All right, Alexander. Let's talk about

the NATO meeting between

and Trump.

Rutte traveled to the United States to

meet with the US president ahead of the

big NATO conference that will be taking

place in Ankara, I believe on the

I want to say on the 14th, but anyway, I

forgot the dates of the big NATO

conference meeting. I I don't know.

Maybe it's next week. But um

uh project Ukraine discussed,

uh Iran uh discussed. Trump is very

upset with NATO.

He he feels that as if NATO could have

contributed more to to the Iran war. Uh

Rutte, of course, was was kissing up to

Trump yeah, as as the NATO CEO should do

if you're talking about NATO's best

customer, their best client. So anyway,

what are your thoughts on on the Rutte

Trump uh meeting?

>> Well, it Trump is very annoyed with NATO

and with Rutte and it's unsurprising

because, of course, he went into this

war um in Iran and it didn't turn out at

all the way that he expected. And at

multiple levels, you can see that Trump

is very angry and very resentful and

he's been saying hard things about

Netanyahu and he's been saying hard

things about NATO and from his point of

view, all of that is actually true. I

mean, the NATO states didn't come to the

rescue. They weren't able to come to the

rescue of the United States. But my own

sense is that ultimately all of this

means absolutely nothing.

Um

where we are at the moment and this is

my own view

and I don't know whether you share it,

but this is my own view, is that we now

have a significantly diminished Donald

Trump. He started this war with Iran. It

didn't work out at all as he'd expected.

He's not as He doesn't appear as strong,

as powerful, the unstoppable force that

he appeared to be

six months ago, a year ago. And I think

that Reuters, the Europeans, the neocons

in Washington, basically have him

exactly where they want him. And I think

that's what's going to we're going to

see um when the NATO meeting comes. Um

he has

he's agenda, or rather the agenda that

he came into the White House saying he

had that last year.

Um you know, the the agenda of America

first, um the United States going its

own way, concentrating on the United

States, some kind of rapprochement with

with Russia. All that, I think, is now

officially and conclusively dead. That's

my general take about the situation that

we're looking at now.

>> Well, what was he expecting from NATO

with regards to Iran?

>> Well,

>> Not not US NATO. NATO without the US.

What What was he expecting them to do?

>> Well, you're absolutely correct, because

of course he wasn't expecting them to do

anything. He was expecting that the

United States by itself would win. That

was the narrative that he was given. And

when he's pointing his fingers at NATO,

at the European members of NATO, what

he's trying to do is he's trying to

deflect some of the blame onto them,

even though the the reality was when he

started the attack on Iran, he fully

expected that the United States and

Israel would have the military power to

do to deal with the whole thing by

themselves. And here perhaps is the

biggest story, that the underlying real

story about the whole NATO um

system

as a military force in the world.

Because what Iran has shown, what by the

way Ukraine has also shown, is that NATO

as a military force is not the power

that we all took it to be 5 years ago or

even 6 months ago. The United States

with all its aircraft carriers, its air

forces, its missiles, with all of those

things could not prevail against Iran.

It is running

down, it has run down heavily, its

stockpiles of weapons. It had already

done so in terms of the conflict in

Ukraine, but of course they've now,

because of the conflict with Iran,

fallen fallen further down to critical

levels. And the Europeans have no

military force to speak of. They're not

in a position to play any big role in

any major conflict. If you know, they

talk about Russia, but they were

absolutely unable to fight Iran. It was

obvious that they could not, they could

not send forces to open the Strait of

Hormuz. That was entirely beyond their

power. So, the the reality is that yes,

Trump has been diminished by this, but

so has NATO overall. And well, that may

change. Maybe all these arms build-ups

that we're hearing about will achieve

something, but that is the reality we

have at the present time.

>> Is that the goal of of this theater? Is

to is to make it so that NATO increases

their spending and this does change? I

mean, Rouda was on Fox News and and he

started to talk about how NATO was

involved in the conflict against Iran.

Yeah.

