Hegseth on Afghanistan: I was a captain in Afghanistan, and we would go to the headquarters in Kabul, and there would be 50 flags at the headquarters. It was a beautiful thing to see 50 different countries contributing to the NATO alliance and the ISAF mission there. Except there were like maybe five that contributed. It was actually closer to one or two that, by the end, were actually involved in kinetic operations. In fact, the ISAF patch, we would joke that it meant "I Saw Americans Fighting."

Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto: The problem is, who is Europe? Europe isn't one person. It's 27 different countries, plus the UK, plus other countries. That is Europe's political weakness, which is also a military weakness. That's what makes it difficult for Europe to speak. Who speaks for Europe? How much does von der Leyen count compared to Macron, Merz and Meloni? That is one of the problems. Who speaks for Europe? For more than a year, we've been discussing finding one person to speak for Europe, and we haven't managed to find one.

Des véhicules de police sont prises pour cible par la foule dans le secteur République à Paris. #Paris #17octobre

🇺🇦Cardboard Maidan Kyiv demands mayor's resignation The Ukrainian fight between the toad and the viper reached the capital today. Several thousand people gathered in the central square demanding the removal of Mayor Vitali Klitschko over the city’s unpreparedness for the heating season. The rally took the form of a “cardboard Maidan,” like recent protests calling for Syrsky’s resignation and Fedorov’s return. A small number of the mayor’s supporters also appeared with placards. Later footage allegedly showed participants being paid to attend. The protests coincided with a sharper clash between Klitschko and Zelensky, who have been accusing each other for months. The head of the Kyiv regime criticizes the mayor for winter unpreparedness and poorly organized air defense. Klitschko answers with talk of corruption in Zelensky’s circle that damages the country’s international image. Zelensky has a useful backdrop. Electricity and water in Kyiv are deteriorating under daily Russian strikes. Formally Klitschko is not responsible for air defense, but the situation suits Zelensky, especially if utility problems worsen with the cold. The rally was still small and should not be expected to produce major consequences yet. If the actions repeat, their scale will show whether Klitschko can be removed from the post he has held for 12 years.

Thank you for everything, Lindsey! Дякую за все, Ліндсі! 🇺🇦🇺🇸

A year and a half ago Trump stopped helping Ukraine defend itself, and put pressure on Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia. Now, Trump is actively supporting Putin: waiving sanctions, disrupting StarShield, and making a diesel deal. (1/3)