this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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While it is true that the EU provides more financial support than the US, the US provides most of the military aid that helped the country withstand and slow down the Russian advance. The EU is powerful as an economic block, but they don’t have a unified army, they depend on American weaponry (with the exception of France), and I don’t see much political will to keep arming Ukraine if the US pulls out completely or if the Trump administration pauses sanctions.

It seems to me that Trump simply cannot get over Zelensky not ‘helping’ him to find something nefarious about Biden’s son during his first administration and now POTUS is first provoking him and then, when Zelensky send a diplomatically worded answer, POTUS overreacts and insults, like he got the excuse he was looking for. So vindictive and victim blaming.

This is not the America I was taught about.

I’ve never seen a country destroy it’s credibility with allies so fast in such a short notice. Putin is sure having a good time watching all this.

I’ve heard most US senators are pro Ukraine, but I don’t see any of them confronting Trump. GOP belongs to MAGA now.

Unless democrats win the midterms in 2026 he’s going to have 4 years of trifecta. I don’t see how Ukraine can survive 4 more years of onslaught only with European help and no boots on the ground.

Does Ukraine have any chance?

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[–] lurklurk@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

The US can't sign a peace treaty on behalf of Ukraine. They're not mandated to negotiate by Ukraine.

The US can stop supporting Ukraine but that doesn't force the Ukrainians to stop fighting, or Europe to stop supporting Ukraine

[–] djsoren19@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, absolutely. The Russian military is still a piece of shit using scared conscripts and outdated equipment. As long as the EU remains willing to fund the Ukrainian defense, they'll keep fighting.

The real question is whether the EU will still be around. This weekend's election in Germany is going to be of critical importance.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Is Germany okay rn?

[–] NIB@lemmy.world 11 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Ukraine can survive without american support. Russia has the GDP of Spain. The EU has the resources to help Ukraine, we just need

  1. Political will
  2. Ability to produce(or procure) stuff for Ukraine

For the last 100 years, everyone was dependent on each other, since we were all allied, it made less sense for every country to reinvent the wheel. Now the EU will need to create new production capabilities and that takes time and money. This will have a noticeable negative effect to the quality of life of europeans so the europeans will need to be willing to deal with that.

South Korea has a strong defence industry that can help cover the gap, especially if things are chill in SouthEast Asia.

If the EU can guarantee the safety of Greece(maybe with the creation of an EU army or through stronger defence treaties), Greece has a lot of military equipment that could potentially be sent to Ukraine, especially if Turkey is cool. Greece for example has more Leopard 2 tanks than any other country(including Germany).

I think if the EU sends troops to Ukraine, the EU will need to completely commit to that. The war in Ukraine is rough and very different than any other war, especially the wars western forces have fought in the last 50 years. So you cant half ass it and send a couple thousand soldiers to die there, you need to commit with proper air support, etc. This escalation needs to be managed carefully.

The EU needs to start pumping nukes and developing its missile program. Without the american nuclear shield, the EU needs its own. There is a reason that China is pumping nukes like crazy, because they are way behind the americans and russians. MAD is the only way to de-escalate and prevent a nuclear war.

Most of the aforementioned cost is these nukes/missile and building capabilities(stealth planes) programs. Helping Ukraine is cheap.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 13 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm worried, I'm afraid to say. Our government has been compromised, and the republic is dead, we will have no more legitimate elections and it's likely (imo) that our legislature will soon dissolve. I wish I could say that we were ever the America you were taught about, but it was always a farce. I'm almost to middle age and I've never once seen my country try to be the place it tells itself it is. It's always been a place that beats its chest while sitting on the couch and reminiscing about how cool it was on the high school sports team; that steps on the weak and the poor to satisfy the rich and the powerful. I've always believed we could do better, that we could be the place we tell ourselves we are, but we never choose to do the hard work to be that place.

Though Ukraine will likely persist as an ulcer for the remainder of Putin's life. The good news is twofold:

  • we still haven't cracked immortality, and one day probably quite soon, Putin's number will be called.

  • Europe is stepping up to the plate now that the US has shit its pants and is currently waddling off the field. Take my energy, Goku!

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Justas@sh.itjust.works 2 points 14 hours ago

Excellent TV show.

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.ml 6 points 23 hours ago

Keep in mind that it is not just arms and money, but also Trump will cut off intelligence, and Musk will start pulling Starlink.

[–] Anubis@lemmy.world 50 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Europe is going to be the wildcard. If the US sides with Russia and says “take this deal or you get nothing from us”, it will basically be up to Europe to carry Ukraine. If they’re willing to do this, Ukraine can tell the US no and move forward with self preservation. Like you said though, Europe’s military resources aren’t what the US has. So time will tell how it pans out. Just keep and eye on Europe to see what the chances will be.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Didn't they JUST announce 700billion dollars in military funding yesterday?

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, not right now. There was a comment from the German foreign minister saying that Europe should apply the same amount of funding as it did against covid, and that was about €670 billion ($700 billion). However the discussion is ongoing and Britain and France have both just said they're willing to put troops on the ground to protect a ceasefire, so hope is not lost

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 9 points 1 day ago

It should also be pointed out that Germany saying anything at all about foreign military intervention is a big deal, given their longstanding policy against it.

