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Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

Full play-by-play of Trump's Venezuela invasion press conference here:

Dave Keating@davekeating.substack.com

Trump at his press conference on the #Venezuela invasion just now: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. We don't want someone else to get in and we have the same situation."

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

Now that it has been made clear that this isn't simply a leader kidnapping but actually a full-on invasion and occupation of a sovereign state, our European leaders who said they were "closely monitoring the situation" have apparently now gone into hiding.

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez is 1st European leader to make a stronger statement following Trump's press conference where he said the US will run Venezuela and take its oil. Sanchez has been ostracised by other 🇪🇺 leaders for his past criticism of Trump. Will they listen to him now?

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

Even after watching Trump's press conference openly admitting 🇺🇸has invaded Venezuela in order to run it and take its oil, 🇫🇷President Macron has released a statement appearing to endorse US actions (as opposed to Le Pen who condemned 🇺🇸invasion). Where does this leave Europe's credibility on Ukraine?

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

OK we can see the way this is going. Sanchez is out in the political wilderness again in his wilingness to criticise Trump. Germany's chancellor apparently watched that press conference and decided it's "complex and requires careful consideration". They're all falling into line.

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

🇮🇹PM Meloni sounds same as Macron, Starmer & Merz in giving stamp of approval to 🇺🇸invasion of Venezuela (though she's going extra step pretending she believes absurd claim that this is about drug trafficking) Throughout Europe, only opposition figures are criticising 🇺🇸. Anyone in power is too scared

7 reposts37 likes

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

And here it is. Starmer's post-press-conference statement manages to be even more cowardly than his initial response. Vague call for international law to be respected. Ignores that it has *already been violated* this morning. No mention of US.

Marsanges
@marsanges.bsky.social

well he mentions the US right there. They will discuss with the lawbreakers how to set up a regime Scared, I think, is the correct reading. Could you find the reaction of Denmark? For some reason this would be interesting

dmischo
@dmischo.bsky.social

Wow! So he's got no problem with kidnapping foreign leaders if he doesn't like them?! Noted, but that's not a good look, Starmer. I f-ing hate Trump and the damage he's doing to our country and to the world. But I want him to face justice right here. Countries remain sovereign and must be so.

Dave Keating
@davekeating.substack.com

A reminder: it doesn't have to be this way. Mexico has a hell of a lot more to lose than Europe by angering Trump. Yet this is the response of its president just now. This isn't a global phenomenon. Why have Europeans proven to be so uniquely cowardly over the past year?

Baasje van Abel
@abelisalive.bsky.social

Part of it is that the stakes are not big enough in Europe. For Mexico Trump is a real existential crisis, so they're forced to make a choice. For Europe all that seems at stake at this point is comfortability. Nobody wants to be responsible for a decline in prosperity. Hence the cowardice.

Celia Valdeolmillos
@argyle13.bsky.social

Just one issue. Not Europeans. Their governments. Ask people in the streets, and except people from far right, everybody is pissed with Von der Layen &Company. Also, many of the with their governments being veeery timids with this and other issues. Even in Germany.