On paper, the UK has large stockpiles of last-generation tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other materiel explicitly stockpiled to combat Russian aggression in Europe.
The first article in a two-part mini series by the author on ConservativeHome this week.
The shift to subsidies is more than the timely, targeted and temporary measures that we saw during the pandemic, and signifies a bigger change in global public policy.
With Britain’s credibility in Kyiv unparalleled, we are best-placed to raise the question of how this war might end, with an eye to Russia’s stability and re-integration into the international system.
From renationalisation of the energy and train companies to a bonfire of environmental and employment regulations, taking back control from Brussels has opened a new range of possibilities that were previously off the menu.
An alternative, merely defensive strategy plays into Putin’s hands by prolonging the war and easing political pressure on the Kremlin.
His plan for 2024 is to say: “I may not be most exciting politician in the world. But I’m the more reliable of the two before you. What I promise I then deliver.” It’s unlikely to be enough on its own.
The country has interests in a reasonable relationship with Russia, its relationship with the West is far more critical.
As I crossed the border after three days that I will never forget, I felt a mixture of despair, admiration and optimism.
The High Court’s judgement earlier this week marks a major step forward in our plans and we are focused on moving ahead with the policy as soon as possible.
General Galtieri’s was a wicked regime. But his armies, unlike Vladimir Putin’s, at least respected the rules of war.
Russia now aims to dig in on the Dnipro and in the parts of the Donbas it has had plenty of time to fortify, while using its air and missile forces to deprive Ukraine’s cities of power and water.
The moral of this story is that these models provide interesting context – a little like horoscopes. But when it comes to decision-making, give me an economic historian in preference to a model any day.
The second article in a two-part mini series by the author on ConservativeHome this week.