In what ways do you think Europe and the US are paying differently for Ukraine's war?

Elena Gold

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Born in the USSR. Writing a book about Russo-Ukrainian war Mar 20

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In what ways do you think Europe and the US are paying differently for Ukraine's war?

For some reason, Trump believes that being across the ocean from Europe makes America safe.

Europe is under direct threat from Russia — half of Europe already suffered an invasion by the Soviet Union and were occupied by the Russians for 50 years. Yes, the occupation was by Moscow — they were occupying not only Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, but also Ukraine and Moldova, the Central Asian -Stan countries, as well as Armenia and Georgia.

The other half of Europe was occupied by Germans. So, Europe knows what occupation feels like.

This is why Europe takes the war in Ukraine much closer to heart.

Europe provided more aid to Ukraine that the U.S. in terms of financial and military support.

In addition, a lot of European countries (like Romania) don’t announce any aid packages but quietly send equipment and weapons.

The main reason why the U.S. picking part of the bill for helping Ukraine is because it’s the least they could do: it was actually the U.S. that strong-armed Ukraine into giving up its nuclear weapons in 1994.

Ukraine was legitimately concerned about its security, and the U.S. basically threatened Ukraine to make it unilaterally disarm.

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton was told by Boris Yeltsin that Russia wanted to control the whole of Europe:

What the U.S. did to Ukraine — by taking away its nuclear weapons and then refusing to intervene when Ukraine was invaded by Russia in 2014 — was a massive betrayal.

If the U.S. properly assisted and armed Ukraine immediately, we wouldn’t be in the situation where Russia is able to threaten Europe.

And if the U.S. didn’t leave Ukraine defenseless in 1990s, we also wouldn’t be where we are today.

But we are where we are.

Trump and Vance said during the election campaign that they were going to stop aid to Ukraine. It looks like this will happen, once the funds allocated by the previous administration run out.

And then Europe would have to step in much more decisively.

Not many may realize it now, but Ukraine is a rising superpower.

America could have had a great and loyal ally.

Instead, Donald Trump went into a petty rage about the aid sent by the previous administration.

I’m sure losing Ukraine will cost America much more than $60 billion.

It’s already costing the U.S. billions in weapons contracts, which the European countries are now deciding not to order from the U.S. And it will get worse.

Refusing to support the international law and order in Europe will cost the U.S. its global dominance.

And what for?

To make Vladimir Putin happy.

Duh.