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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we cannot afford to support Ukraine anymore

905 replies

Saysomething1234 · 04/01/2023 21:38

This may be an unpopular opinion but it is annoying me to no end and NC

We have a littany of issues crying out for funding domestically - NHS broken. Economy going down the drain. Pound down 20% in one year. Public services collapsing, Education system requiring re-investment, high taxes driving talent out. We can keep blaming our politicians but someone needs to prioritise where money goes - and no one is willing to talk about this

Yet we are spending hundreds of billions in supporting Ukraine in a war which has nothing to do with us. Yes we are morally supporting them but is there no amount which will be too much? We are paying both directly (through weapons and aid) and indirectly (through huge energy subsidies - last totalling north of £200bn) - we need to stop this spending, reduce energy prices, stop this craziness

How is this war something we can afford on the basis on principles and why aren't we more aggressively pushing for a negotiated settlement?

We cannot afford this. It sucks for Ukrainians but this is not UK's bill to foot.

AIBU?

OP posts:
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Beexo · 04/01/2023 21:55

This is a proxy war and it involves us too . Ukraine is a major food producer and has natural resources access to the black sea. You let Russia take over and we lose access to those resources. Also it's appeasement and telling Vlad that he can go on trying to make a soviet union mark 2.

idonotmind · 04/01/2023 21:53

Yup. Uk cannot support itself, never mind others

Nimbostratus100 · 04/01/2023 21:53

SuperHandss · 04/01/2023 21:48

Yet we are spending hundreds of billions in supporting Ukraine in a war which has nothing to do with us.

Nothing to do with us? I don’t understand this view in any way.

Exactly - this war has everything to do with us. This is our war. We cant afford not to fight it. And thank God we are fighting it by sacrificing central heating and luxury deserts, rather than our homes and our sons and husbands.

Cherryblossoms85 · 04/01/2023 21:53

We are all absolutely fucked if Putin wins. I guess you'd be on the Chamberlain side of the argument in 1938.

cantkeepawayforever · 04/01/2023 21:53

While I do not necessarily agree with the OP, how does our contribution compare (either on a per country or per capita basis) with other Western European countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries? The arguments in the thread so far are as valid for all European countries - is the contribution of money and weapons / value of weapon similarly balanced?

Eyerollcentral · 04/01/2023 21:52

@Saysomething1234 Britain does not get involved in wars that aren’t in its interests. It’s as simple as that. The British government provides arms all over the world in conflicts supporting whoever it thinks at that time it is in their strategic interests to arm. They aren’t spending money to support those plucky Ukrainians. Frankly they would leave them to be slaughtered without a second thought unless it was to their benefit that Russia was defeated.

Original poster
Saysomething1234 · 04/01/2023 21:52

So we have no limit to how much we should spend to support Ukraine?

OP posts:
Pothoswithasparkle · 04/01/2023 21:52

Is your plan to give him Ukraine so it all goes quiet? Because that's what he wants. Or parts?
It worked so well in Munich, didn't it...

CPL593H · 04/01/2023 21:52

We cannot afford not to.

AlmondBake · 04/01/2023 21:51

Do you really think if we stop supporting Ukraine and they lose the war, that Putin will stop there? Seriously?

Derbee · 04/01/2023 21:51

This is a very short sighted, immature point of view.

We can’t afford NOT to support Ukraine, and we all need to play our part to prevent the invasion of countries. How would you feel if it was the UK that had been invaded?

FACupcake · 04/01/2023 21:51

YABVU. Ukraine are fighting for all of us and we should be doing more to help.

Cloud9isnowclosed · 04/01/2023 21:50

Plus, I think wholesale energy costs have dropped considerably and are expected to filter through to consumers in the next quarter

Cloud9isnowclosed · 04/01/2023 21:49

Could you answer my question please @Saysomething1234 - if you've got as far as saying we should be aggressively pursuing a negotiated settlement, I'm assuming you've spent time considering this in depth?

FlorenceAndTheVendingMachine · 04/01/2023 21:48

I bet you'd feel very different if the shoe were on the other foot. Nothing we are experiencing is anywhere near as bad as what they are.

I was just reading a story from a couple telling about how they'd been forced to have sex in front of the soldiers and then watch their 4yo daughter being raped. I'd not let that slide just because it'ss getting expensive to put the heating on.

SuperHandss · 04/01/2023 21:48

Yet we are spending hundreds of billions in supporting Ukraine in a war which has nothing to do with us.

Nothing to do with us? I don’t understand this view in any way.

Murdoch1949 · 04/01/2023 21:48

We can't afford to NOT support Ukraine. Remember Hitler's march through Europe?

AutisticLegoLover · 04/01/2023 21:47

YABVU. Humanitarian crises should always get aid from other countries. I'd hope other countries would help the UK if we ever needed it. Our country is a mess but compared to Ukraine and other places we are rich and are able to help.
The government always finds money for what it wants to spend it on. MPs ludicrous expenses, dodgy contracts with their mates, eat out to help out to name a few.
The state of the UK is down to poor investment in services and shitty government after shitty government over the past decade or more.

Aposterhasnoname · 04/01/2023 21:47

Sorry Vlad, no one’s buying it.

ColdHandsHotHead · 04/01/2023 21:47

You do realise, don't you, that most of the Ukrainians who came over are providing cheap labour to keep businesses running? I live in a holiday area and last year, the hotels and restaurants were full of Ukrainian staff.

Hobbesmanc · 04/01/2023 21:46

History tells us that isolationism doesn't work. Putin has a clear agenda to expand Russian territory. We have a commitment to prevent this and protect our allies.

Original poster
Saysomething1234 · 04/01/2023 21:46

I dont know what the answer is but all the commentary seems to be very much "bring it on, we will see all you got"

to the person calling me vladimir - pl try to imagine a world where someone can have an opinion different from yours without being a conspiracy

to the one asking me to walk in Ukrainian's shoes - so there is no cost too much? We are complaining about energy crisis yet the most obvious factor causing the problem is not on the table?

OP posts:
HikingforScenery · 04/01/2023 21:46

EncyclopediaOfNought · 04/01/2023 21:44

These things are always cynical. It’s not because we believe in charity. It’s because we believe there’s an outcome worth paying for in our interests. Our interests around fuel and food production for one, our interests for our own security. Not because we are all cuddly and nice.

Exactly this!

MechanicaHound · 04/01/2023 21:45

I agree with you OP.

BedfordBloo · 04/01/2023 21:45

We can’t afford not to. This is a tester war and if we back down on Ukraine then Putin knows we’ll back down on others until it’s too late. Russia is weak and struggling, now is not the time to bow out. Even from a strictly selfish perspective, if Russia wins this war, our prices will go up more and more.