Italy

was involved in the conflict against

Iran which

which goes back to to Trump's

fight with Meloni at the G7 over a

selfie pic and there was some sort of uh

uh of a row between the United States

and and Italy.

Um Trump posted on Truth Social how he

was upset with the fact that Italy was

not allowing or did not allow the US to

use their their airfields during the the

attacks against Iran and how that would

have helped the United States in the war

against Iran, but then you have Rutte uh

speaking to Fox News and saying, "Well,

look, actually uh a lot of NATO's um

facilities were used by the US military

to attack Iran including Italy's."

>> Absolutely, that's entirely true and

maybe it would have been better if Rutte

had not said that.

>> But he did say that.

>> tell you why

it's perhaps better that he didn't say

that because of course the way NATO is

presented is that it's this alliance,

it's the United States which spends

massive amounts on defense and the and

Europe which also by the way spends a

massive amount of defense. I I have seen

some claims, I don't know how true these

are, that Europe taken together, all of

the various NATO members or the European

members of NATO taken together if you

add up all that they're spending, they

actually spend more than the United

States. I'm sure that that can be

challenged at all sorts of levels, but

anyway, this is an alliance that spends

vast amounts on defense and which has

projected itself as the greatest

military power in the world. It is bad

enough if the main player within NATO by

far, which is the United States, goes to

war with a country like Iran and fails

but for Mark Rutte to say, "Well, we

were actually all of us involved. We

were all bearing our weight. Italy was

doing its bit, Britain was doing its

bit. Britain, by the way, was doing its

part, too. I mean, you know, the the

claims that the British were completely

uninvolved, it just isn't true. France

was as well. Maybe they weren't sending

troops directly into the battle, but

they were certainly there. And to my

knowledge, there were British troops and

French troops

in Iraqi Kurdistan because at one point

in the conflict, the Iraq the Iranians

attacked them with drones, and their

presence there by was revealed. So, of

course, they were all involved, but that

merely highlights the underlying

fundamental truth that this mighty

alliance, the greatest military force in

the world, as we are constantly and

continuously told, when it went to a war

against a war with what they have

repeatedly said is a second-rank

military power, failed. It could not

achieve its military objectives. And

every intelligence officer around the

world knows that, military intelligence

officer knows that, all the general

staffs in the world are talking about

it, and of course, the Europeans and the

Americans are talking about it. And

going back to your original question, is

that what they're really going to be

talking about in Ankara? Of course, it

is. Not at the level of the politicians.

We're not going to have Starmer, who is

about to leave, but who's still turning

up in Ankara. He's still going to be

representing Britain in Ankara.

Even though, as I said, we all know that

it's by mid-July he'll be gone.

Starmer's not going to be talking about

that. Macron, who's going to be gone in

a year's time, less than a year's time,

he's not going to be talking about that.

Melch, who's spending money

like Well, I mean, you know, he's

spending money like confetti. He's not

going to be talking about that. They're

not going to say that, but at this

meeting, the various chiefs of staff,

the military people, those sorts of

people, they will be anxiously talking

about this and they'll be talking about

what they can do over the next few years

to try to get this thing back working

again. And the pressure

on the political leaderships of NATO

to increase spending can only grow from

this point on. And that's I think the

big take we should all we should all

have from this.

>> Yeah, I read that said that US aircraft

flew between 4,000 and 5,000 missions

from bases in Europe during the first 6

weeks of the uh the war. Yeah. And then

he went on to say that 500 US planes

took off from US bases in Italy to

support operation

>> Yeah.

>> Epic Fury. That's a direct quote from

Reuters.

>> A massive a massive operation involving

an enormous amount of US air power

operating from bases

in Europe with the full assistance of

Europe, with all of the enormous

facilities that NATO or supposedly

enormous facilities that NATO has

because of course NATO isn't just an

alliance, but it's got all sorts of

technical and other abilities as well

and it didn't work.

>> And it lost.

>> And it lost, exactly. So this is this is

a a a major going to be a major major

concern now and it's what they're all

going to be talking about. And to be

absolutely clear about this, Donald

Trump is the big loser.

