are seem to be building military capability that suggests they're really interested in do it and on the other side Trump is trying to counterbalance that not necessarily 8:00 by putting more US military capability in the in the Indo-Pacific but getting his allies there to up their defense spending exactly the same that he's trying to do to the Europeans so that he doesn't have to commit so much there either and China have responded uh to to Hexith's announcement um they've accused him of inciting conflict and confrontation and escalating tensions in the region um if you'll allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment here Hamish um you know could this in fact be another case of bombastic Trump and his team making claims about a region that that they might not understand very very possibly i mean certainly you know when we look at the the the way that they've played the European problems and the Middle East problems and let's not forget you know that crass uh security breach they had when when 9:00 you know fairly new in office they were trying to organize uh uh military attacks on the Houthis and of course told everybody about it and all their secrets as well you sort of think criy you know is is is this the sort of way to to try and you know create peace around the world so yeah I I think I think there is that i mean I you know I don't want to be as arrogant intellectually arrogant enough to suggest that President Trump and his close advisers you know understand little apart from doing real estate deals that that would be crass but you know you do sometimes question the way they go about business and it's it's about you know strategic um politics here you know it's it's not about doing some you know deal about real estate this is where lives and countries and livelihoods are absolutely at risk and I think you know the rather loose and um 10:01 you know offhand way that that people like Hes and others are going about their business is is a huge concern and you know ambiguity might be good in some places but but it also creates confusion and misunderstanding and when you get misunderstanding you get mistakes and when you get mistakes when you've got superpowers you know abuting each other militarily that is really dangerous well Hexath also discussed in this announcement that the the first ever live fire test of of the US's mid-range capability system in Australia he talked about expanding cooperation and joint exercises establishing new and or expanding current repair capabilities and capacity programs in that region h how crucial and what sort of role do all of these programs uh uh make for militaries and and what message will 11:01 that send to China well I I think individually they they are you know interesting but but altogether they're significant yeah I think it it sends a very strong message that this is this is not firing off the hip as apparently it would seem but there is a plan and there's a long-term plan and it makes sense you know to use Australia in particular as a sort of strategic partner and strategic base and of course we're involved in a in a way with the Orcus program which is the Australia the UK and the US around submarines and so so I I think it makes sense and and hopefully I I presume the Trump administration are trying to show they're really serious in the region and build pressure on Beijing so that Beijing realizes that actually you know although they might believe Taiwan should be part of China a land grab here 12:00 is really not in their long-term interests because the Americans will not allow it to happen i I wouldn't say without a fight but but without a sort of metaphorical and financial fight i think the the physical military fight is is still some way off and I assume that uh you know Eden Hesketh and Trump want to avoid that if at all possible and you know this is all part of a in a way quite consistent global message from the US um ramp up in the Pacific but at the same time ramp down in Europe is Trump right to take this zero someum game approach to deterring China and Russia well it it's certainly not not an approach that we've seen by previous American administrations and um you know we we always claim to be their greatest ally and and closest friend um but uh that that is perhaps you know it al although 13:02 President Trump we understand still loves us and loves you know the monarchy and loves British golf courses um he he doesn't seem to love us as much as some of the previous presidents and be prepared to commit military capability to protect us and Europe um it it is very clear that um he sees his main threats coming from the Indo-Pacific and that's where they're going to focus their might but but it also seems to be the the American policy to to make sure that you know the Europeans who you know he has been pretty rude about um except ourselves I suppose um that that that they step up to the plate and and spend and you know this 3.5% on defense seems to be a unilateral figure you know for all American allies across the piece so although he you know at least in that score he is being you know he is being consistent but but it is pretty clear that the Americans would 14:01 much prefer to be out of Europe um facing up to Russia and focus their efforts uh in the Far East facing up to the Chinese and yeah you mentioned that that 3.5% figure um HEGs have picked out Australia in particular uh saying they need to raise their their military spending to that figure um you know Australia a part of that orca deal you mentioned as well is he right to pick out Australia as something of a lynch pin of defense for the West in the Pacific i I think he is absolutely um we have the five eyes intelligence community which is the US Canada in inverted commas the UK Australia and New Zealand um so there is very close intelligence sharing um Australia uh is very closely aligned to the American military i went to the Australian Army staff college and it more resembled an American staff college than actually a British one yeah 15:01 everything was focused on on sort of America American operating procedures so I think there is a a close affinity between those two countries and I think it makes absolute sense you know strategically Australia is is based in the right place you know it's obviously a massive country um but it is a you know it's a key staging point up into the ch South China Seas and that area so it makes to me as a military person it makes sense for the Americans um really to to see the Australians as their key partner in that part of the world they speak the same language you know metaphorically and physically so yeah I it's um I think it's probably a good move by the Americans and Hexit has has actually pointed out specifically Europe's commitments to boost spending while speaking to their their partners in the Pacific um as an example of that that that America's 16:02 Pacific allies should follow um is he right is Europe setting a a good precedent for others to follow i mean I'm thinking of course of the UK's uh strategic defense review which has come out in the in the last few days in part um is that enough has that has that impressed Trump do you think is that a sign that that the Americans think we're doing the