The General & the Journalist Why Trump doesn't understand Putin, with Gen Sir Nick Carter
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Aug 20, 2025 General Sir Nick Carter, former Chief of the Defence Staff in the UK, shares his expertise on global political dynamics, particularly focusing on the implications of the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin. He argues that a security guarantee for Ukraine without American troops is futile, drawing parallels to the Bosnian War. Carter also highlights Trump's historical misunderstandings encountered during D-Day commemorations, emphasizing the need for political clarity in military strategies and the importance of enhanced defense spending to ensure national resilience.
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Srebrenica Lessons For Ukraine
- Carter recounts Srebrenica to illustrate how weak mandates and indecision lead to catastrophe.
- He connects those failures to dangers of providing protection without credible military capability.
Make Ukraine Self-Defending
- Invest directly in Ukraine's own armed forces and human capacity to make it hard to invade.
- Carter urges the West to build Ukraine into an 'indigestible porcupine' rather than rely on foreign boots.
Design Military Plans From Politics
- Clarify the political strategy before designing any military mission; adjust force size to the political aim.
- Carter warns enforcement missions require far greater troops and capabilities than simple monitoring tasks.