To think we cannot afford to support Ukraine anymore

[Saysomething1234]

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?

this is bureaucrat speak for coming to the rescue when s**t starts raining. pl be not so painfully dumb.

www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_50349.htm#:~:text=The%20Partnership%20for%20Peace%20(PfP,their%20own%20priorities%20for%20cooperation.

Activities on offer under the PfP programme touch on virtually every field of NATO activity, including defence-related work, defence reform, defence policy and planning, civil-military relations, education and training, military-to-military cooperation and exercises, civil emergency response, and cooperation on science and environmental issues.

That’s not the choice. Appeasing Russia isn’t a long term solution - that is exactly what will lead to war in nato territory. They have repeatedly attacked other countries- it must stop here or in the heart of Europe.

We all know that. I think you’re most likely a Russian bot so I’m not engaging further.

The insanity is in looking at the last two decades and thinking that option b is a viable option that would save either lives or money in the medium to long term.

The same way you sleep when the Middle East/ Africa/ developing countries are being bombed and raped.

I agree, OP. I am not sure where this money is coming from or what the end game is.

@Saysomething1234 well you started the thread saying it wasn't in Britain's best interests to help Ukraine. I have given you an a lot of reasons why it is in all our interests as have other posters.

Morally it's right to help because it's a clear cut case of self defense / a just war. All wars are awful, but in this case Russia is clearly the aggressor.

Everyone please ignore @Konfetka
Clearly russian bot with a russian word for the name

I also think the UK needs to back off with financial help and focus on sorting out the myriad problems we are facing. Financing an unwinnable war with Russia when we can't properly fund basic public services here is bonkers.

@ChillyFloss have you actually read this thread properly?

I don’t for a second believe you genuinely think the EU and UK are standing behind Ukraine for the sake of morality or that you believe the invasion has nothing to do with us, or even that you think we would be any better off to just stop providing any support to Ukraine. This is already an actual war in all but name and it is about the balance of power (or powers) in the world, and whether western democracies can survive. The end result will have a colossal effect on us and the world order regardless of whether we give up or fight back, we can’t pretend nothing much of any note has happened and it’s just a little spat between neighbours. As for negotiating - Putin is not a human being who negotiates, he wants to win, he wants the West to suffer or preferably die a death, and he wants more than Ukraine. And if he can’t have Ukraine (which he doesn’t even recognise as a sovereign state), he wants to make it a wasteland. He’s not too bothered if the entire world starves as a result. We are therefore in the absolute shit regardless and backing off at this point is not an option, not while Putin remains in control. Ironically, we cannot afford to back down when in such a weak position economically, we need to win and leave the enemy weaker, because otherwise there is another pack of ravening wolves out there ready to finish us off. You can certainly argue, “I wouldn’t start here,” but unfortunately we do not have a time machine to go back and change past dynamics which led to this point.

yeah because they must be naming the bots with russian sounding names so no one would know!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

bravo.

Yes thank you. Have you?

As has previously been said, the price of a Ukrainian loss is far too great. The political consequences are massive. An emboldened Russia has already carried out poison attacks on this country because it wasn’t banking on a big response. Ukraine is quietly putting Russia back in its box. Aside from the Russian oil and gas that Comes via Ukraine, the west relies on Ukrainian wheat to feed the third world. Ukraine has a lot of heavy engineering production to.

No we shouldn't stop supporting. Maybe if our hopeless, self serving government started taxing wealth properly there would be more money for all of the broken things.

In what way is it utterly ludicrous???

Absolutely. No money or lives to be saved by appeasing a tyrant. Nor from creating a puppet state in Ukraine.

I must say that I have family in Eastern Europe (both Russia and Ukraine) and the bravery of the Ukrainians is extraordinary and we should be in awe of them for that. They will likely save us from the horrors of war in Europe by their bravery and we should not forget it.

How would those public services do without semiconductors? Or if we were fighting a shooting war in Latvia or Estonia? Or both?

I have, as my frequent comments will illustrate. I don’t think YOU have though, as your comments are so ill informed.

But the UK could have fund the services, it is a political choice not to do it.
If ruling party wants to reach privatisation of the public service, they have to let it fall a bit, just to persuade the voters, that there's no other choice.

And based on the evidence of the courage and determination of Ukrainians, OP's contention that stopping financial aid would 'save lives' is fairly baseless; it would just take military ordnance away from Ukrainian fighters, make their defeat more likely and more of them would likely be killed.

Unless the suggestion is that the West should somehow force Ukraine to surrender? Gosh that is very 1938 indeed (and frankly wouldn't happen given they're already fighting and there is much less incentive for them to stop than there was for Czech partition.

Yes ,clearly, as only person agreeing with your ridiculous statements.
I'm ukrainian OP and I'm deeply offended by your comments about my country and negotiated settlement

Absolutely. We are funding this war in Ukraine because we are well aware that a Ukrainian loss will be extremely costly for us in the uk. That’s entirely aside from the fact that it is the right thing to do.

So if we pursue a settlement with Russia the UK will get into a shooting war with Latvia?
Okay then.

@Teensandfuture slava Ukraini 🙂 please be assured that the ignorance of some on this post is not the common sentiment

30% of those voting agree with me. are 30% of MN population russian bots?

I am sorry for what is happening in Ukraine and war is unimaginably terrible. But you have to understand the question here being raised is about what is right perspective for the UK in this conflict. Clearly it is good for Ukraine to supported by the UK. Question is when does it stop being right for UK?

Not with Latvia. IN LATVIA. They’re a nato member who we must protect if they are attacked and Russia have already said they are not a “real country” etc.