The House of Commons debated ongoing military and economic assistance to Ukraine, highlighting the need for a lasting and sustainable peace.
During the session on Thursday, James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, asked an urgent question on Government efforts to support Ukraine. He underscored “so many casualties and so much pain” caused by Russia’s three-year war, pushing the importance of “peace and prosperity” returning to Ukrainian soil.
Cartlidge stated that the UK remained “100% steadfast” in backing Ukraine’s efforts, and said it is “for the Ukrainians to decide the timing and the terms of any negotiations on ending the war.”
Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle pointed out that nearly 50 nations convened at the recent Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, reinforcing “billions of dollars-worth of arms and ammunition” for Kyiv. She added:
“We all agree that 2025 will be the critical year for Ukraine. At this crucial moment, we will not step back, but step up our support.”
The Minister also noted the “clear commitment to ratcheting up the pressure on Putin, using both military and economic tools,” and stressed that any potential peace talks “cannot take place without Ukraine.” Citing unity among allies, she reiterated the UK’s stance that “there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
In line with calls by President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for “peace through strength,” Britain has pledged £4.5 billion in military support this year, including drones, tanks, air-to-air missiles, and more than 500,000 artillery shells.
Eagle emphasised that “Ukraine’s security matters to global security,” framing the conflict as one that could embolden other aggressors if left unchecked.
Cartlidge welcomed the sustained commitment but pressed the need for European allies to increase defence spending, pointing out that “a win for Putin…would be likely to send a very dangerous signal to other potential adversaries.”
Although the Government did not comment in detail on peacekeeping scenarios, Eagle indicated that the higher budgetary needs for defence remain a priority, especially as the United States signalled it would not spearhead any future peacekeeping mission.
Both MPs underlined that the UK’s stance continues to revolve around supporting Ukraine’s democratically elected leadership and maintaining transatlantic unity in the face of aggression.
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Is Parliament discussing which units of the British army will be moved to Ukraine?
I know we can’t afford to give more to Ukraine, but couldn’t we afford to loan a lot more to Ukraine? If we offered a £20bn loan to buy weapons and equipment built in the UK, it would boost the UK defence industry (growth agenda), give Ukraine an alternative to capitulation and still not show up as net debt on the UK balance sheet.
The biggest problem with that, though, is that Ukraine needs said weapons now, not in 5 years because our industry has withered to the point that they literally can’t build the weapons fast enough.
I think UK industry will step up if the money is there. As I recall, Qinetiq designed manufactured and delivered new drones in a few months.
We already did this last year with £3 billion loan guarantee for them.
I suppose the issue is that £3 billion is small change to keep Ukraine in this fight.
Unless we and a couple of other countries can lean in with tens of billions to replace US assistance for a year or so, Ukraine will be constrained to do whatever Pres Trump and Pres Putin decide between them. Russia will win and we’ll all take a small step closer to WW3.
Actually it’s all very easy to do, Europe and the UK are sitting on more than $300 billion in Russian assets. They can just let Ukraine have that and it can buy all the weapons it needs. Even the Donald is happy to sell guns to Ukraine as is South Korea and everyone else.
You also need to look at return on investment. If Ukraine ultimately ends up completely capitulating for whatever reason (collapse on the battlefield, surrender etc.) then a new Ukrainian government may well default on the loan, leaving the UK £20 billion in the lurch.
I really hope that never happens.
If it does then we should just seize all the Russian assets we currently hold frozen and keep them. Use it towards rebuilding our armed forces!
You can secure it against Russian funds in clearing banks in the UK and Belgium.
While, as others have said, there are ways around that, in reality in doesn’t matter all that much. First we’ll get a significant amount back through taxes if the money is spent in the UK and it might help us with further exports through the growth of the UK defence sector. Also UK net debt is £2.8tr and £20bn barely nudges the needle as a historic one-off. It would be a gamble to grow our economy and help stick it to Putin at the same time.
So Trump and Putin are deciding what happens to Ukraine without allowing Ukraine any input and Trump is also committing European forces to provide a peacekeeping force without actually asking them? And we are first to commit our underfunded, understaffed forces to do as Trump says. Interesting times.
Always suspected Putin would win this. I wouldn’t say ‘Russia’ has won, but maybe that Putin has. What is most interesting is, how long will Putin spend rebuilding his forces and maybe even learning from all their mistakes before he launches his next assault on Ukraine. I think he’ll feel quite confident to mooch past a European peace keeping force safe in the knowledge they won’t engage without US support. Maybe he’ll concentrate on gaining full control of Georgia and Moldova next through political interference methods whilst rebuilds his decimated army.
