US pausing Military aid to Ukraine

[slogen51]

From the beeb

The US is pausing military aid to Ukraine, a White House official confirms to the BBC's US partner CBS News

"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the official says

Vice-President JD Vance says the door is open for Ukraine to return to negotiations if Zelensky "is willing to seriously talk peace"

Just my opinion but Russia attacks Ukraine and US puts pressure on Ukraine rather than Russia? Seems the wrong way around to me but what do I know?

[Pune]

From the beeb

The US is pausing military aid to Ukraine, a White House official confirms to the BBC's US partner CBS News

"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the official says

Vice-President JD Vance says the door is open for Ukraine to return to negotiations if Zelensky "is willing to seriously talk peace"

Just my opinion but Russia attacks Ukraine and US puts pressure on Ukraine rather than Russia? Seems the wrong way around to me but what do I know?

I agree, it's all very concerning, what's next on the bizzare agenda Trump and Vance are working to. I also find it strange that one man can just make these decisions

[Tally-ho]

I will set out my stall early:-

Pausing the military aid is the right decision. I will elaborate soon.

[slogen51]

I respect that

I don't agree with but I am not American and it's obviously their decision

Hopefully this will encourage Europe to step up which I think we will and perhaps not have all these American assets dotted around our continent

[Nighthawke]

Be careful what you wish for - we wouldn't want to lose Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

[Tally-ho]

I will set out my stall early:-

Pausing the military aid is the right decision. I will elaborate soon.

Here goes:-

1. Everybody (US & Europe) agrees that it's time for truce / ceasefire / peace deal in Ukraine.
2. The US have made it clear (since Trump's election) that they will not fund and finance the war indefinitely. What Europe does is their matter.

Now for the juicy bits -
- you cannot arrive at your host's house (The White House) with a bolshie attitude, pushing your begging bowl (wanting a security guarantee) when Billions have already gone into funding your war.
- on the table is a huge investment from the USA to extricate minerals in which you (Ukraine) will benefit from too. Economic aid, American civilian personnel in the country, all leading to the long road of repairing and rebuilding a devastated country.

My advice to Zelensky - repair your relations with Trump and the US Administration ASAP. Mark Rutte (Nato boss) has said the same. The longer Z waits to make amends the worse his situation becomes.

[david14]

I don't normally comment on this type of political post, but it is difficult to stay silent on this particular subject. It's good we can discuss this rationally and share different perspectives even if we disagree.

There is a difference between peace and fairness, whilst we could probably all agree that stopping the fighting is a good thing, what this is in reality is very important. Trump's approach seems to be to give up (what the US was obligated by Treaty to guarantee - as was the UK) Ukraine's territorial integrity to appease Putin. This is not going to end well, an unjust peace, imposed by an external (bullying) party is unlikely to be durable and we can all read about what happened with this approach in the 1930s.

Europe should continue to support Ukraine, but it seems that under Trump the world is going to be a much more dangerous place - that vote at the UN was a disgrace and the fake outrage about what Zelensky was wearing at the White House seems to me to be just an excuse.

[Col Nago]

Billions have already gone into funding your war.

The majority of those billions have been paid to US defence companies who are now going to lose profits. They're not going to be happy with Trump.

[baz1]

I respect that

I don't agree with but I am not American and it's obviously their decision

Hopefully this will encourage Europe to step up which I think we will and perhaps not have all these American assets dotted around our continent

yes Mike, if Trump is distancing USA from Europe then they wont need there as you say assets, i wonder what he would say if Europe told him to withdraw all his assets, they wont need Fairford the Hall the Heath and Croughton etc

[Tally-ho]

. . . imposed by an external (bullying) party . . .

The US is not "external", their taxpayers (US) have contributed Billions of $$$.

[Tally-ho]

Billions have already gone into funding your war.

The majority of those billions have been paid to US defence companies who are now going to lose profits. They're not going to be happy with Trump.

The billions came from US taxpayers - Ukraine is not paying for it.

[Tally-ho]

Breaking news on Sky:-

The Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal says they are ready to sign the mineral deal - why is President Zelensky so quiet?

[Sparts99]

Trump has done massive harm to the USA's credibility world wide. He's not honouring the agreement made when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons to guarantee the country's security and distancing the US from NATO. We all want the war to stop but as said above a cease fire imposed on an unwilling population will never work, and as said above without fairness it won't sustain. A cease fire now and the US failing to support Europe and NATO will embolden Putin, and this current war won't be the last one, he'll either regroup and push again or try somewhere else, maybe both. It serves both Putin and Trump to weaken Europe, but hopefully Europe can rise to the challenge and can see out Trump's presidency, always assuming he doesn't change US law limiting presidents to two terms.

[Col Nago]

Looks like Ukraine has a six month munitions stock pile that's already in their own country, which allows for some much needed wiggle room. So all this 'the sky's falling in' flapping looks to be a bit premature.

[Tally-ho]

Trump has done massive harm to the USA's credibility world wide. He's not honouring the agreement made when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons to guarantee the country's security

1. Trump is President of the USA, what the rest of the world thinks is not applicable.
2. Treaties - trying to undo history in rowing back on several decades of US Presidents, and others, is impossible. We are where we are, the here and now.

The steps to peace have been set out . . one step at a time.

[Tally-ho]

Looks like Ukraine has a six month munitions stock pile that's already in their own country, which allows for some much needed wiggle room. So all this 'the sky's falling in' flapping looks to be a bit premature.

Stockpiles? Any references?

The "flapping" currently is done in Europe. Reference Starmer's weekend meeting.

[raptor9]

I despise Trump, however it is high time that this killing has to stop. To do this there have to be concessions on both sides. There are no real winners in a war. I re-iterate that I hate him as a person, but at least he is trying to do something that MAY be useful to both sides, and don't forget that he was the only President in recent years to have a meeting with the North Korean President, even though it didn't amount to anything. I have been to Kyiv, and found the people and the places delightful and am saddened to give my feelings on this. This war cannot carry on for years and years any more. Compromise is the only sensible outcome in my opinion.

[Sparts99]

1. Trump is President of the USA, what the rest of the world thinks is not applicable.
2. Treaties - trying to undo history in rowing back on several decades of US Presidents, and others, is impossible. We are where we are, the here and now.

The steps to peace have been set out . . one step at a time.

Yes Trump is president of the USA, but what the rest of the world thinks is important if it affects the rest of the world.
So what is the point of a treaty if it can be just ignored?

[NorvilleRogers]

Lack of US support to Ukraine and having Putin’s Poodle in the Whitehouse will surely send a signal to China that the next few years is a good time frame to invade Taiwan. Not Sure how the US tech industry will cope with no computer chips if that happens (probably do a deal with China). The whole world is a lot more scary due to Trump.

[Tally-ho]

So what is the point of a treaty if it can be just ignored?

I hear you and your point is valid.

The story of the Ukraine is hugely complicated, intertwined, and sometimes difficult to make sense of. From inception, through the Soviet years, and into its Independence era . . my suggestion is do a basic Google and see for yourself. The 'treaties' and all the rest of it, was allowed to fester and rot over decades, and no-one tackled the rot head-on.

Enter Trump who is now tackling it head-on . .

PS. Similar in some ways to trying to untangle the Union between England and Scotland