Ask Me Help Desk - How much monopoly $$ should US spend for Ukraine ?

2/26 $350 million in military aid for Ukraine
3/16 $800 million in military aid for Ukraine
3/30 $500 million in aid from U.S.
4/12 $750 million more in weapons for Ukraine
5/6 Clueless announces new $150 million in weapons

over $2.5 billion drawn down from the $13.6 billion approved in March
Here's what's in the $13.6 billion Ukraine aid package - CNNPolitics
.... are you with me so far ?

But there's more
.Congress wants to add $40 billion in new $ for Ukraine. (4/28 Clueless asked Congress for $33 billion)
House passes $40 billion Ukraine aid package, sends it to the Senate : NPR

And that doesn't include money and aid going to Ukraine from our NATO allies.

Add it up . The US alone is committed to spend almost as much in a few months of the Ukraine war as the ENTIRE Russian military budget (65.9 billion)
World military expenditure passes $2 trillion for first time | SIPRI

For the ENTIRE Afghanistan war we averaged spending $46 billion a year in a war where we had at one time a legitimate national security threat to deal with (the 9-11 attack and the Taliban sponsoring of AQ) . We've exceeded that total in 3 months of the Ukraine conflict .

I remember a time when the emperor rejected the sending of lethal aid to Ukraine even though it had been attacked by Russia.

Obama’s theory here is simple: Ukraine is a core Russian interest but not an American one, so Russia will always be able to maintain escalatory dominance there.
“The fact is that Ukraine, which is a non-nato country, is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what we do,” he said.
I asked Obama whether his position on Ukraine was realistic or fatalistic.
“It’s realistic,” he said. “But this is an example of where we have to be very clear about what our core interests are and what we are willing to go to war for.

President Obama’s Interview With Jeffrey Goldberg on Syria and Foreign Policy - The Atlantic
Obama Said to Resist Growing Pressure From All Sides to Arm Ukraine - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

He said he was reluctant to provoke Putin .Now we are told that the US is assisting Ukraine in targetting Russian Generals .
U.S. Intelligence Is Helping Ukraine Kill Russian Generals, Officials Say - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
We brag about it ! How is that not provoking Putin ? Remember the outrage when the fake news came out that Russia was paying a bounty for killing American troops ?

What changed in state thinking ? I have my guesses . (hint the fake narrative that Trump was a Manchurian candidate needs to be maintained by making Putin the mortal existential threat to the US)
And who benefits ? Not the American people . another hint .

Top U.S. defense officials will meet with the chief executives of the eight largest U.S. defense contractors to discuss industry’s capacity to meet Ukraine’s weapons needs if the war with Russia continues for years.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters Tuesday she plans to participate in a classified roundtable with defense CEOs on Wednesday to discuss “what can we do to help them, what do they need to generate supply"….
“We will discuss industry proposals to accelerate production of existing systems and develop new, modernized capabilities critical to the Department’s ongoing security assistance to Ukraine and long-term readiness of U.S. and ally/partner forces,” the official added.
Pentagon leaders to meet Wednesday with top defense contractors about Ukraine (defensenews.com)

Biden praises Lockheed workers for making weapons for ‘Ukrainian heroes’ | Joe Biden | The Guardian

Not only do they get to make more weapons for Ukraine ;they also get to replenish America's stockpile .
Russia-Ukraine War: U.S. Is Running Out of Weapons Aiding Kyiv - Bloomberg
Does the US push for a diplomatic end to the conflict ? No. In fact just the opposite is true . Sec Defense Lloyd Austin made it clear our goal was to weaken Russia .
Victory would be nice . But there is no clear definition of what victory would look like . I believe the US would be happy to supply Ukraine with just enough to keep this a long term frozen conflict .

Austin's assertion that US wants to 'weaken' Russia underlines Biden strategy shift -

CNNPolitics Russia's war in Ukraine could become a 'frozen conflict,' analysts say : NPR

That the left supports this blows me away . How much baby formula would $40 billion buy ?
A Baby Formula Shortage Leaves Desperate Parents Searching for Food - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Alexander Vindman who was the chief witness against Trump during the kangaroo court trial impeachment has made his position clear. US Must embrace victory for Ukraine ,

America Must Embrace the Goal of Ukrainian Victory (foreignaffairs.com)

Well Congress voted to go to war. As noted above ;the US already spent $14 billion and Clueless wanted $33 billion more monopoly money to keep the proxy war funded .

