That's just drawing from a special Presidential fund. I forgot the name. It is only a couple of billions in total, and must last for a year and for everything the administration wants to support without Congressional approval.
And if the $60 billion main aid package is intended for a year, then $300 million is the equivalent of less than 2 day's worth.
Agreed. Though I worry that'll take pressure off the cantankerous legislators that are blocking true support for Ukraine.
How did US politics get to a point where Russia is tacitly if not explicitly being supported by half of the electorate? And all because of an 🍊 with an IQ to match?
Maybe. They do export to China. The thing is China cuts a hard bargain, and so they really prefer to sell to Europeans, who will bid competitively. And also they could potentially sell to both, so I'm not sure how Ukraine figures in to any of it.
@CanadaPlus@Jax
China and India pay close to cost price for Russian oil and and have refused to pay in Rubles, which caused the Ruble to become an effectively non-exchangeable currency. Russia is spending 40% of its income on the war, and as its income is almost entirely derived from petrochemicals, the effect on the Russian economy is catastrophic. They are not exporting refined products due to failing infrastructure and Ukrainian attacks on refineries. The situation is serious.
Worry all you like. Kicker is a lot of people have been screaming at Biden/his administration to send aid to Ukraine again. I am definitely not his #1 fan, though he's trying and that should be recognized more often, despite his faults.
That is basically the steady-state outcome in a first-pass-the-post election system. What more would one expect?
Until our election system can better reflect the population it serves, the only real choice one will ever have is "which of these two do I dislike least?"
Being appalled that it took him this long to bypass Congress to support Ukraine when he's been doing it the whole time to facilitate the genocide in Gaza is maggat now? Pull the other one.
I'm pissed that it took him so fucking long to finally give Ukraine the same treatment he gave Israel, and that makes me a Kremlin stooge? That's some impressive mental gymnastics there, guy. 🙄
Let me spell it out for you, since you so obviously need it. Biden has circumvented Congress multiple times to send aid to Israel, who are probably the last people in the world who actually need US foreign aid. Meanwhile, if he could circumvent Congress for Israel he could have doing it to help Ukraine instead, who actually need the aid. You seriously don't see a problem with his priorities here?
Israel had already been given money by Congress. The president only has authority to approve weapon sales. If Ukraine showed up with cash, Biden could instantly approve it too.
Apologies, there are traitors holding our wallet that would rather see Putin steamroll through NATO. This is just what Biden could find in the couch cushions.
I think you mean Russian assets they are bought and paid for at least traitors betray their country for ideology. These fucks will sell their soul for money and power.
, but stressed the need for Congress to pass more aid.
"It is a relatively small package to give Ukraine the minimum of what it needs for a short amount of time," a senior defense official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
US defense officials said they had managed to find the $300 million for Ukraine by making savings on recent purchases by the Pentagon, but stressed the need for Congress to pass more aid.
Unfortunately, until Congress unfucks itself, we have only scraps that we can legally send.
