“President Joe Biden said Wednesday the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to Ukraine to assist in its defense against Russia.
The president’s comments came as he formally announced his administration was sending an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, making a total of $2 billion in such aid sent to Kyiv since Biden took office more than a year ago. About $1 billion in aid has been sent in just the last week.
“We’re going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead,” Biden said.
Biden spoke hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video address to members of U.S. Congress in which he made an impassioned plea for the U.S. and West to provide more help to save his young democracy than world leaders have so far pledged to provide.”
Comment: OK. I get it. There will be no “no fly zone.” I agree with that position. I sense that USAF for some reason is refusing to countenance transfer of MIG-29s to Ukraine. The reason for that is obscure for me since we are supplying air defense systems and will be supplying more.
Biden’s appearance at the signing ceremony was worrisome. He repeatedly stumbled over his text and at one point he could not remember Milley’s title and called him “our commander.” Milley is CJCS and not in the chain of command. Biden has been Washington for 50 years and he does not know that? pl
Biden Sending More Anti-aircraft Systems, Drones to Ukraine | Newsmax.com
Yesterday he declared, “The First Lady’s husband has tested positive for COVID.” He was referring to Doug Emhoff, the “Second Gentleman” (if there’s a more emasculating honorific out there, I haven’t heard it).
The collapse of this man’s mental faculties is nearly total, it now appears. We are headed for very dangerous times as a nation. How long can they possibly carry on this utterly transparent farce? I shudder to imagine the lengths they will go and the damage to our country that they will accept in order to keep him propped up. It’s just jaw-dropping at this point.
I don’t mean to offend our host, but I have to ask why would Ukraine agree to neutrality and terms regarding Crimea and Donbas as long as the US is bankrolling the war to such an extent? And in light of recent history, how much of that $2 billion in aid is getting kicked back to the Usual Suspects? Plus, how much will end up in Zelensky’s offshore account, an account revealed by the Pandora Papers?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_named_in_the_Pandora_Papers
That’s just a partial list, of the known offshore account holders as revealed by documents obtained from only 14 financial services companies. I can understand why high-income business people try to avoid paying taxes, but why do politicians even have offshore accounts if they’re honest?
I fear the people of Ukraine are suffering the horrible consequences of bad decision-making by many of the leaders involved. And judging from MSM coverage, I can’t help but believe US involvement is at least partially a Biden administration ploy to Wag The Dog in order to distract from the unpopularity of his policies. What a tragedy.
And may I add my disappointment in the GOP for piling on as well? A protracted war seems to be their goal, not peace.
Ah
You want Russian conquest of Ukraine to war. You are one of the democrats who would surrender to an invader here?
From what I can see and read (if any of it’s to be believed), it doesn’t look to me like Russia wants to conquer western Ukraine. Maybe I’m missing something.
And no, I’m not a Democrat, but it’s logical to be suspicious when all of the same people who believed in and promoted the Russian Collusion hoax, in addition to Republican NeverTrumpers, are mainly the ones (besides soldiers like yourself) who are in favor of the policy of sending millions and billions in aid to Ukraine. At least you and some others here have had careers in the military which makes your support for the underdog Ukraine in fighting it out with long-time antagonist Russia more understandable. You’ve called yourself a romantic warrior. Understood. I am what I am – a cynic who’s distrustful of most pols and their policies.
If we are tempting fate, why not then just give Putin an ultimatum that we’re putting Nukes in Poland unless he withdraws from Ukraine in the next 72 hours.
The Guardian questions Zelenskyy’s off shore holdings, as his connections in the Pandora papers revealed: written in Oct 2021.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/03/revealed-anti-oligarch-ukrainian-president-offshore-connections-volodymyr-zelenskiy
I Also..
Saw Mr Biden..Also..Squinting hard To Read His Script..Stutter Stutter..
and tell the World and Russian every single Item And How Many ..He Was
Authorizing To Be Sent To Ukraine..in a Manner I believe Russia will Figure
Out..Sadly..
By The Time The Stage Coach Arrives. there..The Banditos Will probably
Be Waiting Sadly..One week..Two Weeks..The Russians Will Have Fortress
Kyev..surrounded Im Afraid..
Wow..Joe..You are u to Authorizing One Billion Dollars Now..
Miz Yellin last Year. April 2021 .Authorized 40 Billion Dollars For China..5 Billion for Iran and several Billion For Russian..
..of “Special Drawing Rights”..,of low interst Loans..
