U.S. informed Europe of cuts to military aid, Lithuania says

VILNIUS, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense informed European countries last week that military support under a program known as Section 333 will be cut to zero from the next fiscal year, a Lithuanian defence ministry official said on Friday.

Two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday the United States will phase out some security assistance for European countries near the border with Russia, raising concerns among key recipients such as Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia - former Soviet republics now in NATO and the European Union.

Lithuania's Defence Ministry Policy Director Vaidotas Urbelis told reporters in Vilnius that, last week, the U.S. Department of Defense told Europeans that the Section 333 programme "will be set at zero for all European countries" from the next financial year.

Section 333 is an authority under which the U.S. provides training and equipment to enhance the security of partner states.

The cuts, which need to be confirmed by Congress, do not affect the deployment of U.S. troops, nor the support through the separate U.S. programme called Foreign Military Financing, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State, he said.

Lithuania has suggested it take over part of the funding of the separate Baltic Security Initiative support programme, which is focused on the three Baltic states and is also under review by the U.S. Department of Defense, he added.

A lot of money that was wasted for political theater.

Real threats go unaddressed, while political theater like this gets funded.

Resources need realigned based on where the actual threats emanate from.

(1) The real terror threat is Islamic and based out of parts of the Middle East and Africa (that is an idiological threat). Part of that threat includes nations like Iran, and groups like Hamas and Hezbollah as well as a long list of other organizations spanning Africa,the Middle East and all the way into the Philippines (Abu Sayeff).

(2) The real threat of major theater war is from China. They are the the ONLY ones with the capability, political will, and conflict of interest which are likely to challenge us militarily.

Russia is a has been empire.

It is actually us that has been kicking them around along their own border, in Africa and the Middle East.

Time to end the Biden Ukraine $hit show and this will help a little.

This de-escalates things and will help with trying to bring a peaceful resolution to Ukraine.

Realize, NATO (that peace loving defensive organization we are told) attempted to put pressure on Russia by deploying forces to the Baltic states, which meant Russia had to deploy forces there as well.

This while Russia is trying to fight in Ukraine. It was part of a bigger strategy to put Russia under pressure.

It’s no different than how North Korea starts barking anytime we are tangled up in a larger conflict. You can almost bet on them doing that: Vietnam, Iraq 2003.

In the meantime, we sell it to the public as if Russia is threatening us.

Trump is trying. Good for him. But the hole we dug over the last 3 years of Biden is very deep to crawl out of.

--- "...the United States will phase out some security assistance for European countries near the border with Russia, raising concerns among key recipients such as Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia...."

...that they will have to start paying more of their own way in this world.

Like baby birds out of a nest. Cubs out of a den. Joeys out a kangaroo mother's pouch. Young adult children out of the folks' house....

Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia - former Soviet republics now in NATO and the European Union.

What do they have to fear? If they were once in the Soviet Union, the can be again, this time under the Russian Federation. Once back under the Russian umbrella, they won't have to fear being invaded.

Ukraine should have learned that lesson before inviting the Russian invasion.

Once a Soviet republic, always a Soviet republic. It's like what the Marines say, 'once a Marine, always a Marine'.

Common sense. Jeez!

Our policy makers think that through NATO and security policy, we can have “influence” in Europe.

Reality is, they help us when it benefits them, but leave us high and dry if there is no personal benefit (except a few like the UK and Poland).

We are getting sucked into convoluted European conflicts that have an origin dating back sometimes hundreds of years. We are choosing sides, and that’s an ingredient for many dead Americans in the future.

There is a reason for this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington‘s_Farewell_Address

He wasn’t the only one. He was simply the most direct in articulating the idea of us staying out of European affairs, keeping them out of ours (no treaties - i.e. neutrality).

The idea of a “sphere of influence,” bad mouthed by modern globalist type political leaders and bureaucrats (especially those that belong to globalist/international organizations), is INTENDED to keep nations from stepping on each other’s feet!

Basically, you have your area, I have mine, and if we stay in our respective areas we don’t end up killing each other. But that’s far to logical and simple for these geniuses we have in charge today.

And here we are: bombing Serbia, waging a proxy war against Russia... Heading the world’s most powerful military alliance which is European basically. Engaging in offensive conflicts where we choose sides...

This will NOT end well.

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