A view from England

[Jolly]

Shucks, Europe can't even decline to buy Russian natural gas.

[Doctor Phibes]

@Jolly said in A view from England:

Shucks, Europe can't even decline to buy Russian natural gas.

Britain gets almost all of its imported gas from Norway and the US, and produces a significant amount of its own, so that doesn't really apply here.

[Jolly]

@Doctor-Phibes said in A view from England:

@Jolly said in A view from England:

Shucks, Europe can't even decline to buy Russian natural gas.

Britain gets almost all of its imported gas from Norway and the US, and produces a significant amount of its own, so that doesn't really apply here.

Kinda, sorta.

The problem is that the Europeans have regulated themselves into an economic rathole (see Home Depot thread) and do not have the economic strength to give the Ukrainians what they need to fight, which is around $100B worth of equipment...Front line equipment, not things like F-16's with first generation radar. They also lack the moral fiber to send troops to Ukraine and get into a shooting war with the Russians.

They want Uncle Sugar to shoulder most of the financial burden and they would be tickled for us to send troops to Ukraine to "keep the peace" Sorry folks, we've got bigger fish to fry in the Pacific. China could be an economic and/or military threat to the U.S.

The U.S. is simply not in shape to continue to be the Post-WW2 world policeman.

[Renauda]

They want Uncle Sugar to shoulder most of the financial burden and they would be tickled for us to send troops to Ukraine to "keep the piece". Sorry folks, we've got bigger fish to fry in the Pacific. China could be an economic and/or military threat to the U.S.

Then why shake down the Ukrainians for their wallet while Putin and his thugs are breaking their knees in the alley out back of the restaurant?

[Tom-K]

@Renauda said in A view from England:

Then why shake down the Ukrainians for their wallet while Putin and his thugs are breaking their knees in the alley?

I don't think that's the plan. Trup doesn't much care who started the war, he's interested in ending it--to America's advantage. Trump's praising Puting to get him to do what he wants. It is definitely not in Putin's interest to stop the war but if Putin gets buttered up enough he just might. Putin has a war economy going with high inflation. If he stops making tanks and brings back a half a million (?) young men who know how to use guns to no jobs he's going to be in a lot of trouble. I'm sure Putin will try to rev up the petro industry but if Trump is smart he's flood the market with low cost gas and oil and depress the world prices. That will cause some consternation.

Meanwhile back in Ukraine the US will be mining minerals (a very miniscule part of the Ukraine economy) but Putin can't interfere with America getting it's rare earths, so it will be safe from another invasion and the so their agriculture and IT business can flurish.

Anyway, that's the way I hope it will go.

[Renauda]

@Tom-K

….Anyway, that's the way I hope it will go.

I get that and I would hope so as well although it does turn Ukraine into a vital interest of the USA. Not something the Kremlin would find at all acceptable. In fact quite the opposite.

[Jolly]

@Tom-K said in A view from England:

but if Trump is smart he's flood the market with low cost gas and oil and depress the world prices.

I think that's what Trump wants. Cheap energy. Preferably with American companies, if he can get it.

[Renauda]

If at all Trump can fool the market, it will be as it always has been, short lived.

[xenon]

So Ukraine joining NATO is a needless American provocation, but us essentially planting the American flag on Ukrainian mineral fields is hunky dory.

I really don’t get this.

[Renauda]

@xenon

Intrepid that you should mention the paradox of it all.

The past several days I have been reluctant to mention it as I convinced it was just me who was struggling with the concept.