As the criminal trial of Dotard J. Drumpf takes a scheduled Wednesday off for the court to attend to other business, and as Senate Democrats beat back House Republican hordes atttempting to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for, in their view, not doing his job – a charge that could easily be brought against each and every one of said Republicans – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is busy trying to solve a very real world problem… NATO allies that may have defensive weapon systems that would be most helpful in abating the Russian slaughter of Ukraine’s people, but who may also be reluctant to draw the ire of a watchful Russian neighbor by contributing those weapons directly to Kyiv.
“Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte offered on April 17 to buy Patriot air defense systems from more hesitant allies in order to send them to Ukraine, The Guardian reported.
Russia’s intensifying aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to highlight the growing shortage of sufficient air defense systems.
“We know that many countries are sitting on large piles of Patriot systems, maybe not wanting to deliver it directly,” Rutte said after arriving at the two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
“We can buy it from them, we can deliver it to Ukraine, we have the money available. It’s crucial.”
The Netherlands has, along with Poland and Estonia, been the most stalwart of Ukraine’s European allies, routinely supplying a larger portion of the GDPs to the defense of the embattled country than others.
And, with the House Republicans gumming up American aid to placate their Russophile master Trump, it has become critical that all European countries step up to fill the gap –
“The urgency of air defense supplies was underscored by a Russian missile strike against the city of Chernihiv early on April 17, which killed at least 17 people and injured 60. Earlier strikes over the past weeks dealt heavy damage to Ukraine’s energy grid, destroying several thermal power plants.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the entire country from Russian attacks, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing seven to protect Ukraine’s largest cities.“
We can only hope that Europe’s governments will take advantage of the cover offered to them by PM Rutte to transfer Patriot Batteries to the Netherlands for eventual deployment in Ukraine.
House Speaker Johnson is playing a slippery game with Ukrainian aid, and barring an outright revolt of moderate republicans I just don’t see him going against his lord and master trump on this issue anytime soon.
The White House and Senate, in the meantime, should do all they can to encourage PM Rutte and likeminded leaders in their attempts to aid our ally.
Slava Ukrani!
The behavior of the republicans in this matter, regarding, as it does, going against US foreign policy, can best be described as treasonous.
It is a shame that Nixon and Reagan weren’t charged for their similar actions previously, it’s way past time republicans are held to the same moral standards as everyone else – even if it is to highlight their craven hypocrisy on any issue involving morals.
Meanwhile the GOP remains Goons Of Putin.
my asshat congressman is chip roy. I send him emails all the time telling him he is a traitor, putin supporter. he is literally spouting russian propaganda. he doesn’t care because his mouth breather supporters never really read the news.
European countries need to back Ukraine or else wait for the same thing to happen to them when Putin decides he needs to attack more European countries to claim them for Russia. I am morally sick over these countries and their leaders and dictators that feel like they have the right to invade and Decimate the citizens and cities of these countries with no regard for anything other than their own greed and political aspirations. Look at Donald Trump. He’s talking about bombing Mexico, putting alligators in a moat by a wall that never should have been built. Republicans have fallen into an abyss, they will never be able to crawl out of. And anybody who supports them are clueless Idiots Who don’t even realize that the reason they can spread their lies and fake conspiracy theories are because they live in a democracy. Unfortunately.