Liz Cheney says Donald Trump’s recent threats against NATO allies demonstrate a “dangerous” misunderstanding of America’s foreign diplomacy.
In a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the former congresswoman told Jake Tapper she was outraged by Trump, who earlier this month said he would “encourage” Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack NATO signatories that aren’t spending enough on defense funding.
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“It’s dangerous, it shows a complete lack of understanding of America’s role in the world,” Cheney said. “It’s disgraceful.”
Liz Cheney speaks in New York on June 26, 2023. She tore into Donald Trump for his recent NATO comments during a Sunday appearance on CNN.
Gary Gershoff via Getty Images
While Trump has repeatedly complained about NATO countries being behind on their “bills,” the alliance doesn’t exactly work that way.
NATO is anchored in the principle of mutual defense, meaning each member country must commit to enough defense spending to ensure their nation’s militaries are prepared to step in if another member of the alliance is attacked.
Furthermore, the U.S. president does not have the power to unilaterally withdraw the country from NATO.
“I can’t imagine any other American president of either party since the establishment of NATO saying such a thing,” Cheney continued. “It’s completely uninformed and ignorant and dangerous.”
During her interview, the retired Republican legislator also told Tapper she was worried by where Trump’s sympathy to Russia may lead the Republican Party as a whole.
“We have to take seriously the extent to which you’ve now got a Putin wing of the Republican Party,” she said, calling it critical to keep that faction out of the West Wing.
China’s president Xi Jiinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have agreed their countries should both try to oppose international interference – something both nations have been actually been accused of.
According to a Kremlin press briefing, they both lashed out at the US in particular, denouncing the “US policy of interfering in the internal affairs of other states”.
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The two leaders spoke during an hour-long phone call on Thursday and discussed establishing a “multipolar, fairer world order”.
The Moscow Times reported that the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists: “The leaders of the two countries realise that the US is practically implementing a policy of double containment [toward] both Russia and China.”
The US has sanctions against both Beijing and Moscow right now.
A readout from the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV also reported that Xi suggested the two “should closely collaborate strategically, defend the sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries, and resolutely oppose interference in internal affairs by external forces.”
The UK and its allies actually called out Russia for its own sustained attempts to interfere in UK politics and democratic processes only in December 2023.
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Meanwhile, China was criticised by Taiwan for “repeated interference” in its elections only in January.
Xi and Putin’s relationship has strengthened significantly since Russia invaded Ukraine, and, according to the Kremlin, the leaders agreed today to continue having “close personal interaction”.
Weeks before the war began, Xi signed up to a “no-limits” friendship with Putin, with a series of long-term energy deals.
Xi went to Moscow last March, and Putin visited Beijing in October – a particularly surprising move from the Russian president, because of the international arrest warrant out against him.
Although the Kremlin’s press service said the bond between their two countries was at “an unprecedentedly high level” right now, they do not have any more visits scheduled.
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According to CCTV, Xi said the two countries have “weathered many storms together” and they are “facing new opportunities for development”.
The two also spoke about “the development of Sino-Russian comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation over the recent period.”
China-Russia trade reached the new high of $218.2 billion (£173.12 billon) during January-November, according to Chinese customs data.
Russia has been able to rely on China as a key economic lifeline since the West imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
In exchange, China has access to Russia’s cheap energy exports and natural resources.
Speaking to the International Armoured Vehicles conference in Twickenham on Wednesday, Sanders suggested that the UK should expand its forces to 120,000 within three years.
However, even that would not be “enough”, according to Sanders.
The chief also noted that he personally is not in favour of conscription, but suggested UK volunteers could sign up for any land wars.
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He called on the government to think about how it would mobilise the UK if there was a war – particularly if the UK ends up in war with Russia.
What’s going on between the UK and Russia?
The UK, along with the rest of Nato, has been supporting Ukraine ever since Russia invaded its European neighbour in 2022.