Everybody is trying to turn the clock back. Trump is going for the 1950s. The SNP were trying for 1603. Putin is trying for the 17-19C to rebuild Imperial Greater Russia; Erdogen is going for 1453 AD fall of Constantinople peak of the Ottoman Empire. China and Israel are going for broke; they want to turn the clock back to BC 😂
In reality, Russia (Putin) was always more likely to come out with the win on Ukraine. The only things that would swing it would be some sort of major economic collapse in Russia (which has been coming “any minute now” for the last couple of years) or I guess someone knocking Putin off and replacing him with someone new.
He was always going to have the manpower advantage and able to fight this attritional war, Ukraine was never going to be able to compete on the manpower front. There are things they could do to help, dropping the age of mobilisation from 25-18 would be a start. Even with that though, it doesn’t make any immediate difference.
I agree. It was always the most likely outcome, and any opportunities that could have made it a defeat for Russia have long gone, such as lower age mobilisation, tons more western weapon donation or even some form of western military participation (no fly zone type of thing).
So Ukraine (or at least 20% of it) is lost. And the big question for the UK and Europe now is where do we go from here? We are currently being absolutely humiliated by the US and Russia and still seem to have no interest in transforming the continent into an entity that can one day stand up to them either militarily or economically. Europe and the UK is looking really rather pathetic right now.
I think the point of no return was probably the failure of the 2023 offensive by Ukraine. If they’d have been able to deliver a good counter attack and gain a good amount of territory then things may well look a lot different. Earlier deliveries of key western weapons would have helped for sure but, manpower was always going to be the issue. As you say, if they start to mobilise younger people now, it’s going to be months before they feel the difference at the frontline, if the war is still going by then.
I’d have loved to see Ukraine get all of it’s territory back, all the way to it’s 2014 borders but now, it seems very unlikely to happen. If not impossible.
I think where Europe goes from here largely depends on Ukraine, if they were to take a deal, even a bad one, or if they were to continue fighting. We’re still at such an early stage in the “peace process”, so much could happen in terms of the talks falling apart etc. There isn’t a guarantee that the talks will yield any sort of agreement at this point really.
We’ll see what comes out of the meeting being held in Paris today. I’ve heard rumours that the PM is looking at over-ruling the Chancellor to increase defence spending, which would be a start.
With the Ukraine war possibly drawing to an end, we really need to start getting on with replenishing our own stocks.
Well ! my new, woke, warmongering, LGBTQ+🏳️🌈, barbarian friends peace has broken out in Europe and our American friends are as we speak, doing a deal with the Russians, we Europeans arn’t invited to the negotiations as we’re considered too naive politically, economically and militarily, apparently our morals and values are worthless and we better do what the superpowers want, enjoy the petty squabbling of our imbecilic leaders who seem to think their opinions matter 🤷 and who are determined to embroil us in a forever border skirmish with the Russians, which in my opinion won’t be suffered by the big boys.
I have quite enjoyed my verbal jousting with you all, but now it all seems as irrelevant as an EU peace deal, so I’m gonna sign off until the next time some warmongering maniac picks a fight with his neighbour, as is the common failing of humanity.
So until then
Toodlepip. ♾️❤️☮️
Good.
Stay signed off, you moron.
More sites require a troll then, move on, leave the comments on here to the grown ups, most of whom have experienced war and conflict, who at the same time let you waffle on while laughing at you.
Have you been demoted, because let’s be honest you were not a very good political warfare officer.. sadly if you give away what you are, you become less effective. I do hope you don’t get demoted to “requiring political education”.
До свидания, мудак.
I am certainly not happy even thinking about supply boots on the ground until way know more.
Without a suitable fit for purpose command and control all we are doing is setting them up on the shooting range , to be picked off country by country.
Plus we barely have enough to guard the U.K. let alone send 1/3 of them to Ukraine.
We are NOT in Europe.
You can bet Starmer said he will let the UK do all the work as usual.
We ARE in Europe!
We are not in the EU. The two are not the same.
Jesus Christ! What’s so hard to understand about that?
Haha! What are we then? Some little continent of our own?? When was the last time you looked at a atlas, you obviously flunked geography.
