That would be the smart move for Russia. Nice offset for US reliance on sole source Chicom metals and minerals. A better offset would be to mine in the US.
Vanilla ate my long response. This is getting stupid.
Anyway, TLDR, I wouldn’t read that deeply into 4d chess.
Trump is prying Russia off the Chinese orbit and giving them an offramp.
The 21st century is going to see a lot of shakeups as demographics and technology converge to destroy old powers.
Trump is doing what he thinks is best to position the US as one of the new hegemons.
IF the CCP can manage to hold onto power until AI and robots give them the replacement for a billion people they're going to control Asia including current Asian Russia. This is part of everyone's focus on rare earth's.
Europe is headed towards the dustbin of history.
The US is actually the best positioned demographically, technologically, and geographically. That said our leadership did It's best to give that away to China.
The USA/CIA had Ukraine blow up the Nordstream 2, allowed Zelensky to bomb Poland and unsuccessfully blame it on Russia, and still NOC other than the people making billions on continuing this nonsense.
Who gives a fuck about the Ukraine/Russia border? Give Ukraine a port and let’s end this thing because Russia will collapse soon enough when Trump starts the USA controlling world carbon fuel markets.
Putin dying will not change centuries of Russian concern over invasion.
The mentality is engrained in them from birth. The American mind cannot grasp it with two oceans, some cheeseheads and sombreros as the biggest threat.
Putin’s death won’t make a bit of difference. Cook it.
How about "HELL NO"! Plus the Euros cheat like hell on what they call defense spending. If France and Germany want a seat at the table they need pay their fair share to host the damn thing. Cut a deal with Putin and then gracefully decline the next invite and stop providing the main course while Germany brings their box of Walmart cookies.
NATO nations boosted their collective spending on defence by around $120 billion in 2024 from the previous year, with the 32-strong alliance’s total outlay estimated to have been around $1.3 trillion.
Detailing individual nations’ contributions in its secretary general’s annual report, published on 24 April, NATO says: “European members and Canada invested a total of $486 billion in defence last year: a 19.4% increase in real terms.”
The commitment from Washington, DC was worth $818 billion, or 64% of spending, according to the alliance’s calculations, which were made using 2021 prices and exchange rates. This markedly exceeded the USA’s 53% share of the members’ combined gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2024, 22 allies met a mutually-agreed guideline of spending at least 2% of their national GDP on defence. NATO notes that only three of its then-members achieved that in 2014.
Nine nations fell below the benchmark last year, with shortfalls ranging from Montenegro spending 1.88%, Italy 1.5% and Canada 1.45%, to last-ranked Spain, at 1.24%. Iceland is excluded from the annual spending assessment, as it has no armed forces.
The biggest spender last year as measured against GDP was Poland, with an estimated 4.07% of GDP, with the USA and Baltic states Estonia, Lativa and Lithuania all exceeding 3%.
The alliance’s two most recent additions, Finland and Sweden, both bettered the minimum spending target last year, with respective figures of 2.3% and 2.25% of GDP. Stockholm recently detailed a plan to further boost its commitment to defence spending, to 3.5% by 2030.
Referring to the overall increased allocation from members excluding the USA, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte notes: “These allies are taking on greater responsibility for the defence and security of the Euro-Atlantic area.”
However, he cautions: “We need to dramatically accelerate these efforts in 2025. European allies and Canada must make a quantum leap when it comes to the contributions and capabilities they bring to bear. To do so, it will be essential to invest substantially more.”
NATO can do whatever they want in increasing spending, but at least under Trump, our contribution won’t rise and those countries can maybe stop relying on USA taxpayers to fund their socialist systems.
You would think Russia would be bending over backwards to align with Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc.
They do have some deep rooted scars from Germans, French, Mongols especially - but in today's day and age they are the one doing the invading - just as they have done throughout history as well. Invade.
Comments
BB/CC dweebs cheer!
@UW_Doog_Bot - thoughts?
Perhaps the war wasn’t about Ukraine at all but rather a means to draw the US into partnering with the Russians for resources instead.
Russian oligarch robber barons
That would be the smart move for Russia. Nice offset for US reliance on sole source Chicom metals and minerals. A better offset would be to mine in the US.
RIP, Trump's fault. The cool kids use Putin's fault these days.
Vanilla ate my long response. This is getting stupid.
Anyway, TLDR, I wouldn’t read that deeply into 4d chess.
