War in Ukraine

Sure. How does the EU square and say they are serious about this conflict ending when in 2024 alone they sent 24b to Russia via gas purchases and sent 19b to Ukraine as aid. That’s 3+ years in. We hear how supposedly petrified the EU is of vlad expansion, yet give more every year to Russia funding the very war they say they oppose. What do they think vlad is doing with that money

 

In short, I recommend they don’t “square” it. I recommend they fix it by tossing flawed theories about economic interdependence, isolating the member states that skew that data (Hungary, Slovakia et al), moving back toward nuclear energy, necking down their welfare states, and building military forces that can serve as a viable conventional deterrent with or without U.S. participation. Now how we got to this point is a long and complex discussion (not without lots of blame for the U.S. for tolerating and even encouraging it), but that is the realm of economists and international relations theorists, of which I am neither. I can give you my opinion on why economic interdependence as a theory for preventing war does not work (and the current war is an outstanding case study), but frankly that might not be much more credible than my thoughts on cold fusion, given that I’m not a nuclear engineer.

 

probably been posted before, but ...

 

I think that foreign policy should be dictated by memes.

 

Well you can thank the EU for funding the Russian war machine to the tune of 24B last year alone. That ain’t Trump. That ain’t maga.

European Union spent more on Russian fossil fuels than Ukraine aid in 2024

 

I get that. But the meme is essentially true, right? If Russia stops fighting, the war ends?

 

Wars are won and lost with logistics. Anyone above the O-5 can tell
You that. You want Russia to stop ? Maybe stop funding them with staggering amounts of money instead of bumper stickers.

 

Is that a yes or no?

 

it’s a juvenile question. 3+ years in this war and the EU still sends billions more every year to Russia than they do to Ukraine. So forgive me when I don’t believe the EU politicians that live in luxury while continually sending billions to Russia claiming Russia is an arch enemy.

 

So Trump walked into the White House as leader of the free world, but in less than two months he’s barely the leader in his own country. So much winning. Then there’s this…

 

i appreciate your perspective from a war fighter tactical and strategic standpoint

 

In fairness to the US - and especially so if those countries nuke up, as they probably should given the state of things - was there not a value to having countries like Germany NOT focus their efforts on the military? People seem to forget that a highly-militarized Europe wasn't exactly a good thing for Europe or the world at large. Not really disagreeing with you, but there is another side to this.

 

Juvenile? Two countries are fighting. The question is whether the war would stop if the one who started it simply stopped fighting. And your answer is 'no, no. it has nothing to do with them. It's the rest of Europe!"
OK, you don't want to answer. The question is whether the war would stop if Russia quit fighting. The answer, at least it seems to me, is yes.

 

No, which is why you shouldn't rely on memes and bumper sticker slogans to educate yourself on geopolitics.

 

So, the other option would be to let those industries that rely on the gas - many of which have already moved out of Germany due to the lack of access to NG - die. Which would benefit nobody outside of Russia. They're not "giving" money to Russia, they're purchasing product to use for manufacturing, home heating and other NECESSITIES.

But you're MAGA, so why do you care anyway? Aren't you happy they're helping your and your POTUS's friends in Russia? Money that can be used to fight the evil Ukrainians? What's the problem here MAGA? Shouldn't you be celebrating this with the rest of the knuckle draggers?

 

If you’re a crazy man and the cop stops shooting does that mean you lose your resolve to commit suicide by cop ?

 

So let me guess. Ukraine is the crazy man and Russia is simply the cop doing his job?

 

Or mindless one-sentence "answers"? Ah, such a wealth of geopolitical information and analysis.

 

You forgot "pure evil" and "frothing at the mouth" with respect to the Ukrainians.

 

He probably doesn't realize the Russian people originated from Kyiv many centuries ago, for starters. We love @rivergator though. He's one of my favorite posters.