Who Benefits From Our Prolonged Financing Of The Ukraine War?

The Federalist ^ | FEBRUARY 03, 2023 | REP. WARREN DAVIDSON

[E. Pluribus Unum]

As we approach the first anniversary of the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s becoming increasingly important for Americans to ask: Who benefits?

America’s open checkbook for Ukraine is more likely to produce a long war than a swiftly decisive outcome. Three groups favor a long war in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin, the global industrial defense complex, and China.

As long as a state of war persists in Ukraine, even at a low simmer, Putin achieves his goal: Ukraine will not be part of NATO. As President Eisenhower cautioned, an overly powerful military-industrial complex risks putting its own interests and the truth at odds with America’s interests. Finally, China has greatly benefited from the ways America has squandered the post-Cold War era. American foreign policy needs strategic depth, not the same flawed approach that has left America less free, less safe, and more burdened by debt.

Pundits and intelligence professionals have attributed a host of motives to explain Putin’s unjust invasion of Ukraine. I won’t explore them here, but they all share one common theme. Putin does not want Ukraine to become a member of NATO or part of the European Union. While a state of war persists in Ukraine, neither will happen.

Providing an expectation that America will either fight or fund another endless war risks a catastrophic failure. Moreover, since our rational objectives do diverge, it provides no incentive for Ukraine’s President Zelensky to pursue more limited objectives or alternatives to America’s blank check.

[Salohcin]

Yes, Putin has been very consistent in his statements about Ukraine. He has repeatedly made the following claims:

1) The Ukrainian government is a “Nazi regime.”
2) The goal of his “special military operation” is to “denazify” Ukraine.
3) The Ukrainians and Russians are one nation. The concept of a Ukrainian national identity is a fiction invented by the West to divide Russia.
4) Russia needs to re-establish full sovereignty over its historical territories.

Given the above, how does Putin intend to “denazify” Ukraine without regime change that would install a Ukrainian government subservient to Moscow? If, as Putin has stated, Ukrainians are actually Russians, doesn’t Putin’s statement about Russia’s historical territories include Ukraine?

Here are just a few links to statements by Putin that make the points that I’ve outlined above:

Putin’s February 24, 2022 address announcing his “special military operation” where he claimed that “neo-Nazis” had seized power in Ukraine and that the goal of the “special military operation” was to “denazify” Ukraine.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/67843

Putin’s remarks to the Russian Federation Security Council on February 21, 2022 were he describes the Ukrainian government as a “neo-Nazi Banderite regime”.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/67825

Putin’s remarks to the Russian Federation Security Council on March 3, 2022 were he again says his goal is to “denazify” Ukraine. He adds “I will never abandon my conviction that Russians and Ukrainians are one nation.”
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/67903

Putin’s address of September 21, 2022 were he describes that the Ukrainian government as a “neo-Nazi regime.”
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/69390

Putin’s July 12, 2021 article claiming that Russia and Ukraine are one people and that the concept of a Ukrainian national identity is a fiction invented by the West to divide Russia.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

Putin’s 2023 New Years’ Address where he talks about reestablishing Russia’s full sovereignty over its historical territories.
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70315

[MarMema]

Thanks for your intelligent and detailed reply.
So telling of who you are, imo.

I post the truth here every time I post and have for many many years. I support FR as a monthly donor and consider many here to be like family.

FR has been a part of my life for a long long time.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

So we can replace it with US corruption and influence.

Close, but add Soros+UN+WEF+WOKE etc. I am not sure there is a single name. Some call it GloboHomo but most homosexuals don't agree with the worst of it.

[laplata]

You are wrong and naive and a dupe if you believe that.

[Bulwyf]

Lots of very low IQ people here on FR, and some are just Ukrainians with blind loyalty. Nothing else makes sense.

[Bulwyf]

I need help all the time. Thankfully my fellow Albertans come through.

Shut down all borders, stop the invasion.

[Sunsong]

what I’ve seen you post is utter BS

[RonaldusMagnus-DonaldusMagnus]

What?

So, Russian corruption degrades Europe, which hurts the US. Lack of access to Russian oil and natural gas will degrade Europe, which helps the US.

You forgot to add that the vaccine is safe and effective.

[rhubarbk]

I was waiting for that! Thanks.

[Sunsong]

So you think you deserve help but Ukrainians don’t?

Why is that?

[McCarthysGhost]

Totally agree. We changed their destiny. Whatever it was going to be before it is now a living hell. I do not think that we are helping the people of Ukraine. How different would their lives have been living under Russian rule or quasi-Russian rule as before?

[Gen.Blather]

There’s a lot of misinformation and more than a bit of hysteria concerning the cost of US transfers to Ukraine. The “cost” is the original equipment purchase price. Almost everything the US has sent so far, with a few exceptions has been equipment that was in storage and scheduled (Or soon to be scheduled) for decommissioning. For example, the Stinger missile has not been purchased in over twenty years. It had been updated periodically, as weapons in that particular not-in-use but not yet taken out of the inventory frequently are. Vehicles like the M113 or Bradly likewise were mothballed and would have been decommissioned at great expense. Instead, they were “given” (I think they actually used the Lend/Lease act meaning they will be billed to Ukraine at a later date.) In any case most of the items I’m aware of were scheduled for an expensive decommissioning or demilitarization process. Instead, they will be shipped off to Ukraine and the press will tout the fantastic numbers which reflect the original purchase price. Not, the present value.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Does Brandon still get his 10%?

[Mariner]

“Who benefits from us helping Ukraine? We do”

US interests are served by abandoning Ukraine to its fate.

[Gen.Blather]

“Does Brandon still get his 10%?”

I’ve been wondering the same thing. Ukraine was corrupt, yes. They’ve always been corrupt. But then, so has much of US politics. It’s just better disguised here. Mostly because of the Abscam sting. Now, bribes to US politicians are paid by hiring a publisher and paying them to pay the politician. Also, the deals aren’t made by the politicians but by personal secretaries or family, which gives them plausible deniability. “Oh, my son was getting millions of dollars from foreign intelligence services? I had no idea! Shocked, shocked, I tell you. I’m sending him to bed with no dinner and no TV for the rest of the week!”

[Sunsong]

wrong

[HKMk23]

I almost care less about who’s benefiting. Because I know who’s suffering. That would be you and me, brother. And why there’s not mass National outrage about the whole thing is of great concern.

[Bulwyf]

Not my damn problem. They are the extreme corrupt ones. Let the commie EU worry about it.

[Bishop_Malachi]

So we can replace it with US corruption and influence.

___________________________________________________

Exactly! The mindless cheerleading stupidity that goes on here at FR is truly nauseating sometimes.

[MarMema]

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/ukrainian-jews-shocked-after-city-elects-neo-nazi-mayor-437975

Local Jews in shock after Ukrainian city of Konotop elects neo-Nazi mayor

Two months after local elections were held across Ukraine, residents of the small northern city of Konotop are expressing shock and dismay over the behavior of newly chosen Mayor Artem Semenikhin of the neo-Nazi Svoboda party.
According to reports, Semenikhin drives around in a car bearing the number 14/88, a numerological reference to the phrases “we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children” and “Heil Hitler”; replaced the picture of President Petro Poroshenko in his office with a portrait of Ukrainian national leader and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera; and refused to fly the city’s official flag at the opening meeting of the city council because he objected to the star of David emblazoned on it. The flag also features a Muslim crescent and a cross.