I mean since Lend Lease is in effect Biden has a lot more power to just give war material if he’s running up short financially.
Really how the US does most of its most effective work, find a partner, give them the guns, ask the pursers forgiveness rather than permission when war material doesn’t come back in the condition it was loaned in.
And it’s hard to imagine that the American military doesn’t think the war in Ukraine is a big win. I mean, it’s horrible, and I can’t imagine anyone is happy that all those kids in both sides are losing their lives, full stop. But given that it’s happening:
- The world is seeing the Russian government for the aggressors that they are - something the US government has been saying, but many didn’t believe.
- Russia and China have been considered the biggest threats to the US, but you don’t go to war just because a country is a potential threat. Ukraine is fighting a war with one of our primary threats, depleting their capability significantly (and showing us the weaknesses in the capabilities).
- The US is getting to see their systems in operation during a real conflict without risking US troops or being at war themselves. I bet there’s an awful lot of note taking happening.
It’s expensive but it’s money well spent even for selfish reasons, let alone it’s the right thing to do.
That second point is actually even worse than it sounds, because now Russia is draining the war materials of other adversaries to US geopolitical goals because of how unsustainable continuing to use their own stuff is.
This isn’t just a war of attrition against Russia, it’s now also against Iran and North Korea too, and Ukraine is STILL eating it all up like their front line forces are all just kirbies in Ukrainian army helmets.
The US not only has incentive to support Ukraine, it has incentive to do so vigorously enough to keep morale in Ukraine high enough to keep the war going even if it begins to drag into the years to come, almost especially if it starts dragging that long, every extra day Ukraine fights is more material Russia or China or North Korea or Iran wouldn’t be able to call upon threatening American allies or America itself.
It’s not even expensive. These are all vehicles and equipment that were just collecting dust. Imagine if you could accomplish one of your top goals using some old string and other crap you found in the attic. It’s like that.
One item I didn’t mention because it may or may not be in the US government’s best interest is that sending all those weapons to Ukraine is resulting in big contracts to weapon makers to resupply the stockpile. Probably good for the economy, certainly good for the defense contractors.
Here’s what will happen; because I don’t see how it won’t happen again. After the war, Russia will be a broken state financially. But all Western powers will be too chicken shit to let the country break up into smaller independent states. Some nation will get greedy and start pouring money and investment into Russia because the war is officially over and “relations must normalize”. All the old power structures stay in place, but titles will change. World still on the edge of disaster.
Here’s what will happen; because I don’t see how it won’t happen again. After the war, Russia will be a broken state financially. But all Western powers will be too chicken shit to let the country break up into smaller independent states. Some nation will get greedy and start pouring money and investment into Russia because the war is officially over and “relations must normalize” and we can’t let all those “poor, innocent Russians” starve. Of course civil war would be seen as a disaster, too. All the old power structures will stay in place, but titles will change. World still on the edge of disaster because people are too scared to let things die to be reborn better.
