To think we cannot afford to support Ukraine anymore

You're right in that our economy and public services are shite OP. But that is the Tories' fault, not Ukraine's. It's the tories who have managed our country for the last 12 years are our domestic problems are of their making.

In my opinion, its not that we can't afford to support Ukraine, it's that we can't afford not to. The prospect of Putin being allowed to plough his Armed Forces through Eastern Europe unchecked is an unimaginable one in terms of our own security and that our neighbours and allies.

That's my opinion, anyway.

I'm all for helping refugees but I agree that we shouldn't be committing money we haven't got to Ukraine, beyond the humanitarian aid.
Our own country is coming apart at the seams. It would be lovely if we were able to right injustice throughout the world but this requires all countries that value human rights, to behave as one cohesive unit and it also requires many more resources than the UK currently has available.
The EU countries seem very quiet compared to the UK on Ukraine - I wonder why.

YABU

read a history book and find out how well it goes when a blind eye is turned to psychos nicking other people’s countries

Well said. OP needs to educate themselves pronto!

There's a difference between 'everything which is terrible in the world' and 'something that could end up on our doorstep'.

I bet you'd feel a bit differently if you were at risk of having to pick up a gun and head into the fray, like our men may be if Putin is not contained within Ukraine.

In the unlikely event that China/Iran/etc, got involved the results could be disastrous. Same if the Russians resort to a nucleur attack - can't see the NHS coping very well tbh!

OP, the Russian translates to "Hello Vlad"

‘Your’ money. Give over. And go to Moscow, you’re just the Lord Haw-Haw type they need.

as a uk taxpayer, i'm rather concerned about the use of my money and future of my country

Excellent, maybe look into how Russia has been pushing to destabilize and reduce the economic power of the UK in the last 10 years or so.

"they are doing it wrong"
"So what do you think they should do"
"I don't know but they are doing it wrong"

Sometimes it is better to not saysomething...

Hahah, what an example! Afghanistan was a secular country in a conflict with Russia. The US couldn’t fucking stay away so funded the mujahideen, created the Taliban and destroyed a perfectly normal country.

Makes me think about the poem by Martin Niemöller.

First they came...And i did not speak out.

We should 100% support Ukraine.

We can’t afford not to provide weapons to help Ukraine. Putin has been increasingly aggressive towards the West in recent years. The recent covert interference in elections in both USA and UK was part of a bigger plan to extend Russia’s global influence.

If Europe turned a blind eye and accepted the story that Russia were simply freeing Ukraine from the Nazis then it would give Putin free reign to expand elsewhere.

A united stance against Putin also sends a strong message to other countries watching this who are interested in gaining power.

Привет Влад.

Take your Russian propaganda elsewhere.

You really don’t get this do you OP? We can’t ignore this.

diplomacy doesn't sell in the public's eyes,

Peace in our time was actually pretty popular, the problem was it didn't actually work.

You were fucking lucky to be born here. Lucky that you weren't born somewhere currently suffering in the way Ukraine is. Maybe unlucky, in that we are not in the best place now BUT FFS for some people it could be worse.

How would you feel if our tiny island was invaded/made war against. Me in that situation, would certainly hope that our better off neighbours would try and support us as best they could.

You are being so very very entitled.

And if you are totally fucking selfish - just think who Putin et al will go for next if the rest of us let him/them walk roughshod over Ukraine

The OP is coming across as if this is a war on which we are on the sidelines watching with interest but not directly affected. I disagree... it may not be bullets that we are being attacked with in the UK, but indirectly we are suffering from rising fuel costs, less European stability, cyber attacks, crashing pension funds and a war on our close doorstep. These are not the results of the UK helping Ukraine but are another form of warfare that Putin is using to attack the UK and Europe. In other words, we are already at war of a sorts with a Russia and it has nothing to do with supporting Ukraine. The real question is : at what point to we actively engage in that war above and beyond imposing sanctions. To believe we are not at war or to think it is purely down to the UK supporting Ukraine is naive in the extreme.

Your last response is neither considered nor balanced nor provides a fully and appropriate argument or reply to any of the counter claims.

There are several posts in the thread explaining why our involvement is not altruistic. Scroll back and read them. We aren’t doing it to be lovely, don’t be daft.

Hahaha!! Diplomacy with madman Putin!

YANBU on the basis that we shouldn't pick and choose which refugees we help. It's either an equal number from those in war torn countries or none at all. I hate the caste system the Ukrainian crisis has created. Why are we ok to help Ukrainian refugees but not Iraqi refugees for example?

@Saysomething1234 so what difference would it make to energy prices in the uk if we didn't support Ukraine? Do you think it is a good/sensible idea to be reliant on Russia for our energy?

This is a country that has carried out what are effectively terrorist attacks on our soil. Think Litvinenko and also the nerve gas in Salisbury. They also constantly boast on the news about how they plan to nuke us.

Are you for real? Wow.