The progressive left dominated Congress did not think it was enough and threw another $7 billion into the pot.

Then the House voted to pass the bill with EVERY progressive lefty Dem voting for the measure.........including the SQUAD .

The Repubs were not much better ,but at least 57 of them voted nay.

Some of the money will go for humanitarian aid to Ukraine . Some will go to some CIA intrigue .But the bulk of the money will be transferred into the coffers of the military-industrial complex.

As noted above ;this total expenditure exceeds any annual spending the US made for the war in Afghanistan. The speed of this approval almost guarantees that there is little to none oversight on how this $$$ will be spent .

To show how bizzare it is for the members of the SQUAD to go all war hawk one has to look at what was being said at the beginning of the war.
Ilhan Omar on March 8 tweeted against sending money to Ukraine .
Ilhan Omar on Twitter: "The consequences of flooding Ukraine with billion dollars in �� weapons, likely not limited to just military-specific equipment but also including small arms + ammo, are unpredictable & likely disastrous. Specially when they are given to paramilitary groups w/out accountability." / Twitter

Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13), chair of the Caucus Peace and Security Taskforce issued a joint statement on Jan 26.

“We have significant concerns that new troop deployments, sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions, and a flood of hundreds of millions of dollars in lethal weapons will only raise tensions and increase the chance of miscalculation. Russia’s strategy is to inflame tensions; the United States and NATO must not play into this strategy.

“We continue to watch Russia’s threatening behavior towards Ukraine with alarm. There is no military solution out of this crisis — diplomacy needs to be the focus. We support the Biden Administration’s efforts to extend and deepen the dialogue, allowing for robust negotiations and compromise.

“We have significant concerns that new troop deployments, sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions, and a flood of hundreds of millions of dollars in lethal weapons will only raise tensions and increase the chance of miscalculation. Russia’s strategy is to inflame tensions; the United States and NATO must not play into this strategy.

“In past crises, where events are moving quickly and intelligence is unclear, vigorous, delicate diplomacy is essential to de-escalation. We call upon our colleagues to allow the administration to find a diplomatic way out of this crisis.”
Congressional Progressive Caucus Leaders Reps. Jayapal and Lee Call for Diplomatic Solution to Crisis in Ukraine | Press Releases | Congressional Progressive Caucus (house.gov)

Dem House member Ro Khanna went on air Feb 10 to demand that no lethal aid be sent to Ukraine.
“We Need Restraint”: Rep. Ro Khanna Cautions Against Sending U.S. “Lethal Aid” to Ukraine | Democracy Now!

I certainly join them in the concerns of having increased aid, lethal aid, into that area. That will only inflame the situation. I also join them in the concern that we need restraint, that the last thing the American people want is an escalation which could lead us to some long war in Ukraine with Russia, that that’s a very dangerous situation, and no one in this country — or, very few people in this country would want that. There’s a reason President Obama didn’t send lethal aid into Ukraine and had a greater restraint in his approach. So, I do think we should do everything possible not to escalate the situation, while having the moral clarity that Putin is in the wrong in this case, that there’s simply no justification for the invasion or the threat of invasion.

He's certainly right that more lethal US aid will prolong the war. That will mean that even more $$$$ will be required .

What you won't hear from these radical lefties is why the sudden shift from anti-military intervention to being war hawks . Not one of them have issued a clarification yet.

The Dems are monolithic when it comes to voting regardless of their true beliefs .One of their geezers ;Steny Hoyer went to the floor and gave marching orders. He said that in a "time of war" it was "unfortunate" that Clueless was coming under criticism .
Democrat House Majority Leader Claims ‘We’re At War’ So Republicans Shouldn’t Blame Biden For Energy Crisis | The Daily Wire

<sarc>Clearly there was never a time when the US was recently in a real war that the Dems criticized the President. </sarc> Some of us have argued and been taken to task for saying this war is a proxy war between the US and Russia. Now a Dem leader stated it clearly and unambiguously on the House floor.

