[Goose]

I don't think any Ukrainian politician is winning on a platform of signing a treaty with Russia any time soon. They are a democracy, but the populace is pissed off and rightfully so after all the Russian atrocities. Maybe after 2024 the US might turn off the money depending on domestic politics, but that's still a ways away.

The US isn't yet supplying the money. Neither is anybody else. The economic support required for Ukraine will make the 33 billion in military support look like a drop in the bucket. Ukraine has already asked back in March for 50 billion just to fix their shortfall to that point. It says nothing about trying to run their economy, which will shrink by at least 50% this year. The Ukraine GDP is normally over 150 Billion per year. That doesn't include the "extraordinary costs" of running this war, like repair destroyed infrastructure and housing necessary to having any GDP. That is the money that is needed to keep the population somewhat optimistic. Without it, things can go south fast.

I think we all need to realize that Ukraine has a long history of being on the short end of the stick with Russia. While that makes many Ukrainian people mad, it also makes many people fatalistic. Many of what I consider to be defects in Russian society also exist in Ukraine. They can accept many things that we in the west would never tolerate. It wasn't that long ago Ukraine has a pro-Russian government. While I completely admire what Ukraine is doing, I think much of it relies on Zelenskyy's leadership. Sadly, in some ways he is their Putin. He is a good Tsar instead of a bad Tsar. If he is killed, or falls out of the public's favor, all bets are off IMHO. What I have said here is of course an over-simplification. Ukraine has changed since 2014 and it has changed again since Feb 24, 2022. How deep those changes are remains to be seen, but so far they are holding up.

[Goose]

I don't think any Ukrainian politician is winning on a platform of signing a treaty with Russia any time soon. They are a democracy, but the populace is pissed off and rightfully so after all the Russian atrocities. Maybe after 2024 the US might turn off the money depending on domestic politics, but that's still a ways away.

The US isn't yet supplying the money. Neither is anybody else. The economic support required for Ukraine will make the 33 billion in military support look like a drop in the bucket. Ukraine has already asked back in March for 50 billion just to fix their shortfall to that point. It says nothing about trying to run their economy, which will shrink by at least 50% this year. The Ukraine GDP is normally over 150 Billion per year. That doesn't include the "extraordinary costs" of running this war, like repair destroyed infrastructure and housing necessary to having any GDP. That is the money that is needed to keep the population somewhat optimistic. Without it, things can go south fast.

I think we all need to realize that Ukraine has a long history of being on the short end of the stick with Russia. While that makes many Ukrainian people mad, it also makes many people fatalistic. Many of what I consider to be defects in Russian society also exist in Ukraine. They can accept many things that we in the west would never tolerate. It wasn't that long ago Ukraine has a pro-Russian government. While I completely admire what Ukraine is doing, I think much of it relies on Zelenskyy's leadership. Sadly, in some ways he is their Putin. He is a good Tsar instead of a bad Tsar. If he is killed, or falls out of the public's favor, all bets are off IMHO. What I have said here is of course an over-simplification. Ukraine has changed since 2014 and it has changed again since Feb 24, 2022. How deep those changes are remains to be seen, but so far they are holding up.