After discussion in the mod loop and perhaps quite tardily, we feel this thread is a better fit for P&E now than MPSIMS. Bear in mind that in P&E, it’s a good idea to provide cites for what you assert.
Also remember that diverting a conversation to a different discussion is hijacking, and we will moderate strictly for that. Please keep the discussion on point, cited and respectful. If it continues to go as it has gone in MPSIMS, it won’t pass muster in P&E.
@Kedikat, you were thread-banned previously for spreading misinformation about Russia. We are keeping a close eye on this thread because you seem to be going down the same path in this one. It’s one thing to advance a perspective. It’s another to deliberately mislead and spread misinformation. If your assertions are not well sourced and your arguments become a diversion from the main topic of discussion in this thread, you will be more than thread-banned. You will either be topic-banned or fully banned from the SDMB. Please keep this in mind as you make your arguments in this thread and others.
Ending this type of program seems like either ignorant “cost-cutting” or deliberate cruelty. Of course, I’m no expert in international politics, so perhaps appearing to placate Russia and abandon Ukrainian children has some other purpose.
The invasion of Ukraine continues to push Europe to invest more heavily in their various military forces. Germany apparently tried using soft power to change Russia, and that didn’t work.
Well, Germany wasn’t alone in this. Macron also tried the same angle. He just figured out that it was a dead end marginally faster than the rest of Europe.
Putin now calling up 160,000 more men for war in Ukraine. Excellent news for furthering Russia’s demographic decline, IF Ukraine and its allies can mince them properly.
I wish Ukraine was not signing this predatory minerals deal with the White House regime. Whatever the final agreement turns out to be, there is 0.0% chance that Trump’s people are going to hold up their end of it.
Instead, it’s high time for Europe to transfer to Kyiv the $300 billion in seized Russian assets.
It is a horrible deal. Not even a deal, just blackmail. They should not sign it. I have some suspicion it is just a big obvious poison pill that the US hopes they will not sign, as an excuse to walk away from support of Ukraine.
The Russian money should not be seized. It will greatly lessen trust in certain financial systems. Money may exit those systems quickly, with bad effect. But they should keep sitting on it until events / decisions of some great meaning occur. Then decide.
EU officials and some EU countries are using this conflict to leverage some major economic policy changes. Some that are law in constitutions and such. I feel it is just more disgusting use of Ukraine as proxy.
There is quite a lot of economic law and policy that is a condition of EU membership. They’ve all had to adapt in order to become members, as Ukraine wishes to do - Ukraine isn’t being singled out.
I mean that the current members are trying to change their rules to what a few of the current members desire. To be able to run big deficits, issue Euro bonds for instance. With the need to build up the military as excuse. Not using Ukraine itself as an excuse in order to allow it in or keep it out.
I’m pretty sure that Zelinskyy already knows that, and is just saying “no” as slowly as possible, in the hopes that meanwhile, Trump is distracted enough by some squirrel to allow some more aid to come through.
I thought US aid to Ukraine, at most, topped at around $130 billion or so? Where is Trump digging the $350 billion figure from, other than his sigmoid colon?
Boy, the US DoD is just humming along like a well-oiled machine! This is such a dumb error, and yet so unsurprising given that they’re so anxious to follow His will.