Rep Cori Bush made a statement as bizzaro as JFKerry's infamous statement about the Iraq war ;I was for it before I was against it . In this case she was against it before she voted for it .

“This evening, I voted in support of the Ukraine supplemental aid package..........
“Additionally, at $40 billion, this is an extraordinary amount of military assistance, a large percentage of which will go directly to private defense contractors. In the last year alone, the United States will have provided Ukraine with more military aid than any country in the last two decades, and twice as much military assistance as the yearly cost of war in Afghanistan, even when American troops were on the ground. The sheer size of the package given an already inflated Pentagon budget should not go without critique. I remain concerned about the increased risks of direct war and the potential for direct military confrontation.
Bush Statement on Ukraine Supplemental Funding Vote (house.gov)

Even the Slimes is questioning why the rush to spend without adequate debate.
House Passes $40 Billion More in Ukraine Aid, With Few Questions Asked - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The escalating brutality of the war in Ukraine has dampened voices on both the right and left skeptical of the United States’ involving itself in armed conflict overseas, fueling a rush by Congress to pour huge amounts of money into a potentially lengthy and costly offensive against Russia with few questions or reservations raised….[L]awmakers in both political parties who have previously railed against skyrocketing military budgets and entanglements in intractable conflicts abroad have gone largely silent about what is fast becoming a major military effort drawing on American resources….
That total — roughly $53 billion over two months — goes beyond what President Biden requested and is poised to amount to the largest foreign aid package to move through Congress in at least two decades….But stunned by the grisly images from Ukraine and leery of turning their backs on a country whose suffering has been on vivid display for the world, many lawmakers have put aside their skepticism and quietly agreed to the sprawling tranches of aid, keeping to themselves their concerns about the war and questions about the Biden administration’s strategy for American involvement…..
And as Mr. Biden’s requests to Congress for money to fund the war effort have spiraled upward, leaders in both parties have largely refrained from questioning them…..The result has been that, at least for now, Congress is quickly and nearly unanimously embracing historic tranches of foreign aid with little public debate about the Biden administration’s strategy, whether the volume of military assistance could escalate the conflict, or whether domestic priorities are being pushed aside to accommodate the huge expenditures overseas.

I can't wait to hear how All Out Crazy justifies her yes vote .

This expenditure is $53 billion in a couple months of a conflict we are not directly involved in and that we admit we want to prolong. The total US military budget is $770 billion . So we are getting close to spending 10% of our military budget in what has been so far a 10 week conflict. Where will it be after a year and longer ?

This passed unanimously by the party that hates military spending and is always saying domestic spending should take precedence .

Your pic is priceless. I reposted it on FB.

Rand Paul blocks the $40 million in the Senate :

“My oath of office is to the US constitution, not to any foreign nation & no matter how sympathetic the cause, my oath of office is to the national security of America. We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.”

Was it million or billion?

One sentiment you never hear western and NATO leaders express ..

Zelensky: Only diplomacy can end Ukraine war

Zelensky: Only diplomacy can end Ukraine war - BBC News

The issue of overspending is not unique to money for Ukraine. It is money for pretty much anything and everything. It's similar to a young couple piling up debt on a credit card and thinking everything is wonderful until, of course, the bill from the credit card company comes in. That day is coming for us. Both political parties are to blame. There is the occasional Rand Paul stand, but only infrequently. I feel sorry for our children and grandchildren.

Russia has made slow plodding but steady gains in the Donbas region. It has become an artillery battle of attrition that they are winning despite the efforts of the west to send enough armaments to turn the tide and to fight to the last Ukrainian. Russia is close to cutting off the Ukraine fighters from their logistical support.

Zelenski's goal of fighting until all Ukraine territory is recaptured seems to be unrealistic .

At Davos Henry Kissinger suggested that Zelenski should consider ceding territory in order to reach a peace deal that restores “the status quo ante.”

The status quo ante is now a bridge too far . Russia has forced the issue . At a minimum ,to achieve a negotiated peace ,the Donbas and the coastal corridor that gives a land bridge to Russian controlled Crimea will be the price .

I wish it weren't so. But those who thought Ukraine's initial repulse of Russian efforts were enough were not realistically reading the war.

It is equally true that those who expected a swift Russian victory were also wrong. Russia is not the overwhelming super power everyone thought it was . It is a WWI style blunt force instrument that pounds an enemy until it can't resist anymore . It has paid a price for it's gains . But in the old Soviet style pound and ground ,soldiers are expendable if you can keep sending more into the meat grinder .

The only way the outcome could be different would be if the west were willing to commit more than just surplus hardware into the conflict ...... or if there were an internal regime change in the Kremlin.

The west is already tiring of their commitment. Winter is fast approaching and the EU has already made all types of workarounds to sanctions on Russian energy. The world will also eventually try to force a peace deal because of the looming famine caused by the Russian blockade of Ukraine agriculture. The tipping point is approaching .As the Slimes put it ;Americans have been galvanized by Ukraine’s suffering, but popular support for a war far from U.S. shores will not continue indefinitely. Inflation is a much bigger issue for American voters than Ukraine, and the disruptions to global food and energy markets are likely to intensify. … Biden should also make clear to … Zelensky and his people that there is a limit to how far the United States and NATO will go to confront Russia, and limits to the arms, money and political support they can muster.
Opinion | What Is America’s Strategy in Ukraine? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Ukraine Pres Zelenskyy has confirmed what has been generally known for a while .Ukraine's battlefield losses are unsustainable. As the battle has become a one sided artillery duel ,Ukraine is losing 200 soldiers kia /day .

This war was in large part instigated by Clueless Joe's rhetoric. But the US has not done what was necessary to sustain Ukraine resistance to the invasion. The US is in a no man's land where we want to aid Ukraine while at the same time not provoke Russia.

Quote:

Ukrainian military officers operating on the front lines imparted to U.S. News this week their deep frustrations with the inadequacies of the quantity and sophistication of the equipment they’re currently fielding, particularly given what they consider a proven track record of learning how to use advanced systems swiftly.
One officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, drew particular attention to the Ukrainian military’s inability to proactively defend against Russian artillery along with the need for modern armed drones – two particular features that, he says, should surprise no one who has followed the character of Russian operations since it first invaded Ukrainian territory in 2014.

Top U.S. General Reveals Grim Assessment of Ukraine’s Battlefield Deaths (msn.com)

Meanwhile in Europe ,what was once consensus opinion about the goal of wanting Ukraine to prevail is now splitting into competing visions about the way the war should end . NATO members that were former nations under Soviet sphere are looking for justice by punishing Russia . The rest of NATO is in the peace camp that want the war to end as soon as possible even if it means making concessions to Russia. The rising cost of living is a key motivator to Europeans above Ukraine's interest of beating back the Russian invasion. Unity in NATO is showing cracks .

Professor John Mearsheimer lectured in 2014 that the West was leading Ukraine down a primrose path that would lead to it's destruction.

Why-the-Ukraine-Crisis-Is.pdf (mearsheimer.com)

The new
$ 829 billion defense authorization bill passed Friday by the House of Reps has an amendment introduced by RINO Adam Kinzinger that would have the US spend $100 million to train Ukraine pilots on F-16s .

As Ukrainian Pilot Training Passes House NDAA, Legislators Work to Overcome Roadblocks - Air Force Magazine

That is for training 30 pilots who are judged to already have sufficient English-language skills for the syllabus.

That is time taken away from US pilot training .
This is on top of the already massive US military commitment to Ukraine .
Where did the original expenditure go ?

Once these pilots are trained on our jets ,are we planning on giving Ukraine our jets for them to fly ?

It wasn't that long ago that was considered a bad idea. But it gets even better ! The bill provides for potentially using monopoly money for training Ukraine pilots on ALL US AND NATO jet platforms .

Ukraine Wants F-16s, But USAF Officials Say That’s ‘Not A Recipe for Success’ - Air Force Magazine

How will logistic support happen if the US does not become more directly involved in the war ? That includes US personnel on the ground in support .

