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Commander Dragoni
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Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles
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Podcast Host / Narrator
top NATO commanders Committee Chair Dragoni just blasted Donald Trump in front of the world during a powerful speech in Singapore. This speech by Commander Dragoni focused on the fragmentation of the world that has been caused by Donald Trump's attack on the rules based order. Following Commander Dragon speech, we also heard from Australia Defense Minister Richard Morals echoing the same sentiment of Donald Trump ripping up a rules based order. Now they weren't using Donald Trump's name, but it's obvious who they were referring to. Similarly, we then heard from the Prime Minister of Denmark, Meta Frederickson, who called out Donald Trump for his threats against Greenland and the threats against the overall sovereignty of other NATO nations with with a call by Prime Minister Fredrickson for all European countries to make sure that they build strong militaries and that these mid powers join forces to become major global superpowers in a current law of the jungle that's now been created by people like Trump, by Putin and by Xi Jinping and across the world. Let me show you what went down here. This was from Dragoni's speech. Commander Dragoni of NATO talking about the fragmentation that exists and that if you want to prepare for peace now, you gotta prepare for war in order to keep the peace. Really powerful language from him. Here, play this clip.
Commander Dragoni
The world is fragmenting, fragmenting whatever it calls. But fragmentation is not destiny. The measure of our generation will be whether we allow that fragmentation to accelerate or whether we did the harder work of building deeper and broader partnership. NATO answer is clear. We are adapting, we are investing and we are reaching outward to partners in this region and beyond, to civil society, to industry, to every element of our society that has a stake in the outcome because nobody can do it all alone. The security of the Euro Atlantic and the Indo Pacific is interconnected and indivisible. As I already said, the partnership we build and strengthen with you are the foundation of the stability our citizen will depend on Tomorrow. There is an old saying from my native land, which is Italy, and I tell you originally, si vis pacem para bello, that was from Vegetiurenatus, 4 century after that. So 1500 years of history and civilization in English. It was mentioned yesterday. If you want peace, prepare for war. A lesson identified that we keep on repeating. Maybe it is time we finally learn it together so we can move forward.
Podcast Host / Narrator
I'll show you another clip right here of Commander Dragoni, who talks about more of this instability taking place, more of this conflict taking place, more of the fragmentation. Play this clip.
Commander Dragoni
New is the simultaneous fracturing of the stability, institutions and peaceful prosperity of the past decades and the deliberate exploitation of debt fracturing by revisionist authors. We see it in the weaponization of economic independence, the militarization of space and cyberspace, the manipulation of information environments to corrode public trust, and the return of a large scale conventional warfare to the European continent.
Podcast Host / Narrator
I want to share more from Commander Dragoni of NATO in just a moment. But given the similarities of that part of his speech with that of Australia's Defense Minister Richard Morles. Marles gave an incredible speech and what morals focused on, as well as the importance of a rules based order. He says it benefits everyone when you follow the rules. Clear message also directed towards Trump. And when he also in this speech talked about how there are all of these underwater cables which basically power the entire Internet. There are 15 cables that Australia relies on for 99% of its Internet connectivity. And what's actually going on behind the scenes now that nobody's talking about is that there's a shadow war taking place, it seems, where there are hostile powers that are testing NATO, testing Trump, and he's utterly failing, testing the allies of the US by dropping anchors in the seabed and severing the connectivity of these critical Internet cables that exist. And it's a major part of his speech. Let me play for you what he says, though, about that. Let's play this clip.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles
The center of competition is a more fundamental proposition. Whether the international system will be governed by rules applied universally or by power applied selectively. And that question matters most for the states that are not great powers. When the rules apply, smaller states have agency. When the rules yield to power, Sovereignty becomes, as others have put it, the purview of the powerful. And no state in this room today, whatever its size, is well served by that outcome. The international rules based order is imperfect. It was built by imperfect actors. It has been applied inconsistently, and it has sometimes been invoked by powerful states to protect their own prerogatives. Southeast Asia understands that more than most. But we are so much better off with it than without it. And it has been to our region's great benefit that the United States has chosen to invest in that order based on an enlightened conception of its own self interests. The task before us, all of us, including the great powers, is the renovation of that order, not its dismemberment. And in the maritime domain, that renovation is urgent. The seabed is becoming a battlefield. The shadow fleet is becoming a weapon. The choke points through which our region's prosperity flows are under a pressure they have not experienced in the modern era. Australia is investing to meet that challenge. We are investing in our own capabilities, in our alliances, in our partnerships across the region. And we are committed to the region's security architecture and dialogue so exemplified by the gathering this weekend, because we understand that security in our region is indivisible, that what threatens our neighbours ultimately threatens each of us, and that what we can build together, we cannot build alone. The sea connects our great region, and what we must all decide is whether that connection will be governed by the laws we have built together or contested by the tactics of those who prefer the alternatives. Well, Australia's answer to that question is clear. Rules are essential, and operating by them is the pathway to regional peace, security and prosperity. Thank you.