Trump is prying Russia off the Chinese orbit and giving them an offramp.
The 21st century is going to see a lot of shakeups as demographics and technology converge to destroy old powers.
Trump is doing what he thinks is best to position the US as one of the new hegemons.
IF the CCP can manage to hold onto power until AI and robots give them the replacement for a billion people they're going to control Asia including current Asian Russia. This is part of everyone's focus on rare earth's.
Europe is headed towards the dustbin of history.
The US is actually the best positioned demographically, technologically, and geographically. That said our leadership did It's best to give that away to China.
The little twit is on the Euro's puppet strings. They want war in the worst way.
I don’t see how they can fight it well without starting a continental war once the French and UK send ground troops to the meat grinder.
Oh well, fuck ‘em. We(?) have plenty to fix here across the ocean, as Zelensky reminded us a few weeks ago.
Did we win yet?
Were any Kurds harmed in the filming of this war?
Interesting concept.
Ukraine hasn't, but the US has.
What do you think happens when Putin dies in Russia?
In other news, I want a Russian and Ukrainian 3 way for world peace
The USA/CIA had Ukraine blow up the Nordstream 2, allowed Zelensky to bomb Poland and unsuccessfully blame it on Russia, and still NOC other than the people making billions on continuing this nonsense.
Who gives a fuck about the Ukraine/Russia border? Give Ukraine a port and let’s end this thing because Russia will collapse soon enough when Trump starts the USA controlling world carbon fuel markets.
Putin dying will not change centuries of Russian concern over invasion.
The mentality is engrained in them from birth. The American mind cannot grasp it with two oceans, some cheeseheads and sombreros as the biggest threat.
Putin’s death won’t make a bit of difference. Cook it.
What's the crossover between people supporting Ukraine and domestic gun control?
How about "HELL NO"! Plus the Euros cheat like hell on what they call defense spending. If France and Germany want a seat at the table they need pay their fair share to host the damn thing. Cut a deal with Putin and then gracefully decline the next invite and stop providing the main course while Germany brings their box of Walmart cookies.
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/nato-calls-for-quantum-leap-in-defence-spending-as-annual-outlay-tops-13-trillion/162754.article
NATO nations boosted their collective spending on defence by around $120 billion in 2024 from the previous year, with the 32-strong alliance’s total outlay estimated to have been around $1.3 trillion.
Detailing individual nations’ contributions in its secretary general’s annual report, published on 24 April, NATO says: “European members and Canada invested a total of $486 billion in defence last year: a 19.4% increase in real terms.”
The commitment from Washington, DC was worth $818 billion, or 64% of spending, according to the alliance’s calculations, which were made using 2021 prices and exchange rates. This markedly exceeded the USA’s 53% share of the members’ combined gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2024, 22 allies met a mutually-agreed guideline of spending at least 2% of their national GDP on defence. NATO notes that only three of its then-members achieved that in 2014.
Nine nations fell below the benchmark last year, with shortfalls ranging from Montenegro spending 1.88%, Italy 1.5% and Canada 1.45%, to last-ranked Spain, at 1.24%. Iceland is excluded from the annual spending assessment, as it has no armed forces.
The biggest spender last year as measured against GDP was Poland, with an estimated 4.07% of GDP, with the USA and Baltic states Estonia, Lativa and Lithuania all exceeding 3%.
The alliance’s two most recent additions, Finland and Sweden, both bettered the minimum spending target last year, with respective figures of 2.3% and 2.25% of GDP. Stockholm recently detailed a plan to further boost its commitment to defence spending, to 3.5% by 2030.
Referring to the overall increased allocation from members excluding the USA, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte notes: “These allies are taking on greater responsibility for the defence and security of the Euro-Atlantic area.”
However, he cautions: “We need to dramatically accelerate these efforts in 2025. European allies and Canada must make a quantum leap when it comes to the contributions and capabilities they bring to bear. To do so, it will be essential to invest substantially more.”
NATO can do whatever they want in increasing spending, but at least under Trump, our contribution won’t rise and those countries can maybe stop relying on USA taxpayers to fund their socialist systems.
That just tells me that the Euros are as much in on the grift/corruption as their chickenhawks in the US.
10% off the top for der große Kerl
You would think Russia would be bending over backwards to align with Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc.
They do have some deep rooted scars from Germans, French, Mongols especially - but in today's day and age they are the one doing the invading - just as they have done throughout history as well. Invade.