US announces $125 million military aid package for Ukraine
The U.S. is sending Ukraine an additional $125 million in weapons to assist in its military operations against Russia, including much-needed air defense capabilities, radars to detect and counter enemy artillery and anti-tank weapons, the White House announced Friday.
The latest package comes as Ukraine has launched its largest ground offensive on Russian soil since the war began in February 2022. The offensive in the Kursk region has prompted Moscow to declare an emergency and send reinforcements there.
National security spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine’s use of U.S.-provided weapons in the offensive was in line with administration policies. The Biden administration has approved their use in cross-border counterstrikes against Russia but not against targets deeper inside Russia, although the specific distances are not clear.
The weapons in this latest aid package will be drawn from existing U.S. stocks and will include Stinger missiles, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) ammunition and vehicles. It brings the total amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine since 2022 to $55.6 billion.
That just seems really low to me. I know, I know, 125 million dollars is nothing to sneeze at. I'm not saying it's a pitiful amount.....
But it seems like only a year ago we were seeing headlines of us contributing BILLIONS of dollars in military support.
And even WITH that, I'm seeing Zelenskyy saying how he STILL needs ammunition.
Now, maybe whats happening here is that innitially we were sending them expensive equipment, like tanks, and planes, and rocket launchers. And maybe now those equipment still stand, but need ammunition. And ammunition, while a neverending expense, is still cheaper up front than the equipment meant to fire that ammunition.
Maybe thats whats happening, and I'm just an idiot. I'll FULLY admit to being an idiot when it comes to the finer points of international weapons distribution, and global politics in a vacume that threatens to be the wick that ignites WWIII.
I'll fully admit to maybe not understanding things in the full scale of things.
But reactionary kneejerk reactions, are are 125 million is LESS than the billions we previously were donating.
That being said, Cleveland got hit with some tornados on Tuesday, and I've been without power for a few days. So I have no salvagable food in my fridge, only beer. I tried ordering a pizza and some wings, but they wanted $70 before tip and delivery. So now I'm sitting here on Lemmy, just got power back today, 6 beers deep on an empty stomach trying to debate the global ramifications of obliterating russia.
So maybe my heads not on straight.
This is just a supplemental aid package which usually doesn't make the news. It's mainly just ammo, spare parts and a few vehicles. These updates happen frequently.
Big packages that are billions of dollars usually include many full weapon systems, lika full Patriot systems.
I suspect that a the line item for "demolition equipment and munitions" was high explosives and grenades for drone use.
Here is a rough list of this particular package:
https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Support-for-Ukraine/Timeline/
DoD has a timeline. They've alternated between billions and millions even in the beginning.
125million is like half an F350 wing.
I read this post confused three times before I figured out you were talking about the F-35 fighter and not a Ford F350 pickup truck.
That's what rulers in charge wants: you to not think straight. Otherwise you will realize that sending billions of public money to an authoritarian government while your fridge is empty is an injustice.
Billions to avoid WWIII and protect our interests and allies is a good investment
To avoid it? All these money are going into funding it.
US government interests are tied to corporations such as google, meta and worst. Israel is one of US allies.
I get it, the interests of the US government are very frequently wrong and harmful to the world.
But even a broken clock is right twice a day. And assisting Ukraine in defending itself against an invasion is, unequivocally, a good thing.
Al capone did plenty of charity, they sure were a good man.
They are sending billions of dollars in weapons to an authoritarian and corrupted government who passed martial law and forbids any man between 18-60 to leave the country, who's also seeking to forcibly repatriate these who fled the country and are eligible for conscription. They are doing this while backing a genocide in israel, selling weapons to dictatorships such as saudi arabia and doing business with countries like china who are directly supplying russia in this war.
They don't give a shit about you and me or common people, rulers do not fight their wars they send others to die for their slimy interests. That's not a good thing.
Cool, also irrelevant.