Podcast Host / Narrator
Go back to Commander Dragoni over here. Over in NATO, more talk about resiliency. Let's play this clip.
Commander Dragoni
Being resilient means to be able to absorb shock, and this is not enough anymore. Our ambition should be antifragility, partnership, defense and societies so strengthened by lessons that we not even feel those shocks. So no unnecessary duplication, of course, but open door to a certain degree of strategic redundancy. This is where our investment and our partnership should aim to. And as we look ahead to the NATO summit in Ankara in July, as military, we expect that also the partnership agenda will advance in all aspects. Alongside the capability agenda, we expect concrete steps of interoperability on industrial cooperation and on the whole of society, frameworks that give depth to our security architecture. Our military advice is crystal. The nations gathered in Ankara have an opportunity to set the terms for a more secure, peaceful world, underpinned by our shared commitment to deterrence and defense and our shared interest in stability and prosperity.
Podcast Host / Narrator
And here he talks about NATO becoming a more independent entity. And clearly what he's referring to is independent from the United States. Here, play this clip.
Commander Dragoni
From a military point of view. What we are now focused on in NATO is translating this increased funding and investment into real capabilities because we cannot deter anybody by waving money the air to make our alliance strong and something we are increasingly good at. In NATO we have a professional, accountable and strategically informed process. The NATO Defence Planning Process, or ndpp. The NDPP gives countries in NATO concrete targets for the capabilities that they need to expect it to deliver with their investment. And you could say that NDPP is how we turn our billions into battalions and battleships.
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Commander Dragoni
Let's play it in this context. One of the most concrete arenas in which partnership deliver strategic value is defence industry. The fragmentation of the global order has a direct industrial correlate, supply chains under pressure, export restriction, tightening technological decoupling, accelerating security. Partnerships are an essential instrument for mitigating that industrial fragmentation. They enable joint procurement, common standards, shared research and development, strategic autonomy with the trusted interdependence among like minded and the most needed interoperability. When allies and partners produce equipment built to the same standards and trained to the same doctrines, but also works on data, cloud, AI, cyber logistics standards, the coalition that result outperform one assembled from incompatible parts under pressure.
Podcast Host / Narrator
And here he talks more about the NATO meeting and how the importance of NATO staying together as Here, play this clip.
Commander Dragoni
Just days ago, May 19, we met with all the 32 NATO chiefs of defence. The quality of the strategic coordination, the frankness of the exchanges and the unity of purpose in that room were crystal clear. An alliance doing the hard work of adaptation under pressure and succeeding at it. Beyond that band of brothers and sisters, though, as chairman of the Military Committee, I invest considerable time engaging also with partners. To me this is a strategic investment because these partners share our interest in peace and security.
Podcast Host / Narrator
Then we heard from Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Friedrichsen. And here she blasts Donald Trump. Let's play this clip.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles
The NATO future.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
First of all, it was a very difficult situation for the Kingdom of Denmark because we need everybody to respect that we are a sovereign state and as you said, our territorial integrity has to be respected. The US President was very outspoken about his desire about Greenland. I think we responded also very clear. We had a public discussion and then we agreed to have this high level working group. It's still working. Of course. We would like to have a even closer cooperation with us.