Very good! When Henry VIII left Rome a little ‘continent’ of our own is exactly what we became. The opening phrase of the 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals; that ‘This Realm of England is an Empire’. In May 1689 ‘Be it declared by this Parliament and by the Authority of the same, that the People of England and of all the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging shall be and are hereby Constituted, Made, Established and Confirmed to be a Commonwealth and Free State. And shall henceforth be Governed as a Commonwealth and Free State by the Supreme Authority of this Nation. 😂
It’s a real pitty the Realm of England ceased to exist in 1707. I guess that means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is still part of Europe then despite Henry the VIII protestations 😀
Have you been demoted, because let’s be honest you were not a very good political warfare officer.. sadly if you give away what you are, you become less effective. I do hope you don’t get demoted to “requiring political education”.
Has trump changed the names on the map again has he annexed the UK onto the Americas
Check a map sunshine, which continent are we part of? Hunt it’s not Asia, Africa or the Americas…
Or hint .. Not that a basic function like editing a typo is an option on here.
Westeros surely
It’s either that or we are the last remaining part of Pangea. 😀
My vote is for Westeros!
Replace Starmer with the legend King Bobby B! :-p
These Islands are part of the continent of Europe and we should help in their defence as a part of NATO.
We are not in the EU.
The two are different.
To be honest one of my big concerns with this is that essentially without the US as an active part of NATO it becomes defacto defunct and the only easy replacement is a large EU military that takes control of European defence… we then sit next to the newest superpower on the block and we know from the US just how quickly they can turn on smaller friends.
Yes, the evidence that Brexit was cretinously treasonous just keeps growing, doesn’t it.
I don’t think I made any judgment on that.
At least recent events have put defence spending in the news, with most commentary saying it needs to increase. Yet our government is still talking about a roadmap to 2.5%, not doing it with urgency and not going further.
Things may change fast over the coming weeks. We may even see Europe pledge to increase spending further. One can hope.
Go back ten years. If someone had told you that the best hope of rebuilding our armed forces will be Donald Trump, what would you have said? Crazy times.
I really hope that Starmer et al are paying attention and revising their plans behind the scenes.
2.5% is really no longer relevant. Needs to be at least 3% GDP (approx. £85 billion a year).
I’d say, get to 2.5% by the end of this year. 3% by 2030 at the absolute latest.
We have a new financial year from the start of April. That’s 6 weeks for the Chancellor to do something other than kick the can down the road again.
Sadly, my money is on that can being kicked a few streets away!
If we do increase the defence budget then it needs to be funded somehow or we’ll end up with the markets reacting badly. Last time that happened it ended Truss’s term as PM.
Assumptions from increasing future tax revenue is how Rachel Reeves passed her budget without a market reaction. I’m not sure how we increase defence spending without more tax increases or cuts from other departments.
I’d prefer if we design the forces we need, then set out defence budgets for the next 5 to 10 years to get there. Talk of a % of GDP doesn’t help, it is capability we need. Set the budget accordingly.
The money will have to found from Milliband’s net zero program….phew, that’s a relief 🙂
Only for idiots. And even then, it won’t be a relief for long…
Your preference would be much, much better than the current system. I suppose that’s what the SDSR should be all about, really.
Problem is HMG and the Treasury don’t like that, as then it puts the departments, such as Defence, in the driving seat. Makes them look proactive and the Treasury look bad if/when they fail to provide the adequate funds for achieving the forces we need.
For starters, if this war does end in Russia’s favour then we should simply seize all Russian money and assets that we currently hold frozen.
That’s around £22 billion. If nothing else, gift that to the MoD and use it towards rebuilding our military.
any peace keepers need proper backing with NATO. as said on radio 4 today there is peacekeeping in south / north korea for example backed up by massive american presence.
We could just build a massive minefield with loads of artillery down the Ukraine boarder like the Korean DMZ.
It’s worked well enough there for 70 years.
We and our continental neighbours are now held in equal contempt by both the Putin and Trump empires. Today I am ashamed to be British for the first time in my several decade on this earth.”Tomorrow” I hope not to be. Most of all I trust that any of our men and women sent to Ukraine are properly supported and resourced..
What others think does not define us.. essentially who cares. What we think is the only thing that matters.
Contempt indeed. Yesterday I heard Lavrov say that ‘European philosophy has gone no-where’. He is right in the sense that western Europe abandoned its Christian heritage with the Lisbon Treaty in exchange for a melange of ‘liberal democracy’ and ‘woke’ ideologies in which you believe in anything except yourself. Europe chose a self inflicted identity crisis. After a similar dalliance with Obama and Biden the US has wised up and elected Trump.
