Putin Tests NATO With A Dangerous Escalation

The US and Xi Jinping's China have been conducting more trade talks - and today it was announcement that maybe they'd reached a deal ... on TikTok. Meanwhile, the consequences of President Trump's tariffs are really starting to make themselves felt, with American soybean farmers having no orders from China, with all farmers suffering from soaring input costs, and meanwhile China is buying more than it ever has from countries like Brazil, and selling more than it ever has to the continent of Africa. Those consequences are going to become more an more far-reaching, and they are likely to outlive Trump himself. Let's discuss.

In this Q&A video I cover Europe giving up on expecting Trump to play a part in Ukraine peace process, predictions for our polarised societies - is this here to stay? Why is the US stock market so strong despite the downsides of Trump's tariffs? Did we learn the lessons from Kamala's defeat? Trump's intentions on Alberta separatism. The impact of US poisoned politics on the UK. Teflon Trump. What should Brits do about racism? And then a couple of questions on my political past.

In this news round-up of the week for Friday September 12th 2025 - The fall-out from the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, and the Trump team are talking about the shape of the retribution to come. The shooter himself is in custody, no thanks to Kash Patel's FBI, although he's keen to take the credit. One country just had a revolution, all because the government tried to ban social media. Donald Trump says the drone incursion sent into Poland by Russia could well have 'been a mistake' as Russia gears up for major war game exercises near the border. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question.

The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has jolted America, but seems unlikely to provide the crisis moment that shocks the country awake to its catastrophic decline towards crisis. The rise of political violence is a reflection of the intense polarisation, as well as the influence of social media bubbles that help each side to dehumanise the other. The question will be what the Trump administration does next with this. That could go very dark, or could be passed up entirely. Either way, it's hard to see a circumstance where this situation improves quickly. Let's discuss.

Russia sent a number of drones into Poland - the first major incursion into NATO territory that Russia has made in recent times. This provoked NATO forces to shoot down those drones - but the outstanding question is - what's the play? Most likely, it is all about Vladimir Putin poking NATO trying to reveal to the world, and to itself, that President Trump's America will run away if it thinks that Article 5 might be close to being invoked. It's a dangerous game - and one that might well succeed. Let's discuss.

The concerns about the Trump Administration's summary execution of eleven people in a boat in international waters off Venezuela - alleged to be gang members involved in drug smuggling - have been growing louder. This burst into full view with an angry spat between vice president JD Vance and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over Vance's statement of impunity over the action. Meanwhile, the US forces remain in place, Venezuela is poking them with near fly-pasts by its air fighters, and it could all escalate further at any moment. Let's discuss.

The stoics would tell you that you can't control what happens to you in the world, you can only control how you respond to it. Well, it turns out that having a post-truth populist in charge of the most powerful country in the world has ripple effects over the rest of the world. Other world leaders, the mainstream media, and indeed other autocrats - it could be that the majority of Trump's impact on the world will come not from the individual acts he takes, but how the rest of the world changes its own behaviours to cope with Trump. And the first visible sign of that - it's getting harder to identify the truth in the places where we used to most often find it. Let's discuss.

Trump is coming to the UK in ten days time. And not just for any old visit, but for a 'very special' and 'unprecedented' second state visit. All the pomp and pageantry ... and protest. In this video I answer the question, what SHOULD Brits do about the honoured guest Trump when he arrives for his state visit. Is there anything they could do that would make any sort of difference? Well, let's discuss.

We'd already picked up that Trump's America wanted to pull resources from Europe and the Middle East with a view to concentrating its full focus on its main rival and growing threat - China. Well, a leaked draft Defence Strategy seen by Politico, has revealed that the thinking has done a sharp pivot specifically in relation to China. It is hugely consequential, and might reflect the core of a strategy that survives Trump and defines America's future place in the world. So let's discuss.

In this news round-up of the week, Trump sides with Putin in blaming European leaders for his frustrations about the lack of progress in ending the Ukraine war. The US blows a boat with eleven people out of the water because it has decided they are narco-terrorists. The world's smallest and newest petrostate just had a crucial election. And a good old-fashioned British tabloid feeding frenzy has brought the deputy Prime Minister down. Plus, I respond to a comment on a recent video.