Podcast Host / Narrator
More from Fredriksen right here about she says a mistake that was made, she says, by Denmark and by Europe generally. Lots of other countries post World War II, post Cold War is everybody believed that the United States would have their back and be this benevolent superpower based on ideals, values and principles of the rules based order that the United States wrote. So we thought the people who wrote the rules would follow the rules. And then we noticed that they were deviating from it. Trump was. And now in this second Trump regime, the United States has abandoned it and we've been left holding the bag. Remember, Denmark purchased some F35s that they've learned to regret. Canada saw that and go, ooh, we gotta get our hands on the gripens. And now we know that it seems that Canada may order three to four times as many F35s, three to four, many times of the gripens as they will with the F30, as they were expected to get with the F35s. Here's what Prime Minister Friedrich Nixon had to say of Denmark. Let's play it.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
And I think all of us are stronger because of the alliance. So I will never suggest to weaken NATO, but I believe that Europe should be able to defend itself not because of what us are thinking about the future or their political decisions, but simply because a Europe that is not able and willing to defend itself, what is that? So for me it's also a question about identity. I think we made a mistake after the end of the Cold War, reducing our military, I mean our spendings and hoping that if anything happened, then US would come and help you. It's simply the wrong way of looking at yourself and your countries and your borders. So I will do what I can to support NATO and to keep us together. But I believe that Europe needs to rearm totally and be totally able to defend ourselves. And of course, that will require a lot of spendings on capabilities and so on. And as you know, I mean, Denmark are using more than 3% now.
Podcast Host / Narrator
Now, with all of this going on as well, you have President Zelensky of Ukraine calling out the Trump regime for refusing to do any deal with Ukraine regarding a lot of this drone technology. And Zelensky's like, you realize we're trying to help NATO. Yeah, sure, we need Patriots, Patriot missiles. We need Thaads and Patriot missiles because we just don't have that capacity. But we have the best drone technology and we know that modern war warfare is all about drone technology and drone interceptors. And so Zelensky is like, we've gone to all of these countries, they want our drone technology. But Donald Trump refuses to say yes to this deal, that we want to basically give it to them. And this should be beneficial to everybody. Watch what Zelensky said. And now keep in mind, Commander Dragoni, keep in mind Frederickson, keep in mind the Australian defense Minister as well when I'm reading this to you. Zelensky goes, we wanted to conclude the first drone deal with the United States. The US Wanted to test all types of our drones. We agreed to the way they wanted to test, train with and use our systems in the air, on land and at sea. But we still don't have a bilateral drone deal, a big framework document. The drone deal we have are with some countries in the Middle east and Europe. And now we are preparing a big drone deal with the eu. I hope we reach the same agreement with our American partners. I count on it. American companies have advanced AI technologies that we don't have. In turn, we have many things that you don't have. Due to our extensive experience on the battlefield. I think this cooperation can be huge, the most powerful of its kind in the world. We need to negotiate, not just talk about it. Take the necessary steps and do it as quickly as possible. For this, we need President Trump to say yes. As our editor in chief, Ron Philip Kowski said, let's talk about what's really going on here. I mean, you're competing with Don Jr's drone company. What the hell do the Ukrainians know about drones compared to Don Jr. Right, Don Jr. Eric. They have Their drone company. Their drone company seems to be getting the deals from the United States government, it seems. I've seen a lot of reporting on that. I'm sure you've seen the reporting on that as well. Come on, what are we doing? What are we doing here, folks? Uh, Zelinsky also talked about how we are trying to intercept all Russian drones, even when some of them are going in the direction of other countries like Romania, Moldova, Poland or in the Baltic states. If we can't, we immediately notify our partners and try to help them. Russia uses drones to pressure NATO countries and gauge the reaction. This is their typical message. Don't help Ukraine. I think there should be a stronger response from a united NATO. Putin is comparing this reaction to what he saw in previous years. And he's also testing air defenses of NATO countries bordering Russia or Belarus. Are they capable of intercepting all the missiles and drones? Again, powerful words indeed right there. And contrast those words over there to Trump saying we left all of Iran's military intact. He says we left them intact. We want them to have their military, he says, because the IRGC are the moderates. Trump says he's the. So he's refusing to take the drone deal from Ukraine. He's tarnished our relationship within NATO. Obviously, you heard Commander Dragoni, and he's out there saying that he's. He kept the Iran military in place. Didn't he say he destroyed the military? Now he says the military is in place because the IRGC are the moderates. Interesting. Here, play this clip right here.
