Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border
Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border
The Biden administration is asking Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year.
You're viewing a single thread.
Where is the off ramp here? Despite billions and constant propaganda Russia is not going to lose this war on the battlefield.
How much money and how many people are we going to just send to their deaths just because prolonging the conflict weakens an adversary to US.
It’s really sad :(
Russia will lose any day now. Their army has been routed and they're constantly fleeing the lines. Hundreds of thousands of Russians are dead or zero-summed while Ukraine has no casualties. Ukraine is marching towards Moscow and this war will end with
PutinPutler shooting himself in the head! Slava Ukraini!Inb4 anyone calls me a tankie for supporting Biden sending tanks to Ukraine.
(Sorry. I can't resist the urge to post Simpsons references)
Permanently Deleted
We were in Iraq for 20 years despite it being so unpopular and illegal
The off ramp is whenever the defense contractors start losing money and it's not profitable anymore
Lol so never. They have a vested interest in keeping this a stalemate as long as possible. My tinfoil hat theory is the only reason Ukraine is barred from using weapons in Russia is that the US military industrial complex would love to see this drawn out for as long as possible. Every aid package is a boon to their stock price.
I am assuming you are an American, so I think you have sent no one.
Pretty much. All US veterans who have died in Ukraine were volunteers. Just about everything we've given Ukraine is old military equipment we don't need, and it accounts for such a small amount in the total budget while absolutely fucking the greatest threat to Europe at the moment. It might be the best ROI we've ever gotten from anything ever.
This is coming from someone who is extremely anti-war, but that doesn't make me anti-defend yourself.
The original commenter is probably a troll or an idiot whose idea of peace is to put down your own weapon and raise your ass in the air and await the invader to come and fuck it.
Peace with Russia is not possible. The world attempted peace with Russia in 2014 after Russia said they would not invade more of Ukraine after Crimea, now the "peace advocates" want Ukraine to give up 1/3 of their country to appease Russia and "stop" the war. At this rate Eastern Europe will be part of Russia within a few short decades.
The war is not over until every millimeter has been retaken and Russia is pushed out.
The United States also gave tens of billions of dollars worth of aid following the collapse of the Soviet Union to Russia. We paid to have all of their nuclear material secured, including providing security detail at all of their nuclear sites. And this is how they repay us.
Ukraine opened up a goodwill right when we were cleaning out the attic. Mutually beneficial. Fuck Russia
Greatest threat to Europe is the european union and it's politicians
Oddly enough the US makes it back in many ways as it's being fulfilled by US military contractors. So it's not as much of a loss financially as it seems. It's also geopolitically a good cause as bolstering support in Europe has netted a ton of contracts Russia was fulfilling for gas and coal. Ukraine is also a US ally and likely future member of both the EU and NATO, so it makes sense to support them when invaded for absolutely no rhyme or reason by pretty much the most consistent adversary of the US throughout modern history. But I'm sure whatever you said makes sense too.
I agree it has helped the us economy. Wow we are the real heroes here.. Europe now turns to us for gas/energy … military contracts getting filled… ohh who cares about the actual Ukrainians dying at least they are not US citizens ..
Honestly disgusting
So you'd just abandon them to Russian imperialism? Yeah that's historically gone fucking great for Ukrainians. I can't possibly imagine why they'd be against that.
Ukraine was fighting the invasion before the West started sending them guns anyway. Ukraine is choosing to fight whether it has support or not.
You want to abandon the people in Ukraine to fuckers with SS Totenkopf patches on their uniform? Yeah that's historically gone fucking great for Ukrainians. I can't possibly imagine why they'd be against.
There are tons of Russian Nazis, don't kid yourself.
"Second, the Kremlin launched “managed nationalism”, an attempt to co-opt and mobilise radical nationalist militants, including neo-Nazis, as a counterweight to an emerging anti-Putin coalition of democrats and leftist radicals."
I'm sorry, who is actually running Ukraine? Is it the Azov lot and their like?
One of the two sides of this war has warmongering ultranationalists in government. It's not Ukraine.
Zelenskiy just a couple of weeks ago did a photo op with Azov fighters. The Ukrainian government gives money and arms and propaganda support to Neo-Nazis. No other government does that. Even Russian Neo-Nazis are fighting for Ukraine. Yes the Ukrainian government is ethnonationalist.
Zelenskiy:
There are indisputable heroes. Stepan Bandera is a hero for a certain part of Ukrainians, and this is a normal and cool thing. He was one of those who defended the freedom of Ukraine. But I think that when we name so many streets, bridges by the same name, this is not quite right.
Such a brave push back on the Nazis. He has a point. Naming every street and bridge after Bandera is going to be confusing, I'm sure the Nazis will agree.
