Shashank Joshi

I think that's a brilliant question. And my goodness, where do we begin, right? Look at Germany. The US has a lot of troops in Germany. Do we think they're all there just to sit there defending Germany against Putin? No, Germany is this huge hub for American military power projection. It has this huge military hospital. It's an air bridge to get your forces to the Middle East.

I think that's a brilliant question. And my goodness, where do we begin, right? Look at Germany. The US has a lot of troops in Germany. Do we think they're all there just to sit there defending Germany against Putin? No, Germany is this huge hub for American military power projection. It has this huge military hospital. It's an air bridge to get your forces to the Middle East.

I think that's a brilliant question. And my goodness, where do we begin, right? Look at Germany. The US has a lot of troops in Germany. Do we think they're all there just to sit there defending Germany against Putin? No, Germany is this huge hub for American military power projection. It has this huge military hospital. It's an air bridge to get your forces to the Middle East.

And then what about this coalition to compete with China in technology? You know, do you think you're going to do this whilst the Europeans are hoovering up Chinese electric vehicles and building Huawei into their telephone systems? It's an alliance, a tech alliance in which alliances are critical. You need to work with partners.

And then what about this coalition to compete with China in technology? You know, do you think you're going to do this whilst the Europeans are hoovering up Chinese electric vehicles and building Huawei into their telephone systems? It's an alliance, a tech alliance in which alliances are critical. You need to work with partners.

And then what about this coalition to compete with China in technology? You know, do you think you're going to do this whilst the Europeans are hoovering up Chinese electric vehicles and building Huawei into their telephone systems? It's an alliance, a tech alliance in which alliances are critical. You need to work with partners.

That's been the assumption of this last administration, the Biden administration. But even Trump won to some degree.

That's been the assumption of this last administration, the Biden administration. But even Trump won to some degree.

That's been the assumption of this last administration, the Biden administration. But even Trump won to some degree.

If that's going away and allies are just viewed as these inferior powers who have to come to the Oval Office in a suit and pay tribute and grovel, then I think America is going to find itself in a world where stuff it has taken for granted, that allies just show up in Iraq and Afghanistan to fight alongside you, for instance, that that world is going to crumble and America will be on its own.

If that's going away and allies are just viewed as these inferior powers who have to come to the Oval Office in a suit and pay tribute and grovel, then I think America is going to find itself in a world where stuff it has taken for granted, that allies just show up in Iraq and Afghanistan to fight alongside you, for instance, that that world is going to crumble and America will be on its own.

If that's going away and allies are just viewed as these inferior powers who have to come to the Oval Office in a suit and pay tribute and grovel, then I think America is going to find itself in a world where stuff it has taken for granted, that allies just show up in Iraq and Afghanistan to fight alongside you, for instance, that that world is going to crumble and America will be on its own.

And one of the big strengths it has that China doesn't and that Russia doesn't, which is real allies, that will ebb away.

And one of the big strengths it has that China doesn't and that Russia doesn't, which is real allies, that will ebb away.

And one of the big strengths it has that China doesn't and that Russia doesn't, which is real allies, that will ebb away.

No, look, I mean, let me have a go, right? Because I think it is important to understand where an administration like this is coming from. I think there is a faction in the administration that says Europe is a side story. We're going to get out of Europe and send stuff to Asia, husband our resources. We're not going to spend 50 billion a year on Ukraine.

No, look, I mean, let me have a go, right? Because I think it is important to understand where an administration like this is coming from. I think there is a faction in the administration that says Europe is a side story. We're going to get out of Europe and send stuff to Asia, husband our resources. We're not going to spend 50 billion a year on Ukraine.

No, look, I mean, let me have a go, right? Because I think it is important to understand where an administration like this is coming from. I think there is a faction in the administration that says Europe is a side story. We're going to get out of Europe and send stuff to Asia, husband our resources. We're not going to spend 50 billion a year on Ukraine.

We're going to spend it on Asia, confront China, put more stuff into Japan, put more stuff into South Korea. That kind of makes sense. I may not agree with that, but I see the internal logic of that. However, however, it's a big but. This assumes this is a normal administration that does strategy where people, you and I sit in a room and discuss strategy and produce documents.

We're going to spend it on Asia, confront China, put more stuff into Japan, put more stuff into South Korea. That kind of makes sense. I may not agree with that, but I see the internal logic of that. However, however, it's a big but. This assumes this is a normal administration that does strategy where people, you and I sit in a room and discuss strategy and produce documents.