• Ukraine's leaders are selling their country out to NATO and Big Banking
• Fascist Ukraine agitating for 'new measures' against Russia: EU, NATO say 'enough being done already'
• NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia would bring out the bear in Russia
• US meddling: Swiss newspaper reveals secret NATO training base in Ukraine

[I]mplicitly, Trump makes it clear that he does not respect the European Union. The position of Washington was previously voiced by the US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland. He called the European Commission an archaic and outdated structure that is "divorced from reality" and deals with the regulation of what is not needed.

True enough.

For the European Union, the issue of international recognition is fundamental, because the EU is different from traditional international organizations, such as ASEAN, NAFTA or the African Union. The EU has its own court, a single legal field, the institution of citizenship, the euro currency, the parliament and the executive bodies represented by the European Commission and the Council of the EU.

As Hannan put it, "all the gadgets and symbols that go with statehood."

If you leave the language of diplomacy, then the American president has very specific reasons to put pressure on the European Union. Trump is unhappy that Europe exports too much to the USA and creates for them a trade deficit of more than 100 billion dollars. To patch this hole, the White House introduced trade duties against imports of aluminum and steel from the EU, and also threatens to set tariffs on European cars.

Another "bone of contention" is that Europeans spend little on defense, which is why the entire burden of NATO lies on the United States. Trump requires a minimum of 2% of GDP, up to this figure fall short of only the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece and Estonia. Not only do Europeans save on the US, they are also going to create their own army, as French President Emmanuel Macron said at the end of the year.

Thirdly, the EU does not support the US on international issues, for example, in the sanctions against Iran or Palestine. Brussels criticized Washington's withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal in May and agreed with Russia to create a workaround. In the Palestinian problem, the EU opposed the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem, which, according to European bureaucrats, breaks the solution to the crisis within the framework of the "two states" principle.

Europe is also increasing its dependence on Russian gas. Trump would like Old World to buy American liquefied natural gas instead of laying the Nord Stream-2. But Angela Merkel made it clear that the Russian gas pipeline will be built, whether Washington likes it or not.

The European Union will not only not respond, but is also ready to turn the second cheek under attack. While Brussels continues to suffer humiliation from the United States, Americans will behave like "occupiers," as Gerhard Schroeder, the former German chancellor, openly said.

With its Iranian sanctions, Washington has already caused Europe damage in the amount of several billion euros. Under the penalty of monetary fines, the largest European concerns left Total: Peugeot, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Bahn, Daimler and others. The same thing can happen if the Nord Stream 2 comes under US sanctions. Then the losses will be incurred by the French Engie, the Anglo-Dutch Shell, the Austrian OMV and the German Winterschall and Uniper.

In this situation, the only way out for the European Union is to turn to Moscow and strengthen contacts with Beijing. Otherwise, the White House will continue to spit on Europe and wipe its feet on it.

Washington's arrogance may have unintended consequences. Russia has shown itself to be a honourable, reliable partner in business (China) and in war (Syria). China is driving robust economic growth for many developing nations. Perhaps in their arrogance, the Deep State doesn't think the EU will have the nerve for a major realignment?

MP Gareth Johnson resigns as Tory Whip ahead of Brexit deal vote

© beta.parliament.uk
Gareth Johnson

MP Gareth Johnson has resigned his post as a minister in the Government's Whips' Office, ahead of a highly anticipated vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal. Johnson said in his resignation letter that he could not support the deal.

Addressing his letter to May, Johnson wrote that the current deal being pushed by the government "gives out country no clear, unilateral path out of the European Union and ensures we will be fettered in our ability to negotiate trade deals."

"This agreement prevents us from taking back control and instead could leave us perpetually constrained by the European Union," he added.

He said that the issue has forced him to "place my loyalty to my country above my loyalty to the government."

The deal is expected to be canned in a vote scheduled for Tuesday, and May's cabinet will likely face a co-confidence vote after the deal fails to pass.

On Monday, May went on one-day speaking tour in a last-ditch effort to convince legislators to support the deal. In a speech delivered in the leave-supporting city of Stoke-on-Trent, May accused the parliament of undermining the wishes of the British people.

"As we have seen over the last few weeks, there are some in Westminster who would wish to delay or even stop Brexit and who will use every device available to them to do so," May said. "I ask MPs to consider the consequences of their actions on the faith of the British people in our democracy."

May's government suffered a string of resignations in November after the prime minister announced that her cabinet had settled on a Brexit deal.

Notably, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab - the man charged with negotiating and finalizing the deal - was among the handful of ministers who resigned. In his resignation letter, Raab said that the Brexit deal in its current form was deeply flawed.

With the support of 200 lawmakers within her Conservative Party, May managed to survive a no-confidence vote on December 12. She may not have the same luck on Tuesday, however. Some 100 MPs of May's own party as well as 10 legislators from the Democratic Unionist Party, a Northern Irish partner in her minority coalition, are likely to vote against her deal. Following the vote, Labour Party's leader Jeremy Corbyn is expected to file a motion of no confidence, potentially leading to a new general election.

• NewsReal: Yellow Vest Protests, Brexit Farce - Revolutionary Climate in Western Europe?
• NewsReal: California Wildfires, Climate Change, And The Impossible Brexit

• House bill requires US to monitor European criticism of Israel
• Unconstitutional: Israel lobby bills to be passed through Congress by means of stealth
• A Crash Course on the true causes of "Anti-Semitism", part II: The hunt for anti-Semites