The Duran Podcast - EU isolation and escalation w/ Christine Anderson (Live)

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

EU isolation and escalation w/ Christine Anderson (Live)

All right. We are live with Alexander Mercuris, and we're also joined today by Zaryl. And we have the honor and the privilege to have with us. Christine Anderson, joining us from Brussels, an EU parliament member representing Germany. Christine, thank you so much for joining us on the Duran. It is very much appreciated. My pleasure. And thanks for having me. And I have Christine's information in the description box down below where you can follow her as well as her Twitter X account as well. That is in the description box. And I will add all the links as a pinned comment when we wrap up the video. So Alexander Zareel, we have 30 minutes with Christine, about 30, 40 minutes with Christine. So let's just jump right into it.

Alexander, take it away. Absolutely. Let's do so because Christine isn't just a member of the European. Parliament. She's also a member of the IFDA. She is part of the faction, if you like, at the IFDA and the European Parliament. I don't know whether that's the right word. Please correct me, Christine. I don't know very much about the structure of the European Parliament. And I think the first thing to do is to congratulate Christine and her party, the IFDA on a momentous breakthrough in the recent parliamentary elections in Germany. One achieved against all the odds. If you know Germany as well as I do,

you would know how high the odds are. And importantly, and very interestingly, and decisive, both for the future of Germany and of Europe, the breakthrough is continuing, the IFD is continuing to rise, it is continuing to gain strength, even as the new Friedrich Metz government, which isn't yet in office by the way, is already sinking. And there's talk now that the next election might even see an IFDA government, which would be an extraordinary event in German and European history. But again, if that is achieved, and many, many people would want to see it happen, it will again happen against the odds. Now, Christine, perhaps you could tell us a little bit about the situation in Germany. The economic situation seems very difficult. I know Germany well, as I

told you before our programme. I am greatly, you know, admiring and in love of the country, but I've never known it in all my lifetime to be under such stress. And of course, the political situation is very fraught as well. So if you can just give us a some idea of where you see things going in Germany at the moment, what the politics are, whether the IFTA will continue to rise, whether you're starting to break through in what was the former heartland areas of the Christian Democratic Union in Western Germany, and what the pressures, the mounting pressures on your party are. A big question, but it's a way of opening it up for you to tell us more,

to lead us forward. So basically what we're seeing in Germany is what we're seeing pretty much in every Western democracy, right? That the governments of the past, I would say at least the last, you know, 15, 20 years, even longer, they are no longer representing the best interest of the people. I don't know, you know, whose interest they serve, but it's certainly not their respective peoples. And we see that in Germany in particular.

So, you know, you already mentioned the Christian Democrats. They used to be the conservative party in Germany, you know, the party with common sense, common sense approaches to all kinds of problems. And that changed. And it notably changed at the very latest, I will have to say, with Angela Merkel. She turned the Christian Democrats pretty much into a green party. Just, you know, think about the catastrophe that happened at the other end of the world in Japan. You know, there was a tsunami and a nuclear power plant got damaged.

But this tsunami that happened, once again, at the other end of the world, it destroyed every single nuclear power plant in Germany. So we are an industrial nation, right? we live of producing goods and selling them throughout the world. How are you going to do that if you cut your power supply? And that's what we've pretty much been doing. So we've been erecting these windmills and plastering these solar panels on prime farmland a lot of times. But you know what?

There's times when the sun's not shining, the wind's not blowing. Where is our energy coming from? But guess what? It is coming from places like France. or Poland or the Eastern European countries that still have nuclear power plants that are not running on as a high security standard as the German nuclear power plants did. So we're buying their energy when we need it. And when the wind is blowing and we have a lot of energy, right?

We can't get rid of that energy. Then we pay our neighbors to buy off that energy. So we pay them so they will take it. It's totally insane. So that's just number one. Then number two, ripping the borders wide open. I mean, our inner security in our country, it's virtually non-existent anymore. We're talking there is like two brutal gang rapes every single day in this country now.

Every single day, two. That's not counting the rapes where there's only one perpetrator. We're talking about random knife attacks. And it's no longer happening every day. It's happening on an hourly basis. So every single day in Germany, you now have like 13, 14, 15 random knife attacks. And they're so random, it could, you know, hit you anywhere, whatever time. It's totally insane.

So on top of all of that, so they're ruined our industry. they ruined our economy. Then you have the inner security is going to hell, right? And on top of all of that, we're being told if you as much as think about complaining about this, whoa, they're going to do you in, right? You'll be charged with hate speech and, you know, all that kind of stuff. The very recent case, a journalist, he posted, he's actually the head of that outlet magazine, in Deutschland Courier is the name.

He posted a picture, a meme, pretty much, of our secretary of interior holding up a sign that read, I hate freedom of speech. And he was charged, and he was sentenced to seven months in prison, right? Even though the sentence was set aside, but the conditions he formally has to apologize to her. I mean, only an idiot would not have realized

that that was supposed to be a joke, a satire if you want, right? But that's the point where we are right now. And now they're totally stunned and astonished that the AFD is rising in the polls. Well, you know, they've tried everything. We were founded in 2013. And from the very beginning,

they tried to stigmatize us, defame us, label us. In the beginning, we were Euro-Hater, We were, you're haters of Europe, right? What an insane thing to say. So that, you know, kind of worked. Then with immigration, we started talking about that. And we were, of course, Islamophobic, we were,

xenophobia, any kind of name in the book. So, but what was happening was everything we have been saying for 12 years now, people are realizing we weren't lying about that. We weren't fearmongering about that. We weren't making stuff up. It is happening. And they're seeing it now. It's as simple as it's as simple as that.

And why they may have been able to hide the billions, maybe trillions of dollars that we're sending throughout the world to help God in the world, but we can't even fix our own infrastructure here, while they may have been able to hide these immense amounts of money, in, you know, some kind of bookkeeping and, you know, lines way down. They are no longer capable of hiding the traumatic impacts, this illegal invasion. I really have to call it this at that point. They're no longer able to hide the effects from that.

So, and yeah, the people just beginning to realize, dang, whatever the AFD has been saying, it was totally true. and we're seeing it now. And coming back to Friedrich Merz, who wants to be the Chancellor of Germany now, we'll remain to be seen if he is elected. But this idiot, I mean, even in the campaign, he was making it very clear.

He would not even speak to us, right? Thus, showing his opponents, respectively, the other parties, telling him, look, you can, you can, you know, ask whatever you want for me. I will have to deliver because I made it clear I was never going to even to speak to AFD. And that is backfiring now in a huge and tremendous way. Absolutely. I think you put your finger on this because what we now have in Germany and not just in Germany, but across Europe, is a political class which is resisting the return to Germany of normal democratic politics.

That is exactly how it seems to me. As you absolutely rightly say, the IFD articulates beliefs, opinions, concerns, grievances that many, many people in Germany absolutely legitimately have. But that is something that is completely unacceptable. It is the fact that it exists, all and articulates those concerns that people have and does so successfully and is successful in elections. That is really what is concerning to the political class. And the fact that you

have a political class, which is uniform across all of the parties, parties which used to be right wing, parties that used to be left wing. You could see that in the kind of governments that Germany has had over the last 20 years, certainly in Merkel's time, but I would say even now, because what do we have with this new government that is going to be formed? We have a coalition between the CDU, which campaigns as the opposition, and then immediately forms a coalition with the party of the deeply unpopular and discredited government. They are essentially the same group of people who always have been running Germany for the last 20 years,

and they don't like the fact that as a democratic politics are coming back. And all of the things that you talked about, all of the things that you mentioned as grievances and concerns that people in Germany have, absolutely they have them. And they used to have them before. And once upon the time, I can remember when political leaders in Germany and across Europe articulated those concerns. Just go back and read what Conrad Adenau used to say, or Shaldaal used to say.

They would not be accepted today by the same people who are the leaders of the parties now. Exactly. But you know what? The thing is though, as you were just, you know, pretty much summarizing all of this, and you're totally right. The thing is, though, they are telling the people that my party, we would radicalize people, which is absolutely not true. You know what radicalizes people?

If you consistently ignore their legitimate concerns, if they, you know, voice their grievances, if they want, look, we want this changed and we want that changed, and you consistently just not only ignore it, On top of that, you lecture them on how bad, what a bad people they are to even think that, right? That is what radicalizes people. If they no longer find anyone who will voice their concerns, their wishes, their political wills, then you have radicalization. So what the AFD is actually doing, it is preventing that people will radicalize. and maybe take up means that are totally undemocratic

and should have no place in a democracy, we are preventing people from doing that because we give them a voice and we stand up for them and we take their concerns seriously. That's what we're actually doing, but they fail to see it time and time again. So they're pretty much blaming us. They're blaming us for their failures.