Putin and Trump will negotiate a peace deal for Ukraine in which their security will be ‘guaranteed’ by the presence on Ukrainian soil of about 50,000 European troops cobbled together by Starmer and Macron. There will be an understanding that these would be backed up by the US if Russia did invade again. The sovereignty of Ukraine will be notional. Zelensky will have to accept the mortgaging of the country to the US; Ukraine will become a vassal state of the US rather than Russia. MAGA, welcome back US hegemony. Humiliation for Zelensky and the EU and Starmer might emerge as the saviour of NATO.
So Mr Starmer…..GRANDSTANDING just like all the rest with no military mass or spending to back it up.
Please explain to the public, to the military, and me:
What units you would deploy to Ukraine?
How would thr army achieve this?
Where is the deployed, training, stood down guideline with such a small force?
Where are they coming from? CABRIT already commits much of our main warfighting force.
You were GRANDSTANDING the other month about using 4 Brigade in Estonia. 😆 They don’t even have regular CS CSS to make them deployable. Not that you’d even know what that term means….
How many? A Battlegroup? Using ONLY as little as a Brigade on an enduring roulement is currently not possible without breaking the army.
Meanwhile, you’re about to make MORE defence cuts, as your Treasury and Rachel from account’s isn’t interested unless it’s throwing money at your priorities or giving away Diego Garcia for a fortune.
The Conservatives can keep ssshhhhh in this too as they are equally responsible.
Trump is right. Europe has no business at the top table in this instance. Our leaders now desperately convene to look important and relevant.
The EU won’t even do a deal with the UK without conditions…..WHY THEN should a bastard like Putin listen and concede? Is Russia weak or is Russia strong?
CHICKENS HOME TO ROOST for me, and GRANDSTANDING about putting boots on the ground in Ukraine to look tough to the British people fools no one….or does it?
It fools no one who knows anything about the military, but sadly that is a small percentage of the population. Most will not care, not unless we are attacked and it affects them directly.
We are in desperate need of cross party consensus on defence so the government of the day can go about making decisions based on risk, not reelection.
It would be interesting to get your stance on what Reform would likely do, there policies are as far as I can see to force Ukraine to surrender to Russia but also increase defence spending while cutting taxes. Very much in line with Trumps policy. Is that the case or am I missing something?
Starmer has inherited a military that’s been defunded for 15 years, he has said he is increasing defence spending following the defence review. What else would you expect him to do? Are you against sending UK troops to Ukraine to police a peace deal?
On Diego Garcia this was all started by the previous government and the request of the USA Biden administration and India, it’s pretty clear the deal is dead now. Would you expect him to come into government and tell Joe Biden and India to get lost?
He’s committed to presenting a roadmap to 2.5%, not even to spending 2.5% as the roadmap could go past this parliament, like Rishi’s did. Only about 1.5% would actually go toward conventional capability anyway. Possibly less if we stick a few thousand troops in Ukraine (as the operations budget these days counts towards the headline number so isn’t used to sustain capability).
Much depends on the defence review and the road map, I’m more optimistic than I was a week ago. After Munich now there is political capital at stake and pulling this off even with higher taxes is a vote winner for Starmer and it builds to historic legacy.
Powerful political incentives. In the face of that a few tens of billions over a parliament is nothing. If he does prevaricate then he is a turkey voting for Christmas, he will be gone by the next election.
I hope you’re right.
On him being gone, replaced by who? The far left taking over has always been a worry of mine.
After Munich? So ironically our biggest boast in defence posture will have come from the US, UK had no actual plan to increase defence spending until Trump put the cat amongst the pigeons now finally our political class has to step up. Be careful what you wish for. Many may look back at this and see it was Trump who forced Starmer to act, that’s not really any accolade or legacy any sane person would want 🙂 It would have been far better to have lead out of the traps and said were going to increase GDP and we’re doing by this date now, proper firm plans and commitments. Now he just looks like he has to do it because of Trump.
Jim. Honestly, I’ve no idea what Reforms defence policies even are, I don’t follow it to that extent.
I agree with Farage on immigration and on things like 2TK.
On Starmer, overule HMT and say enough is enough.
He talked tough on defence pre election.
Now he’s in the driving seat, he’s no better so far than the previous.
Stop hiding behind percentages at a future undetermined date. Commit. Send a message.
This endless talk from European government’s does not deter.
On Diego Garcia, I’d expect him to be clear what his lawyer friend is advising him to do, and why.
