Choosing Sides!
The war in Ukraine has been raging since Russia invaded its peaceful neighbor in 2022 after nearly a decade of unrest. Like so many Americans, I've followed the war with mild interest, considering this struggle just more conflict in a big wide world. I knew perfectly well that the United States was on the side of the Ukrainians, supplying them with arms and weapons enough to stave off the Russian assault. To most folks surprise the Ukrainians have proven to be a tough bunch and Putin has seen his hold on power threatened by their rugged resistance to his schemes. He has been using his resources to pay American influencers to undermine American support for the Ukrainian war effort and our President-Elect is actively hostile to the Ukrainian side of the conflict.
In anticipation of a change of policy, the current President has lifted certain limits placed on the Ukrainians concerning the use of American armaments and this has resulted in American-supplied missiles striking deep into Russian territory. Weirdly, the Ukrainians also find themselves battling North Korean troops, sent by their insane little leader in exchange for much needed oil in the dark little kingdom he oversees. Many of these troops have taken this chance, so far from their homeland to defect. It's clear from events like these which side of the conflict is on the side of the angels, where in war it's hard to see the clarity. I dread that Americans are going to be fed a bunch of nonsense to allow the U.S. to switch up sides when the next President takes charge, and his Russian sympathetic Director of Intelligence begins to grind the machine.
The Europeans can pick up the slack of supporting the Ukrainian effort, but what I fear more than anything else is somehow someway the future President delivering U.S. resources to the Russian side. It would have to be after some potent propaganda but that has already begun. People rightly fear a third world war, but what I fear even more is that my country will be on the wrong side.
Rip Off
The United States provides most of the military aid to Ukraine so I'm doubtful that Europe could pick up the slack. There is a fear in Europe that Trump will withdraw from NATO too or at least he might refuse to help a NATO member if it gets invaded by Putin.
ReplyDeleteI fear the same. He's brayed on about NATO and his boss Putin would love it. But surely given the existential threat that Russia is to the Europe, the will and money would be found to fund the Ukranians. It can't be that the U.S. is the only financial source for defense in the world. Surely Britain, France, Spain, Germany and the Scandinavian countries could fund the Ukranians if they had to. Combined there's more than enough wealth to face off against a Russian army which has been revealed to be weaker than long believed.
DeleteA quick revealed to me that the Gross GDP of the European Union is nearly 20 trillion and the GDP of the U.S. is just over 25 trillion. I get that we are much stronger together, the whole ethos of NATO speaks to that ideal, but in a pinch it seems that Europe should be able to carry the ball, at least until we finally shake off this rat bastard.
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