That is what they're doing. They're not only just doing that, of course, because I mean, what we're also seeing, and you mentioned the fact that people get arrested and the newspapers get put pressured on and actions which, by the way, I never imagined to see in Germany once upon the time. The fact that all of these things are being done not only is clearly intended to safeguard the monopoly position of the political class that we have, But that in itself is going to trigger a strong counter reaction from people. And unfortunately, what that is also going to do is that the more resistance there is, the more once you get into this kind of pattern,

you're going to see more push towards even more oppressive actions to the point where, as I said, one really does seriously worry where all of this is going. Now, I'm going to ask this because we get this question all the time. What is the danger, in your opinion, of administrative and legal action being taken against the IFD. We have this question asked to us all the time, do you trust the court system in Germany? Do you trust the legal system in Germany?

We've seen in many countries that the legal system can't be fully trusted. In Germany, you know, it's the, in which is the Reichstadt and all of that, is that really true anymore? Okay, so first of all, yeah, we do see to some decree, where the judicial system has been perverted. Let me put it this way. So while formally everything is still in place, what we're seeing, however,

is the ever-increasing and broadening or watering down of certain concepts. Let me start there. Certain concepts are they're being giving a different meaning. And we've specially seen that during the COVID years. Right. So fundamental privileges, they have now been turned into, into, no, sorry, fundamental rights have now been turned into privileges that the government can, you know, grant or withhold,

depending on how the citizen behaves. So we've seen that. Then you have the ever ongoing, you know, discussion, what is a woman, right? So all of the concepts that once defined our societies, the first, free speech was free speech. And there is only free speech if you are allowed to say something and there is no consequences for that. That is the deciding factor here. I mean, we are always being slapped with, well, you can say whatever you want, right? Yeah, but there is consequences now. So that's no longer free speech. So all of these fundamental principles of democracy, they're being redefined. It's, it's.

almost almost like in 1984, George Orwell, right? This Aweilian language we are seeing everywhere now. So this is how you pretty much erode a judicial system and the ever-increasing, you know, spheres, especially at the EU level, that the judicial system, just, you know, the power grab of that. They're deciding this now, they're deciding that now. and that also trickles then down to the constitutional courts in the member states.

I mean, their function is to protect the constitution of the respective state. But the EU courts, they're not concerned about the constitutions in the respective member states. They're concerned about their power. and they could never allow that a member state actually overrules them. You know what I'm saying? If they would allow that, then, you know, they would lose the power. So you have this power imbalance going on here as well. And yeah, there is lawfare going on, of course.

I mean, we've seen in the United States against Donald Trump, but we're seeing that everywhere. And interestingly enough, though, now in Poland, let's take Poland for it, for a few minutes. So up until, I think it was fall of 23, the Peace Party was the governing party in Poland, right? Oh, man, they were the devils. There was not a single session in the EU Parliament

where they weren't chastised or they weren't, you know, a cult anti-democratic and they came up with all kinds of things that they supposedly did, which was against fundamental rights and against democracy. Here's this one instance. The Polish government back then, they had decided that the government actually appoints justices to the courts, right?

So they all hell broke loose in this place, right? And they called them anti-democratic, totalitarian and whatever. So without mentioning that guess how it was done in Germany? the very same way. But it's fine there because in Germany, apparently it's the good guys, you know, being in government. So now that Poland has changed its government and now it's the good guys there again, they can shut down TV stations that were predominantly run by the opposition. No one says a single word.

Look at how they treat Hungary, right? I mean, Victor Orban, they label him with the worst name in the book. look, but, you know, it always depends on who is in what government and how are there being labeled. So like I said, what we're no longer seeing, no longer seeing a representation of what the people actually want. It is seeing a representation of what the globalitarian misanthropists want. And when I say that, I can't really name names, but, you know, there's representatives of that. You've got the WF, you've got the WHO, even the United Nations.

You know, they're all in lockstep with some kind of agenda that will usher in a global kind of world order, global government. And we're seeing that everywhere. So we are seeing the democratic processes. They're being further and further removed away from the people. And they're in some bodies now. And that is by design, by the way. That's not a mistake that just kind of happened. The people are no longer supposed to know who takes what decision.

They're no longer supposed to know who they can hold accountable for any respective decision. That's what we're headed. Indeed. And that is a kind of technocratic government, which is unaccountable. And that brings you back to your first point about, you know, the eccentric. decisions like closing down all nuclear power stations because there's an earthquake in Japan. In the absence of debate, in the absence of discussion, bad decisions are inevitably going to be made. That is something which as somebody who's worked in government, I can absolutely say for,

I mean when something is being forced through. Yeah, and that's another important point to maybe talk about, especially, in the COVID years, we have seen, you know, debate being shut down, not only shut down, the means of how you, you know, could voice your opinion was shut down. There were accounts have been closed on social media. There were only certain experts were invited to talk shows or whatever. So, and that is, that is actually the most traumatic thing we're seeing right now. the shutdown of debates. And anyone who is interested in the truth,

he will have a debate. And he will allow to hear both sides, maybe even three or four sides, to a certain issue. And somewhere in between, you will, you know, arrive at a correct conclusion of whatever you're discussing. But if you're shutting down that debate from the get-go,

that is a very, that's the hallmark actually of totalitarianism. Because, and that, by the way, is the difference between totalitarianism and dictatorship. A dictator, he is pretty much only concerned about staying in power. But he doesn't give darn what the people think about him. They may not be able to say out loud what they think about him, but he doesn't care what they think about him. And totalitarianism, on the other hand, it drives to control everyone and every single aspect of everyone's life,

right down to what they think and how they think. That's the difference. And we've seen that. Once you shut down debate, once you prosecute people for having a different opinion, Think about the doctors that have been fired because they were prescribing hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin. That is what totalitarianism looks like. And I find that very frustrating. Most people, they don't really understand.

And they think that you can oppressive regimes, that you can tell what regime is oppressive is oppressive by looking at what goals they pursue. That's not the deciding issue. here. It's always the methods by which these goals are pursued. That's the big difference. So and just because they are now thinking, oh, well, it's the good guys that are imposing these totalitarian measures. It's all good. No, totalitarianism is never good. And never in the history of mankind have those inflicting their wishes and imposing their wishes on others been the good guys never ever. So people really need to get down to the basics. What are we actually talking about here? I mean, I want to save the planet. Of course I do. Who wouldn't want that? But how will you go

about doing that? Right. I mean, it's superest to think we could save the planet, but set that aside. But it's always how do they go about doing it and ushering totalitarian measures and steps that can never be the right thing. Indeed. And of course we can see this also happen now in what you could call foreign policy though with Germany given Germany's position given the fact that it's had to it's had to balance in various ways and very complicated and difficult ways relations between two great powers. Russia, on the east, the United States in the West. We now have a situation where Germany, for the first time since the end of the Second World War, is on bad terms with both. Now, that is quite an achievement in some ways. And of course, very, very much to its economic

disadvantage. Now, I don't know whether there's been any attempt by the German government. for example, to contact the Trump administration to discuss the tariff question, which I would have thought was absolutely existentially important for Germany as a great industrial exporting power. Whether this whole thing has been delegated to Ursula von der Leyen and her people in Brussels, in which case, God help us is all I can say. Or whether, you know, Germany is just sitting back, letting events take their course. doing absolutely nothing about it. I mean, I don't know.

I mean, maybe you can help us, but certainly I don't see much time of activity. Just endless criticism. I know. Endless criticism. Just look at this situation. What does that get you? Well, just look at the situation we're in now. And you rightly pointed out, this is the first time that we've managed to alienate both of the former

superpowers of the world, right? And that just, I mean, just goes to show what an idiotic government we had in the past 20 years. I just think to remember, might have been 2018 or 19 some summit at the UN. When Donald Trump, the sitting president of the United States back then, was telling Germany, well, you know, you are getting, you're making yourselves dependent upon, you know, Russian gas. and the representatives of the German government, Haiku Maas, was there, and they were sitting there, they were laughing their butts off. How could Donald Trump make such a ridiculous statement?