I don’t give a fig if the Tories started it, he is in charge so he can finish it!
Is it dead? I hope so, I’ve not seen anything to suggest that?
Ukraine, the British Army and a peace deal?
Yes. I am, in the militaries current state. Otherwise, no, course not. We are meant to be SACEUR Strategic Reserve, with 1French. 1 British “Corps”
I’ve covered that piece of double hatting before, we’re in no state to even adequately cover the current commitments we have without some clueless politician commiting us to more with no explanation as to how this will be achieved.
Maybe you can explain the army ORBAT to me Jim., and how this is achieved with anything more than a Battlegroup along a front how long?…Seeming as you’ve gone political bringing politics into this with Reform…..😉
I can discuss ORBATS and military resources all day, politics just brings out trolls who won’t discuss with me otherwise…
Let’s see what comes out of the next few weeks, I’m optimistic now, more that I was a week ago
Yes, just replied to you above! I hope so mate.
It was the right thing to say at this juncture. That said, I agree now it has to be followed through with action on the defence budget. Then it’s over to the SDR and the military to decide how to spend the money, the business secretary and industry to decide what to manufacture and Ms Reeves to manage the impact on domestic spending. We have the government we elected and to be honest when you look at the Tories and Reform I think they are the best on offer.
Yes, they are the best on offer. Flawed, and frequently disappointing pillocks, but let’s hope they can grow into it and rise to the occasion.
Yes, it’s all about character now: and not making any missteps. The govt has been dealt a weak hand. It will need good communication with partners will have to finesse a few tricks to come out smiling. Just this minute listened to John Healey speaking; announcing a wholesale reform of the MOD….hang onto your hat!
It’s a sudden total change geostrategicly It looks like we will need 3 proper deployable divisions.. so army up to 100,000+
We need
1) full light division for northern flank with 3 full Mec brigades ( armoured cav, battalions, fires, and support) so one is always deployed and 1 airmobile brigade for playing around the world.
2) 2 armoured divisions with armoured brigades each and a mec brigade as the UK can deploy close to a division into Ukraine.
That’s a massive capital investment for the army at scale MBT investment, IFV and APC as well as fires as well as manpower and support increases by 30% +
Also a need for a huge increase in mass in the airforce we would need to find 4 squadrons of fast jets on top of what we have.. so a move to 12 fast jet squadrons… that’s 4 new typhoon squadrons so a massive buy of 100 new typhoons
Pretty much means the UK will now need a pretty much total focus on European security as well as expeditionary capability around Middle East, Africa, Atlantic, artic and south Atlantic as well as western Indian Ocean… essential I think any pacific tilt is now dead other than economic.
It’s a massive to be honest.. huge shift is needed.
We shouldn’t be committing to a single soldier in Ukraine. If Trump want to do all the dealing he can pay for the consequences. We’ve ENATO to worry about as it’s perfectly possible Mr Trump won’t.
Ukraine is essentially the key to Central Europe, it’s why Putin wants it essentially he gets Ukraine you can kiss away NATOs southern frontier.
And what will our 5,000 soliers do to prevent that?
Don’t be silly, It would be a European effort our 5000 soldiers ( and a brigade battle group would bet the best we could do ) would be joined by the 27 other European nato counties if each provides 1000-5000 you have a very large force…also Ukraine does have its own army that has actually been doing well considering. That’s another 250,000…
Even with EU allies the problem looks almost insoluble. The border between Ukraine and Russia is very long. I’ve seen 100. 000 mentioned as the number of soldiers needed additional to Ukrainian troops on order to deter future Russian invasion. Even if the UK, France and Germany ( who wont) each provide a division and you cobble up another division from other European countries plus Canada and Australia you come up a long way short. With luck you might reach 40-50,000. Plus Ukrainian forces. Not enough to guarantee success in battle. Hence Starmer saying there must be US backstop.
How are the rotations going to work as Cabrit ended up destroying alot of promising NCOs careers before their time as they got sick off the back teeth of it hence the huge outflow numbers in recent years. You can only fool some of the people all the time.
X20 years of 6 month rotations? HMG are going to need find another 40k people fast.
Its not exactly a great recruitment message either. Join up and patrol the Ukraine/Russia border.
I often wonder what our military chiefs say to the government behind closed doors. How honest about our capabilities are they.
Once they are out with their pensions!
Until then, the can do attitude isn’t helping.
No Mr Starmer, we cannot. Increase mass or stop GRAGrandstanding.
