Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Yeah it's madness. There well able to help Israel out by shooting stuff out of the air but not Ukraine. The world is getting more messed up by the day.

it’s all connected, russia and iran are in league with each other.

Funding, munitions and supplies are exactly what will make a difference, in addition to the fighting will of the Ukrainians themselves.

Wars can be won and lost on the back of supply chains. This has been the case of larger previous conflicts, and the Ukraine War is little different. Russia has been throwing at Ukraine; the entirety of a Soviet stockpile built up during the Cold War for a Europe-wide conflict against NATO. It’s decrepit, outclassed often by 90’s tech, but there is plenty of it. This is Russia’s supply chain, which amounts to raiding stockpiles from another era and supplementing it with 2nd World Tech. Ukraine however currently need to rely upon NATO to supply them.

If Congress can get past the neo-facists in the number to reopen funding to Ukraine, the Russian military can be defeated at a discount price compared to the global conflict that NATO was originally arming against. There needs to be steady flow of this for the AFU to advance. If not, they need to focus on defence, which they appear to be doing now.

The Russians very desperately need Trump & the GOP to win in November or the US will most certainly return to funding Ukraine. The Russians do not have the means to continue this war indefinitely, and a funded Ukraine will eventually finish off the Russian military adventure inside thier borders.

The US has given little to nothing to Ukraine, especially not hundreds of billions of dollars. If they've given even $1b, I'd be surprised. What they have given is billions of dollars to the US for obsolete and end of life equipment that was due for scrappage but was then handed to the Ukraine. They're not nearly as generous as they like to make out.

Prepare to be surprised:

The Joe Biden administration and the U.S. Congress have directed about $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute. (This figure does not include all war-related U.S. spending, such as aid to allies.)

https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-aid-has-us-sent-ukraine-here-are-six-charts

@johnnyskeleton

But Europe will turn cold towards the US as an unreliable defence and trade partner and seek to improve relations with China. US global hegemony will be over, and this will be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your world view. But, what is not a matter of debate is that the US economy would, in such circumstances shrink significantly. The US would also lack allies in its rivalry with China.

On the China-EU relations point, at the moment just can't see Europe (EU, as a bloc) improving relations with China very much. I expect they will get worse.

IMO this is kind of independent of support the US provides or withholds from Ukraine, and also independent of whatever bad stuff happens in future to the relations between the EU and the US (e.g. dawn of a new Trump era, God forbid).

So you could have an unfortunate situation where the EU is getting more isolated and relations with both of these 2 "superpowers" are worsening, with China (and potentially the US) trying to undermine us, rob us, carve us up into bits in their influence games.

China winks at at what Russia has been doing in Ukraine. They are Russia's main high technology supplier and trade partner now, have been a massive help to them in keeping their economy going under Western sanctions and enabling increases in weapons production.

There is a bloc of Eastern and Baltic states facing a real threat from Russia that are not going to want to be China's friend after all this, esp. if reports/claims by the US are right and they are now poking a toe past the stated "red line" of military aid to Russia (could actually prove to be some more empty US words that sound good with nothing behind it I fear, bold new policy could be on hold because it is a crucial election year).

Nor is Germany I think, who have sunk an awful lot into trying to help Ukraine (while China more and more openly backs Russia to destroy it) and whose industry and EU market is under threat from Chinese export dumping in Europe (mercantilist "dual circulation" policy of the Chinese govt.).

Not to mention industrial espionage and cyberattacks that until recently at least seem to be written off as a kind of acceptable Western corporate cost of doing business with China.

There's a few smaller and (IMO) short sighted + very greedy EU countries (incl. Ireland in that number!…we would sell our granny for some FDI) who are lured by and even encourage CCP investments and who could try and veto future trade sanctions against China at EU level, but I think there will now be a bloc in the EU that is opposed to any closer relationship with China for a long time.

J D Vance ( REP ) now on CNN with same craic. Basically saying that in order to fund Israel who is a far closer ally and Taiwan and the US itself, they cant afford to fund Ukraine also

Vance - Ukraine is not an ally and doesnt deserve being funded. Tomorrow the money for Israel only should be put tru congress, Israel is way more important to US than Ukraine is

No surprise there.

The new story so appears to be BRING the Israel aid ( separate from Ukraine, Taiwan aid which is conditional to Southern Border ) to the floor in congress tomorrow and get it passed as the Senate already passsed it. Biden / Dems will have to pass it in congress otherwise ( with current events ) it would not be a good look at all. So again it seems Trump has the Dems / Biden by the balls ..

Ukraine must feel hugely abandoned now, particularly by the US via Trump and his political party called the GOP / Republicans.

How hollow this phrase "we will be with you to the end" or similar is. Maddening soundbites because that is all they are, worthless .. and from the get go, when Russia invaded Ukraine in feb 2022, and when I heard leaders inc EU with there soundbite statements I knew they would be utter worthless, regardless of how well meaning, as they have proven now to be, esp from the USA via Trump and his political party called the GOP / Republicans. .

( also see my comments above re Marco Rubio and JD Vance saying Ukraine is not an ally and not worth supporting )

We, especially in Europe will rue these days as we are at the forefront of whats to come.

Putin laughing all the way at this, good ol divide and conquer. Just when whatever support there was for Israel was beginning to slip, Iran intervenes again and the USA/ UK rush to save Netanyahu's bacon. All focus on Israel and giving them protection. Meanwhile he can prosecute his imperial war of conquest much less hindered.

what if The US wants an ally in that area! Ie UKr.