We make ourselves independent from Russian gas? Well, guess it was right. Turns out he was right after all. But they were laughing at him, right? Because he was an idiot. Donald Trump, you know, he's a moron. He's a whatever they call him. So he can't be right.

laughed at him. Well, guess what? It turned out to be right. So, and then the next thing, look at Nord Stream, right? So it was sabotaged. It was blown up. Who do you think it was that didn't even care that happened? The German government. I mean, they were like, well, you know, guess it's gone now. Why cry over spilled milk? That was their attitude. They didn't make any effort whatsoever to find out who actually did that. I mean, there was some, you know, news media reports. Well, it can only have been the only one that could have done that was actually Putin. But, well, that didn't really work because I guess they didn't find any evidence

because they had found a shred of evidence that it happened, Putin. Man, we would have never heard the end of that one, right? So, yeah, it kind of looks like. it was probably, you know, the United States or some allies, whoever it was. But they were not interested, the least bit to find out who did that. I mean, that was critical infrastructure. That is considered an act of war, right? They didn't care.

So, and here we are. No, alienated, you know, both of them. And, you know, with the whole Russian gas, that's another funny thing. So Putin invaded Ukraine in February of 22, which we as a party, we take national sovereignty very seriously and you do not violate a border that goes for illegal invasion by so-called migrants, by the way. But it certainly goes for invasion with military means. So yes, Putin should not have ever, ever invaded Ukraine. But here we are. And since Germany is so principled, and they wanted to punish Putin, they told Putin,

hey, look, you can stick your gas. We're not going to take your gas anymore. Take that, right? Only problem was we were bound by contract. So we didn't take the gas, but we paid for the gas because we had to. So why did it pay for the gas, but refused to take it? And that was supposed to hurt Putin, by the way. that we paid gas and didn't take it.

So what did Putin do? He took the very same gas that we had paid for but didn't take and sold it, let's say, to India. And then India paid Putin, of course, again, for the very same gas. And then we said, hey, India, we heard you got some gas there. Can we buy it from you? So Putin got paid twice for the very same gas and the Germans paid twice for only one delivery.

So this is how insane they actually are. Now, we're coming back to the United States. Now, Donald Trump, and I think the good Lord every day that he was actually reelected to the White House, he got reelected again. And the first thing they're doing is not only after his election, I mean, the whole campaign, they called him every name in the book. And the only thing Donald Trump has been advocating for and has been campaigning on was, I put America first. I put Americans first. And that's what he is supposed to do, by the way, because he was elected by the American people

to look out for their interest and act on their behalf. And that's the thing, what they hate about him. because they are not working for their respective citizens. The Chancellor of Germany, I don't know when it was the last time that they actually looked out for the best interest of the German people. And Donald Trump is simply doing that, and they cannot stand it.

And on top of that, Donald Trump is proving all of them liars. Because Donald Trump is simply doing what they've told their respective citizens for years and years. it can't be done. Even if we wanted to, let's say, close the borders, it cannot be done. It's impossible. And Donald Trump is simply doing it

and thus proving them rotten liars. And that's why they hate him so much. Absolutely. I'm going to ask one very last question. We are a bit beyond the time, but I hope you can just find the time for this. Shouldn't the new Chancellor of Germany be going to Washington? This is, as I said, an enormously important,

economic problems issue for the unit for for for germany the it's the economic it's the future of the german people he represents mr schultz or mr or mr mrs mouts when he becomes chancellor he represents europe's industrial heartland of germany exports shouldn't they be going to america to speak to donald trump to meet with donald trump to meet with all the officials there To try to see whether in the interest of the German people something could be done. Why aren't they? Why aren't they doing this? I mean, is it because it's Ursula's job?

Or what is there a reason for not doing it? No, well, I think, you know, truth be told, right now Germany is in kind of a limbo. It's like Olaf Schultz, technically he is still the sitting chancellor, right? Because the new government has not been formed yet. Friedrich Merritt's has not been elected yet to be the chancellor by the parliament. So there really is no point in Olaf Schultz now going to Washington, D.C. I mean, what is he supposed to do there? You know, he took a big beating in the last election from the German people.

Why should he go? And quite frankly, why should Donald Trump waste his time on this guy, right? Who is out the door anyway? So, and Friedrich Mertz, well, he is not the chancellor yet. But of course he could go, right? I mean, the prospects are pretty good. But it might be... Adonah would have gone.

Erhard would have gone. Erhard would have gone. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Alice Veedle would have gone. Why doesn't he go? I mean, this is his moment. I mean, this is, this isn't a moment where you can wait. But you know what?

Maybe, maybe he, I mean, he's just afraid of going there. I mean, I remember when Angela Merkel went to the White House after Donald Trump had been elected the first time. Yeah, that was spectacular to see. He pretty much, he tried to like, you know, shake hands or whatever. And he would simply not do it and refuse it. So maybe he doesn't want to have pictures like that. I don't know.

So this speculation on my part, why he's not going. But I'm pretty sure after he has been elected, Chancellor, if he doesn't go, well, maybe he doesn't get invited. I don't know. But Ursula von der Leyen hasn't been invited either. I mean, it was Georgia Meloni. that went to see Donald Trump rather than Ursula von der Leyen. But I mean, you know, he is right.

Ursula, who is Ursula von der Leyen? She is a non-elected president of a non-elected state. Why should he waste this time with her, right? So. Christine Anderson, you have been wonderful. Thank you very much for answering all my questions in such a vivid way. Our friends Zariel is going to put some questions and then there might be one or two questions which my colleague Alex will pass on.

Thank you very much. Sure. Christine, so nice to see you again. Hello. And you were speaking about the debate, what's supposed to happen in democracy. We have a debate. I just recently was watching you in the European Parliament and I noticed, just like when Claire Daly was on a couple months ago, She also experienced the same thing that I experienced watching you.

You had an empty parliament and no one was there. Where is a democracy in that? Aren't we paying for our European parliamentarians to be there, to listen, to debate? I mean, that's a whole sense of happening democracy. Where are these people? Oh boy, where do I even start? Number one is... Okay.

No, number one, this place is not a democracy. I mean, you know, the way the institutions function, it has nothing to do with democracy. It's not only undemocratic, it's downright anti-democratic. But coming back to the parliament, there is no debate. There isn't. Why should anyone be there? I mean, we're paid to be there, but there is no debate.

you know, the thing or the way most people probably think it works is, you know, some group or faction or whatever proposes a piece of legislation and then the parliamentarians get together and they exchange their point of views back and forth. And, you know, at the end of that debate, the parliamentarians take a vote. Well, that's not how this happens here. So number one, in this place, we're. We only have like one or one and a half minutes of speaking time. And as you rightly pointed out, yes, we usually speak in a completely empty house. Because there is no back and forth.

There is no exchange of arguments to find some kind of solution or to make up your mind. That's not how this works. This is all done behind the scenes. And then the parliamentarians, they come in with a list. too bad I don't have one here right now. And it's like all these numbers and you just go down and you just vote. You have most of the time you don't even know what you're voting for because you can't tell, right? So yeah, this place is usually empty.

And it's not quite as bad as in the national parliaments. But here, this place is usually empty. So the MEPs, we stand up. We hold our speeches, but we produce it pretty much for social media and put it on social media. And every time, you know, you try to raise awareness to that, that there is no debate going on, right? They shut you down. So, yeah. I mean, if the people really understood, if the people really understood how the democratic process works in this place, oh my God. they would run us out of town. I think we should in any case, but coming back to your other point,

an act of war, when the North Stream pipeline was actually bombed or destroyed or whatever it was, we heard that it was Russia, then we found out it was not Russia, then the rumors started, that Seymour Hershey, a beautiful article on it. Then we got the hilarious story that it was, as Alex would say, five guys, Marion and a boat, and they went out, you know, a little deep sea, deep sea fishing, planted a bomb just like that, as if you can just plant a bomb. What I'm getting to is they were Ukrainians. Now, we have, it's a country that we're

supporting, especially us Germans, with military stuff, and they're using it against us. Now, Ukraine does not belong to NATO. So it's a non-NATO nation that attack the NATO nation. Where is the Arctic Flight 5 in this? And why are we still supporting these? people. Yeah, see, that's another conundrum, right? So it seems to be pretty clear that, yeah, it was actually Ukraine that sabotaged North Stream 2. They were just furious that we had found a way to circumvent their country. Because before that, you know, Russia was leading the gas through Ukraine to get to us, which at times didn't always work out quite the way it was supposed to. Let me put it like this.