They past martial law because they are fighting for their sovereignty, my guy. If the US had an invader beating down its doorstep and they had already taken California, I feel like switching to wartime government is justifiable. A draft is unfortunate, but when the alternative is to fold in the face of Russian aggression? That's no choice at all.
See previous. Yes, the US makes a lot of bad decisions. Supplying Ukraine is not one of them.
So it is categorically impossible for leaders of nations to care about the people in the nations they administer? This comes off as incredibly cynical.
Forcing people to fight over invisible line on a map and pushing them into a meat grinder is evil. Rulers do not fight their wars they send peasants to die for them in the front. Freedom should never be abolished, wartimes are even a greater moment to fight for freedom and justice not against it.
They are totally ok with profiting out of people misery and misfortunes, just look how much money they are making out of the war industry these days. They simply are scum, look around yourself they do corporations interests not people.
I'm glad you're opposed to the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the current invasion, very nice! Russia really should stop sending wave after wave of soldiers into the meat grinder just so they can seize more Ukrainian territory.
That is not an answer to my question.
I’m not the commenter you’re arguing with, I’m just reading the conversation, but you’re not engaging with their substantive point, you’re assuming that they hold a position that they don’t hold and you’re arguing with that position instead. I think you both make a valid argument and it’s a little frustrating seeing such interesting debates just go ignored because people miss the point
Wow, what are they sending? 2 and a half missiles?
Meanwhile the US has approved 3.5 Billion "aid" to a genocidal apartheid dictatorship
The US has committed over $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since February 2022.
I do find it odd that Ukraine can't have a single jet while we recently gave out 30 to 50 to fight Hamas? Something doesn't add up.
I've been following the offensive since it began. What I have noticed is that Russian trolls in social media and Youtube seem to have gone mum. The YouTube videos pertaining to Ukraine always have Russian trolls heckling. Now they say nothing.
As expected, the troll army don't have any scripted PR disaster mitigation on this one. Kudos to the Ukrainians for surprising everyone! This has been in Ukraine's sleeve all along!
I went over to !worldnews@lemmy.ml about an hour ago. I didn't see a single post about the Ukrainian incursion into Russia. Either nobody posted it, or they removed the posts. You can guess which one is more likely.
Edit: there is now exactly one post about it: https://sh.itjust.works/post/23478673
Zero comments.
One comment now :p
Very very neutral to see if they remove it.
All I've seen in response is "hurr wouldn't happen without US military industrial complex"
I've been missing that one.
Which just tells me you're right, no response to this so they default back to old rhetoric.
Really makes me wish we'd approved the F-16s sooner
US announces $125 million military aid package for
UkraineLockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrup GrummanHeads of state literally said that these money are going back into their industry and people still pretend government goal is to aid ukrainians.
Of course it is, since Marshall plan it works the same. Govt pays military private companies, they ship stuff to country in need, bank pays US govt back, bank adds sum to debt of country in need.
Who wins the most? Bank and company.
::: spoiler Associated Press - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report) Information for Associated Press:
::: spoiler Search topics on Ground.News https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-weapons-aid-us-5c3a116eef3136e7d2cae3ec2bf12f71
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-weapons-war-military-aid-2bc961d302b86c54e424a28ffed30cc2
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-fighting-80671ef80c36b94dc1114506770cdd56 ::: Media Bias Fact Check | bot support
I'm going to petition Ukraine for 250k so I can afford a house
Between affording a house and having Russians invade and rape your family while indiscriminately bombing civilian centers.... Yeah... I think my former problem is a bit less significant.
Oh snap, I forgot that the Ukraine people pay the taxes that all that money is coming from. My bad birdman, we should send them more money while I struggle to afford housing and medical care.
Well hey, good news, Boat Ho — we can do both! We have this magical capacity to both walk and chew bubble-gum at the same time. You may understand as as "not being mutually-exclusive." Being the richest nation on Earth, this is not outside our capacity.
Here let me help you out, here: You see, it's not Ukraine preventing you from having those things; to the contrary, it's not even a matter of affordability. The problem comes from Republican obstructionists.
