War in Ukraine

I wouldn't bet my house on it. If Trump hadn't been jerking Ukraine around since he took office and actually continued to provide weapons both offensive and defensive maybe Putin would actually be at the negotiating table. With Russia currently winning on the ground it's not going to happen anytime soon. It's only been a couple of months since Trump and his buddy JD Vance publicly humiliated Zelensky while praising Putin. Hopefully this time Trump is really serious about ending the war and not doing so in a manner in which he surrenders Ukraine to Russia.

 

Maybe. I wouldn’t. Even if you handed over the weapons right now, it would take around 50 days to integrate and employ them. If the weapons are already in Ukrainian hands, then that gives Putin even more to consider.

 

That’s why the distinction is important. We are part of NATO. The most significant part. So “NATO paying” does mean Canada and the European members sharing the cost, but we would still pay a large share, I believe. .

 

glad to see it. Like I mentioned before. If their defense isn’t important enough for their money then it isn’t important for mine

 

what do you call the racket when for decades your ‘partners’ are not spending their own money on defense and then r demanding the US swoop in from 4000 miles away and send its citizen soldiers to die on their behalf . That’s far more of a ‘racket’ than asking a ‘partner’ to actually pay up. Again. If your defense of your country is not important enough for you to spend your money then it’s certainly not important enough for me to spend mine.

 

I think we are 99%’in agreement. All I was saying is I’m glad to see those seeing the biggest benefit of American arms/tech/ingenuity finally actually paying for it and not lecturing the US that we should be requiring our taxpayers and citizens to foot their defense bill

 

That’s incredibly shortsighted to take action like it’s not to our benefit. Just as it’s too our benefit to ensure all are vaccinated, regardless of ability to pay or prioritization of money, a free democratic Europe as counterbalance to Russia is to our benefit. I have no problem holding Europe’s feet to the fire to get them to contribute more, but let’s not pretend we don’t need them as they are.

 

Glad to see Trump coming around on this issue - even if it meant coming at it from another angle.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/14/trump-ukraine-weapons-sanctions/

It will be interesting if he follows through on sanctions and tariffs - of Russia oil, which would presumably affect India and China.

 

I didn't realize that Russia's potatoes (kilograms) are different than our potatoes (pounds). Maybe that's why they consume so much borscht.