[–] jrs100000@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

No, they have been discussing it. They wont make any announcement until after German elections.

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

What happens when the US decides to arm Russia instead? You know how much they love genocide

[–] PurpleGameBoy@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 day ago

'This was not the America I was thought about.'

You might have been thought a little bit of propaganda.

[–] Spawn7586@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As a european working in the weapon industry, I love reading american people thinking we make no weapons or the weapons we make are worse. We even sold some ships to the US lol. American military is the best, but not necesarily for quality, but for the sheer amount (aka quantity) coming from how much money you put in there. And a lot of money is spent buying other systems...

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 points 19 hours ago

As a european working in the weapon industry, I love reading american people thinking we make no weapons or the weapons we make are worse.

American exceptionalism has been a major feature of the Americans self image for many generations.

It's really tiring living beside them and having to hear them constantly blathering about it.

[–] Lysergid@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My opinion is Ukraine and EU can kick Russia’s ass as long as they ramp up military production. Ukraine’s army tech went from 20+ years old soviet Kalashnikov stockpiles leftovers to domestically produced drones which dominate battlefield. They can and will increase production. The real question is US reckless enough to ease sanctions on Russia or worse start selling military/dual purpose goods. While Ukraine can withstand demoralized and economically crippled Russia. Ukraine will definitely lose if things get somewhat better for Russian economy and politics. What is more scary is what will happen with US-EU relationships. That would literally be US-EU proxy war.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 2 points 21 hours ago

I think we are. If you can think of something awful for us to do, we're already on our way to doing it. We're probably a month out from shooting garbage and nuclear waste into orbit on spaceX rockets.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 20 hours ago

US flips side to join Russia while EU is still jerking off in the corner trying to to figure if Ukraine is worth "saving"

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We've been through this shit before. Multiple times, in fact, over centuries. We'll get through it, as we've done before. It will likely take time. It will certainly take hell of an effort. But we will.

[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm sorry, but I don't see it. The century of American supremacy is coming to a close. You may not want to admit it, because everyone in the US has been thought about American exceptionalism since they started school. China will rise, as will Europe possibly. I think Russia is failing as well. Its current lashing out is the end of their term as a great power.

The US is a big country, and the fall will be slow, but I don't think there is a way to stop it now. I suspect that future historians will trace it back to the Nixon era. Come to think of it, every Republican president since then has also been really, really shitty when it came to preserving the health of the democracy.

[–] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Rockerface is Ukrainian, not American.

Being a seemingly temporary non-nation, Americans don't always understand that people don't usually just give up and accept conquest. If a people continue to distinguish themselves strongly enough without being literally wiped out or assimilated, they will survive annexation until the next opportunity for rebellion or freedom. Ireland resisted Britain for 800 years - a few years in the shadows of dictators until ordinary Russians grow balls/tits again isn't necessarily the end of Ukraine.

[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Being Ukrainian puts a completely different spin on it. My comment still holds true for Americans, but I would rather not see Ukrainians ground under the heel of another dictator, especially one enabled by the stupidification of the United States.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 17 points 1 day ago

Ukraine has zero incentive to surrender. Most of the population can't live under occupation anyway. They will not make through filtration camps. That's like 2/3 of population that Russia will need to kill or displace.

Best Ukraine can do is hope to survive until EU or US comes around.

Once they actually lose the war, they will need to be resettled in EU anyway.

I am not sure how something like 15 million people even get resettled at this point but that's where we are going.

Europe already took 7-8m so I guess it is possible.

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago

Yeah, the EU. As an American, I'm sorry for these dipshits and if it comes to it I'll fight for Greenland.....

[–] BrainInABox@lemmy.ml 1 points 21 hours ago

It's seems incredibly unlikely to me that Ukraine will cease to exist as a country, even without American support I can't see it being annexed entirely.

It will, however, probably be forced to make some fairly brutal concessions to Russia, including territorial ones.

[–] MissJinx@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There is the hope of that asteroid hitting earth.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 8 points 1 day ago

If this shit is what qualifies as the “end times,” we are all going to be standing around in the afterlife looking like

[–] OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml -1 points 18 hours ago

I'll say what I've been saying for a while:

"Russia has nukes. Ukraine does not. The outcome was decided before it began."

Russia will stay in Ukraine as long as it is profitable to do so, and will leave when that is no longer the case or can get something big enough in response to convince them to leave. The US and EU can supply arms to Ukraine to make it less profitable but even so Russia has far more troops and resources than Ukraine. Unfortunately the US also hinged that support on Ukraine not negotiating for peace so they've been dug in extra deep in this and lost at least a generation of men now.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one -5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Once US funds dry up, Ukraine must rely solely on European money, which is barely a drip feed compared to Bidens firehouse.

Russia can take over the entire country of Ukraine within ten years and millions of Russian conscripted men killed since they have an infinite supply of tanks, money and people willing to take the risk of death for money to send home and feed their families.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

which is barely a drip feed compared to Bidens firehouse

Europe has given Ukraine more than America. Source

Biden's last package closed the gap a fair bit, but Europe is still the bigger source of support and definitely the more consistent one

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago

Although the US has spent more on bangs than Europe, which has spent on bangs but also helmets and armour and transport.