It has been funding Kyiv, and sending it equipment but stopped short of actually fighting against Russia.
However, Moscow has publicly lashed out at the UK – along with the rest of the West – for supporting Ukraine throughout the war, and has falsely claimed the West started it by expanding Nato membership eastwards.
Defence secretary Grant Shapps also made an ominous warning recently, saying: “If our armed forces are not strong enough to deter future aggression from Moscow or Beijing, it will not be a small war to contend with but a major one.”
President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis suggested that the idea of a third world war was not “beyond the realm of possibility” this week.
Top Nato military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, also said that civilians should be ready for an all-out war with Russia in the next two decades.
He said: “We have to realise it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we [Nato] are preparing for a conflict with Russia.”
Britain’s Chief of the General Staff, General Patrick Sanders (L)talks with Britain’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps during a visit to STANTA training camp in eastern England
ALASTAIR GRANT via Getty Images
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So, could conscription be announced?
No, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman has promised that military service will remain voluntary.
The spokesperson also dismissed speculation over whether the UK would be strong enough to fight Russia.
He said: “I think these kinds of hypothetical scenarios, talking about a conflict, are not helpful and I don’t think it’s right to engage with them.”
The Telegraph reported that No.10 supposedly did not want Sanders’ comments to go public.
Within months, it was extended to include married men, and in 1918, the upper age limit was increased to 51.
The only exemptions were for single parents, those in exempt professions (like clergymen and teachers) or those deemed “medically unfit” .
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Even though the war was over by 1920, it was extended to help the government manage parts of the British Empire.
It was brought back in 1939 when World War 2 broke out. Initially, it was just limited conscription and applied to single men between 20 and 22, but by September that year, it was extended to all men between 18 and 41 who had registered to serve.
This time it included more exemptions like baking, farming, medicine, coal mining and engineering.
In 1941, Parliament widened the scope of conscription. All unmarried women and childless widows between 20 and 30 were liable to call-up.
The service time increased to two years in 1950 due to the Korean War, but time on the reserve list was taken down to 18 months.
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During both wars, there were “conscientious objectors”, who refused to serve. They had to explain their argument in front of a tribunal – if approved, they would be put in a non-combatant role. many were jailed , though.
Between 1949, and 1963, the last time the National Serviceman was demobilised, more than two million had been conscripted into the Armed Services.
What could conscription look like in the UK now, hypothetically?
Anyone suffering from senses deprivation – like hearing or sight loss – is not permitted to join the Army now, so they could be exempt.
Neurological conditions, skin conditions, psychiatric and cardiovascular issues are another obstacle, as are bone or joint problems.
Women may also be drafted in to serve on the frontline, as they have been allowed to serve in all combat positions since 2018.
Vladimir Putin seemed to forget he initiated the war in Ukraine during his surprise appearance at a virtual G20 summit on Wednesday.
In his first address to the leaders of the world’s largest economies since the Ukraine-Russia conflict began in 2022, the Russian president called for leaders to “stop the tragedy” occurring in the neighbouring country.
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After some leaders said they were shocked by the Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, Putin replied: “Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy.
“And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy. By the way, Russia has never refused peace talks with Ukraine.”
Back in February 2022, after weeks of growing aggression and building up troops near the Ukrainian border, the Russian president ordered his forces into Ukraine.
He claimed it was important to “demilitarise” the country, and made baseless neo-Nazi allegations about the Ukrainian government to justify the invasion.
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It was part of what he dubbed the “special military operation” – he has only referred to the 21-month long fight as a “war” sparingly.
So it was also pretty surprising when Putin used the word “war” to describe the conflict in Ukraine during his G20 meeting.
He said: “I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock.”
Who did Putin blame for the war, then?
Putin pivoted the G20′s attention to pre-war tensions, by claiming Ukraine had been persecuting people in the east of its country.
This is a reference to the separatist movement which started to gain traction in eastern Ukraine after Ukraine’s 2013 Maidan Revolution and Putin annexed Crimea in 2014.
