Though little noted on mainstream news, America’s disastrous proxy war against Russia was a factor in the MAGA Republicans mutiny against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Their only good spending cut, which fueled their removal bid, was ending all military aid to Ukraine. All their Republican colleagues and the entire Democratic House supports endless war in Ukraine killing hundreds of thousands to protect US hegemony in Europe.
To placate the MAGAs, McCarthy inserted an end to Ukraine aid that would be sure to doom Democratic support, forcing a shutdown. Yet all but one of 210 Democrats voted for the Ukraine weaponless bill. The MAGAs, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, cried “FOUL,” claiming McCarthy made a secret deal with the Democrats to support more Ukraine aid once the shutdown crisis cooled. When called out on his likely subterfuge, McCarthy dared Gaetz to “Bring it on.” Gaetz replied “I just did,” and quickly sent McCarthy packing with 100% Democratic support.
Mike Quigley of Illinois, sole Democrat voting against the bill, apparently didn’t get the leadership memo to support the bill without Ukraine aid. In a scurrilous insult to peace loving folks, Quigley blasted the bill as is a “Victory for Putin and Putin-sympathizers everywhere. We now have 45 days to correct this grave mistake before Russia friendly Republicans dig in their heels or claim victory in the next funding agreement.”
Whatever their motives, at least those “Russia friendly Republicans” aren’t virulent war supporters like Quigley, cheering on America’s newest forever war, causing massive Ukraine death and destruction to maintain US dominance abroad.
The next shutdown fight looms November 17. Time for both parties to fully embrace negotiations over weapons in Ukraine to simplify the spending impasse. No more weapons may help keep the government afloat into next year while saving hundreds of billions in wasteful spending. More importantly, it may save the senseless loss of life and country in Ukraine.
Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.
What happens when Ukraine runs out? The war just ends. Well, end it.
Russia would likely agree to roughly the current borders. They should make the Dnieper a divider, shouldn’t give Russia land to its west.
Russia just needs water access for Crimea and a land bridge. It has both now.
Russia would be unlikely to agree to the current borders, which are well east of the Dnieper.
Partly west also in Kherson, Zaporizhia. Russia will claim the full oblasts.
They can “claim” that territory all they want. The codified borders of Ukraine include it. Occupation doesn’t magically cause borders to change.
I mean Russia declared them part of Russia now, wouldn’t go back.
But they might give up parts.
I don’t really want to see a change in borders from here. Any more, and Ukraine is bitter; any less, and Russia is bitter.
There might well be some feature I’m unaware of, but the current situation looks good to me. There’s a small river that might be important, for example.
Interestingly, only one country has ever recognized Ukraine’s borders as of 2014 — and that country is the Russian Federation. Ukraine never did get around to declaring those borders to e.g. the UN or talking with e.g. Poland about them.
So it’s not really about Ukraine’s borders. It’s about Russia’s borders … which neither the UN nor many individual regimes recognize as encompassing Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporzizhia.
And to the extent that the UN decides to recognize those areas as within Ukrainian borders, the Ukrainian regime can give, and has given, the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes there.
Nor do self serving supranational organizations.
True.
If Ukraine openly met with Russia to offer peace, Russia would be too embarrassed to reject.
Qatar offered to host talks. I really do fear Russia taking more and creating lasting hatred, which might happen anyway.
But under the current circumstances, it’s unlikely that Ukraine would make a peace offer the Russians found acceptable.
It still looks more likely to go back to “frozen conflict” than to end by any kind of agreement.
North and South Korea get along, I suppose.
Maybe east of the Hudson…. Occupy Wall Street, Vlady!
Whatever their motives, at least those “Russia friendly Republicans” aren’t virulent war supporters like Quigley, cheering on America’s newest forever war, causing massive Ukraine death and destruction to maintain US dominance abroad.
At least the forever war in Ukraine. Now China is another story. And MAGA doesn’t mean making America great by thinking we are just an equal partner in the international community. It means knee on the neck dominance where others fear us enough to bow to that dominance.