Lol, oh for the edit function.
This is the ultimate crux of the issue, the wafflers can waffle as much as they want but if we are going to be serious about this we are going to need MASS asap.
Could be a worse message: beer in Ukraine is cheap and the women gorgeous!
More tax rises needed, grounds will be need to spend more on defence and Ukraine, all this unforeseen they’ll say(yeah right!). My view we’re going to see an election pledge breach or I should say one they can’t doctor up as not breaking 🙂 . Blame put on the orange man across the pond with everything crossed that the electorate swallow it, risky but they might get away with it. Probably go after the 40%+ income tax bracket cos they pay most of the tax and less vote Labour anyway. Watch this space as they say 🙂
We have the money STOP giving it away FFS🤬 they can find £b,s here and there when they want to!
Or maybe go after the 40%+ income tax bracket because they’re the ones with all the money and all the property, and the best at squirrelling their wealth away so they contribute as little as possible?? As long as paying taxes in this country is seen as a burden, and not as an obligation and privilege of citizenship, then we will never have the money to meet our needs, defence or otherwise. But yes, blaming the orange felon for the tax rise would be a smart move in the short term.
It actually looks like trump is not only abandoning his European allies he is trying to essentially colonise and control the bits of Ukraine that he is not planning to give over to Russia.. essentially he wants 500 to 600 billion in reparations for the support give to Ukraine and for the US to essentially take ownership of every nation resource.. while the European nations guard his new kingdom…
“The terms of the contract that landed at Volodymyr Zelensky’s office a week ago amount to the US economic colonisation of Ukraine, in legal perpetuity. It implies a burden of reparations that cannot possibly be achieved.”
I did take what he said about Canada, Greenland and Panama with a pinch of salt. But all evidence is that the US is now under the control of an authoritarian expansionist while sees Europe as either a resource to be plundered or something to give away for geopolitical benefit.
I have to say in one week I have gone from thinking NATO was the cornerstone of western democracies and that western hegemony was worth the effort of defending on the global stage to thinking that the US is lost to the rest of the western world and we need to to cut our losses and create a Europe that can defend its own interests and that’s it.
I read that articial as well ( and it was in the DT of all newspapers) the level of payment was more then demanded at the treaty of Versailles
Indeed if it was in the guardian I would have been a bit suspicious, but is reported by the telegraph so probably not bias.
It’s the price of what Starmer is calling the ‘US backstop’ (token European
peacekeepers). Ukraine’s sovereignty will be notional. The country’s economy will be in hoc to the US for a generation.
Meanwhile, Ukraine isn’t invited to its own peace talks. Recent negotiations involving top American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to address the ongoing war in Ukraine have excluded Ukrainian representation, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to declare that Ukraine will never accept decisions made without its involvement. This situation mirrors historical precedents where powerful countries have made critical decisions about regions and their peoples without including those directly affected, often resulting in devastating consequences.
Historical examples of such practices, emphasising the pattern of power politics overriding local self-determination.
The Scramble for Africa (1884-85): European powers divided Africa without any African representation, leading to colonial atrocities and suffering.
The Tripartite Convention (1899): U.S. and German powers split the Samoan Islands while ignoring the desires of the local population.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916): British and French officials redefined Middle Eastern borders post-World War I without consulting the affected populations, resulting in ongoing conflict.
The Munich Agreement (1938): European leaders appeased Hitler by conceding land in Czechoslovakia without inviting Czech officials, a decision later seen as a significant error.
The Évian Conference (1938): Countries met to discuss Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany but excluded Jewish representatives from negotiations, leading to many remaining trapped in perilous conditions.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939): A secret treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divided Eastern Europe, disregarding the sovereignty of the states involved.
The Yalta Conference (1945): Allied leaders decided post-war Europe’s fate without consulting smaller nations, setting the stage for the Cold War dynamics.
The Trump-Putin Scramble for Ukraine’s Rare Earth Minerals (2025) / (or the): US-Russia Minerals Accord / The Ukraine Partition Agreement / The Phoenix Agreement: A back-room deal, supposedly brokered by the US with Russia, results in a ceasefire that cedes a portion of Ukrainian territory rich in rare earth minerals to Russia. Ukraine is excluded from negotiations, despite being the nation whose sovereignty and economic interests are most directly at stake. This arrangement inadvertently triggers the rise of Europe and the collapse of Russia, while simultaneously setting in motion Ukraine’s program to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense.