We spent a night with the judges who are downing the Shaheds over Kyiv. In the Middle East, the U.S. is still learning how to repel massive drone attacks, while Ukraine has been doing it for years.
I agree with the comment above from Linda. I am an American, a former Marine, and I love my country. But I have visceral hatred for what my country is doing right now in the Middle East. I am beyond hatred with regards to what it has not done on behalf of Ukraine. It makes me physically ill to watch what the elected leadership of the USA has done w/regards to failing to exercise any leadership, any humanity with regards to Ukraine. But I don’t see much in the way of real choice with how the Ukrainian government reacts to the realities the ‘most powerful’ military is facing in the Middle East. It sickens me inside that I feel the Ukrainian government must prove they have value to the US in tactics and methods to combat drone attacks. They likely have determined that perhaps the US will be, “grateful” to them for sharing what they have learned in four years of fighting the Russians as Russia tries to obliterate their country. They likely know that the US will say, ‘thanks!’, and then return to abandoning them in their battle. And that makes me sick inside as well. But they likely rationalize that their choice are limited. To Ukraine, I am grateful you would even consider helping the USA. You demonstrate your humanity while suffering the attempt to dehumanize you at every turn. From one human to another, I pray you find a way to trade your knowledge and skill for something to help your country survive. From a jaded citizen of the USA, I only expect the worst from my government. And I guess you probably do too.
I am American and German. I currently live in Germany. The American in me does not want Ukraine helping the US help Russia to become even wealthier from their oil and then further bomb Ukraine. They must get something from the US for their help. Trump despises all of these European countries begging him to lower their tariffs and to help Ukraine. They need to be transactional with Trump that is the only thing he understands. Asking him to be nice is not making a deal in his mind.
The German in me does not want Merz begging Trump for anything, and not throwing PM Sanchez of Spain under the bus. It does not want Ukraine helping the US out even though they have a right to be against Iran because Iran has been sharing their Shaheeds and plans for making them with Russia.
Ukraine is teaching the US tech and the US is going to be using it against Ukraine in the end, because the way that Trump sees the world is that there is a club, and he is in it because he has the mighty US military, and the EU and Ukraine are not in the club. Neither is Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Canada, or Iran. Who is in the Club are the Emirates, Saudis, Qataris, Kuwaitis, Bahrain, Turkey, Israel, and Russia. This club looks the other way when their members do something illegal because they are not used to having consequences for their actions.
There is another club that does not include Trump but includes most of these other countries and China and North Korea.
Trump is attacking Iran not because he cares about the regime change, other than to get rid of the leadership, but it was just replaced by more of the same. He also is not targeting nuclear weapons. So, what is he doing there? Making himself rich. Why should Ukraine support this?
Also, I see your tracker of who is supporting them helping the US. I bet that is all Russian bots.
I tend to agree with my fellow subscribers here - Ukraine should take a steely eyed, transactional, more self-interested position in sharing their hard-won drone defense expertise and technology. Maybe a flat out exchange for additional weapons. Or a direct Ukrainian budget grant for economic/humanitarian aid.
After all, once Trump became President, US aid to Ukraine dropped to ZERO (the Biden Administration gave some $175 billion). US weapons continue to flow, but only after European allies have paid for them.
Missing in today's newsletter: "Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands." I trust this state of affairs is still accurate..
On the other matter, I am so angered at Trump's manifest illegal war in Iran that I would send him no--ZERO--help. Ukraine, a fledging democracy, needs the defense weapons and I'd rather let Iran burn. It costs $1B a day to fight the Iran war, a tenth of that amount seemed too much for US Congress to spend for an ally. I am ashamed for my country.
Oh look, Ukraine does, in fact, have the cards; get something for them and make sure it’s binding because unfortunately, this administration can’t be trusted.
Ukrainian aid for antidrone defense against Iran is important leverage. It's cards--in trump's preferred terms. Ukraine has something it can trade for what it needs immediately for its own defense, while banking up "soft" credits to use later in diplomacy. There is also immediate and long-term economic opportunity in cementing defense materiel supply chains with the U.S. and other countries.
Russia has nothing trump or the Gulf states need or want. Ukraine can remind the world that it is a strong, reliable, and valuable ally on the international stage, as it did with the Grain from Ukraine initiative. It is an ally worth saving.
I agree with the comment above from Linda. I am an American, a former Marine, and I love my country. But I have visceral hatred for what my country is doing right now in the Middle East. I am beyond hatred with regards to what it has not done on behalf of Ukraine. It makes me physically ill to watch what the elected leadership of the USA has done w/regards to failing to exercise any leadership, any humanity with regards to Ukraine. But I don’t see much in the way of real choice with how the Ukrainian government reacts to the realities the ‘most powerful’ military is facing in the Middle East. It sickens me inside that I feel the Ukrainian government must prove they have value to the US in tactics and methods to combat drone attacks. They likely have determined that perhaps the US will be, “grateful” to them for sharing what they have learned in four years of fighting the Russians as Russia tries to obliterate their country. They likely know that the US will say, ‘thanks!’, and then return to abandoning them in their battle. And that makes me sick inside as well. But they likely rationalize that their choice are limited. To Ukraine, I am grateful you would even consider helping the USA. You demonstrate your humanity while suffering the attempt to dehumanize you at every turn. From one human to another, I pray you find a way to trade your knowledge and skill for something to help your country survive. From a jaded citizen of the USA, I only expect the worst from my government. And I guess you probably do too.
I am American and German. I currently live in Germany. The American in me does not want Ukraine helping the US help Russia to become even wealthier from their oil and then further bomb Ukraine. They must get something from the US for their help. Trump despises all of these European countries begging him to lower their tariffs and to help Ukraine. They need to be transactional with Trump that is the only thing he understands. Asking him to be nice is not making a deal in his mind.
The German in me does not want Merz begging Trump for anything, and not throwing PM Sanchez of Spain under the bus. It does not want Ukraine helping the US out even though they have a right to be against Iran because Iran has been sharing their Shaheeds and plans for making them with Russia.
Ukraine is teaching the US tech and the US is going to be using it against Ukraine in the end, because the way that Trump sees the world is that there is a club, and he is in it because he has the mighty US military, and the EU and Ukraine are not in the club. Neither is Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Canada, or Iran. Who is in the Club are the Emirates, Saudis, Qataris, Kuwaitis, Bahrain, Turkey, Israel, and Russia. This club looks the other way when their members do something illegal because they are not used to having consequences for their actions.
There is another club that does not include Trump but includes most of these other countries and China and North Korea.
Trump is attacking Iran not because he cares about the regime change, other than to get rid of the leadership, but it was just replaced by more of the same. He also is not targeting nuclear weapons. So, what is he doing there? Making himself rich. Why should Ukraine support this?
Also, I see your tracker of who is supporting them helping the US. I bet that is all Russian bots.
I tend to agree with my fellow subscribers here - Ukraine should take a steely eyed, transactional, more self-interested position in sharing their hard-won drone defense expertise and technology. Maybe a flat out exchange for additional weapons. Or a direct Ukrainian budget grant for economic/humanitarian aid.
After all, once Trump became President, US aid to Ukraine dropped to ZERO (the Biden Administration gave some $175 billion). US weapons continue to flow, but only after European allies have paid for them.
Missing in today's newsletter: "Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands." I trust this state of affairs is still accurate..
On the other matter, I am so angered at Trump's manifest illegal war in Iran that I would send him no--ZERO--help. Ukraine, a fledging democracy, needs the defense weapons and I'd rather let Iran burn. It costs $1B a day to fight the Iran war, a tenth of that amount seemed too much for US Congress to spend for an ally. I am ashamed for my country.
Oh look, Ukraine does, in fact, have the cards; get something for them and make sure it’s binding because unfortunately, this administration can’t be trusted.
Ukrainian aid for antidrone defense against Iran is important leverage. It's cards--in trump's preferred terms. Ukraine has something it can trade for what it needs immediately for its own defense, while banking up "soft" credits to use later in diplomacy. There is also immediate and long-term economic opportunity in cementing defense materiel supply chains with the U.S. and other countries.
Russia has nothing trump or the Gulf states need or want. Ukraine can remind the world that it is a strong, reliable, and valuable ally on the international stage, as it did with the Grain from Ukraine initiative. It is an ally worth saving.