[Jimbuna]

Just come across this post elsewhere and I must say, I believe it to be a pretty fair summary/reality check.

Given half of Europe (well, a high percentage anyway) runs on Russian natural gas, then I suspect that beyond a bit of loud 'hurrrumphing' and stage-managed hand-wringing and head-shaking, few European States will want to go much beyond that - at least not until the weather warms up.... don't forget who has his hands on the valve that controls the flow of natural gas down the pipeline form the East.... the opening cartoon from 'Have I got News for You.' pretty much sums it up.

UK and Norway may be able to keep the lights on for a few days longer given access to North Sea gas fields, but too much of mainland Europe depends on Russian gas for them to take too firm a stand beside UK, and while it might be possible to import LPG form other places, it would take a while to get the logistics in place.

Nope, if it is Russia behind the poisoning, then they know there is very little UK can do on its own, and that although EU members might do a bit of posturing, major EU players have a pretty weak hand to play, and given BREXIT, many EU members may simply shrug their shoulders and decide its best not to raise their heads above the parapet on behalf of a nation who has already reached for the exit door-handle.

POTUS probably won't get too involved unless he sees an opportunity to improve US economy and thus further bolster his support at home.

I sense Blighty may be very much on our own on this one... and while it seems to be taking the Remoaners an age to jump on the bandwagon, I have no doubt that they will soo tell us all that 'had UK not voted for BREXIT then EU would have offered more help in censoring Russia blah blah blah..." whereas, for the reasons above, EU members would probably not take a very strong stance whether or not BREXIT was underway...


Better re-open our coal mines, build loads more wind/solar farms, and get Hinckley Point B up and running ASAP so that we can be self-sufficient in energy, and sod the global warming..(oh, I forgot, look who's funding Hinckley Point B...I hope we don't fall out with our Chinese chums and their new 'lifetime leader' too quickly, otherwise we'll all be back to using candles to light our evenings ).


So, assuming no admission of guilt is forthcoming and it's 'Handbags at Dawn' tomorrow, then I fear our twee little lipstick-filled clutch-bag is going to be pretty ineffectual against their brick-laden shoulder bag....

Finger pointing is fine, but when 'their' big stick is somewhat larger than ours, and our friends have suddenly started finding good reasons to be elsewhere, then I suspect we will have little choice but to express our 'severe displeasure' in writing, and then walk slowly away while the playground bully laughs at us, and wonders who to pick on next.