Ukraine will fight, no matter how many Russian lies Trump repeats. Here’s what we, in Europe should do to help them, and defend ourselves. There’s no time to waste. (No paywall on this link) foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/e... - ThreadSky

garvanwalshe.org • 4 days ago

Ukraine will fight, no matter how many Russian lies Trump repeats.

Here’s what we, in Europe should do to help them, and defend ourselves.

There’s no time to waste.

(No paywall on this link)

https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/europe-defense-ukraine-trump-vance-munich/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=ZXVyb3BlLWRlZmVuc2UtdWtyYWluZS10cnVtcC12YW5jZS1tdW5pY2g=&pid=OC20506955

Comments

woots2621.bsky.social•4 days ago

Sweden's Grippens would make a huge difference.

markopoutiainen.bsky.social•4 days ago

Sounds like an interesting article but I can only see the first few lines.

markopoutiainen.bsky.social•4 days ago

Yeah, some odd issue. I tried disabling ad blocker etc. Sorry, while the article looks interesting it's not interesting enough for me to spend more time on this.

andrewkerr9000.bsky.social•4 days ago

Gripen has US components. Transfer would require US approval (I suspect that's part of the reason there haven't already been transfers).

garvanwalshe.org•4 days ago

Some Gripens have already been transferred but Sweden needs ones for its defence now

roballemachtig.bsky.social•4 days ago

11. Invest in drone forces: produce millions of fpv-drones, shaped and fragmentation charges and provide lots of training in part-time conscription. The gaming generation can adapt to this faster and more lethally than it is possible to field cold war style, artillery and armour heavy armies.

paulstenton.bsky.social•4 days ago

I believe you're right, with the exception of 5% spending aim, that's cold war (defence spending levels that included USA) We'll need double that to fill the whole and go to war.
How do you see filling the distinct lack of fighting capability being rectified? The UK will be lucky if it can field 10k

flipswitch.bsky.social•4 days ago

Rubbish. We already spent 20 times as Russia does.

paulstenton.bsky.social•4 days ago

Firstly, those are 2023 figures, when Russia thought it would be all over in 3 days.

Secondly, we were spending 8% at the end of WWII and 4%-5% during the Cold War.

Thirdly, the USA provided 50% of NATO spending. That is not reliable any longer.

paulstenton.bsky.social•4 days ago

Defence spending will account for 32% of total 2025 Russian budget expenditure of 41.5 trillion roubles (£365b).
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-hikes-national-defence-spending-by-23-2025-2024-09-30/

Europe needs to more than match it.

flipswitch.bsky.social•4 days ago

We spend 20 times that amount.

paulstenton.bsky.social•4 days ago

We can't even field a fighting force. The 10k promised are barely equipped and have few logistics, which was formerly supplied by the USA.

Uk defence spending 2025 £56b, europe £270b as a whole.

paulstenton.bsky.social•4 days ago

In 2022, the year the Ukraine war started, Russia spent 5.5 trillion roubles on defence.

2025 amounts to 8% of the country's GDP.

Europe are playing 3 years catch up.

flipswitch.bsky.social•4 days ago

Do you know how much worth a rouble is. 🤣😂🤣

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