Trump & Ukraine

Damn! Another serious post.

Some things to consider in regards of Trump's isolationism and the desire in some quarters for a peace deal with Putin over Ukraine.

1. Ukraine will not accept an exchange of territory for peace, because
2. Any peace deal with Putin will merely be a step toward an eventual, full annexation of Ukraine.
3. Don't underestimate the power and sway of the American Military-Industrial Complex (MIC), which likes wars and American bases all over the world.
4. The MIC has more sway with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party, if only by a smidgin.
5. Russia's defence spending is miniscule compared to the USA, Europe (or the EU) and China.

Comparison in Absolute Terms:

• United States: Approximately $800 billion.
• Combined EU Countries: Approximately $250 billion to $270 billion.
• China: Approximately $225 billion.
• Russia: Approximately $86 billion.

If the Americans were to pull out of NATO and cease supporting Ukraine, the Trump government would have a hell of a difficult time spending the same amount internally, which would annoy the MIC.

I don't think for a minute that the MIC would allow Trump to pull out of supporting Ukraine. In the 2022 election cycle, the US military-industrial complex contributed a combined total of $10.2 million to members of Congress. Of this amount, $5.7 million went to Republicans, while the remainder went to Democrats. These contributions were particularly focused on members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, who play a crucial role in determining the annual defense budget. For instance, the Senate Armed Services Committee members who voted to increase the defense budget received a total of $7.2 million, with Republican members receiving slightly more than their Democratic counterparts​.

This financial influence helps explain the consistent increases in the Pentagon budget, often beyond what is requested by the President or the Department of Defense. In 2022, for example, the Senate voted to increase the Pentagon budget by $45 billion more than the requested amount, reflecting the significant impact of defense sector contributions on legislative decisions.

The MIC might allow Trump to use the threat of ceasing to support Ukraine, but only as a means of getting the remaining NATO countries to step up to the plate - and buy more weapons from America.