Alex welcomes special guest, former diplomat Arthur Snell to discuss the future of NATO, Ukraine, Gaza, Syria - and whether The West, capitalised as one entity, may be coming to the end of the unity of purpose which has sustained it since the 40s. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD*** Arthur's Behind the Lines is here. Conclusive video evidence that Trump is definitely the same height and weight as Gavin Newsom can be found here. “Trump picks these crazy appointments, partly to rile sensible mainstream people, but it’s partly because then they’re totally loyal to him, because they have no standing of their own, to be at these jobs.” “NATO and European security have a fundamental crisis now. Because the whole idea was that North America took a view that European security is integral to their own. That is collapsing at the moment.” “Putin is in a rather advantageous position. He can carry on fighting - let’s say for another thirty days, grab a few more towns and strategic ground, then announce that he is ready to come to the negotiating table. What Trump is doing, is to say: you carry on as long as you need to and, when you’re done, there’s a deal here for you.” “I’ve noticed people in the West generally and here in the UK starting to blame Ukraine and suggest that really the problem is they didn’t mobilise enough troops. If we look at the casualty they’ve suffered, I think that is a cynical and, frankly, cowardly position.” “There’s going to be things that the Trump administration is able to do internationally, by throwing around American power, which is formidable. The question is whether that is a good strategy over the long run. You can get people to do things because they’re afraid of you, but there’s a view that, long term, this erodes American power.” “The ceasefire [in Gaza] needed two things to happen in America. It needed the tireless work of the Biden administration to negotiate, but it also needed the threat of someone like Trump willing to do crazy things.” Click here for your Quiet Riot Bluesky Starter Pack. Email us at quietriotpod@gmail.com. Or visit our website www.quietriotpod.com. ***SPONSOR US AT KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD*** With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell – in cahoots with Sandstone Global. This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp: Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/QUIETRIOT and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
