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

[Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr]

I was hoping that it was mostly just bluster from Trump. But we've woken up to the news that he has actually done it. He's literally swapped sides in the war and is now standing with the aggressor, Russia, and abandoning the victim, Ukraine.

At least some Americans are speaking out against the decision:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c981p3dxnent?post=asset%3A09fa0e7f-6f1e-4770-9096-c5228d00635f#post

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c981p3dxnent?post=asset%3A8510a9e0-ea40-4895-835d-bb747d6b0339#post

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c981p3dxnent?post=asset%3A43d2db68-32ae-47f3-a550-8a5bd491beb9#post

He is playing the game - Putin’s.

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?

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/

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."

Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans to hugely increase defence spending. Yes, it won't be instantaneous but it isn't just "warm words" either.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c981p3dxnent?post=asset%3A660b1dc5-e7f9-4e94-a166-bfa26027d79d#post

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

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

Wouldn't that be ironic!

McCarthy must be revolving in his grave.

Absolutely.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 have relatives in Ukraine (mum's cousins, their (grown-up) children. I'm even more terrified for them than I already was.

My granddad passed away a few weeks after Ukraine's 1991 independence referendum. I'm so glad he's not around to see what's happening to his country now!

Agree, I think it was planned! This is very worrying

So am I. I'm a pacifist at heart, but this is different. Europe - and I am including the UK, as I always have... - must stand firm. It doesn't bear thinking about what will happen if we were to fall in with those lunatics, Trump and Vance, who seem determined to appease Putin

It was completely unsurprising.

M.A.G.A

Moscow Agent Governing America.

But it also shows we do not keep our promises. When Ukraine agreed to demilitarise in terms of its nuclear capability they were assured “we” (including the USA and UK) would come to their aid in case of Russian aggression.

So I guess that was an empty promise and other countries should take note.

…. and Ukraine

Yes, and what about the fact that he's put a pause on ALL aid and Starmer has tried to copy up to him by cutting aid by 40 percent himself. Thousands of people will die as a result of Starmer costing up to Trump.

Your having a laugh.
We sold our steelworks to China and they closed them down.

How do we make weapons to defend ourselves.

I don't mean to be a gloom munger but the UK isn't exactly in a strong position to defend itself.

Useless info after WW1 was finished the forestry commission was set up as the UK almost ran out of wood.

We import so much stuff, including essentials like clothing and food, an international war would be a disaster for the UK.

Vance also dismissed Starmer's and Macron's efforts as " peacekeeping assistance from "some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years". Although he later tried to deny he didn't mean these countries.

This has sparked some passionate responses from London. Really disrepectful of countries whose soldiers fought and died alongside the US in wars they started.

Really apprehensive about where all this is headed.

JD Vance trashes Starmer and Macron’s Ukraine peacekeeping plan – POLITICO