Ukraine Invasion: Part 54

[MagicFox]

We're on 54. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
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Hold on! I still strongly believe there are a lot of very good and very beautiful things in the world and we will all get through this one way or another.

Vance is an absolute ferret.

I am sorry this happened to you Jelly 😞…. This is what happened with us too, I’ve fallen out with friends and family a long time ago…. Since 2014 initially and then more brutally in 2022. This is another reason I hate Putin and trump. For causing divisions and forcing us to pick sides against our loved ones. It’s fucking horrible.

I'm sorry, @Igotjelly So so sad when people you're close to act like this.

I’m usually quite willing to accept that we can’t always all agree but honestly I think I’ve finally found the hill I’m willing to die on.

Anyone else worried that Ukraine’s air defences will become depleted in the coming weeks/months and that Putin will launch increasingly ferocious attacks given he now has no pushback from the US?

@Igotjelly if its any consolation, I have a mother who thinks that the Jan 6th US insurrection was overblown and even went so far as to buy me a MAGA hat as a gift during the first Trump presidency as she thought it was funny. As you can imagine, our relationship is strained to say the least.

💐 Hang in there Ducks. I am still clinging to shreds of hope that the world is better than what two deranged old men would have us believe and that the good will overcome the evil.

Having said that I too am down in the dumps as we all are.

Oh man that sounds awful.

Finally some push back from republicans! https://x.com/Mike_Pence/status/1892271536394162229

I hear you. My own mother is the only person whom I haven’t cut the contact with from my trump/ Putin supporting relatives and ex friends. I love her too much. But it hurts like hell hearing her say crazy shit, I can’t understand how she came to be like that. But it’s not uncommon for people of my generation having parents like that, who grew up in the golden era of USSR (soviet boomers) … so in this I am not alone.

I am however shelving the idea of going to visit her in Florida where she lives, for her 70th birthday this year and it breaks my heart. Not so much because of her political views. We have agreed to disagree and not discuss for the sake of our relationship. But no way I am going to travel to the US in the near future while trump is their president, not after this week.

Funnily enough we have a US holiday booked for the summer and we are now seriously debating the ethics of going.

I see Starmer has spoken to Zelenskyy privately to offer the UK’s support. Yes it might not be immediate military aid and “just” diplomacy but at this stage it must mean a great deal to at least have that verbal support.

@Igotjelly it’s not good at all, but the latest in a very long line of unfortunate life choices and opinions. As recently as 2 weeks ago she was imparting her MAGA views. I can hardly wait for our next phone call….

I understand. Would you be able to claim your money back if you cancel?

No. If that were an option we would have cancelled for sure.

Maybe you can sell the tickets?

It’s unlikely that the Russian army can support a faster operational tempo than they’re maintaining now.

If you go, would you be able to enjoy it or would it be sour? If it would be enjoyable then go and maybe make it a swan song until things improve.

Not on a par with @Igotjelly or @Mb76 but we were (very seriously) invited to live in the US by our texan friends a couple of days after trump's win. On an entrepreneur/investor visa. We were very blunt and said there was no way on God's earth we would live under a Trump administration. They replied that they thought we would really like it, we would find it refreshing and to ignore the media! We have honestly had so many conversations about Trump with them that we can't believe they would even suggest it. They are our oldest friends but I'm not sure if we will survive this next chapter.

Trump actively supports dictatorships. I will do the man the credit of believing his actions if not his words. He will hang Ukraine out to dry. If we (i.e. Europe) are serious about preserving our democracy, we cannot be dependent on the USA - right now, its a hostile power.

On the plus side, if the US are no longer sending military aid, anything Ukraine has left has no restrictions or red lines.

On the plus side, if the US are no longer sending military aid, anything Ukraine has left has no restrictions or red lines.

now that's the brightest silver lining in all this. Very true.

I was considering a trip to the US next year but am tempted to boycott in solidarity with the Canadians (and whoever else is being threatened with invasion by then).

And whoever wins the German elections is likely to be in favour of sending Taurus

Lindsay Graham has spoken to Zelenskyy and supports elections only after a peace deal. He has suggested that the true dictator in all of this is Putin.

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress

"While the timing of criticising the EU leadership could, right now, be better and honestly letting off steam about Trump is probably a safety mechanism to stop us all exploding given what he's coming out with ... yeah. @1dayatatime -is- a Ukraine supporter."

Thank you for your kind words and understanding of my frustration.

I guess the reason I'm not shocked and angry by Trump's actions and words is that I was shocked and angry 12 months ago when he first announced them. So it has come as no surprise to me that he is now implementing them.

But what is transparently clear especially after today's comments on "dictatorship " and "fresh elections "is that Ukraine cannot rely on the US for further military aid. That the only place replacement military aid can come from is Europe and that time is running out fast.

I'm not surprised either but very very dispirited to see it happen. At least @DdraigGoch has come up with a couple of truly good points.