"Prime Minister Keir Starmer recommits to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine until 2030/31 and for as long as needed"

[changefromhr]

That's a huge amount of money for a war that's not going to end anytime soon.
3 BILLION a year!
3 x 1 thousand millions!
Where is this money going to come from? This is in addition to almost £12.5bn in military, humanitarian and economic support already given for Ukraine since Russia’s illegal and miscalculated full scale invasion in February 2022.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-stand-with-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes-pm-to-tell-nato

This all day long

Yes, it is a lot of money. However, it’s still a reasonable price to pay given the wider context and the very unpleasant alternative.

It was a perfectly reasonable question. Posters starting a thread then not returning happens all the time on here, especially on controversial topics.

Now that that have, there is no planet on which Zelensky is calling the shots. That is a truly ridiculous claim. Any conclusions based on so faulty a premise will inevitably be wrong.

And so it begins. This is what people voted for...

What would you do to stop the Russians?

What about when they've overrun Ukraine?

And your issue with trying to protect innocent civilians is what precisely?

Russia are carrying out an abhorrent act and we should be offering support. If anything we've not done enough

What begins? Carrying on what the previous government promised with the intent of keeping Russia from an all out war with NATO?

Yes, yes it is. Woooo!

That's true, but it's not why we need to spend this money. It's entirely for our own safety and protection.

Where have you been for the last few years?
Johnson committed the UK to supporting Ukraine and each PM since has reaffirmed that commitment.
What do you think that meant?

What do you mean "begins"? What "begins"?

Up until this time last week the Tories were in charge and they have already spent billions on supporting Ukraine since the invasion. Nothing has changed, Starmer has just confirmed that the support will continue.

Yes and isn't it wonderful to hear the sensible, rather than inflammatory language and tone that's being used?

Obviously they need to deliver, but what a happy start.

It is a disproportionate and unnecessary amount.

I don’t buy the domino theory so often used to support Ukraine. Yes, if we had allowed Putin to invade Ukraine at little cost, he might have thought of venturing further. But, right now, he would happily settle for 20% of Ukraine, at least some of which is more Russian than Ukrainian in terms of language and culture.

The great powers (the U.S and China) may need a more global view, but we don’t, especially if Europe won’t come along for the ride. The nations who should be investing a lot more are Germany (especially) and Poland, not the UK.

I find the grandstanding of the establishment over Ukraine quite nauseating when so many are dying here through lack of basic medical care and schools are falling apart. We might still be a rich (ish) country on paper, but that is because of the super wealthy. On a median income basis, we are really quite average.

We should pay our fair share on Ukraine, but no more.

Fabulous isn't it

At last my hard earned taxes are going on something worthwhile.

A quick google gives various articles

https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2022/11/what-next-for-ukraines-formerly-pro-russian-regions?lang=en

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_separatist_forces_in_Ukraine

https://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-separatist-regions-crux-russian-invasion/story?id=83084803

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/22/what-are-donetsk-and-luhansk-ukraines-separatist-statelets

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/4/ukraine-crisis-who-are-the-russia-backed-separatists

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26910210

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/how-eastern-ukraine-was-lost/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/11/eastern-ukraine-referendum-donetsk-luhansk

YABU.

We should be thanking Ukraine.

We are losing money, they are losing money and their lives.

If Ukraine give up and roll over do you think Putin will be satisfied and stop there?

Give them as much money as they need for as long as they need it, and be thankful it's just money we're giving.

I hear you, honestly I do, but we elected a new government in the hope they could fix the real problems we currently have in the UK, like repairing our very broken NHS.

Surely, if we have 3 billion a year to 'spare', it should be invested in this?

Thanks @TreadLight for going to all that trouble by cutting and pasting links to various articles

But my question remains, what pro-Russian eastern regions? Different thing

I'm fully aware of russian actions pre and post maidan.

We were already spending billions on Ukraine. War in Europe would be way more expensive on every level.

Agree. I’m delighted to hear this news.

But, right now, he would happily settle for 20% of Ukraine

If this were actually true, we'd have withdrawn the help by now.

I will also add that I never cease to be amazed by the sheer number of posters on here who seem to think any money that isn’t spent on NHS, disability benefits or SEN is wasted.

£3bn is about 30 hours of UK tax revenue. That ignores local taxes - council tax and business rates.

Ukraine will only lose this war if the West withdraws its support. If the West withdraws its support, we confirm that fighting to keep democracy is not worthwhile. Then, we lose everything.

For those who need to, wake up and smell the coffee. China now has troops in Belarus. China, Russia, NK and Iran will work together to test the West’s resolve over the next three years, all the while strategically building their forces to threaten the West. The US may have to fight on two continents simultaneously, but may choose not to.

It’s time for Europe to focus on defence. It’s time to rearm as the realistic way to hold peace.

We already spend £40 billion per year on disability benefits - over 10 times the amount proposed here. How much would be enough in your eyes?

What did I think that meant? Certainly not 3bn a year!

And, if it did, maybe that goes some way to explaining why the NHS is so woefully underfunded...