So, yeah, they were just, you know, pissed that we had found a way to circumvent them. So they blew it up. And yet here we are and, yeah, supposedly supporting them. But then again, we are not even doing that. So let's backstep just a little bit. there is no talk or Donald Trump is trying to get a peace deal, right? And we've all seen the scenes in the White House when Zelensky was there. It didn't work out that well for Zelenskyy and rightly so, I might add.

But what happened? So in the beginning, like I said, Russia invading Ukraine, they should have never done that. So in the beginning, we had every opportunity. to say, oh, Nick, we were going to put a stop to this. You cannot do this. And what did Germany do? We sent 5,000 helmets, used ones at that. That was our contribution, right, to stop Russia. 5,000 helmets, excuse me. So we didn't really do anything, you know, to put a stop to it. Now that we are like three years, yeah, three years into this, now we're expecting Russia to just stop. But why should they?

Why should Putin do that now? I mean, he's got everything going for him, right? So in the beginning, when it wasn't quite clear how this was going to pan out, there would have been the opportunity to put a stop to this and to really do it. And then everything probably would have gone back to the way it was before February 25th of 2022. But now Putin has no incentive whatsoever to concede anything. And that is the problem right now. Right. So, yeah, but here we are.

And I really have to say that the alleged new government is now, obviously or honestly thinking about sending towers to Ukraine. This is insane. This would actually make us this would actually make us a party to this war

and then we are talking about World War III. And it's mind-boggling that the ones that call themselves Democrats and the ones that call themselves the good guys, the good guys, that they are actually, that they're warmongers now, and that they're pushing for war.

It's insane. It's really insane. Christine, I have so many other questions, but I do know that we have some folks in the chat that would like to also ask you questions. So I'll just pass it on to Alex, and thank you so much again for giving us your time this evening. And I hope we can invite you back again soon. Sure, I'd love to come on back.

Christine, three questions. Is that all right? Yeah. All right. Great. The first question is, can you talk about German rearmament? And are you afraid that we're going to have a war in Europe? Can I talk about German rearmament?

Yeah, like Merz's big fun. Yeah. That's actually what my party has been advocating for for years. Because, I mean, we left our country completely defenseless. So what we did with our army, first of all, we no longer have the, what do you call it, where everyone, every young man has to serve a certain amount in the army. We got rid of that, right? What are the implications of that?

Do you pretty much leave your people defenseless completely? If you, you know, you can have a purely professional army, but you need to have a lot of men. But the situation we're in now, especially with this illegal mass invasion of these young men in fighting age that we are, you know, importing by the millions, you're leaving our people defenseless. So we've always been advocating for bringing back the, I'm missing the term. How do you call that? It's like the mandatory kind of military duty. So we've often advocating. for that. Now they are considering, well, maybe we should bring that back. And we've always been

saying, of course, we should have a certain amount of military means to defend our country. But again, we have neglected that. Not only have we neglected that, our concern was to make sure that in the military barracks, they had enough childcare, daycare centers for children, right? Stuff like that. I remember there was a whole line of tanks that we pretty much, you know, got rid of them. Why? Because highly pregnant women wouldn't fit in them. Seriously, this is how you try to build an army. So we've always been advocating for, yes, we should make sure that we have a standing army and we should make sure that we have the means to defend ourselves.

And now they're trying to work, beginning to think about that. But the mistakes that have been made in the past, they are catching up to us. And on top of all of that, looking back at the last 2030, maybe four years. German soldiers in the Bundeswehr, they've been called murder, they have been looked down upon, they have been stigmatized for,

you know, serving their country or whatever. Yeah, and that's what you get. You get the people that this, when they despise their own military, which would provide the means to defend your country, if you despise them, no one wants to do that job anymore. Why should they?

Right? So that's the situation we're in. But it's pretty much everywhere, like I said, once again, in every single Western democracy, we are seeing these mechanisms. And they're coming back to Hondas now. A question from Tish M. Where does the censorship in Germany originate from? Where does it come from the push for censorship? Well, I can't really, well, I mean, it's just when you look at the whole situation where, I mean, there isn't, there wasn't like a specific day or time when like a group of people got together and said, we're going to start censoring now. It's like, you know, in little small, intrinsic kind of steps, right? That's how you kind of, that's how it happens. So first, it was like, well, we don't want hate speech anymore, right? Yeah, of course. I mean, you know, it's hurtful, yeah, but who defines what hate speech is? So in here, once again, you see how these concepts, they have been redefined, right?

So hate speech is now considered if I say, I don't want men in women's bathrooms. or changing rooms. That is considered hate speech. Excuse me? So, you know, it just kind of happens one step at a time. Then, I mean, during COVID, it was like raising concerns about the MRI injection, right? That was considered irresponsible. And I was called a murderer for not wearing a mask.

Or I was called a murderer because I, you know, drew into question how these MRI injections have even been tested, right? So that's how this all started. So there is like no specific point in time where someone said, well, we're going to censor this now. It happens step by step. And this is also important for people to understand totalitarianism or dictatorships. It's not a specific day and boom, there it is. I mean, look at Nazi Germany. They didn't start out by rounding up people and transporting them off to camps. That was the end point of a long process and little incremental steps, right? And that's what we're seeing here. So first, it's not okay to say MRI injections have not been tested. Next thing, it's, you know, well, men shouldn't be in women's

bathrooms or changing rooms. Well, the next thing is, I don't know. So little incremental steps. And that's how totalitarianism is ushered in. And this, you know, you're very sure you know, we need to fight the beginnings. But what? If you're no longer even know what the beginnings are, because you're not even allowed to talk about it or, you know, draw parallels.

So it's really insane. Right. One more from Latimerow. Could please Christine explain where the hatred for Russia comes from, especially in Germany, thanks. Where the hatred for Russia comes from? Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah, I'm not very keen on Russia either.

But when I say that, I always make sure I do not mean the Russian people. I mean the Russian government. And my connection or my idea of the Russian is pretty much, was formed during the Cold War. And you may know my family, while I was born and raised in Western Germany, the rest of my family lived in Eastern Germany under totalitarian Soviet rule, right? And they did not have a pretty life there. I have to tell you that. And on top of that, my dad, after he came back from World War II,

he first he was a prisoner of war with the Americans, came back at the end of 46, found out he was sitting in communism. And he started to speak out against that, although he stood up for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, didn't go down that well, as you can imagine. So he was arrested, he was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor. by the Russians, by the way. So that's like, you know, my thing. But I do understand that the Russian people are also a victim of that totalitarian Soviet rule back then, right?

So, but other than that, it's pretty much, you see that also in the Eastern European countries. They're not keen on the Russians because they have suffered from Soviet. totalitarian rule. And you just cannot get that out of people. That is deeply rooted, you know, within a lot of people's families, their history. And you can't just switch that off, you know, it's impossible. Christine Anderson from Antoniac, nice to see a brilliant lady on. Love you guys.

And from Sanjo Relaxo says we love Christine in Canada, even if our leaders don't. needs no ad campaign. All will gravitate when eyes are finally open. Thank you, Christine Anderson, for joining us on the Duran. Thanks for having you. Thank you. Thank you, indeed. Thank you very much for coming. Christine's information is in the description box down below, and I will add it as a pin comment as well. Take care. Thank you. Thank you. Alexander. Yes, we have questions. Yeah, we have questions. Zareel, you want to stick around? Guys, I'm going to... I will just go mute and listen to the questions from this side.

All right. Talk to you later. Okay, okay. Let's see here. Well, Zarel's going to go mute. Let me... Well, actually, let me just get us too odd then if Zareel's not going to... Let's see.

Okay. All right. Okay, Alexander, here we are. Me and you. I absolutely love the comment about, you know, the people who are suppressing pre-speech are never the good guys. That's absolutely true. But, I mean, it's sometimes stating the obvious is almost a word of revelation nowadays. I mean, it really is amazing. Yes, it is.

Yes, it is. Yeah, but there is this. All right. Let's begin with, where are we here? Let's start off with Nikos. Let's see, Nikos. This is a three-part question, Alexander. Your videos have been scary lately.

When even you who are so positive admit that we are heading to World War III, then we are basically fighting human nature. Tell me your thoughts on each scenario. If China fights Taiwan, then at best, will end quickly, like Georgia at worst. The U.S. will intervene. Then either the U.S. economy collapses or nuclear war. When Europe sends troops to Odessa, then it becomes an EU versus Russia war at best. It will last for 10 years until Russia wins at worst. European economies collapse and I can't even afford bread. Alexander, your thoughts?