According to the UN, approximately 14,000 people were killed in the subsequent conflict as Russian-backed separatists fought Ukrainian forces.
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Putin also pivoted the conversation towards the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, saying: “And the extermination of the civilian population in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip today, is not shocking?”
This pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik shows Russia’s President Vladimir Putin taking part in a virtual G20 leaders’ summit in Moscow on November 22, 2023.
MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV via Getty Images
What else did Putin’s comments reveal?
Putin’s remarks were correct in that there really is a tragedy still unfolding in Ukraine – it’s Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War 2.
The UN Human Rights Office said on Tuesday that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded, although the real toll is expected to be “significantly higher”.
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According to Reuters, Danielle Bell from the head of the UN monitoring mission, said the “severe human cost” in Ukraine right now is “painful to fathom.”
Russia has been accused of targeting civilian structures in Ukraine too, although Moscow has denied this.
Ukraine has also only agreed to peace negotiations if Russia agrees to hand back all of the Ukrainian land (one fifth of its total land mass) it has illegally annexed since 2014 – which includes the peninsula of Crimea.
He did visit Iran back in July and ventured to Belarus last December, but has steered clear of any NATO country since February 2022 – so his virtual appearance at the summit was a big deal.
He sent his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to the last two G20 meetings in India and Indonesia, and has not attended a summit meeting in person since 2019.
It said: “Russian sources expressed pronounced concern about ongoing Ukrainian activity on the east bank of Kherson Oblast and framed these activities as part of a potential larger Ukrainian operation.”
Ukraine has previously struggled to reclaim any of this area.
Rybar claimed on Tuesday night that Ukrainian formations near the destroyed Antonisky bridge had moved forwards, and occupied a village.
Increasing its presence on the other side of the river would enable Kyiv to send troops, tanks and artillery across, and apply more pressure to the Russian forces on that long frontline.
The Russian ministry of defence has acknowledged Ukrainian operations too, according to ISW, claiming they stopped four Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups near Kherson City.
ISW also reported: “The milblogger reacted to the reported [Ukrainian] assault on the night of October 17 to 18 by accusing the Russian MoD of not taking the threat of a Ukrainian crossing seriously.”
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In another indication that Ukraine’s progress in Kherson is troubling Moscow, the Russian president Vladimir Putin recently described Ukrainian activity in Kherson as the “next counteroffensive”.
But, as ISW noted, the Russian president has also “continued his typical rhetorical line by painting all Ukrainian offensive operations as a failure”.
The think tank has a policy of not forecasting Ukrainian actions though, so it did not speculate over the possibility that Kyiv will launch an offensive over the Dnipro river any time soon.
Still, ISW added: “It is noteworthy that prominent and generally reliable Russian sources are discussing Ukrainian activities on the east bank as occurring at a larger scale than previously documented.”
Russia is set to dramatically increase the amount of money it spends on defence as the country prepares for “multiple years” of war in Ukraine, according UK intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence’s latest intelligence update on the war said documents apparently leaked from the Russian finance ministry shows its military spending will reach 30% of all public expenditure in 2024.
“The ministry proposes a defence budget of 10.8 trillion roubles (£91.7 billion), equivalent to approximately 6 per cent of GDP and a 68 per cent increase over 2023,” the MoD said.
To put that in context, the UK spends around 2% of its GDP on defence. In 2021/22, that worked out at around £45bn.
The MoD said Russia’s military spending splurge will come “at the expense of the wider economy”.
“Full details on Russian defence spending are always classified, but these figures suggests that Russia is preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine,” they said.
“This follows public comments by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on 27 September 2023, suggesting he was prepared for the conflict to continue into 2025.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in a “special military operation” that Vladimir Putin believed would be over in days.
Russian media just put out more supposed evidence that an admiral Ukraine claims to have killed is actually alive – but experts still don’t know what to believe.