right thing well I think the Americans have certainly or Trump in particular certainly had an impact on Britain's defensive cap defense capability and also Europe uh it's uh I I I think those European countries closest to the Russians didn't need any poking you know and you got the polls who are spending plus or 4% at the moment the Latapian states the Baltic states rather in that sort of time frame and even the Germans have suddenly realized that yeah Krikey they need to pull weight and they are 17:00 potentially spending you know 200 billion dollars or euros on their defense so yeah I I think it it's had a huge impact when it comes to the UK um you know I I am sure Prime Minister Starmer would not say that he has been directed by you know some of uh Trump's bluff and bluster but but you look at the defense yesterday and you would have to say yes they certainly have and you know the lessons learned from Ukraine the capability that's been suggested uh be it submarines be it be it cyber command etc etc seems to be all the sort of stuff that Britain would need to fight in a Ukraine type war and you know that that's what Trump has been saying you know you've got to you Europeans including the Brits have got to do the heavy lifting yourselves uh what is not entirely clear yet is whether Britain is actually going to come up with the the 3% or three and a half percent um and I 18:01 think that that's really unfortunate because on the face of this it's a really good defense review looks to be well researched and producing the right capability and you can just see you know Putin and his mates and the Kremlin looking up and thinking 'God criy they're getting serious in the UK and Europe we need to take note.' But then to say well you know we'll try and find the money if economic conditions etc etc lie you know you can almost see Putin sort of puffing out his chest oh same old hot air you know they talk a good game but can they actually play it so I think that that is slightly unfortunate and hopefully confirmation that the money will be available you know needs to come and needs to be very public as soon as possible and we we talk about Russia obviously the the war in Ukraine uh rages on despite Trump's promises to bring it to an end uh Trump had said that Zalinski had no cards to play in this war what 19:00 message do you think Ukraine's attacks on these strategic bomber bases and even today on the Kirch Bridge have sent to the White House well I I you know one one doesn't want want to be you know too smart and too clever and I don't think that's what the Ukrainians are doing but yeah when it comes to cards to play I mean you know Ukraine has just played three or four aces um you know absolutely incredible operations on on Sunday by the uh SBU the Ukraine security service uh conducting you know operations thousands of miles into Russia and destroying pretty much a key strategic military capability and its longrange jets that fire that not only the cruise missiles that are devastating Ukraine but also carry um Putin's tactical nuclear weapons so I I think and the fact that it's so well planned undoubtedly a lot of Russians were involved in it as well you know it's really you know a severe cut deep into 20:01 Russia that even the Russian propaganda spin machine you know are actually spinning themselves into a complete you know holix because um you know there's no way they can say this is anything but a disaster you add to that the um the rail Russian railway bridges and railways uh being blown up uh in western Russia and then today the cursed bridge hit yet again i mean these are um you know real special operational executive operations of the second world war combination of what we would call you know special forces the SAS and the intelligence services i think you know they have been extraordinary and um and really show that Ukraine can badly hurt Russia i mean my final piece on this looking to the SDR I I am a little bit surprised that this type of capability you know we do have it in the UK we have 21:01 a very small special forces and of course you know we have a very effective um secret intelligence service um I'm surprised that we're not expanding that because the two most dramatic military events in the last sort of 24 months have been the uh Ukrainian SBU attack uh that we've just discussed and the Israeli Secret Service um attack on Hezbollah blowing up all their their pages which destroyed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization so you know it strikes me that in in you know the 21st century these type of operations that we saw a lot in the Second World War are still very very precient and we should be focusing on and and meanwhile elsewhere in Europe the the talks on on the war that Trump has been pushing for have been continuing in Turkey um do do you think we're seeing enough progress there to to 22:00 appease Trump i mean he set this twoe deadline one of many for the Kremlin to to do something uh realistic on on the idea of a ceasefire are we any further along today well no i I I think yesterday's meeting uh between the Russians and the Ukrainians in Isanbul was a disaster uh but I I think it was entirely because the Russians have been absolutely humiliated uh by the attacks in Russia on Sunday and the the peace proposals that the Russians gave to the Ukrainians which I've written about today extensively are in effect a surrender document the Russians are asking the Ukrainians to surrender and in effect become part of Russia i mean it is it is you know it shows complete contempt from Russian negotiators for the Ukrainians to the extent that they they also try to make a joke out of the 300 or so children that the Russians have stolen are currently hiding in 23:01 Russia so yeah unfortunately I think yesterday was a disaster let's hope when the dust settles they can get back together and have some meaningful peace talks and Who who do you think is running out of road here really i mean Putin could be facing these pretty significant third party sanctions that are that are gaining a lot of momentum in the US uh you know in the legislature or is Trump kind of the one running out of out of space here because he seems to just be burning up trust in the US as a as a military ally at least in Europe i think when you when you look at it in the round actually I believe Trump is Putin is reaching his culminating point much more quickly than Trump um he's lost you know devastating losses in the war over a million men um he's lost strategic military capability deep in Russia uh and uh he you know that even his great spin machine can do nothing except um 24:02 you know try try and you know uh say something that's not happening that actually is happening and the economy in the position it's in at the moment with a lot of the rank and file barely able to eat the rumors of discontent um are growing and growing and growing and uh if Trump can force oil below $50 a barrel uh very quickly even Putin's um war machine is going to run out of money and he can't run it on thin air so um I hope that his road is a lot shorter than Trump's road well hey Mr britain Gordon thank you very much for joining us today on the Trump Report thank you very much for having me

SITE COUNT