I mean, it was his war. He decided to go

ahead with it. Of course, they all

agreed.

This is a a key thing to understand. All

of the European

the leading European members of NATO

could see for months that war was

coming. There would have been constant

discussion and contact

between the various

NATO states about the fact that the war

um with Iran was coming. We on the Duran

could see that the war was coming and we

know we're not plugged in to the um

intelligence systems, into the military

and command staffs. Um if you think that

the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington

don't discuss future military plans by

the United States with their NATO

allies, if you think that the Five Eyes

don't talk to each other about what's

coming, well then I absolutely do have a

bridge to sell you. So they could all

see that it was coming.

Did a single one of them come forward

and tell Trump don't do it, we're not

ready, Iran might not be quite as easy

to knock down and defeat as you think?

No, none of them did, not a single one

of them came forward and tell told Trump

stop. But nonetheless,

the public image is that it was Trump,

that Trump chose it. He as a result has

been deflated and diminished. You see

votes in Congress, in the Senate and

places like that now going against him

about war powers, things like that. So

you can see that he's been deflated

and they have him exactly where they

want him. When they're going to meet in

Ankara, they're going to push him on

project Ukraine, of course. They're

going to also push him on other things,

but none of that alters the underlying

truth that collectively they have been

deflated as well.

>> Yeah, the the Senate they they did

another vote. Yeah, and then they walked

back.

>> I know. I know. I know.

>> Yeah, but but it's still the message was

sent.

>> I know, absolutely. You're absolutely

right.

>> I think Trump is approaching this all

wrong actually with NATO. I think he

messed up on his messaging.

>> Yeah.

>> I think [laughter]

I think that uh that he's he's coming

out with the messaging, I want loyalty,

which is what he said. I I wanted

loyalty from NATO, and I didn't get it.

And uh that's why we um

we weren't successful

in Iran, so

so NATO's going to to say So Trump is

going to say more money, or or the NATO

member states have to bump up

uh the money that they put into into the

alliance, because the US is putting

putting too much money into the

alliance. That's That's what he's going

with right now. He probably should have

said that that NATO was very much

involved in this conflict,

>> [laughter]

>> and they screwed it up.

Yeah, so we need to we need to re-

rethink the the way we invest in in

NATO. And that should have probably been

a better line, and because What What's

Trump trying to do? Ultimately, what's

Trump's goal in all of this?

To make it as if

he's not responsible for the defeat

against Iran.

>> Correct.

>> So he's trying to say, well,

NATO didn't help me out enough.

And that's why

we didn't do well. He should probably

have gone with the other way and said,

you know, man, NATO, 5,000 flights,

operations, Italy was giving me all

their their airfields, all the bases

were being used,

and and NATO still couldn't uh live up

to to the task, so we need to rethink

what is NATO and rethink how we direct

our our investments.

>> That is absolutely correct. That's

exactly what he should have done, and he

should have done something else. He

should have said, perhaps This would

have pleased parts of his base. Perhaps

in future, NATO, since it cannot

help us, or rather, what help it

provides is more a hindrance than an an

help, maybe it would have been better if

we'd done it all by ourselves.

>> Yeah.