On Monday, Ukraine alleged that Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, died along with 33 other officers following a missile strike on Moscow’s naval headquarters in Crimea last Friday.
But, on Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry released a video on Telegram – supposedly filmed the day before – which apparently showed the admiral remotely attending a large military conference with the defence minister.
While the BBC used facial recognition software to confirm the man in the clip was indeed Sokolov, the broadcasters were not able to pinpoint when it was filmed.
The clip prompted Ukraine’s military to clarify their statement, saying: “According to available sources, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet is among the dead. Many have not yet been identified due to the fragmentation of body parts.”
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However, it’s also not clear how Kyiv would be able to look at the area it struck because it took place in Russian occupied land.
The following day, the Russian state media started to issue more unverified videos of the admiral – and this time, he could be heard speaking to journalists.
An undated clip posted on the Russian state-run TV network, Zvezda, seemed to show Sokolov saying the Black Sea Fleet has been “fulfilling goals that are set by command”.
Another video posted by a local news outlet showed Sokolov responding to a question about the impacts about a Ukrainian strike, saying: “What happened to us? Nothing happened to us. Life goes on.”
This turn of events – the latest in the ongoing information war between the two countries – have left experts quite bewildered.
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The US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its daily update that it is “unprepared at this time to make an assessment about the authenticity of the footage or the date of the filming”.
It added: “The Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defence have been notably silent on the matter and have not directly confirmed that Sokolov is alive.”
Russia also has a reputation for obscuring narratives which might cause embarrassment for the Kremlin.
While Sokolov’s fate is still unknown, clips on social media suggest the attack last Friday did take place in one form or another.
Russia also claimed at the time that it had shot down five incoming missiles and only one serviceman had died in the incident, though it admitted its headquarters were damaged.
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Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing that the West were to blame for the strike.
She said: “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, NATO satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close co-ordination with them.”
The Black Sea has become the new focal point of the war, with Kyiv attacking Russian warships to stop any advances towards the Ukrainian mainland, deter cruise missiles and disrupt Moscow’s blockade on Ukraine’s ports.
Ukraine is also determined to liberate Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Justin Trudeau has spoken up after the Canadian parliament gave a Ukrainian man who fought for the Nazis in World War 2 a standing ovation.
Yaroslav Hunka was declared a hero by the Canadian House of Commons speaker, Anthony Rota, on Friday, while the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was visiting.
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Rota pointed to Hunka when he was sitting in the gallery, calling him a “Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero”, adding: “We thank him for all his service.”
However, the 98-year-old veteran’s connections to the Nazis have since been uncovered.
He actually served in a voluntary unit primarily made up of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command. The unit has been accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, but has not been found guilty of war crimes.
It was renamed the First Ukrainian Division before its surrender in 1945.
The speaker of the House, who had invited Hunka, said in a statement on Sunday that he only became aware of such information after the veteran’s visit, and now “regrets” his decision.
“No one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them,” Rota said.
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He added: “This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my [district] and having been brought to my attention.”
He extended his “deepest apologies” to the Jewish communities around the world, and accepted full responsibility for the incident.
He apologised again in person on Monday from the house.
Opposition politicians have called on him to stand down.
But, Trudeau has not echoed these calls, even though they belong to the same Liberal party.
He told reporters on Monday that it was “extremely upsetting that this happened”, while denying he had a private meeting with Hunka or had a hand in choosing to invite the veteran.
He added: “This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians.”
The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons apologised for praising a Nazi military veteran who fought in World War II. 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka was given a standing ovation twice after he was introduced as a ‘Ukrainian and Canadian hero’
Ukrainians fought both for Germany and the Soviet Red Army during World War 2.
Some of those who joined the Nazis reportedly aimed to achieve independence from the Soviet Union.
The Canadian Jewish group, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it appreciated the apology, but called for ”proper vetting” to prevent “such an unacceptable incident” happening again.
Poland’s ambassador to Canada has expressed anger too, saying he wants an apology.
