this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2023
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“We believe the prerequisite for meaningful diplomacy and real peace is a stronger Ukraine, capable of deterring and defending against any future aggression,” Blinken said in a speech in Finland, which recently became NATO’s newest member and shares a long border with Russia.

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[–] Zagaroth@lemmy.ml 54 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Supporting Ukraine is the only U.S. military action since WW2 that I can truly support. Even our action in response to 9/11 was fucked up.

[–] cavemeat 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Same, its one of the only decisions the US has made that is pretty solidly good.

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[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Amazing that you understand that your country has consistently been on the wrong side of history since WW2, but also believe this this is the first time it's not.

[–] Zagaroth@lemmy.ml 32 points 1 year ago (5 children)

What's wrong with helping a country defend itself from invasion by imperial warmongers?

And to be clear, yes, I am calling Russia imperial warmongers. They have been actively invading neighboring countries for decades to expand themselves. And what is an empire if not a nation built on the conquest of other countries?

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That is absolutely not what the west is doing. Ukraine is being used as a proxy to weaken Russia using the formula that RAND outlined here. All the west is accomplishing is prolonging the conflict and it will not change the outcome. Anybody who thinks this is being done for the benefit of Ukraine is absolutely delusional.

Maybe people living in the west should focus on stopping their empire from conquering countries before getting on their high horse.

[–] FlowVoid@midwest.social 19 points 1 year ago (15 children)

Nah, I prefer to stop countries from annexing pieces of other countries.

The US hasn't annexed anything since 1959, and I was born too late to stop that. But Russia can't help itself, and even gives youngsters a chance to oppose annexation.

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[–] MikeTheComrade@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It's really sad how duped American citizens are here. They truly believe that when changing their bio pics to a Ukraine Flag that they're doing something. They believe their government has the best interest of Ukraine while what they're actually supporting is their government using Ukrainian bodies to weaken an adversary under the guise of defense. No one learned anything after Iraq, it was mere MONTHS ago that liberals were giving BUSH praise! They don't care about Abu Ghraib or what happened in Guantanamo Bay. A lot of people here are in for a rough awakening.

[–] JillyB@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'm confused. Do you think Russia taking Ukraine by force is what's best for Ukraine? Do you think their people are volunteering to fight because they just don't know what's best for them? Even if Ukrainians wanted to maintain independence out of some misguided patriotism, isn't it their right as a sovereign nation to decide that?

From the US perspective, Ukraine wanted to join NATO, aligning themselves with us. Then Russia invaded. If the US didn't support Ukraine, the world would know they can prevent a weaker country from joining NATO by invading. After Iraq and Afghanistan, there's no desire to send US troops but we can provide weapons and intelligence.

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[–] FlowVoid@midwest.social 18 points 1 year ago (5 children)

The people of Ukraine have told the world what their best interest is: removing Russian soldiers from their land, by force if necessary.

The US is only interested in Ukraine when their goals align. Everyone knows this, including most Americans and most Ukrainians.

However, it turns out that US and Ukrainian goals do, in fact, align. The US isn't "using" Ukraine any more than Ukraine is "using" the US. They are openly cooperating to achieve a common interest.

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[–] FlowVoid@midwest.social 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Russia was also on the wrong side of history since WW2. When two losers face off, logically one or the other must break their losing streak.

And as it turns out, the US gets the win. Congratulations.

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[–] TheBelgian@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

As a belgian and therefore european, I disagree. US is making war by proxy here and WE are paying the price.

I am not for war but I have nothing to justify an irreducible support to Ukraine and interference with Russia.

NOPE

[–] DarraignTheSane@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Then you are morally okay with Ukraine being wiped off the map and the murder of as many of its citizen as Putin's army can manage.

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[–] Ninmi@sopuli.xyz 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This has been a major reality check for me personally. For years I shook my head at the gargantuan US military budget thinking it's ridiculous. Fast forward to February 2022 and I realize it's the US once again cleaning up when Europe shits the bed. Ashamed, thankful and thoroughly convinced we need to spend a whole lot more in defense as well.

[–] JillyB@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Idk about all that. The US has supported Ukraine and I support that. But Europe has stepped up to the plate too. While US refused to provide long range HIMARS, UK provided Storm Shadow. Poland has donated about all it has. Realistically, the US could drastically reduce it's defense spending, provide all the support Ukraine could want, and still maintain the largest military force by a large margin.

