AIBU to be utterly horrified that the US has cut off military aid to Ukraine?

That's not assistance to Ukraine though is it? That's some flaky words about rebuilding European militaries at some point, maybe, and the accounting dodge they will use to do it with debt rather than cut spending elsewhere.

Look at the UK, making a big deal about raiding the foreign aid budget to find an extra £5bn for defence spending, and still the % of GDP spent on defence will be less than half what the US spends. Pissing in the ocean I'm afraid and we shouldn't be moaning about the US refusing to do what we also refuse to do.

I would never have expected a day when the USA sides with Russia against a liberal democracy in Europe.

It was unthinkable until Trump came along. That tells its own tale.

It's really, really awful. Europe has been abandoned by it's most powerful ally, whilst he sucks up to Putin. There seems to be a whole new world order emerging.

That actually made me 😂 in the midst of all this. I was telling my children that when I studied post war politics in 1989-91, I just couldn't have imagined this.

In fact, I used to think everyone 'doom-mongering' about Trump was going a bit overboard. But seeing the chaos he's unleashed so quickly, I can't imagine where we will be in 4 years time. One thing I can't imagine is him and his cronies relinquishing power. He will stay, whether it's through underhand vote manipulation or outright control of the military. If I were American I would revolt now, before it's too late. The other parts of government need to stand up him, the American people need to stand up to him.

YANBU.

I lived through the Cold War (no joke to be forced to contemplate the end of the world fairly regularly through my youth). I saw the proxy war of Vietnam and the damage it caused in the USA and Australia (not to mention Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia!).

I would never have expected a day when the USA sides with Russia against a liberal democracy in Europe.

I’ve seen the figures, and no, Ukraine weren’t. The idea Zelenskyy is pocketing the money has been thoroughly debunked. Stop trying to justify Trump.

It's happening at all levels.

Here's $40m meant for mortar rounds that disappeared
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4435619-ukraine-says-defense-officials-stole-40-million-meant-for-mortar-munitions/

Don't forget both Russia and Ukraine were high up the corruption indexes prior to 2022. We've thrown billions at Ukraine with very little accountability and oversight.

Absolutely.

McCarthy must be revolving in his grave.

Wouldn't that be ironic!

Maybe Trump is softening the American people up to the idea of communism

The first poster was implying Zelenskyy had pocketed it. Your link, while accurate, shows that’s happening upstream.

China's only interest is in themselves. Read the below paragraph and you will understand why.

"Drug addiction in China began with the importation of Indian opium by the British in the 16th century and brought severe social and health problems. While drug abuse abated following the establishment of People's Republic of China, modernization and Westernization in the 1980s led to the reemergence of this problem."

Here you go, from the Kiev Independent in January

Ukraine has received less than half of US assistance allocated during full-scale war, Zelensky says

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-has-received-less-than-half-of-us-assistance-allocated-during-full-scale-war-zelensky-says/

And people kept telling me on another thread how intelligent Vance is.

Must be keeping it well hidden if he keeps coming out with stuff he should remember

Early onset Dementia maybe if he has forgotten so much?

He is playing the game - Putin’s.

He should be ashamed he didn't step away and let a proper election campaign happen for someone/anyfuckingone that would have beat trump

So to me joe should be getting a kick in the balls

Maybe if the US economy tanks and people's standard/costs of living hugely deteriorate, then the worms may turn.

The person in the street is not all that involved in wars and espionage and Project 25 and NATO etc. But they are very cognisant of the cost of living. They were promised more money in their pockets if Trump won.

If that doesn't happen very soon (and many Americans don't get the potential impact of tariffs on their pockets yet), well that may turn things around. Protests etc. Bad publicity. Bad vibes. I don't know, just thinking out loud.

It's the economy Stupid.

He’s not posturing, he’s acting.

Despite what he’s telling you, Europe has given more to Ukraine than the US.

Zelenskyy wasn’t disrespectful.

No money has gone missing. Debunked misinformation.

Churchill wore military dress during WW2 when he visited, for eg, the White House. Was he a ‘little man…in action man clothes’?

It may be true that American aid makes it more likely to succeed at peacekeeping - but remember there was an agreement with Ukraine when it gave up nuclear weapons. They (and the rest of Europe) are not wrong t9 expect it to be upheld.

Some reputable people have said Trump is too closely tied to Russia and always has been.

The best scenario for everyone is the one where Putin isn’t emboldened and is made to stop his invasion of a sovereign country. It’s even best for the US.

Does that cover all your ‘points’?

If there was any uncertainty that Trump is a Russian asset, it's gone now. And America as an ally with it. All we can do is hope Europe (and perhaps Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.) rally round and support Ukraine.

On a side note - What an odd choice of words and grammar from the pro-Trump poster.

From the Vice President of a country that hasn't won one since the War of Independance. Joining in when the it was clear which was the winning side doesn't count.

Europe isn't doing anything. Warm words aren't what's required here. It's military power and we don't have any because we've been sponging off the US for decades. If our electorates had prioritised defence spending over welfare, things might be different, but we didn't, so can't really be moaning that US taxpayers don't want to foot the bill any more.

Totally justified amount of hatred levelled at Trump based on his actions and words. He has never played the game.