This is an especially unfortunate turn of events because the Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed Kyiv is operated by neo-Nazis – and claiming his invasion of Ukraine will be a “de-nazification”.
These claims are baseless – Zelenskyy is Jewish, and had relatives who died in the Holocaust. He was also democratically elected in 2019.
Trudeau noted on Monday that the incident in the Canadian parliament would help reinforce that rhetoric.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has already waded into the saga, claiming inviting Hunka was an “outrageous” act.
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He said: “Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought whom or what happened during the Second World War.
“And they know nothing about the threat of fascism.”
Attacks on a “sensitive” air base near Moscow are “likely to be of most strategic concern” for Russian leaders, according to UK intelligence.
The ministry of defence (MoD) explained in its daily update that “both Russia and Ukraine have experienced unusually intense attacks deep behind their lines” over the last four days.
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Moscow launched a wave of missile attacks across Ukraine earlier this week, targeting six cities including the capital of Kyiv.
It came just as the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was denouncing Russia in a speech to the UN’s General Assembly, on International Day of Peace.
While much of the war has taken place on Ukrainian soil, attacks in Russia have become increasingly common in recent months as Kyiv hits back – and this week was especially eventful, according to the MoD.
In a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, the UK intelligence officers claimed: “There have been reports of explosions at Russian logistics sites, air bases and command posts in Crimea, the Krasnodar region and near Moscow.”
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Crimea is the Ukrainian peninsula which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 but which Kyiv is determined to retrieve.
The Krasnodar region is to the south of the Ukraine-Russia border, while Moscow, the capital, is much further north and deeper within Russia.
The MoD continued: “It is highly likely that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has again been heavily targeted.
“However, the explosions at Chkalovsky Air Base, near Moscow, are likely to be of most strategic concern to Russian leaders.”
The UK intelligence officers claimed that this is a “sensitive location” because it’s where Russia stores its military aircrafts and VIP transport for Russian leaders.
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The MoD noted that Moscow responded quickly: “Russia has launched long-range strikes at targets across Ukraine repeatedly over the last week.
“This unusual intensity is likely partially in response to the incidents in Russia and Crimea.
“With the ground battle relatively static, each side is seeking advantage by striking through their adversary’s strategic depth.”
Ukraine’s highly-anticipated counteroffensive has made slow progress in recent months, despite claims that it has broken through the Russian defensive lines in some places.
Ukraine has also faced pushback from Poland over its grain exports this week, with Warsaw announcing it plans to stop sending weapons to its beleaguered neighbour.
The former prime minister launched an outspoken attack on western governments’ response to the ongoing Russian invasion in an article in The Spectator last week.
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Johnson said: “I have asked it before, and I ask it again: what the hell are we waiting for?”
Shown Johnson’s comments by Trevor Phillips on his Sky News show this morning, Cleverly said: “He cannot be talking about the United Kingdom.
“Under his tenure, and I always pay tribute to his leadership on this, we supplied those NLAW anti-tank missile systems that were so instrumental in the defence of Kyiv, we supplied training.
“Under Rishi Sunak as prime minister we were the first in the world to commit main battle tanks, other countries in the world then followed our example.
“We were the first to commit to the training of fast jet pilots, then other countries followed our example.
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“We were the first to commit to those long-range missiles that have been instrumental in helping the Ukrainians in their battle in the south and south-east of Ukraine. So we have led the world on all these issues.”
James Cleverly was showed Johnson’s comments on Sky News
But Phillips replied: “Surely [Boris Johnson] should know about the issue of pace? He was the fastest of western leaders to respond. And he now says that the momentum that he set is essentially being run into the ground by you guys. You’ve got to take this seriously.”
Cleverly said: “Of course I take his comments seriously, but I’ve just given you evidence of the fact that he is wrong on this issue.
“I speak to the Ukrainians very regularly on this. They remain incredibly grateful, not just for our donations but our leadership on this issue.”