If your proposed plan for dealing with the likes of Azov is "let Putin's Russia win" then you do not actually have a problem with the far right being in power in Ukraine, you just have a preference in your flavour of far right. Frankly if I were in Zelenskiy's position and a fascist told me he wanted to go die to defend democracy from other fascists, I'm not about to discourage him, I'm gonna chalk it up as a win-win
Are you reframing the arming and promoting of SS worshipping white supremacists as some sort of clever antifascist tactic? Seriously anybody helping with resurrection of the genocidal Nazi ideology in Ukraine needs to be tried at Nuremberg. Russian conservative brainworms are far from "master race must cleanse the land of untermenschen" type shit, of course that's better. How is this even a debate?
No, I'm saying that the Zelenskiy has got to pick priorities and the invading army committing war crimes all over the country is the one he put at the top. Which of the two countries is waging an offensive war to annex territory? Which one of the two has the imperialist mob boss in power? Which one of the two has clung to its colonial empire? You don't give a fuck about opposing fascism, you've just seen the West supporting something and decided that you're going to do the opposite of that
You think the Ukrainian army is not committing war crimes? First ethical army ever. You wouldn't expect these guys with the SS Totenkopf patches to be this standup, but here we are, clean as a Wehrmacht. Oh wait! They shelled civilians regularly since 2014. Maybe they should have stopped like they agreed to and this whole thing could have been avoided? Nah it's all Putin's fault.
Which one of the two has the imperialist mob boss in power?
Zelenskiy isn't really the boss now is he?
And on the colonialism: Look at all that Soviet infrastructure in Ukraine. Pretty good, pretty similar to how it looks in Russia, right? Living standards, education level, life expectancy, all that stuff was pretty similar between Russia and Ukraine in 1989. Now look at West Africa. Does that look like France to you?
Evil Soviet colonialists, bringing infrastructure and healthcare and factories and public pools!
Putin's regime is also far right, so you're just arguing about shades of fascism here.
However, only Ukraine is a democracy. Russia is not.
We're not sending anyone to their death. Ukrainian soldiers are doing the fighting, not American ones.
If Russia doesn't lose on the battlefield, Putin will invade Poland next, and then one of the following happens:
- NATO responds. Nukes fly. Game over.
- NATO doesn't respond, proves itself useless, and dissolves. Putin divides and conquers Europe, marching his army all the way to Portugal. Putin, emboldened, launches an attack on the US. Nukes fly. Game over.
Putin is Hitler with nukes. He's trying to start World War 3. We're trying to stop him before the conflict spirals out of control. If we fail, everybody dies.
We're not supporting Ukraine out of the goodness of our hearts. We're doing it to save our own asses.
NATO doesn’t respond, proves itself useless, and dissolves. Putin divides and conquers Europe, marching his army all the way to Portugal. Putin, emboldened, launches an attack on the US. Nukes fly. Game over.
That's assuming the EU won't respond, or for that matter Poland being incapable of pushing back Russia all by itself. There's about exactly one single reason why the Poles aren't parading on the Red Square right now: Because they're in NATO, which acts as a leash. Baltics pretty much have the same attitude but are smaller so they'd simply follow Poland. Finland would get pulled into it because of their own attitude and Estonia, and with them, without fail, Sweden. At which point Germany would have a hard time holding back and then it's guaranteed that the French will be in the fray, and that's presuming they wouldn't have been as soon as Poland lets loose because principle.
Now the US in its usual exceptionalism might be blissfully unaware of those dynamics, and the Kremlin because the FSB reports what the Kremlin wants to hear, but it's true nontheless. But in the end once the EU is involved the US will be, too, because the US can't countenance Europe doing something militarily without joining in. Reluctantly and in a limited fashion, probably, just as they're reluctant now. Germany has pretty much stopped trying to bully the US into providing more things because we've reached the limits of what the US will do (that is, Germany could pressure the US to deliver Abrams by tying Leos to the US also delivering tanks, but providing Taurus cruise missiles won't be tied to ATACMS because apparently that's a US red line).
That’s assuming the EU won’t respond, or for that matter Poland being incapable of pushing back Russia all by itself.
Them and what army? The only countries on Earth with enough firepower to stop Putin without launching any nukes are the US and China, and China is on Putin's side.
There’s about exactly one single reason why the Poles aren’t parading on the Red Square right now: Because they’re in NATO, which acts as a leash.
I assume this is some kind of joke.
Finland would get pulled into it because of their own attitude and Estonia, and with them, without fail, Sweden. At which point Germany would have a hard time holding back and then it’s guaranteed that the French will be in the fray, and that’s presuming they wouldn’t have been as soon as Poland lets loose because principle.
Last I heard, Finland and Sweden had been taken over by Nazis, and Germany was in the middle of being taken over by Nazis. I'd expect them to welcome Putin's invasion with open arms. France is too busy fighting itself to fight anyone else.
But in the end once the EU is involved the US will be, too, because the US can’t countenance Europe doing something militarily without joining in.
At which point we're back to square one. The reason we're having this discussion is because, in the opinion of @Roody15@reddthat.com, it is “very sad” that the US isn't going to sit back and let Putin start World War 3.