Well, these are catastrophe scenarios, and unfortunately we are closer to them than we would want to be and should ever have become. I have to say that I think if we're talking about the situation in Europe, all sorts of things are threatened, but I don't think in the end they're going to happen. Because I don't think United States wants to be involved in a war with Russia in Europe. and I think that without the Americans, the British, the French and the others are just nowhere. So I think we will avoid that crisis in Europe. About a crisis between the United States and China, I am less confident. And I have to say that. But I think in the end, probably we will avoid it as well.

I think that more likely than not, we're now in the middle of an economic war, the side which wins that one is going to basically shape the political future as well. So I don't think we're looking at a military conflict myself, but I'm not going to say that I discounted completely. I agree. A military conflict between China and the United States would be a total disaster. And as far as the United States is concerned, I cannot for the life of me understand

why the United States would want to go to war with China over Taiwan. Just saying. All right. From J.J.HW says it's all psychological projection by tyrants against their adversaries. Absolutely true. That's a very good point, actually.

Tim Gibson. Thank you for that super sticker. and Alexander from one second let me pull it up from Tish M. Do we really believe the US the US regime's vassals have gone rogue? No, they haven't gone rogue. They think that the US has gone rogue. They think that they are following through with the actual true intentions of the empire. They are the loyal vassals of the empire.

And they are in confusion and chaos because the instructions from the imperial capital, the imperial center are no longer quite what they are. It's like sometimes when you see an animal die, you see this sort of limbs continue to twitch. I'm afraid that's what you're seeing now. Okay, Matthew says, are we heading to a major European war? Again, I don't think so because I don't think the Americans want to be involved in it. if the Americans don't want to be involved in a European war, then it's not going to happen. I can't see how it can happen without the United States.

And I think the one thing we can say definitely is that the Americans do not want to be involved in a European war. Nikos says, I believe that Russia can win. However, they're experts. I've seen believe that modern war is about dispersion. I doubt that they'll launch a big arrow offensive, even because drones will destroy them. this war will continue for decades at this rate. If you believe the same, then perhaps it's time for me to distance myself from this. It's truly depressing to see Russia go through this and bad for my health. Well, I don't believe it's the same. I think that this story, which has been promoted, is that,

you know, the drones have completely changed the face of war and that as a result, you know, offensives are no longer possible. I think that is that is disproved by the realities of the war ever since the Russians began their offensives in October of 2023. If you conduct the kind of offensive against a properly organized army that the West and the Ukrainians launched against the Russians in 2023. That kind of offensive is going to fail. But the Russian offensive that we've been looking at at the moment is not failing. And the reason it is not failing is because the Russians have much more successfully

adapted themselves to the realities of contemporary war. And I come back to what I've said many, many times. Wars of attrition can look slow at the, as they, you know, play out. But when the moment collapse comes, it's usually very sudden. And then move troops,

the advancing troops tend to move very, very fast. The Austrian commentator was his Colonel, God in his name, Eisner, whatever he, the person who does programs on YouTube. Yeah, what you're talking about.

Yeah. Reisner, Colonel He made exactly that point. He said it's completely misleading to look at the situation as a stalemate. He said this about a month ago, that it's like a heavyweight boxer against a lightweight boxer. Eventually, the heavyweight boxer begins to prevail. And in this war, he said, when the moment of collapse comes, which will be sudden, then we're going to start to see very, very rapid movements indeed

of a kind that we've never seen at any point in the war before. And he made the further point that at that point also, drones are not going to be as effective as they've been up to this point, because if military forces are moving rapidly, the drones won't be able to keep up with them. Yeah. Paul Walker says, Mertz will be a disaster already,

1 trillion euros gone. I completely agree. But I go, I would, I would, the one point where I would just change that sentence is that Merce is a disaster. It's not will be. It's not future tense. It's now. He's not even chancellor yet.

He's not even tested me. That's exactly. Miko says, my biggest fear now is Ukraine doing something completely insane. They destroyed another ammo depot near Moscow. I fear they are going to send drones and attack them during this May 9th victory parade. No, on that, on that ammo depot, it was actually near Vladimir, which by the way, is very, by European standards, it's very far from Moscow, just to say. But there's no doubt at all that this particular ammo depot was, the explosion there was

because negligence by the people who were operating it. And I'm afraid that sort of thing happens, especially at a time of war when huge quantities of equipment and ammunition have been moved around. I don't think there's any real doubt about this. There were no drone attacks or missile strikes or sabotage or anything of that time reported in that area previously. Well, let's put that aside about Ukraine doing something crazy. Absolutely. That is a possibility that one has to worry about all the time. but it is not greater now than it has been before.

And the Russians up to this point in time have been able to contain it. And again, to repeat a point I've said before, we ought to be grateful for that fact, not criticise the Russians for not being provoked into reactions that might have made the whole situation even more dangerous than it already is. Yeah, from Tashi, I think Christine's opinion on the Russian invasion is wrong. The areas of Ukraine that the overthrown government was attacking,

was attacking Russians living there. The people in those areas voted to join Russia rather than being killed by the new government of Ukraine. The Russian Duma voted to allow those areas to join Russia. Well, if I'm going to say, I share your view, but I mean, Christine has her view, and she very, very bravely and frankly explained some of the backgrounds to her own feelings about Russia. I wish other people would do the same, by the one. Yeah, Paul Walker says German rearmament with the same equipment that failed in Ukraine isn't a bright idea. We'll take too long to redesign and to manufacture with no energy.

Very Berlin, 45. 500 million euros doesn't buy a lot. You are absolutely right. completely correct. We've been reading whole reports now appearing in Germany about the complete failure of the Leopard 2 tank. Just one example. Even that British colonel who writes the Daily Telegraph, Hamish de Breton Gordon has now finally come around and acknowledge the German and British tanks aren't really fit for purpose. I mean, he was the person who was saying, you know, 14 Challenger 2s will triumph spectacularly over the entire Russian army. He now

accepts that isn't true anymore. So what do you do? What is your plan? You're going to produce more of them, the same tank that failed. And of course, this is an incredibly expensive and over-engineered and difficult machine to build in numbers. In fact, it's not designed to build in numbers. This is a disaster. I'm waiting to happen. Just a second. Yeah. Tisham says, symptoms, but shouldn't we focus on the causes of the chaos around the world? All roads lead to the U.S. regime. I would agree, but as I said, I mean, not just U.S., I don't, I mean, not just one particular place, because as far as I'm concerned, globalization has been a collective enterprise.

The apostles, the first real ideas for globalization came in Europe at the end of the 1960s, just a Far, welcome to the Duran community. Polly says the Dutch ruling class has very cleverly accepted the victory of Gertwolder's party and were able to cripple it completely. Yes. I thought that would happen, by the way. I never felt that he was really as much as an oppositionist as people said he was. I know a little bit about politics in the Netherlands.

and I always felt that. The IFD is different, just to say. Commandal Crossfire says, no free man shall be taken, imprisoned, or in any other way destroyed except by the lawful judgment of his peers. That's quotation from Magna Carta. It is still law, by the way.

That section of Magna Carta is still actually operative law in England, though you wouldn't know it for some of the cases that we've seen recently. Tim Gibson, thank you. you for that super sticker. Nico says, speaking of Germany, did you see the report praising Ukraine training kids for war? I never thought I'd see this in my generation, aka Hitler Youth.

Oh, absolutely. I completely agree. I mean, I thought it was absolutely shocking. But there we go. I mean, this is where we are now in Europe. We praise things in Ukraine, which we vehemently condemned. previously. We've done a complete backflip on everything, all the things that we said we opposed. Just to say. My info says mandatory is good as long as you can opt out of military training and

do social work. Germany should first become neutral. Yeah, completely agree. By the way, a proposal that's been made many times, including by many Germans, by the way, at one time. Tashi says the Soviet government and modern Russian government are not the same. So why not open your eyes because Europe is taking on the old Soviet model? No, it's true. I agree with that. In fact, they're profoundly different, just to say.

But I do understand why somebody who has that background has the feelings that they do. The big question, the unanswered question always, is why in Britain, where we never experienced any of that, We are so vehemently anti-Russian. Because all those of the Russians ever came here and did anything to us. They didn't. They fought alongside us in two world wars and against the polio. So why do we have these extraordinary feelings? If people in, say, you know, Poland has strong feelings about Russia, I understand why.

