The notion that that isn’t a huge policy statement beggars belief. The Administration and same page Congressional public messaging has been the opposite - that the very high level of support will be there in perpetuity. 2/
Obviously the support isn’t sustainable, as some have been pointing out for some time.
Now it’s clear Administration officials are using friendly press to normalize that message. 3/
“Though backing Ukraine has largely been a bipartisan effort, a small but growing number of GOPs have begun to voice skepticism about the use of American treasure to support Kyiv without an end in sight to a distant war.”
According to this article, those Rs were right! 4/
“For now, Biden continued to stick to his refrain that the United States will leave all decisions about war and peace to Zelenskky. But whispers have begun across Washington as to how tenable that will be as the war grinds on — and another presidential election looms.” 5/
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.@realDonaldTrump common sense policy is getting results:
"European Nato members are holding talks about increasing the alliance’s target for defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP at its annual summit next June partly in anticipation of Donald Trump’s return as president." 1/
Here's this *insane* idea: Europe should spend at least as much to defend itself as Americans do! Crazy, right? No: Common sense!
Europeans know they need to do this. They just need to be pressed, as @realDonaldTrump has done, not let off the hook, as @POTUS has. 2/
@realDonaldTrump @POTUS "Trump’s demand that Europe should pay more for its own defence, and a realisation that current spending levels are not enough to support Ukraine and to deter Russia, has forced capitals to take on board the scale of the under-investment." 3/
Now that voters have clearly discredited Liz Cheney and the associated brand of extreme hawkishness, Democrats might consider working with the new Republican Party that is *actually much more moderate and sensible* on foreign and security issues.
Observe: 1/
The new GOP led by @realDonaldTrump is focused on:
- Ending wars and avoiding new ones.
- Reducing the threat of nuclear war.
- Ensuring the military spends its money wisely and efficiently.
- Ensuring accountability in the intelligence community and the security services. 2/
@realDonaldTrump Ask a random Democrat from 1965, 1975, or 1985 if these were Democrats issues and you can be absolutely sure they’d claim they were.
What does this mean?
Latent beneath the superficial disagreements, there’s huge potential for bipartisan action on *common sense* policies. 3/
This is the shockingly bad military situation @POTUS is leaving @realDonaldTrump. Profoundly irresponsible and dangerous.
America's defenses are deep in a hole and it won't be easy to get out of it. @realDonaldTrump has laid out the way.
"“God forbid we end up in a full-scale war with the PRC,” Jake Sullivan said. “But any war with a country like the PRC, a military like the PRC, is going to involve the exhaustion of munition stockpiles very rapidly.” 2/
Why didn't they do this instead of blowing through our stockpiles and barely touching our defense industrial base, instead focusing on green initiatives?
Sullivan warned that the U.S. needs to be “stockpiling both the vital munitions we know we’ll need..." 3/
"Europe, however, squandered the time it should have spent investing more heavily into the relationship—including by building up its own defenses...European leaders cannot simply shift the blame for their predicament to Washington." 1/
"Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 should have been the final wake-up call, creating real momentum behind Europe’s effort to become a credible security actor in its own right. Instead, once again, it relied on the United States to take the lead in a European war." 2/
"European leaders must act decisively to...demonstrate to the US that Europe is prepared to hold up its side of a mutually beneficial partnership. Europe’s security will have to be European—or it won’t exist at all." 3/
I wasn't referring so much to your influence on the @POTUS administration as to your track record in assessing the war. I happily invite comparisons to my own.
It's essential to understand that @POTUS @VP administration is leaving a *terrible situation* for @realDonaldTrump @JDVance.
Senior NSC official: "They’re in a very difficult, extremely difficult situation with Russia, in egregious ways, continuing to escalate this conflict." 1/
"Unfortunately, that is part and parcel of what we have seen throughout this time, which is Russia’s willingness to continue to up the ante."
So the battlefield situation is "extremely difficult" and Russia is willing to escalate. Terrible. 2/
The U.S. intelligence assessment according to @nytimes:
U.S. "officials have concluded that the war in Ukraine is no longer a stalemate as Russia makes steady gains, and the sense of pessimism in Kyiv and Washington is deepening." 3/