🔥 The Promethean Weekly · August 17–23, 2026
Not a bombing campaign — an ultimatum to the banks keeping Tehran alive. Gulf capital left London. Bessent’s credit plan is the one Wall Street can’t parse. Seven posts inside.
Midweek Update
The Midweek Update - HE ALMOST DIDN'T GO: Why Trump Snubbed NATO for Erdogan - July 8, 2026
The cannons saluted Trump; a finance minister met everyone else. But the real tell wasn't the welcome in Ankara — it was Putin's 85-minute phone call, and a Europe promising a war economy it can no longer build. Susan Kokinda on the century of geopolitics quietly coming apart.
11 min read
Susan Kokinda breaks down the NATO summit in Ankara, where President Trump signaled a new foreign-policy dynamic by prioritizing Turkey and President Erdogan—nearly skipping the summit, praising Turkey's independent role on Iran, and floating renewed F-35 sales despite Turkey's S-400 purchase and its ties to both Moscow and Kiev. In contrast, European leaders and Canada's Mark Carney arrived with a “Resilience” agenda—claiming Europe can stand without the U.S.—after months of planning that included Carney's coordination and MI6 guidance on “managing” Trump. She argues that posture is undermined by Europe's industrial decline: falling German production, Volkswagen's expected job cuts, and Britain's shrinking steel capacity, while Carney's answer amounts to new defense and Ukraine lending facilities. Finally, she frames Putin's July 4 call with Trump—its emphasis on shared historical ties and “colossal” cooperation potential, including a joint space launch—as evidence the old geopolitical rules are breaking down.
00:00 The Midweek Update - HE ALMOST DIDN'T GO: Why Trump Snubbed NATO for Erdogan - July 8, 2026
01:39 Trump in Turkey
05:04 Europe Walks Into the Corner
09:18 The Phone Call, and Russia
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