Mr Biden Was Worn out From His Speech..He Sounded Winded..
e..All His Vitamin B-12 Shots..and Others.”Spritzes” wore Out..
He is Not A High Endurance Person..Thats Why He has So Many “Aids”
JT
Four Russian Warships With Vehicles on The Decks were seen and photographed by The Japanese;;Sailing From East (Siberia..?) to
West..With speculation and maps that they will Enter the Suez Canal..and into The Black Sea..
JT
Would be unusual if it did. When Russia wants to move gear, like the trucks on the deck of that ship, long distances inside the country it does it by rail. Much lower cost and many weeks shorter journey.
If the group of ships does continue south the destination could be Yemen or Syria.
John In MK..
Thank You for response…Thats True Im Sure..So What if Those Ships Have Been in A Chinese Port…Whats In Those Trucks,,?? A Few Billion Dollars..??
Oh Wait..That Was Obamas Gift To Iran..
American Intel Is Not Telling Us Anything..Are They..
All Those Watch Officers In Colorado Have Nothing To
Look At..Nothing To Report…All Quiet ”Stille Nacht..Heilige Nacht..”
JT
JT
In fact Obama gave them back SOME of their own impounded money.
Whilst applauding the decision one thing puzzles me, delivery.
Up to the start of the war NATO aircraft were flying in large numbers, usually into Kiev, delivering directly into the center of the UkA road/rail transport network. From memory this was the latest $250M gift of gear.
The US is now intent on tripling that amount but without a delivery point in Ukraine. It will have to be routed through a nearby NATO country and smuggled over the border. OK, the borders are many hundreds of miles long with many potential crossover points but it will be a huge logistical problem that will take some time with the ongoing risk of Russian interdiction especially now that they have shown that they will fire cruise missiles within 12 miles of the border.
I know that there is quite a lot of gear currently being shipped in but this will be a massive increase. Just under 10,000 man operated weapons, 20M rounds of ammo, 25,000 sets of body armour and helmets takes up a lot of space.
Quite a task.
It looks like there is a civilian no fly zone over the Russian Federation as a lot of international airlines are avoiding Russian airspace. I wonder what that does to the fuel usage and costs.
Saw somewhere +3.5 hours on Tokyo – London. OTOH, flying Kaliningrad – St Petersburg also is a bit longer now.
It is a no fly zone for the airlines of those countries that have sanctioned Russian airlines. The extended flight times, depending on route vary between 30 mins to 4 1/2 hours so the cost impact can be high.
There is no logic for the U.S. to deny mig-29’s while providing other weapons.
As long as Ukrainians operate our gifts on Ukrainian soil, I see no reason to deny it except one. We don’t want to spend the $3B it takes to replace the Polish mig-29’s with F15’s (or whatever F).
Poland gives Ukraine 30 mig-29’s and then the U.S. gives Poland 30 brand new U.S. aircraft. It is also possible that the USAF believes those mig-29’s will be destroyed or captured by Russia and don’t want to look bad when they happens.
A problem in providing the Mig-29s to Ukraine is that the airbase that the aircraft flew from in say Poland would become a target as soon as the Mig-29 crossed the border. Even though it was on a one way trip it might be fully armed in attack mode, so would have to be treated as hostile by the Russians, as would the airbase it took off from. A risk Poland clearly recognised.
This was an interesting side to the Polish offer of delivering then to Ramstein, as it would have potentially turned that base into the target instead. No wonder the USAF bulked at that idea.
I don’t think Russia would attack NATO bases in Poland or elsewhere for one way trips. I think they would if we let Ukrainian pilots use those bases for round trip missions.
If Russia was into pre-emptive strikes for one way deliveries, they would already be doing it. So far, they have been content to bomb depots in west Ukraine.
Bit of a worry for you Americans.i said from the beginning he will end not being able to stand.so far he is hanging in there.reminds of that movie “being there” with Peter sellers.chance the gardner.
All the examples of advanced dementia from Slo Sliden is a very difficult thing to watch.
From the beginning of his basement days campaigning to current it is an obvious case of elder abuse. Now this fool who can’t remember who Milley is or that his VP is not a first lady.
I have to wonder what our adversaries intel agencies psychological profiling of Slo Sliden reads like?
The bottom line, (regardless of what the codes are for the football and if Slo Sliden can read the the “launch card”) , innocent humans are dying. That is heart breaking but a reality of the human condition.
„”But he has nothing on at all,” said a little child at last. “Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. “But he has nothing on at all,” cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, “Now I must bear up to the end.” And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist.“
Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor’s New Clothes