Cricket in Taunton ❤️ #WeAreSomerset

Trump's envoy Witkoff: The concessions that Russia has agreed to make is not gobbling up the entirety of Ukraine.

Witkoff's evasions & contortions on CNN today all but suggest that Trump team has asked Zelensky to cede unoccupied parts of Donbas to Russia in exchange for what Witkoff has been told & credulously believes are serious concessions by Russia. Make no mistake: this is worse than

For the record. Since 1994 Ukraine already has guarantees of independence and inviolability of borders, also from Russia. In addition, on 22 April 2004 Vladimir Putin solemnly ratified the Treaty on the Russian-Ukrainian Border. Suffice to respect them and the war is over.

In decades to come, there will be many books written about how European states with well over 500 million people and an economy more than 20 times the size of Russia and approx equal to the USA, end up a group of sad bystanders in the making of their own destiny.

Ukraine and the Europeans are on their own now. Europeans must finally get serious and take responsibility for changing the balance of power between Ukraine and Russia. They must not fail; it's existential; a free, peaceful prosperous Europe depends on it.

NEW: US officials acknowledged that Putin has yet to demonstrate a willingness to offer the concessions necessary to reach a peace agreement. ISW continues to assess that Putin has not moderated his original war aims throughout the full-scale invasion and has offered no

Instead of blaming the aggressor who wants to continue the war and doesn't even agree to a ceasefire, he now targets the victim. The easiest way for Trump to get out of all this. A harder way would be to put pressure on Putin. Which Trump for whatever reasons doesn't want.

European leaders have 3 main goals in DC today 1/ pin down more details on poss US security guarantees; 2/ work on preparations for the poss trilateral Putin, Zelensky & Trump meeting, and 3/ push back forcefully on the idea of “land swaps” 1/4

En ne ratifiant pas le traité de Versailles, en ne rejoignant pas la SDN et en ne s’opposant pas à Hitler, les États Unis ont refusé toute solidarité occidentale. En 1945, la menace soviétique les y a contraints. Aujourd’hui, ils reviennent à leur néo-isolationnisme d’instinct.

“Trump has adopted Russia’s position,” writes one Russian paper today. “He will present his peace ultimatum to Zelensky. And there’s no doubt it’s an ultimatum.” My review of today’s Russian papers. #ReadingRussia

In my view this is completely delusionary now: "The Europeans hope they can use the “last-person-he-spoke-to” effect to wipe out the gains Putin made in Alaska." Trump made up his mind.

Assisterons nous à un sursaut européen ? Nos peuples démocratiques comprendront-ils que leur avenir se joue en Ukraine ? Je suis dubitatif et pourtant l’auteur de « nous étions seuls » que je suis pense que nous vivons un moment « réoccupation de la Rhénanie - 1936 ».

Following the huge queues at the Old Trafford Test match, security bag tagging was stopped for the recent Hundred game. Bag tagging in force again though for LCCC supporters at Aigburth. Why are the two matches treated differently?

A new security policy is no iPads allowed. A member brought his in as normal to a game. Politely told he was not allowed to use it in the ground and please don't bring it again.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: Russia agrees that Ukraine's security guarantees should be ensured on an equal basis with the participation of countries such as China, the US, the UK, France.

I’m sorry to say but the claim that the US under Trump is going to provide Ukraine with militarily enforced security guarantees, is simply the newest version of the Trump will hit Russia hard with sanctions delusion. Neither will ever happen, but if it makes you feel better….

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: Europe is proposing foreign intervention on part of Ukrainian territory – this is absolutely unacceptable for Moscow.

The Pentagon is drafting plans to deploy US troops, potentially thousands of National Guard members, to Chicago. Source: WaPo

Poseidon MRA1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft operating from Lossiemouth have been maintaining a 24-hour presence over the Norwegian Sea. This required five of the total nine Poseidons as the RAF lacks the ability to refuel them mid-air. (Src: Britsky)