Free Republic

Two serious and literally life or death questions: Since when did trying to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people — including countless children — become something to be criticized? Conversely, when did sending hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers into the teeth of the Russian war machine with absolutely no plausible plan to win become the untouchable go-to policy of certain neoconservatives, many on the left and a fair number of editorial writers?I thought of these questions while reading two recent columns. The first is by Rich Lowry from the New York Post, titled “Trump is getting...

HELSINKI, May 19 (Reuters) - Finland will supply 90 million euros ($101.35 million) of ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from Russian financial assets frozen by the European Union after Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022, the Finnish defence ministry said on Monday.The EU has estimated that 210 billion euros of the roughly $300 billion worth of frozen Russian assets are held in the 27-nation bloc, mainly in the form of government bonds that Russia's central bank had stored as reserves.HELSINKI, May 19 (Reuters) - Finland will supply 90 million euros ($101.35 million) of ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from...

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held a high-level meeting with senior executives from U.S. defense contractor Raytheon on May 19, focusing on expanding collaboration in air and missile defense systems, particularly the Patriot platform. In a statement released after the talks, Umerov said he had a “productive meeting” with Joseph DeAntona, Raytheon’s Vice President for Land and Air Defense Systems. The conversation, he noted, centered on Ukraine’s urgent need for additional missile systems and interceptors to strengthen the country’s defenses against continued Russian air attacks. “The main topic was strengthening the protection of Ukraine’s skies,” Umerov said. “We discussed the...

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton said Monday on MSNBC’s “Ana Cabrera Reports” that if President Donald Trump attempted to take control of Greenland with military force, it “would provoke an impeachment crisis almost immediately.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump downplayed the likelihood but did not completely rule it out. He said, “I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there, you need that. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people which will take care of and will cherish them and all of that, but...

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged a first ever $1 trillion defense budget proposal on Monday, a record sum for the military. Trump, during a press event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the upcoming budget would be “in the vicinity” of $1 trillion Hegseth went further in an X post on Monday evening, saying Trump “is rebuilding our military — and FAST.” “COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget,” Hegseth posted from his personal account. “(PS: we intend to spend every taxpayer dollar wisely — on lethality and readiness).” The number would be a...

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the same thing is happening with financing of organizations engaged in "anti-state processes," including in Georgia - these organizations are now funded only from the EUTBILISI, April 7. /TASS/. The so-called deep state has ordered European structures to continue military operations in Ukraine, said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. "The deep state has instructed European institutions to continue the war in Ukraine. Before that, American structures were also involved in this process. Now the deep state has exclusively tasked European structures with prolonging the war in Ukraine," Kobakhidze told reporters. According to him, the same thing...

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Finland on Thursday announced a new arms package for Ukraine amounting to around 200 million euros ($217 million) and pledged more defense cooperation with Kyiv. The aid package for Ukraine involves artillery ammunition, “which is in great need right now,” said Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen as he signed a memorandum of understanding alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. Finland’s Defense Ministry said other contents of the aid package would not be divulged at this time. Häkkänen said that Finland remains committed to supporting Ukraine and shares Kyiv’s “view of the Russian threat in light of...

John Bolton says that a ceasefire isn't in Ukraine's best interest

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona visited Ukraine this weekend, trying to undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the devastating war launched by Russia in 2022 during Joe Biden’s presidency. Kelly’s trip comes just days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with Ukrainian officials on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. (Update: Conflicting reports on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in Saudi Arabia on Monday, will stay for the meetings. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will also be in Saudi Arabia meetings.) Amazingly, in a statement on his visit to...

Agreement between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and German company Diehl Defence paves the way for large industrial projects Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the German company Diehl Defence, which produces IRIS-T systems and is "an important part of Ukraine's air defense shield." According to the minister, the signed agreement paves the way for large industrial projects that will strengthen the capabilities of Ukrainian air defense. In addition, the memorandum provides for a threefold increase in the supply of missiles and air defense systems, Umerov noted. IRIS-T is a medium-range...

The reason for the forever war The ocean of graft, grift, and corruption...

Republican Rep. Tim Burchett has urged President Donald Trump not to let the money being saved by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to be spent by “war pimps at the Pentagon.” Rep. Burchett shared his concerns with the president during a recent meeting.“I said, Mr. President, my biggest fear is this, you’re making all these great cuts with DOGE, and every dollar is going to be absorbed by the war pimps at the Pentagon and the war pimps in Congress,” the congressman told Breitbart News. Burchett continued, “And I said, your problem is not going to come from the...

ESSENCE OF UKRAINE SUPPORTERS: "British troops should be in Ukraine, but I'm a conscientious objector" (Video at URL) ...

🚨 BREAKING: French President Macron addressed all Europeans to prepare for war with Russia. This was broadcast live across the continent. Europe will not accept capitulation of Ukraine to Russia under the guise of "peace negotiations." Americans must decide whose side we are on. 🚨 BREAKING: German Foreign Minister Baerbock gave an impassioned speech to prepare Germans for war with Russia. Germany urges European nations to start mobilizing now and not wait for the formation of the incoming government in Germany under Chancellor Merz, expected in April.

The unpopular Sir Keir Starmer says he will assemble a "coalition of the willing" in Ukraine: the phrase his Labour Party and Bush used to invade Iraq. He also boasts the UK will puts "boots on the ground" in Ukraine: but can only do so with "strong US backing."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPMgzm_9K50

So, does anyone want to buy a used war, and take it over? I can't think why they would do so. You might as well rush to obtain an unexploded bomb, or a leaking canister of some horrible virus. Whatever has come over the leaders of Europe, jostling to keep the Ukraine war going when it might at last be ending? This moronic, needless conflict has done this continent nothing but harm. As an event, it is horrible, a hellish panorama of innocent people shivering without electricity in half-ruined cities, broken homes, broken hearts and broken bodies, hospitals crammed with...

What Trump/Vance are now saying to western Europe is get serious. The cold war is over. You know Russia has no desire to occupy western Europe. This proclaimed threat is a fantasy got up by what a wise president, Dwight Eisenhower, called the US’s military-industrial complex, long practised at extracting profit from fear.

...are receiving “kickbacks” from Ukraine funding.

“Mark my words maga, you abandon Ukraine and you will make the Afghanistan withdrawal, and the failure to act in 2014, look like brilliant strategy,” Kinzinger said on X. “Trump will be seen as the worst president in history for foreign policy. A weak weak scared boy [sic].” Kinzinger has long held extremely hawkish views on Ukraine, introducing a joint resolution in 2022 to allow U.S. soldiers to enter Ukraine. He also insists the U.S. continue backing Ukraine in order to “exhaust” the Russians.