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[–] baronvonj@lemmy.ml 45 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hard agree with Blinken here.

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 48 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

honestly, i can't see how any reasonable person wouldn't.

edit: russia has proven, repeatedly, that they don't honor their agreements. the only way that they won't invade again is if they're kicked out and if Ukraine has a modern military fully capable of kicking russia's ass if it tries again.

[–] Phantom_Engineer@lemmy.ml 42 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ha, the local tankies are starting to find out that they're outnumbered by reddit-fuges. Still, I believe that barring a negotiated peace, the war will continue for many, many years. The alternatives are either Russian withdraw and/or regime change or Ukrainian collapse, and neither seem likely in the near future. Even Kissinger, which is as blood-thirsty as they come, has suggested a negotiated peace, and it's hard to imagine a negotiation that doesn't concede something to Russia. The question isn't a moral one. The deaths will continue to pile up until negotiation begins.

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 33 points 1 year ago (22 children)

look, no reasonable person wants war-- but that's the problem: those who started the war and are continuing it aren't being reasonable. And they're not going to negotiate any sort of peace if they don't get what they wanted by stating the war in the first place: a slice of Ukraine. so, also believe there won't be any peace until Russia leaves Ukraine, and that may take years to convince them to do-- at the barrel of a gun, sadly. Possibly a Russian regime change.

as for the local tankies... i don't know how much of that you read, but when attempts at rational arguments failed, they just resorted to personal attacks and bullying, which is nothing foreign to me. battle-hardened with the most toxic of reddit trolls, it just rolls of my back. :P

[–] Phantom_Engineer@lemmy.ml 29 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I initially joined lemmy about 2 years ago, and the place was swamped with them. They have their own instance they hide out on, which lemmy.ml federates with but beehaw.org and sopuli.xyz do not. It will be interesting to see how the lemmy landscape evolves as time passes on.

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago

yeah... i have an account on both lemmy.ml, and on beehaw.org. currently, I'm sticking with lemmy.ml just because I want to see more content, and I think I an handle the shitty people due to having a think skin, but it's nice to know that there are nicer instanes, should i need to deal with it on those terms.

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[–] Cragsand@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago (25 children)

It's actually upsetting to read some people defend an illegal war of aggression in this thread. Just practice the golden rule for a change and imagine yourself being in the same situation. What if it was your country being invaded? Would you take up arms to defend your family, your friends, your neighbors? The bombs are dropping everywhere, and you have to hide in basements to prevent their terror attacks from taking away all that you hold dear.

Of course a country being invaded has the right to defend themselves and the right to fight back. The aggressors could end this war immediately but they wont because their leader is an insular autocrat. Isolating himself and giving orders without considering the best for the rest of the world. Devaluing human life from on top of a pedestal. This is the danger what happens when one single individual gains too much power and the rest of the world needs to be unanimously against it regardless of blind idealism.

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[–] Shrike502@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Wait, I thought Ukraine was a sovereign, independent state. That's what the media been screeching about for over a year. Now it is saying USA is deciding their foreign policy?

Funny that

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

how is expressing an opinion equate to "deciding their foreign policy"?

edit: other than speaking the obvious, of course

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[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago

It's Schrödinger's regime in Ukraine that's both completely independent and does exactly what its western masters tell it to do.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Translation: Blinken says that US wants to drag the war out as long as possible.

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 37 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

*as long as is necessary. russia can withdraw whenever it likes.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

not in any way like afghanistan

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're right, US is going to pull out after only two years instead of 20.

[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

pull out of what? we're not in. we have no troops over there like we did in afganistan.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Pull out of the proxy war that US engineered and is currently fuelling. This war will be over as soon as US stops pouring billions into it.

[–] DarraignTheSane@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 year ago (19 children)

"Over" with Putin having gotten what he wants after killing millions of Ukrainians and still occupying their land. So no, fuck Putin and fuck anyone who supports his insane bloody quest for glory.

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[–] BrooklynMan@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

buddy, you don't know what you're talking about.

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[–] calcifer@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Bunch of people keep talking about how the US shouldn't broker peace deals and China should. Hypocrisy at its finest.

The fact is, having a third party nation recommendation for peace or no peace is a standard for centuries, and if that nation is a global hegemony with nuclear weapons, then it makes sense.

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