>> words, he said the opposite message of

the one he's actually communicating. But

of course, he didn't do that, because um

at the moment he's uh trying to deflect

responsibility so he wants to say I

didn't get the loyalty I deserve

and of course Rota comes along he

flatters him he

does all the jokes with him he

laughs at Trump's jokes he does all of

those things again I I it's astonishing

that Trump can't see through all of this

but there we are maybe he does

>> I don't know maybe he does he should

have thrown Rota under the bus

okay

so let's let's shift over to the project

Ukraine and NATO because that is going

to be something that Rota and the other

NATO members are going to push hard for

more US money and and involvement and

backing in project Ukraine the US

already is involved of course it backs

project Ukraine this is ultimately their

proxy war and they still are very much

involved in project Ukraine

but but NATO and the Europeans they want

they want more more public type of of

support from the Trump administration

when it comes to project Ukraine Trump

was asked about about what he thinks of

Zelensky when he was meeting with Rota

in the Oval Office

and Trump Trump said very good things

about Zelensky he was asked if if

Zelensky is winning because that's a

narrative now

Ukraine is winning I don't know I don't

know what they're winning because

everything shows that they're losing the

one thing that that the West is is is

doing are the drone strikes

>> yes

>> that's something that Russia has to

handle but as far as the the war is

concerned Ukraine is losing very bad

we'll talk about that in a separate

video but Trump said that that no matter

how you look at it he said Zelensky is

doing pretty well and they talked about

how it's the US weapons that that are

helping Ukraine he's got the best

weapons the American weapons and

ammunition

that it's the US weapons that that

continue to go to Ukraine and and he he

praised

Zelensky

>> yes in his response.

>> We all going to see a renewed American

commitment to project Ukraine because as

I said deflated Trump has no real way

not to do that and probably at some

level he probably wants to do it too. So

at the Security Council, the UN Security

Council, the United States again comes

out demanding an unconditional

ceasefire. In other words in other words

a freeze on the front lines. Marco Rubio

who is of course always maneuvering to

become the next US president. He doesn't

do very much diplomacy. He doesn't tour

capitals. He doesn't meet with foreign

leaders. He doesn't do any of those

things. But he is still there. He's

always there and he again speaks in a

way that clearly shows that he is

maneuvering to

again provide support for project

Ukraine. So we're going to be back

there. It's going to be another return

to the United States blaming Russia

while Trump blaming Russia for the fact

that there's no peace. We're going to

start getting more rude words about

about Putin and of course we were also

being told it's all over the media. It's

probably true that at the G7 meeting

Trump expressed delight and support for

the drone attacks and the missile

strikes on Russia and

told Zelensky you're doing an absolutely

wonderful job. Now that originated with

the Ukrainian media.

That story big first began in the

Ukrainian media. So

there might be a little question mark

over it but it's received no denial from

the White House.

And

the reality is that it seems that Trump

actually told Zelensky to organize drone

attacks on and missile strikes on Moscow

at least he eat about a year ago.

So I I'm absolutely sure it's true. So

we're we're going to we're going to

we're going to see the pendulum swing

back in that direction.

>> Yeah, the Financial Times is reporting

that

as well as Ukraine media.

>> Yeah.

>> The FT is also saying that Trump

directed gave gave the directive or

guidance to to Ukraine to to hit Moscow.

>> Yes.

>> With drones.

>> Yeah.

>> Yes.

>> Yeah.

And so and so and so just to quickly

summarize on that. This I think is

another point to understand about the

Ukrainian drone offensive. It's not just

to it's all

it is all sorts of various purposes to

you know foster the narrative in the

media

in the west that Ukraine is winning to

create chaos and confusion in Russia to

do all of these things. But one of its

major purposes now is to impress Donald

Trump. And you that is another part of

this now. So you know Trump gives the

green light to do this so the Ukrainians

arrange these things for him in Moscow.

It seems the story about the kerosene

drones which I have to say I was

skeptical about when I first heard it

but it seems it was true you know drones

are dropping kerosene bags to create

lots of smoke.

It it it it's

part of a performance as well. It's

other things too. It's not just a

performance but it's also partly a

performance to show Trump that yes the

Ukrainians are able to do those things

that he has given them the green light

to do as well.

>> With the US's full support and backing.

I mean Ukraine is not doing that the

weird part is that

Ukraine is not doing these things.

They're they're saying that this the the

Moscow refinery will now be

out of uh

out of or out of business for about 6

months. Needs repairs.

>> I don't buy that.

>> No.

>> That seems way too long. I think it'll

be much much less than that.

>> Well, I I I was I was actually told by

somebody who knows about these things

that it'll be back in operation next

week.

>> Yeah, I was going to say about a month

at most tops. Yeah.