But why we have these feelings in Britain, that I just don't understand. Latimeros says, how would they find anything if it was the USA that blew up Nord Stream? The vassal states cannot very well name the U.S. as culprit. I am not sure where this lady gets ideas from. Well, it may very well be that that's the reason why we aren't pursuing this investigation into North Sea. But I think that her point was not about who was responsible, but about the fact that the German government and the German authorities show no way. interest in investigating an attack on a piece of vital German economic infrastructure.

Advan Dormals says Mark Routte was the teacher, then the premier, now the devil of NATO. Tisham says, hold on a minute about the U.S. regime's remedial math flunky leader. Well, I mean, yeah, we can debate Donald Trump indefinitely, I think. And in some ways, understandably, because he is somebody who is changing things and who we all talk about. I find it very difficult to talk about Donald Trump in some ways, because feelings about him are so strong that they muddy every discussion. Yeah, very strong feelings about Trump on all sides. Biden was easier to cover. Yeah, much easier.

Joe Biden. All right. William says, pray tell Christine Anderson, what Russia is supposed to do to stop what the West Kiev was up to and threatening to do in Ukraine, any bright ideas? Well, I think I've already mind my views here. I mean, I don't agree with her about this, but I do understand why she has the feelings about Russia,

does. The important thing is that she obviously transcends them, which others don't seem able to do. Yeah, that's true. Sir Mug's game says, hey, lady, the last thing on Earth, the Cheeto in chief wants to see, is Germany become great again? I'm not sure enough. Elza says, great debut, Zareil. Let's see here. Elza also says Gilligan did Nord Stream, period. Very true. Latimeros says, how pray tell Germany would stop Russia from saving Russians in Dombas, sending Germans to fight Russians, so much nonsense. I would also say. Sir Mug's game says Russia's SMO and Putin's personal motto should be sick, part of this magna, great achievements from small beginnings, the true maga. Yeah.

Well, and actually it's a good point because that is very much Putin's style. Very systematic and methodical math. He takes it one step at a time and builds. Sparky says, great work, Zareel, Christine Alex Alexander, important and informative. Thank you about Sparky. Danya nobody forth. Thank you for that super sticker. Dickus Brat says she just dropped her mask.

The only problem of the IFTA is not that the SMO started, but that Russia is winning. She would have different opinion if Russia would lose. It confirms Germany's and. an existential threat of Russia. No, I don't think. I think that's taking it much too far. My memory of it was that the IFDA were critical of the, you know, of the start of Russia at the start of the SMO.

But they very, very quickly started to change their position, especially as they began to understand how completely obsessed with this issue. the European political class has become. And the disastrous effects that's having on Germany and Europe. O.G. Wall says Reiner Fulmec. Karen Owens, 88, says, Deep Truth Seekers free PDF book, Master in the Path by C.W. Ledbetter and Eni by Alice Bailey and Besant,

Helena Blavatsky, and Benjamin Cream. Okay, I don't know all of these people. I must think. Thank you for that. Sparky says, did Stammer and Macron use the Easter ceasefire to sneak troops to the new NATO base in Romania so they can be inserted into Odessa? Very interesting for a group of hazelnuts. I haven't seen or heard about that. It wouldn't surprise me. But my own view is that the French troops are already in Romania and were there before Easter, just to say.

Zaryl says thanks to both Alexes for having me on too, honored. Thank you, Zayor for joining us. Good questions as well. Samuel Maroni says, so is Russia not producing 10 million shells a year? Well, there's a lot of discussion about how many that they're producing. But I come back to what Tirsky, the Ukrainian chief said. He said that they had a firing rate of 40,000 shells a day at the peak of the fighting last year. that translates to 14.5 million shells a year.

They maintained that firing rate every day throughout 2024. Well, they obviously didn't, but their firing rate now, according to Siersky's, 28 million a day, which translates to around 10 million. And he says that he's creeping up again. So it does look as if one way or the other, maybe the Russians aren't producing all these shells themselves, Maybe they're importing them from North Korea.

Who knows? But they are certainly getting an awful lot of shells, many more than Ukrainians. Jeff Bickford, thank you for that super sticker. Cool Roy says, please stop killing each other. Love for the USA. Jamila Asfu says, I can't trust the warmongers, and they are crazy and crazy people do crazy things. Thank you to Rand for your great work.

Thank you, Jamila, for that. Humongous shift says, love the show gentlemen keep up the good work Latimeros says Alex unfortunately you read my question to Christine incorrectly I asked hatred for all Russia not for Russia she got easily by saying hatred for are you government non-answered unfortunately

well I mean if I read it wrong that's my mistake but I think even if I read it that way you would have gotten the same answer exactly I was going to say yeah yeah yeah you're going to get that answer. If you ask a question like that, you're going to get the answer. I don't mean the Russian people. I mean the Russian government, I think, in any form that you ask that question. Yeah. Sir Mugge's game says, if Ukraine is sliced up by Russia, US, UK, and France, then Zelensky is in Churchill. He's the other guy about the same height.

That's sure no. It's not going to happen. Yeah. Let's see. Fractured 0-1. Thank you for that super sticker. Reality Rix. says Christine is correct about the feelings of Eastern Europe, even though the Soviets are not the same as modern Russia. It's personal to many of the people who suffered. It's hard for them to mentally separate the two. You know, it varies a great deal actually in Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe is not a monolith. So attitudes to Russia in, say, Bulgaria are very, very different from what you would find in, say, Poland, just to say. The same is true in Slovakia. And there's a difference between, say, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, though even in the Czech Republic, as I discovered when I was there,

there are still people who have actually quite good feelings towards Russia. So Eastern Europe is not a monolith. I agree there are many people in Eastern Europe who, for entirely understandable reasons, do not like Russia because of the recent history. But there are an awful lot of people, a surprising number of people who do. William says, has the Frosty's plan, the Kellogg with Sugar Plan, now been set up to fail to free up Trump?

Well, I don't know whether it was that's a very good question. I'm beginning, because this is about the big discussion. I don't know whether it was exactly set up to fail to free up Trump. But that in effect, that has been perhaps the effect. I mean, it has failed. I mean,

it even started. Before it even started, Zelensky blew it up yesterday. It was an event very much like the Oval Office meeting. It was, I mean, he went off and had a kind of public tantrum about it. He rejected every single part of it. Rubio and Wittgolf scuttled off. The entire meeting in London basically collapsed. And the whole plan that was put together by the neocons to get the Ukrainians, the Europeans and everyone else on side with the Kellogg Plan. And that presented as an ultimatum to the Russians this week via Wittgolf, it's all now collapsed. Now that really ought to be the end of the Kellogg Plan. I don't think that Zelensky will ever accept it listening to what he said. And I don't think that

Zelensky himself is removable any time soon. So logically, properly, this is the moment when Trump does what he said earlier this week that he would do, which is walk away. If he doesn't do that, then I can't understand why. And he's just going to get himself into ever greater and deeper trouble. If he doesn't do it now, then yeah, I'm going to be left speechless. I mean, my God. Yeah.

Let's see. My info says, Alex, yes, Biden was easier to cover, but I don't miss him. Agreed. Macerators. True. What were the Democrats doing,

fronding him out again? I mean, anyway, just to remind us how awful he was. But anyway, there's... I think he went rogue. I think the Biden team went rogue, and they went against the Democrats. Yeah.

Anyway, let's see. Maca Reader says, keep up the good work. And my info says thank you for all you do. Thank you for those super chats. Viva Las Vegas. Thank you for that super sticker. Sir Mug's game says, some credit to Whitkov. He's up against the creme de la Kremlin, Putin Lavrov. He's back up.

The three stooges, Rubio Waltz, and Colonel Cocoa Pops. I think it's entirely correct. I mean, the Russians have a significant. respect for Wickgoff. Like you listen to them. I mean, they do accept that he's a highly intelligent man and they have seen that he is a realistic man. He has an understanding of the issues. But fundamentally, you're absolutely right. He's one man against an incredible, strong, well-organized negotiating team and an extremely well-organized government. And he has no real backup. And that is a major problem.

Paul Traynor, thank you for that super chat. Bitter Klinger says, Any thoughts on Trump turning down Bibi's offer to bomb Iran and his drawing down of troops in Syria and closing of three American bases there? Well, I hope what it means is that we're going to actually see a deal between the United States and Iran.

I mean, the deal is there for the taking. All of the elements for it are in place Iran says it doesn't want nuclear weapons. The United States says it doesn't want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons. We've done a whole program about all of this on the Duran. I would have thought there would be a deal there on the table. An easy win for Donald Trump. Obviously, there's details to iron out, but they can be ironed out.