Ukrainian born Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. lived in Ukraine until she was 22 and has been back six times since the Russian invasion.

War party Repubs are getting upset with her for daring to question the narrative that is coming out of the swamp ;that the noble Ukrainians are the pure innocent victims fighting for democracy.

Before the war no one argued that Ukraine was a clean nation devoid of corruption .Heck ;Hunter was pulling an $83,000 monthly check for a no show job there.

Trump was impeached for suggesting there was something wrong there and for going against official US policy . Imagine the pressure on Spartz for questioning the party line.

Republicans wince as their Ukrainian-born colleague thrashes Zelenskyy - POLITICO

She’s asking hard questions about corruption among Ukraine’s top officials, and raising concerns about U.S. oversight of the $ billions and the unprecedented amount of weaponry we’ve been pouring into the country.
She was critical about 'Winston Churchill ' Zelenskyy and Clueless Joe's handling of the conflict .

A Ukraine-born GOP lawmaker is accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “playing politics and theater.” (politico.com)

Quote:

What happened: Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) released a statement Wednesday calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “stop playing politics and theater” and “start governing to better support his military and local government.”.......

Not just Zelenskyy: In her statement, Spartz also accused President Joe Biden of “playing politics” and said he needs to present a “clear strategy and align security assistance with our strategy.” .......

Lastly, Spartz called for Congress to “establish proper oversight of critical infrastructure and delivery of weapons and aid.”

She also sent a letter to Clueless asking for "oversight procedures related to President Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak".

He apparently has close ties to Russia ;as does his hireling Oleh Tatarov, who served as the head of the main investigative department of the Interior Ministry under former President Viktor Yanukovych (who was ousted and fled Ukraine to Russia in 2014).

Internally Tatarov represents Zelenskyy's tolerance of corruption . Zelenskyy is not nearly as popular at home as he is in the rest of the west. He recently fired a number of officials involved in state security . But he retained Tatarov and has him in charge of investigating corruption.

Spartz noted in her letter, Tatarov has delayed the appointment of an independent anti-corruption prosecutor for more than a year, rendering 'The National Anti-Corruption Bureau' (NABU ) incapacitated .NABU is the agency that brought corruption charges against him in 2020 and was still actively investigating him when he assumed his current post.

The McCain-Graham wing of the Repubs have Spatz in their sites . They instead should join in her concerns about $$$$$and weapons being wasted there . But they won't because she undermines their continued efforts to make the Ukraine war a proxy war between the US and Russia.

There has been a positive breakthrough for Ukraine. They used American supplied Himar Rockets to take out bridges across the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine . These bridges are critical for the Russians to supply their 49th army in Kherson . The army is now isolated from their supply line on the west side of the river ,and vulnerable .If Ukraine moves fast they could score a victory there that could be a game changer .

Ukraine says scores of Russians killed in Kherson fighting (cnbc.com)

For Europe ,winter is coming rapidly . Russia is playing the energy card hoping to force Europe to pressure for a political settlement of the war. If the US was serious about a Ukraine victory it would be ramping up production of energy ;especially LNG ,and moving it to Europe with the urgency shown during the Battle of the Atlantic .

Winter Is Coming in Europe. Russian Gas Isn’t. - The Atlantic

But that is not happening because it would not serve the administrations purpose either domestically or in the war.
They told us the truth when they said they were content with the economic downturn as the price to pay for the 'transition' or 'transformation' ;which has been the Dem goal for over a decade .

Yellen says the economy is not in a recession despite GDP slump (cnbc.com)

As far as Ukraine goes ;the war party wants a prolonged conflict .It is good for business . Between Ukraine and rising tensions with China ,what Ike called the Industrial Military Complex should profit mightily .

US Providing Hefty $8.2 Billion To Ukraine To Battle Russia – Eurasia Review

The first couple of Ukraine continues to forge their celebrity status while the nation is being destroyed . Check out their Vogue expose if you want a morning gag .

Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska | Vogue

The fashion photo of Olena Zelenska with the ruins of the war as a back drop is in great taste <sarc> .
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FYpfPDBa...jpg&name=small