Believe it or not, it had been planned since 2007 and was scheduled to happen even later than now but was brought ahead. Actual imports seem to have been stopped in 2022 but the grid was still integrated with BRELL... Which has lost its ELL part and is now just BR :) www.ast.lv/en/content/t...

I’m not sure how much it matters whether Trump is actually in bed with Putin if he does things that help the ruzzian cause anyway, like sowing chaos and division in the West. Probably feels compelled to do “something” about his 24h promise. Tariffs... Is there any serious non-military leverage left?

Hard to imagine it happening accidentally. Also, when an anchor is lowered, doesn’t the chain cause one hell of a noise while rushing out? One would expect the rattle to go through the entire hull. What are the chances nobody noticed?

NATO is a defensive alliance but deterrence and response to evolving threats is part of it. We can do a lot to actively deter without being “offensive”, and much is already being done. Imposing red lines on ourselves lessens strategic ambiguity and is promptly exploited by Russia in creative ways.

Do NATO member states have an interest in upholding peace and a rules based international order in Europe, as well as preventing an aggressive and radicalised Russia from taking over European countries? Does that affect the security of NATO members? Should NATO members merely stand by?

Europe absolutely needs to step up, and his antics may even have yielded some net gains in our security, but it’s better to arm yourself AND have reliable allies who don’t erode trust with the enemy looking on.

“If I think they are treating us fairly” doesn’t cut it for a military alliance.