Quote (Prox1m1ty @ Feb 6 2023 11:41am)
"was just a trick to get them to pull the lions share while everyone else (including your country) sends peanuts."
Do the research and you'll see the UK is the second behind the US for military aid to Ukraine; For being in an abysmal state economically, your words. The UK is arguably punching above its weight? Or is Germany not meeting its expectations?
It could be both. It can't be neither.
The UK also has its own standalone nuclear deterrent and doesn't rely only on NATO sharing. Probably a factor as why the UK didn't dither in its support for Ukraine; A standalone deterrent is something only the UK and France can really count on. Germany ought to have a larger conventional deterrent for that reason, but they simply don't.
Scholz's new defence minister came out and said it will take us a month to do an inventory of Leopard 2's! That is the manifestation of being asleep at the wheel. Merkle used to style herself as the leader of the free world, too bad that didn't include organizing someone to inventory the available tanks!
Germany has the largest population and largest economy of any European country. Is it a stretch to assume they should contribute to European defence?
"This notion that if Germany would have spent more on the military something would be different is bullshit"
Not something I have stated. Again classic, straw manning. Germany like alot of EU countries have underinvested in defence; This idea of focusing on your economy while a war is raging on the EU continent is laughable. There is a real and literal threat. Its time the EU and the UK were able to protect European values/allies without relying on the Americans.
As for "focusing on their economy"
"In 2021, Russia accounted for 55% of Germany's gas imports"
Jesus christ man.
The countries dedicating the most, have the most vested interest in wanting Russia to lose. Is it a surprise that the US, UK and Poland lead in that category? The great trick of this war is tricking Europe into thinking that Ukraine's proxy war is in the interest of the continent. Some countries have openly called this out but those voices are drowned out by the pro-war cabal that basically calls any-non war faction pro-Russian. It's similar to the racism, sexism or whatever ism invocation in the west at this point when you can't muster a sound logical argument.
What evidence have you found that giving Ukraine more weapons is a good for the continent or Europe in general or do you believe in nonsense that if we don't they'll end up western Europe?
Ukraine is to Russia as Scotland is to England. Complex past, but for the most part the people lived in peace. I've been to Ukraine when it was under Russia's sphere and there wasn't any resentment or hate or whatever. Sure maybe in some very homogenous, ultra-national circles but most of the people coexist and lived their lives peacefully. It's largely the same in many ex-soviet states. Sure there is Russian influence, and some of the time it's unwanted but ask the normal person and 99/100 will accept that status quo versus having a massive war with their homes destroyed and their fathers and sons sent off to die. We found the few ultra-nationalists and put them in power in a coup that started the civil war and steered that country ever since to reject any reconciliatory tone with their much larger and stronger neighbor, putting them on a very clear war path. Germany for a very long time tried to be the adult in the room, understanding that Europe-Russia relationship is very important and mostly symbiotic economically but ultimately they are being pulled into this war by outside forces. IMO they should have diversified their resource needs but them being against the war for a long time is noble, so is their refugee help.
I guess you can wear your badge of honor for sending weapons and war to Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and now Ukraine while humanitarians will objectively hold Germans in much higher regard in helping those poor people that end up fleeing the destruction.