And I hope that is where Trump is going. With Trump, unfortunately, you can never be sure, you get there. Quick question, Alexander, the reverse. Some people are saying that the Trump administration is moving away U.S. troops from a possible escalation, getting them out of harm's way. Is that possible as well? Yeah, well, it's absolutely possible, given how uncertain things are and the strength of feeling in the United States against Iran. There's also clearly a power struggle going on in

the Pentagon, all sorts of people who are opponents of war with Iran are being sacked, picked off one by one. And I also believe that these attacks on Hegsseth are partly connected to this, because he doesn't seem to be keen on a war with Iran either. So, you know, nothing is ever certain where this is going. On balance, I think that Trump doesn't want troops in the Middle East, because he doesn't want a war in the Middle East. That's my own guess. Sparky says President Trump can learn a lot about making America great again from how President Putin made Russia great again.

Yes. You can. Alexander G. says, now they're going after even the Zayokans, if they aren't war-mongering enough, enough almost makes me trust Hegset a bit. Yes, absolutely. It's a strange story, the Hegg-Seth one, yeah. The HECS story is extremely strange, but if you know anything about Washington, this is clearly an organized campaign to get him.

It reminds me a little bit of the campaign against Michael Flynn at the start of Donald Trump's previous term. But HECF is not anti-war, or he's super pro-Israel. No, no. It's not that he's anti-war. No. So that's the part that has me a little off-ballets with the Hexeth one. Well, it partly is intended to weaken Trump. And of course, Hegsteth is very loyal to Trump.

So if Trump doesn't want a war with Iran, with Hegsth there, it's not going to happen. But if we get an outright, you know, mainstream near-con figure take his place, well, then it's going to be very difficult. And of course, we have seen situations where near-con defense secretaries have basically run things themselves. I remember in Obama's day there was some kind of an attempt during the Syrian conflict

to arrange some kind of deal between the Americans and the Russians. It was not a big deal, but there was some kind of discussions. And what was his name? Aspen. I can't remember his name. Asper, the defense secretary sabotaged it by launching an airstrike

against a Russian base and killing Russians. So there you go. Mnarchist Monk says, I would genuinely like to know if Ms. Anderson believes or can give examples of real improvements for citizens across her time on the EC's Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Women's Rights, Gender Equality, and Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age. We will hold back that question until we have her again, because obviously her work on the committee is going to be very interesting for us to discuss. obviously we have only a limited amount of time. Well, Zareel can, yeah, maybe Zareel can flag that question. I think it's very specific for Christine.

Yeah, maybe he can send it to. Exactly. Christine, yeah. I think it's a good question for her. Elza says, I wasn't a fan of the Soviet communists. My German Christian family suffered a lot, but then I moved to the West and my view changed. I've heard people say that soon. I know quite a lot of people from each German.

by the way. Studio Reiner says, where should someone study to become a diplomat, Alexander? Oh, the diplomatic school in Moscow. I've actually passed it many times. It's one of the big ring roads. But seriously, look at the quality of the diplomatic people that they produce.

I mean, it's outstanding. Where to learn about diplomacy today in the good history departments that you will still find in some of the old universities in Oxford, Cambridge, in Paris, just so. Sir Muggeet says in the next phase.

Not in IR departments, by the way. Most of them don't teach diploency or anything that remotely resembles it. Agreed. Sir Muggeem says in the next. next phase, the collective West wants to get back into the pirate, sorry, privateering business attacking Russian shipping. No bueno for them. That is an incredibly dangerous plan. You're absolutely right, a patrushche, who is now in charge of the Russian shipbuilding industry. And a shipbuilding

also for the Russian fleet was talking about it in an interview with Commissant. And he said, if this is done, then the Russians will use their navy to protect their ships. their commercial ships. Samuel Maroni says, could Ukraine use German tourist missiles without the help of American surveillance and targeting? Are they really better compared to scalp storm shadow? Well, the answer is I don't think they can and I don't think they are any better. That's my own view. Yeah, just a longer range from what I understand. Just a longer range. They're essentially the same thing, but they've got a longer range.

that's all. Studio Reiner says, I read that Peter Zelhan went to a Preeter Zahan, Zahan went to a diplomatic school. Do U.S. universities just teach that the rest of the world will die off because demographics, if they believe that, then it explains the arrogance. Well, there's an awful lot to say here,

but I mean, on diplomatic schools in the United States, the dominant IR departments, by the way, are now in Washington, in the various universities there, Georgetown, George Washington, John Hopkins. I have seen the kind of things they teach. They have nothing to do with diplomacy. Once upon a time, you did actually get teaching about international relations as we formally understood it in these places and in other universities across the United States.

States. That's the kind of thing that Kissinger once talked. I mean, I'd like him, but that was the kind of academic work he did. Today, IR departments are nothing, are not, had nothing to do with diplomacy as it was, as it is properly understood any longer. So that's, that's the reality. Minarchus Monk says, I'm getting a sense that the French are mobilizing the Foreign Legion for high-risk sorties. They will not count as French and therefore their casualties. The Legion has 7,000 active forces, but it's my understanding. It's the engineering regiments and two EME reps. The Legion has already been actively used in Ukraine.

The Russians have targeted it. They did so in a hotel building in Kharkiv famously on one occasion. but they've targeted in many other places. What the French have been doing is that they pretended that these people have left the Legion and have become contractors. But the reality is that they've been there in Ukraine for a long, long time now. Sparky says President Putin admitted he'd been fooled by the West. President Trump should simply admit that he was also fooled by the West

and make a clean break from Ukraine. It's not too late. I agree. I completely agree. We'll see whether he will. Dick Espratt says heard opinions of AFDE supporters when SMO started. They changed their minds once the prices started fly sky high a few months later. If the sanctions, weapons delivery would work, they would demand more. Well, I don't know.

But all I will say is that they did change their stance and the other parties in Germany didn't. Look, there's no doubt. Yeah, go on. I mean, let me ask you, there's no doubt that if Russia was losing, then they'd be singing a different tune. All of Europe, all the parties in Europe. All of Europe would be exactly. I mean, Nigel Farage in London, Marine Le Pen in France, they'd all be, everybody wants to be on the winning side. That is human nature.

The point is, the I have to have the realism pretty early on to realize that we were on, we were on. The losing side. The losing side. Exactly. So, I mean, Nico says that already makes them different. Mouts and Schultz and God help us, Berbock and the others, continue to stick with that position that they took back in February 2020. They're never shifting from.

Yeah, I believe even Orban. I mean, when the SMO started, even he was critical of Putin and Russia, but he figured it out very quickly. Exactly. Nico says Kellogg was such a poison on Trump for Ukraine, just like Scott Besant is a poison for China decisions. I didn't know he was a neo-con. Honestly, Trump's government is collapsing. What is Tulsi doing? I do think he's collapsing. I don't think he's collapsing, but I do think Trump does need to start listening to advice, better advice than from people like this. I mean, Kellogg, I think, has been a deeply mistaken influence on Trump. and he's led him down the garden path,

and it hasn't turned out well. Now that the whole elaborate Kellogg plan has collapsed, now is the time to move on. To tell Kellogg, well, you know, it's nice knowing you, you're a wonderful man, all kinds of wonderful and exceptional things, but, you know, it's time for you to retire and for me to start thinking about someone else, listening to someone else.

Exactly. Sparky says, keep in mind, Israel has killed many more Americans in Iran, remember the USS Liberty. Yes. Sparky says, anytime someone says Israel is our only friend in the Middle East, I can't help but think before Israel we had no enemies in the Middle East, U.S. missionary John Sheehan. You've mentioned this on many live streams, and of course you're right. Zareel, to finish up on a funny note, the Ferengi are in the gamma and Delta Quarion. along with the whole Star Trek franchise drowned in DEI. Sure enough.

As I think I've said, for me, Star Trek is the first series, the one in the 60s. All of the other ones, the first generation, the next generation, whatever it was, the one with Patrick Stewart. I followed some of them and I thought they were pretty good. Yeah, the next generation. I thought they were pretty good. But then beyond that, I basically started to lose interest. Yeah, he's a very good actor. Oh, yeah.

He carried the show very well, yeah. Sir Mugge's game says, prediction, Zelensky ends up in the House of Lords. Get ready for Lord Zelensky for services rendered to the realm. You're absolutely right. He would be a natural there. You know anything about the House of Lords. You would say, you would know that I'm not talking with iron.

