Donald Trump is “seriously considering” blocking $250 million in military aid to Ukraine, the nation currently occupied – in part – by Russian troops, and in active warfare with Russians in other regions. Blocking the aid would effectively hand Ukraine to Putin, or at least make it far more difficult for Ukrainians to defend themselves from Putin.
This seems to be the entire point.
According to CNN, Trump instructed the Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor to oversee a review process that could delay the funds past a September 30th deadline. A White House source told CNN that Trump has made no secret that U.S. aid abroad should be “prioritized” and that other nations should be paying “their fair share.” The decision is troubling on several levels, one of which is that the money is already appropriated by Congress for Ukrainian defense.
As expected, the potential move has some in Congress in an uproar. Adam Schiff tweeted this morning.
Trump is withholding vital military aid to Ukraine, while his personal lawyer seeks help from the Ukraine government to investigate his political opponent.
It doesn’t take a stable genius to see the magnitude of this conflict.
Or how destructive it is to our national security. https://t.co/X4yhTS2q1Z
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) August 29, 2019
Yes, you did read that correctly, the Ukrainians have some hope because Rudy Giuliani is on the case, letting Ukrainians know that it would please Donald Trump immensely to see Ukraine pursue wholly made up charges against Hunter Biden, impacting the Biden campaign. We go back to CNN from another story:
The move shows the former New York mayor is making a renewed push for the country to investigate President Donald Trump’s political enemies. Giuliani, who serves as Trump’s personal attorney, has long lobbied Ukraine to investigate the former vice president’s call in 2016 to remove the country’s top prosecutor, who at one point had been investigating a Ukrainian natural gas company connected to Biden’s son, Hunter.
Other self-respecting Western democracies have called upon the Ukraine to end the kangaroo court “Investigations.” But we are not a self-respecting democracy. Our leader threatens to choke off the Ukraine’s defenses, in exchange for some help in the coming election.
Just when you think you are sufficiently cynical, you learn you were never in the right ballpark.
Because I have more.
If you thought that the army invading Ukraine was the biggest issue that nation faced, John Bolton – currently in Kiev – wants to assure you and the Ukrainians that he knows who the real enemy is, it is the same enemy that broke into the DNC server. That’s right ..
It was great to meet with my Ukrainian national security and defense colleagues in Kyiv. The discussions clearly show that we share a common commitment to preserving Ukraine’s security and sovereignty, and to ensuring it is not subject to Chinese economic exploitation. pic.twitter.com/HdWjO9FrQU
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) August 28, 2019
It is China that the Ukrainians should fear, and Bolton is there to assist in “economic warfare,” while our nation withholds funds for “actual warfare” conducted by Donald Trump’s friend.
Let us sum all this up. This is now Trump’s country. Money Congress appropriated as aide to help in the defense of an ally is now being used to extort a $250 million dollar campaign contribution. The campaign contribution will come in the form of prosecuting a person who did not commit a crime, he is simply from the family attempting to “wrestle power” from the emperor, and should have known he could be jailed for such.
Trump does not govern by law, or ally, he does not have treaties, or duties, he has “personal relationships” around the world as the prism by which he rules. When U.S. interests do not align with his personal interests, U.S. interests get tossed under.
This is where we stand.
We live in a dictatorship. This is what the dictatorships look like from the inside. We are not getting out of it, either, without going straight through the dictator. Pelosi needs to move when she gets back in town. We shouldn’t be made to take this lying down any longer.
****
Peace, y’all
Jason
It’s funny, because the chief prosecutor in Ukraine did investigate, and found nothing against Biden.