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I post this one not from a political POV but rather to dispel ignorance (or attempt to). It is scary to think that some people are so ignorant as to think the US has provided the equivalent of 40% of their GDP to Ukraine:
View: https://twitter.com/john_a_ridge/status/1708850653336891703?s=66&t=HVAXXZJIMBzelxWw3RruNQ
To provide some more accuracy, it is closer to 0.33% - see here (and the USA isn't even the biggest contributor in terms of % GDP):
View attachment 739759
Bilateral aid to Ukraine by country GDP 2024 | Statista
Estonia and Denmark had the highest ratio of bilateral support to Ukraine to donor GDP as of February2024. Poland ranked sixth by GDP share of aid to Ukraine.www.statista.com
Ukrainian troops blow up whole column of Russian tanks near Urozhaine
The entire column of Russian tanks and fighting vehicles was destroyed by Ukrainian forces near Urozhaine village in the eastern Donetsk region. According to the Militarnyi, Russian troops attempted to assault Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk region of southern Ukraine. They chose to attack...defence-blog.com
You know, I like the term and I'm going claim that I invented it and use it as my own.Y'know, I don't actually know what 'twatwaffle' means (and I probably don't NEED to, tbh....)....... yet, somehow, it seems to be perfect description of this, well, utter twatwaffle....
I completely agree - hilariously weird. Though the article posits that it might be a 'rare case of humanity in war'. Personally I think it's more likely to be one (or more) of:This one falls into the 'it's so bonkers it has to be true' bracket
Ukrainian soldier called Russian tech support because tank wouldn't work: You'll never guess what the tech supporter did
You'll never guess what the tech supporter did.www.dagens.com
You know, I like the term and I'm going claim that I invented it and use it as my own.
And any short dated or obsolete kit that was planned for disposal or write-off needs to be deducted, for the purposes of this argument, from the value of US aid.How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?
Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.www.cfr.org
Not to mention the cost savings with not having to dispose of it. Hell, the US should be paying Ukraine to take old stock off their hands!And any short dated or obsolete kit that was planned for disposal or write-off needs to be deducted, for the purposes of this argument, from the value of US aid.
I was trying to put some of this into context and found that the UK spent on average 40% of its budget on defence spending in WW2.Oct 2 (Reuters) - Defence spending will account for almost one third of Russia's total budget expenditure in 2024, the government's draft plans show, as Moscow diverts ever more resources towards prosecuting its war in Ukraine.
Russia also plans to ramp up state borrowing to help fund what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine in the coming years and is counting on a recovery in oil and gas revenues to pre-invasion levels to do so.
Spending under the "national defence" section of Russia's budget will total 10.78 trillion roubles ($109 billion) next year, or 29.4% of total planned expenditure of 36.66 trillion roubles, according to the finance ministry's budget documents that outline the government's fiscal plans for 2024-2026.
In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4% of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7%, data on Russia's electronic budget page showed earlier this year.
Spending figures for 2022 were subsequently removed from the online budget portal. The most up-to-date data for 2023 was published as part of the finance ministry's 2024-26 budget plans.
The finance ministry has allocated 6.41 trillion roubles to defence in 2023, or 21.2% of total budget expenditure of 30.27 trillion roubles, but Finance Minister Anton Siluanov last week said total spending would be above plan at around 33.5 trillion roubles.
'Everything for the front': Russia allots a third of 2024 spending to defence
Defence spending will account for almost one third of Russia's total budget expenditure in 2024, the government's draft plans show, as Moscow diverts ever more resources towards prosecuting its war in Ukraine.www.reuters.com
I think I heard a "M-F" in a Ukrainian accent in there.
I've got posts on other forums from 15 years ago using it!
You watch, my meme will take off. I might just sign up on X to troll that sonofabitch.
I'm not expert in military equipment or tactics but I can follow the economics. The United States is getting extraordinary value from the second tier equipment we're sending Ukraine.I post this one not from a political POV but rather to dispel ignorance (or attempt to). It is scary to think that some people are so ignorant as to think the US has provided the equivalent of 40% of their GDP to Ukraine:
View: https://twitter.com/john_a_ridge/status/1708850653336891703?s=66&t=HVAXXZJIMBzelxWw3RruNQ
To provide some more accuracy, it is closer to 0.33% - see here (and the USA isn't even the biggest contributor in terms of % GDP):
View attachment 739759
Bilateral aid to Ukraine by country GDP 2024 | Statista
Estonia and Denmark had the highest ratio of bilateral support to Ukraine to donor GDP as of February2024. Poland ranked sixth by GDP share of aid to Ukraine.www.statista.com
I can't remember where I heard/read/saw this but while a Russian airbase was being attacked, a person called the emergency services line of the town the base was located in. The caller wanted find out where the attack was happening. The operator responded with the location. The caller then thanked the operator. He said he was correcting fire and said "Slava Ukraine".I completely agree - hilariously weird. Though the article posits that it might be a 'rare case of humanity in war'. Personally I think it's more likely to be one (or more) of:
1. I didn't notice the caller's accent
2. I noticed it, but didn't care
3. Vodka numbs my hearing
4. I knew damn well who was calling, but my useless officer said I need to respond to ALL support calls. So I did. I will probably get promoted