And Nico says, also, Alexander, I didn't know her because, I am young, but is Melina Mercur, I'm young, 25, but is Melina Mercurie related to you? Did you leave Greece because of her political career? Yes. She was my aunt. I knew her very, very well, I wrote many of his, well, some of her speeches, not many of them. I wrote some of the speeches.

Studio Rainer says, Brian Berletic never commits to saying a conflict will happen or not. I don't like his analysis because he picks, he picks, he picks, the think tanks that support his narrative. What about Peter Zahan's think tank? He says China's collapsing. Well, always you'll find people who've been saying China's collapsing. They've been doing so, I mean, I can remember reading my first, the first article saying that China was collapsing, and I think it was 1979.

So, I mean, that goes, it's a constant meme. I'm tired of it, to be honest. I mean, Gordon Chang, for example. China, whatever his name is. Yeah, because a different person, obviously. Yeah, that's a different. Yeah, sorry. He's been saying that China's collapsing since at least the late 1990s.

So, I mean, you know, I'm tired of this meme. It never turns out to be true. And I think that we should put it aside, actually. Yeah, agreed. Sparky says John Hopkins, although Johns is an unusual first name, It was the first name of the Quaker man the university was named for. It's true. An excellent university.

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, especially for sciences, actually, as well. Absolutely. No, no, I mean, all of all of those, that cluster of universities in Washington are pretty good. It's the star of them, in my opinion. Yeah. Rafael says, why am I the only person who is openly asking Russia to remove Putin? at this phase of the war, you cannot have a Gandhi-like person in charge.

He's too nice. Well, I do think he's a Gandhi. He didn't once, believe it or not, he did once compare himself to Gandhi as a joke. And the London Times took it completely seriously and published an entire editorial, refuting, explaining why Putin was wrong to compare himself with Gandhi. One of the most weird editorials ever written. But no, he's nothing like Gandhi. I mean, he's obviously not a Gandhi.

he is is somebody who plays very complicated game starting when he started it's always important to remember he had a very weekend he's played the game with great skill and gradually steadily his hand has got stronger and stronger yeah truth scared them says do we think hexeth can stave off the neocons and keep the pentagon under his control it seems the underlings are still stuck on ukraine Yeah, I will just have to see. Studio Rainer says it's weird being told that we will be in a recession and nobody is acting like it. Media fearmongering makes me miss Biden. True enough.

Commando Crossfire says, does the EU need to go or can it be reformed? USSR? Question mark? It needs to go. It cannot be reformed. I mean, I think what it has become now is unreformable. Sparky says General Cornflake Keith Kellogg has a major conflict of interest. His daughter runs a pro-Ukraine NGO.

As many people have pointed out. Russell Hall says, just don't watch Star Trek Picard. That's the new show. Star Trek, Picard. Yeah. Minarchis Muck says, is it fair to suggest Russia is still playing the great game? The term coined by Captain Arthur Connolly as Britain fought to prevent Russia moving into India. However, it appears the political classes in the EU have completely lost diplomatic and strategic tools that made diplomacy an effective proposal and likely outcomer.

It really seems as though Britain has regressed on the world stage to degree they are yet to comprehend how pitifully they are viewed on the world stage. I mean, I agree with every single point you've made. The only one I would just say is that having actually read about this history of the original great game of the 19th century, century. The fascinating thing about it is that the Russians weren't aware that they were even supposed to be playing it. The British imagined that there was this great chess game that they were playing with the Russians over Central Asia and Afghanistan and that it was all part of some great Russian master plan to eventually move on India. And nobody in St. Petersburg you? This is the odd thing about this. But there we go.

James says, Alexander, he'd be the least offensive in the House of Lords, Zelensky. Alex, you missed my wit call. Chat. Let me find that chat, Sir Mosky. Let me look for that. You're completely, you're completely right. In the House of Lords, Zelensky, amongst all the people there, would disappear. He'd be completely unremarkable.

Just a second. Studio Rainer says, City of London School of Diplomacy. I don't know much about them. I doubt that they'd much. very much. Nico says one last thing. I wish I could go to Russia on this victory day. I first understood what Russia went through by playing Call of Duty World at War, one of the few games that portrays Russia with respect.

Yeah, absolutely. You do sometimes get things. They're mostly American, by the way. I'm very interested in chess, though I played very, very badly, just to say. But, you know, there was a TV series recently called The Queen's Gambit, which I thought was astonishing for the very, very favorable view of Russia and of Russians and of Russian chess players in the 1960s that it projected. Road Vagabond says, Alexander would love Deep Space 9 series of Star Trek.

Most of it is political maneuvering. Oh, I watched some of it. And as I said, I still found it difficult to keep going. I mean, I like the more optimistic. The thing was about the 60s one. It was full of optimism and energy and drive and all of that. And the other ones have become very introverted. And as somebody said, in some cases, you can definitely see DEI influences coming to the fore as well.

Anyway, they never held me to anything like the same extent. Sir Muzgame, is this the super chat? Some credit to Whitkoff. He's up against the crem della Kremlin, Putin Labrov. He's backup, Three Stooges, Rubio Waltz, and Colonel Coco Popes. If so, you did read that and we have responded to it. And we said it was a good comment, actually. Yeah, I think that's the one.

Sparky says, Johns Hopkins, my point was pointing out the S in Johns. People often make the mistake of not including it. By the way, Zihan is full of BS. Probably. I don't follow him very much, to be honest. Yeah, I don't know much about him. Raphael says, for both of you guys, you will have to educate us about the death of this Pope. There is much behind the story.

The Pope was a de facto Pope. There is a huge amount about this story. One of the places, if you want to read all kinds of claims about the Pope, I don't know how true they are. There's a British magazine called Unheard, which has been writing extensive. about him from a Catholic point of view, which is quite interesting. And they have many criticisms of him to make. I'm not comfortable discussing the topic of the Pope. As far as I'm concerned, he was the leader of a church, which is not mine.

And I don't feel, I really ought to comment on what goes on in another church. Yeah, Sir Maas Game says he stepped away from the stream. No worries, Sir Ma's Game. All good. It was good reading that chat for a second time. It's a good super chat. Sparky says the original Star Trek is easily the best one. Captain Kirk rules.

I agree. And I think that's everything. Thank you, Sir Muggeen, for that other super chat. All is good. Alexander, let me just do a quick final check and your final thoughts as I check. Well, Germany is always the country that makes the difference in Europe. Where Germany goes, Europe goes. and when the Germans mess up, it always leads to disaster.

They have messed up and it has led to disaster over the last three years. Maybe finally the correcting things are going to start to happen. But just think what Christine told us about the politics in Germany now and how bad they are. And they are absolutely awful. Dio Nisa says Deep Space 9 is very good and complex. Yeah. Well, maybe I'll revisit it again.

Yeah. I like the original Star Trek. And The Wrath of Cod is the best movie. Yeah, I agree with that too. Absolutely. All right, Alexander Cavendor Crossfire says, I love how the U.S. plays mediator of its own war. That's a very, I mean, many people.

It's an excellent point. I mean, it is what it is. It is what it is. You know, we always said, Alexander, just to wrap things up, we always said that the U.S., whether you like it or not, the U.S. does have the ability, the option, to walk away. And to mediate and to walk away, it has that ability. Exactly.

Even though this was a war that they were running, it's Europe that made the mistake. Yes, absolutely. The Europeans misread the Americans completely. Yeah. Because the Europeans don't know the Americans very well. They think they do, but actually they don't. True.

Okay. Thank you to Christine Anderson. Thank you to Zareal. Thank you to everyone that watched us on Odyssey, on Rock Finn, Rumble, YouTube, and locals, thejurban.com. Alexander, you have your local live stream today. In about two hours on locals at 1,400 hours, ESD, 1900 hours London time.

And obviously we'll be discussing all the things that have been going on, especially over the last 24 hours with the collapse of the conference in London, Zelensky, ruining the Kellogg's beautiful plan and all of that. But we'll be talking about many other things, as we always do. The durand.com, everybody. orange proximity. Thank you for that super sticker. And Russell Hall says they should use AI to overlay modern world leaders faces onto TNG. Putin's head on Picard, J.D. Vatz, Ad Reiker, Macron as Wesley, etc. That would be kind of cool. That's hilarious.

That is hilarious. Thank you, Russell. Yeah, that's good. Thank you, Russell for that. And thank you to our moderators as well. Thank you for everything. Take care, everybody.