JD Vance clearly isn’t done with dishing out advice, not only warning Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskky of not being ‘disrespectful’ towards the US during his trip to the White House’s Oval Office, but now offering a few choice words to Europe too.
Asked how he sees the US’ relationship with Europe, Vance told Fox News: « I really believe we have great deal in common with Europe. And yes the Europeans annoy me sometimes and I disagree with them on certain issues but we have to remember that is the cradle of Western civilisation.
« The entire idea of Christian civilisation that led to the founding of the United States of America, that was formed in Europe – the cultural bonds, the religious bonds – these things are going to last beyond political disagreements. »
However, Vance warned Europe is ‘at risk’ of ‘engaging in civilisational suicide’.
While noting he would’ve said the US was at risk of doing the same a year ago, Vance continued: « They are unable – or unwilling – too many countries to control their borders. You see them starting to push back against that and that’s a good thing.
« You see them starting to limit the free speech of their citizens, even as their citizens are protesting against things like the border invasion that got Donald Trump and a number of European leaders elected. »He added: « I want Europe to thrive. I want them to be an important ally. Part of that is going to be Europe respecting its own people, respecting its own sovereignty and America can’t do that job for them. »
Vance later resolved when looking at Europe, the US sees ‘a great civilisation’ and a ‘great ally’ but ‘also sees some free speech issues’ and ‘sees that they’re doing things on borders which aren’t ultimately bad for their countries but are bad for us’.
« Friends can have honest conversations with each other, » he went on.
Whether or not he could argue his comments ‘about UK troops’ were all part of ‘friends’ having ‘honest conversations with each other,’ well, others weren’t left so convinced.While speaking on Fox News on March 4, Vance said: “The president knows that if you want real US security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine.
« That is a way better security guarantee from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years. »
One Twitter user commented: “JD Vance’s claim that the UK hasn’t fought a war in 30-40 years insults the 600+ British troops who died in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Americans.
“Disrespectful to their sacrifice and our alliance, time for an apology, not ignorance.”
An athlete at the Winter Olympics has updated social media about the state of accommodation at the winter Olympics following that ‘anti-sex bed’ saga.
It’s safe to say we all probably remember how the 2024 Olympics in Paris used cardboard beds for the athletes staying in the Olympic Village.
This was supposedly in an attempt to deter them from having sex, as the Olympic-sized condom handouts revealed if you pack a load of single people at the very peak of human physical capability into an enclosed village for several weeks, then some of them might want to pass some of their downtime together.
The Olympic committee refuted this, claiming the cardboard beds were purely for sustainability, which makes sense as it seems unlikely that the most physically and athletically gifted people in the world wouldn’t be able to figure out a way to do the deed without a bed.
But with the Winter Olympics now underway in Italy, what about the state of the accommodation this year?Well, Team GB ice dancer Phebe Bekker took to her page @ phebebekker to give her 28k TikTok followers the lowdown on her accommodation for this year’s games in Milan.
And it seems that athletes have seen an upgrade in the material their beds have been made from.
Introducing her video, Phebe said she’d be investigating the question everyone was asking – whether the beds were made out of cardboard again.
« Are the beds cardboard? » she asked as she approached the bed, before giving it a resonant-sounding knock.
Confirming that they were in fact proper, sturdy, bed frames, she said: « We’re looking good. That’s a mattress. »
She added: « You heard it here first, there are no cardboard beds, well as far as I know. »
However, speaking to UNILAD, she explained that this is not actually removing the supposed anti-sex beds.
Honestly, minds out of the gutter, please.
Phebe said that it’s actually because the Olympic Committee has already considered a further use for the accommodation after the Olympics are over.Once the games are finished and the athletes depart, the accommodation will become the largest student accommodation in Italy, she explained.
Bearing that in mind, it makes more sense to have furniture that can be reused after the games are done, rather than having to recycle cardboard beds afterwards.
Phebe will be taking to the ice to represent Team GB in the ice dancing alongside her partner, James Hernandez.
Ice dancing is a subset of figure skating that includes elements of ballroom dancing, with competitors taking to the ice as a couple.
