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U.S. Will Send Ukraine Patriot Batteries

Observant1
edited July 14 in Off-Topic
Trump reverses course and decides to send additional Patriot batteries to Ukraine paid for by NATO.
He also threatened "secondary sanctions" on Russia (with a 50-day grace period).
Trump may have finally realized that Putin was not sincere in seeking a peaceful resolution to the war.

"Trump said his shift was motivated by frustration with Putin, who talked about peace
but continued to strike Ukrainian cities.
'I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy,' he said.
'We actually had probably four times a deal.
And then the deal wouldn't happen because bombs would be thrown out that night
and you'd say we're not making any deals,' he said."

"Last week he said, 'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.'"

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trump-send-patriot-missiles-ukraine-us-envoy-visits-kyiv-2025-07-14/

Comments

  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    By the time he changes his mind again he'll send a box of AAA batteries and claim that he's DONE THE BIGGEST HELP IN HISTORY!!
  • CrashCrash
    Such a fickle, dangerous buffoon. But I'm please about the change. We'll just see if it sticks.
  • a2z
    when orange jenius suspects he MAY be getting played after more than a decade of such, putin is just 1 nobel prize nomination away from it being forgotten.
    why the delay after 'peace on day 1'?

    there is zero chance trump can or will execute an allied sanction strategy to cripple russia's war economy.
  • DrVenture
    There are a lot of reports that Russia's economy is already on the verge of collapse.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-06-26/russia-s-war-economy-is-finally-catching-up-with-its-banks

    https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2025-07-07/russia-on-the-edge-of-economic-collapse-after-40-months-of-war.html

    ^This is a very informative article, including these tidbits.

    "Official inflation still hovers around 10% year-on-year, although several independent institutes estimate the real figure to be above 15%."

    "It’s been less than three weeks since the central bank — supposedly independent from government control — symbolically lowered interest rates: from 21% to 20%."

    https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/russias-economy-could-be-headed-for-collapse/

    "While a total collapse is not imminent, these deteriorating economic indicators signal that Putin’s war is becoming increasingly unsustainable and nothing can be ruled out."
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    @DrVenture- That El Pais newspaper is pretty impressive. I've just added it to my list of frequently checked news sources. Thanks much!
  • Old_JoeOld_Joe
    @DrVenture- In further reading of El Pais I came across this report, which examines Russia's avoidance of import sanctions and restrictions.

    Here are a few excerpts from that article:
    Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia, former members of the Soviet Union, have recorded historic increases in exports to Russia. Although these countries broke trade records, experts consulted by this newspaper suggest that China, the United Arab Emirates and other countries with ties to the Kremlin have continued to facilitate supplies.

    These gray imports, acquired through a mechanism that the European Union and the international community consider to be non-compliance with their sanctions, not only include consumer goods, but also facilitate Russia’s import of key machinery, such as semiconductors and parts useful for the war industry.

    Benjamin Hilgenstock, chief economist at the KSE Institute, notes that customs data throughout the war indicate that the Russian economy is recovering, despite the ruble’s decline. “Sanctions did not trigger a financial collapse in Russia, and that was not the goal. In my opinion, there is no reason to assume that there will be a recession in Russia. On the contrary, the economy will grow by 1% or 2% this year.”

    Curious to know more about this " KSE Institute" which the report quotes, I found this:
    "KSE Institute is an analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics. It specializes in analytics, consulting, research, develops strategies and recommendations for supporting a strong and innovative economy of Ukraine. KSE Institute provides consulting services for the public and private sectors. It is one of the largest Think Tanks in Ukraine."
    So that's pretty interesting. At least some Ukrainians feel that the Russian economy is going to expand, rather than contract.

    A pox on all economists.
  • DrVenture
    edited July 16
    I assume that the above is tied to the threats of secondary sanctions?

    https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/13/politics/russia-sanctions-bill-trump-senators-bipartisan

    "The legislation, which would allow the president to levy a 500% tariff on imports from countries that purchase Russian uranium, gas and oil, has gained momentum in the Senate as Trump has signaled he will escalate US action against Russia.

    “(Blumenthal) and I have got 85 co-sponsors in the United States Senate for congressional sanctions with a sledgehammer available to President Trump to go after Putin’s economy and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Graham said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin."
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