>> And the the the the person and the

person who told me has worked in the

industry and is in Moscow.

>> Just to say.

Yeah. So, I mean they're exaggerating

that as well. But, I mean

you know, Ukraine is is showing all this

stuff to Trump.

But, it is the United States that's

doing all this stuff

>> Well, absolutely.

>> with with the

with the excuse that that with the cover

that it is Ukraine because

>> Yeah.

>> you can't show that the United States is

is behind the strikes into into Russia.

I mean, you can't you can't show that.

>> No.

>> So, you have to hide it behind Ukraine.

But, I mean

you know, it's it's it's weird that this

is what's needed to to impress Trump.

Wouldn't wouldn't Trump know about this?

He's the one that's that's that's giving

the the directives and the guidance.

Maybe he doesn't know about this.

Maybe maybe it is just parts of the deep

state in the White House that is just

doing their own thing and you know,

Trump is Trump is is is is is

just part of the theater.

>> Oh, no. He knows all about it. He knows

what he's ordered. He knows what he

knows who's really behind all of this.

But, of course, the point is that what

they're all telling him, the people who

are involved in Kiev, in Brussels, and

of course, in Washington is, "Mr.

President, it's working. Look at all the

smoke that we're seeing." Just as um um

Trump was being shown videos during the

Iran war, which gave him the impression

that things were going well. Well, they

were not going well at all.

>> Yeah, so they just want him to

to post about it on Truth Social that

it's going well.

>> Exactly. Exactly. And also, you know, to

commit himself more deeply

>> More than commit.

>> Yeah. To to this operation. Which is he

shows no real

inhibitions about not doing. Of course,

Putin phoned him up 2 weeks ago and tell

him, you know, to be aware when you meet

the Europeans that's what they're going

to tell you. They're going to tell you

that all is going well for Ukraine and

it's winning. Don't believe it. It isn't

true. Trump apparently said, you know, I

hear what you say. I'm absolutely fully

prepared for this. And then he goes

ahead and of course he believes or

pretends to believe everything that he's

told. But to repeat again, in truth, the

reality is that Trump at this moment in

time is so, as I said, diminished that

he has no real choice but to continue

with this path whatever he privately

thinks or not.

>> Now, while Putin is has a complete

misunderstanding, the Kremlin has a

complete misunderstanding about Trump.

They do not understand how Trump works

and operates. That's that's my

conclusion to all this. But I

Look, he's going to he's going to turn,

yeah, they're going to turn all their

attention back to project Ukraine. It's

It's low-hanging fruit for them.

>> Yes. And it's easy to to market. It's

easy for the media to to get on board

with.

>> Yes.

>> And at the end of the day, there's a

whole ton of money for everybody.

>> That is That is the single

That is the single That is the single

most important

>> distract away from Iran,

>> Yes.

>> all the better for you.

>> All the better. All the better for you.

>> Exactly. Of course, for for the Kremlin

and for Putin, and we'll talk about this

in a in another video.

It It wrecks his whole his whole

strategy of our trusted partner, the

United States, and the guidance that he

has given, which is to to to be very

complimentary and flattering of of

Trump.

>> Yes.

Well, we'll talk about that in another

video.

>> I mean, you know, that

This is where it was going to go.

It's always going It always turns back

to Russia.

>> Yes. Always does. Because um

to the extent that Trump

was ever serious about a rapprochement

with Russia,

it was always entirely on his own terms.

And that made it that made it impossible

for it to ever work.

Um he never really, I think Well, he

never did think think the thing through

or develop a serious negotiating

strategy that he could have taken

forward. I think he could have done it

if he'd started with it at the beginning

of his term. And it would have required

a lot of focus and attention, but of

course he never had it.

>> Yeah. And for NATO to bump up their

spending for defense using the the

Russia excuses is is exactly what what

they what they want.

>> Yes.

>> That's how they're going to get to the

3% or 5% or whatever

>> Yes. What they're trying to get to.

>> Yes.

>> Yeah. All right. We'll end the video

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