Donald Trump
Their navy is totally gone 100%. Their Air Force is totally gone 100%. Their military, we've sort of left it alone because we think that their military is somewhat, somewhat moderate. They have other people that aren't moderate. We've taken them out. We've taken different forms of leadership out. We've actually left their military alone. People would be supporting, surprised to hear that because mistakes have been made in wars where you wipe out everybody and then you have a country that's, you know, for 40 years can never rebuild.
Podcast Host / Narrator
You look at, and with this breakdown of a rules based order. You had Netanyahu earlier talking about how the idf, the Israeli army expanding deeper into Lebanon. Our forces crossed powerful obstacles. They seize commanding terrain and capture the Beaufort Ridge and the castle there. And now my instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that were under Hezbollah's control. We are initiating action. We are operating on all fronts, in Syria, in Gaza and in Lebanon. It will take time, but we will complete the mission and notice that is clearly being done as well in order to prevent a deal between the United States and Iran, because one of Iran's preconditions to a deal is that there be a permanent security guarantee in Lebanon. And Israel's pushing deeper into Lebanon right now and blowing up tire, sir, the city there. Blowing up South Beirut. Blowing up Beirut. It's horrific, the travesties that are going on there. And so that gives you the full kind of update of everything that's going on. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million subscribers. And thanks for watching, everybody. New Midas merch. Head to store.midastouch.com today and get yourself the best pro democracy gear and show your support. That's store.midas touch.
Commander Dragoni
Com.
This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast centers on a wave of urgent and direct warnings from global military and political leaders against the perceived threats to international stability posed by Donald Trump and other world figures undermining the rules-based order. At the heart of the episode is a hard-hitting speech by NATO Military Committee Chair Commander Dragoni in Singapore, echoed by statements from Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Meiselas brothers dissect these warnings, the implications for NATO, transatlantic security, and the growing push for European and allied self-reliance in the face of American unpredictability under Trump.
Commander Dragoni’s Urgency
“The world is fragmenting... Fragmentation is not destiny. The measure of our generation will be whether we allow that fragmentation to accelerate or whether we did the harder work of building deeper and broader partnerships.”
— Commander Dragoni ([04:49])
Richard Marles’ Rules-Based Order Defense
“The task before us, all of us, including the great powers, is the renovation of that order, not its dismemberment. And in the maritime domain, that renovation is urgent. The seabed is becoming a battlefield.”
— Richard Marles ([08:59])
PM Frederiksen’s Hard Truth
“I think we made a mistake after the end of the Cold War, reducing our military... and hoping that if anything happened, then US would come and help you. It's simply the wrong way of looking at yourself and your countries and your borders.”
— Mette Frederiksen ([20:09])
Zelensky’s Frustration
“The drone deal we have are with some countries in the Middle east and Europe. And now we are preparing a big drone deal with the EU. I hope we reach the same agreement with our American partners. I count on it…”
— President Zelensky ([21:27])
The episode balances sharp political critique, urgency in confronting threats to international order, and the Meiselas brothers' signature blend of informed analysis and casual, relatable banter. Guests and hosts openly express frustration and urgency, particularly over Trump’s isolationist and transactional approach, while maintaining a focus on actionable lessons for democracy supporters worldwide.
For listeners who missed the episode:
You’ll come away understanding just how alarmed world leaders are about the US under Trump — not simply as a theoretical risk, but as a present and escalating danger to global order. You’ll hear clear, direct warnings from NATO’s top military leaders, U.S. allies, and Ukraine, along with stark admissions by European leaders that old assumptions about American support no longer hold. At the same time, listeners get actionable insights into how alliances are trying to adapt, rearm, and set new standards for a volatile world.