Trump to the rescue!

Dear Reader,

There are few things as nauseating as listening to German politicians lecturing other countries on the sanctity of the Ukrainian cause.

Our chancellor of the past three years has never been able to bring himself to say the word “win” in relation to Ukraine’s war effort. But he still thinks he has the right to remind the US about the importance of "standing at the side of" the “heroic Ukrainian people.”

With lawyerly precision, Olaf Scholz always asserts that Russia “can’t be allowed to win” the war. This nuance is revealing of Germany’s strategy. It is happy to provide defensive weaponry such as the IRIS-T air defence system. But, when it comes to offensive weaponry, it only does so under massive pressure (as was the case for Leopard 2 tanks), or digs its heels in and says 'nein' (as is the case with Taurus cruise missiles).

In reality, the German promise of support for Ukraine for “as long as it takes” means it is prepared to keep sustaining the war until it grinds to a halt…