The only countries on Earth with enough firepower to stop Putin
...include Ukraine being drip-fed western surplus. France alone would roll over Russia, the Poles aren't as strong but they're fucking nuts determined because history.
I assume this is some kind of joke.
Then you don't know any Poles. You know it's one of those Eastern European countries where the first line of the national anthem goes "Our country isn't lost yet", referring to centuries upon centuries of Russian imperialism. As the joke goes:
Two Polish veterans meet at a bar. Asks one: "Wawrek, if tomorrow both the Germans and the Russians invade, who do we shoot at first?", replies the other: "Oh that's an easy one. The Germans: Business before pleasure".
That sure isn't how it went last time Poland got invaded. Their country was lost until the Allies liberated them. Same with France.
Determination does not equal manpower or firepower. If it did, there wouldn't be any Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine right now; they'd have been defeated already. That's why we're sending Ukraine war supplies.
The polish army isn't using cavalry any more. And France has nukes this time around and just for the record: France's half-surrender was the strategically optimal move in their position.
If anyone launches nukes, our whole species dies. We're trying to prevent that outcome.
Since the EU doesn't have a standing army, they cannot respond. Without NATO, Putin can drive straight to the Atlantic and there's not a goddamn thing Europeans can do about it.
NATO doesn't have a standing army. Like the EU, it has member states. EU joint Command and Control is rather lacking but if you think that means that the EU won't respond even though it is a defensive alliance you're delirious.
We’re not sending anyone to their death. Ukrainian soldiers are doing the fighting, not American ones.
Mask off moment. Ukrainians aren't even people to you. Most of them are conscripts forced to be on the front line.
Ya know there's a country called Ukraine that's involved in this, right? They are people defending their country and they're going to do that with or without US support. And Ukraine will win in the end. Russia doesn't have enough to successfully occupy Ukraine against an organized resistance which is where things could go without military aid from the west.
While a resistance would ultimately be successful, it would take a decade or more. And it's likely a Russian occupation of Ukraine would involve genocide. Do you want that?
Sending military aid isn't about trying to change the outcome of the war. Russia's defeat is inevitable. The military aid is about helping Ukraine defeat Russia sooner, without the need for a prolonged resistance campaign, and that reduces the loss of life.
When you say that Ukraine will defeat Russia do you mean Ukraine will occupy the Donbass and impose a government on them that those people don't want?
You do know that there's a region called Donbass that is involved in this right? And they've been fighting for their lives since 2014. Why don't you care about those people?
It seems unlikely that the people of Donbass do want to be a part of Russia now that they've had a taste of occupation.
Being conscripted, given third rate equipment or no equipment at all and being send to die is not generally an endearing act.
Being conscripted, given third rate equipment or no equipment at all and being send to die is not generally an endearing act.
This is what Ukraine's coup government has been doing for over a year at this point.
They spent 8 years being shelled by Ukraine prior to that
You don't get to instigate a rebellion using your own intelligence and military assets, and then invade your neighbor and claim that you never did, that's just bullshit.
This entire conflict was instigated by Russia.
It's very hard to invent a movement in another country. Were they backed by Russia from the outset? Obviously, but they had real reasons to be upset with what the new administration was doing. This is a little like dismissing the people who disagree with you as bots, it lets you avoid needing to consider that some people might have good reason for opposing your favored side.
Yes, absolutely it was. There have been many books and publications featuring interviews and even video footage of Russian soldiers from the outset of the war. Here's an interview:
And Russia seized crimea right afterwards. Coincidence? Nope.
And let's not forget how they"separatists" somehow were operating Russian military air defense systems.
Igor Girkin was found responsible for shooting down MH17 by a Dutch cour.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63637625
... But he was a Russian commander who controlled the so-called Donetsk People's Republic armed forces.
Russian authorities on Friday detained Igor Girkin, a former Russian commander in Ukraine and prominent war blogger, reportedly on charges of promoting extremism — marking the first time Moscow has taken action against a fervent supporter of the war in Ukraine but one who voiced loud criticism of Russian leaders and their often botched military strategy.
"Girkin, who is also known by his nom de guerre Igor Strelkov, is an ex-officer of the Federal Security Service, or FSB. He played a role in Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014 and then served as a commander in Russian-controlled areas of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, where he helped foment a separatist war and was accused of extrajudicial killings."
Russia used their guys to instigate a rebellion. If you think all rebellions are free from outside influences, you are sorely mistaken and shows complete naivete regarding the current conflict.
I just said they were Russian backed from the outset, but that does not mean Russia invented the sentiment wholecloth.
Good thing they have you to tell them their opinion, oh white saviour.
Why won't Russia stop the war?
Why did Vladimir Putin claim that Ukraine isn't a country?
Why does Russia purchase Iranian suicide drones, and launch drone and cruise missile attacks on Ukrainian cities every week?
Why do Russians want to kill all Ukrainians when they were considered brothers 2 years ago?