Everything you wrote was true right up until the last line. The democrats could be 100% in power and it still wouldn’t happen. The problem is capitalism, not one particular political party.
Tldr, Can I have your bubble gum plz
Should probably worry more about the money going to fossil fuel companies, big ag subsidies and isreal before you worry about the 50 cents your fucking taxes sent for this package to Ukraine.
50 cent is that you? Is real? 🤣
What?
You are assuming this money is a gift when in fact it's a loan. Just like your medical care work, if you want it you pay for it.
I ain't assuming shit, show me how Ukraine is going to pay us back, blow jobs ain't gon cut it bobby
Imagine spending these money on something useful and not on war
Imagine a Russia that didn't make it necessary.
Russia is playing the same war games the west have been playing for decades, the cold war is still going.
Cutting war industry founds globally is how you invert the course. The more money you put into war and weapons of destruction the more war you get. Politicians and rulers seek war, it's a tool for them to get more power and money.
lol ah yes, we should simply cede to a dictator's territorial imperial annexation by... Weakening defense budgets? Remind me how the US annexed Iraq and Afghanistan as Russia did with Crimea, parts of Georgia, Chechyna?
And no, NATO is how you invert the course. Russia is too pussy to confront NATO's Article 5. So bring Ukraine into NATO.
So why don't you go tell Putin to cut his military budget?
This guy... Apparently thinks we should have rolled over when Hitler invaded Poland and the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Edit: Observe below how this user hops around with tangential points and half-truths, all the while avoiding the heart of the matter: They believe we should just give in to the dictator — whether it's the Hitler of old or the Putin of recent. Further observe how they have no response to the fact that NATO countries have never been directly attacked by Russia, giving proof to the power of a Defensive Alliance.
Who is we? Are you ukrainian? are you russian? are you american?
"defense budget" is a misleading name for weapons designed to attack, destroy and kill humans.
NATO is a terrorist organization on pair with russia, lead by corrupted people who seek war as a tool to get more power and wealth.
Let's talk about the present, no need to bring the past back
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Globke
Cope harder. You’re either working for Russia or a useful idiot. Same thing in the end, really
I just called out NATO and russia as terrorists organization in the previous post and you claim that i work for them. No offense but if there's anyone who seem an idiot that's you and your conclusions.
For now, but KremlinGPT will only get better, unfortunately.
Great how are you going to implement and enforce that globally? This sounds similar to the goals of the league of nations, and we all know how that turned out.
A good start would be to stop encouraging the spending in public forums.
Again, we've seen the league of nations fail. They arguably had more momentum than "random users of an Internet forum discouraging government spending on military"
Do you have an idea for how this would be enforced?
Nah this is a bargain, it would be irresponsable to not do it really.
Ukraine did that and look at what happened to it. What would have happened if someone else hadn't spent on defense and willing to help out? All slaves.
They dumped billions on war just like everyone else: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_highest_military_expenditures
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/europe/cia-ukraine-intelligence-russia-war.html
If nations wouldn't be playing war games and spending billions of public money on war there would be no war to begin with.
You know the war started in 2014 when putin invaded Crimea unimpeded, because Ukraine did not have an army, right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Forces_of_Ukraine
Talk to them about the state of the armed forces in 2014 and understand that pacifism is only great when your neighbours are pacifist too.
You are misleading pacifism with peace. Peace should be everyone ultimate goal and you don't achieve it by giving public money to authoritarian governments and mass producing weapons designed to destroy and kill humans. Western rules have the same interests other rulers have in waging war and piling up wealth and power. Look at their support for the genocide in gaza or for regimes like saudi arabia. They don't give a shit about people or peace, they crave for power and are in a position where they can get as much as they want. Taunting your neighbours into conflict is what they have been doing for centuries. If you don't want to learn about the cold war just look at what israel government is doing right now in gaza.
It's been nearly 2.5 years since the bombing of Kiev, if that did not change your mind, nothing will, so I'll just respectfully shut up.