[Goose]

The FY '24 budgeting/funding legislation is moving along predictably, and predictably slowly.  Everything should be wrapped up by this weekend, only ~6 months late.  May as well take up a CR soon since everyone knows that a FY '25 budget won't pass at least until after the election.  Anyway, the relevance of that mess to Ukraine is that the House can finally take up an aid supplemental starting next Monday.  Any bets on how long it will take before Biden signs something?  The clock is ticking for the Ukrainian people...

I don't get the continued aggressive statements attributed to Macron and the head of the French Army. What audience are they playing to and for what reason.  I thought the issue would die. Maybe he really believes Putin has to be stopped in Ukraine. I don't see how any rational leader can expect to just commit ground forces and not commit their air force too. 20,000 men isn't going to change the war all that much if it there is no other support.

More importantly there is ZERO support among French voters to become engaged in a ground war in Ukraine, at least as things stand today. Macron would have absolutely no public support for such an action. I do believe it is prudent for all NATO governments to point out to the public that the situation may arise where either NATO itself and/or individual nations have to involve themselves more directly in the war in Ukraine. It could happen, and people need to be aware of that fact. It gives the public the opportunity to decide where it stands before a crisis forces hasty and unprepared decisions. It also would send the important message to Putin (and Russia) that while NATO indeed has to be concerned about "what Russia will do", Russia also must be concerned about what NATO will do. Putin doesn't have a "free pass" to do whatever he wants, and he needs to know that. Miscalculations can lead to events nobody intended.

[Goose]

The FY '24 budgeting/funding legislation is moving along predictably, and predictably slowly.  Everything should be wrapped up by this weekend, only ~6 months late.  May as well take up a CR soon since everyone knows that a FY '25 budget won't pass at least until after the election.  Anyway, the relevance of that mess to Ukraine is that the House can finally take up an aid supplemental starting next Monday.  Any bets on how long it will take before Biden signs something?  The clock is ticking for the Ukrainian people...

I don't get the continued aggressive statements attributed to Macron and the head of the French Army. What audience are they playing to and for what reason.  I thought the issue would die. Maybe he really believes Putin has to be stopped in Ukraine. I don't see how any rational leader can expect to just commit ground forces and not commit their air force too. 20,000 men isn't going to change the war all that much if it there is no other support.

More importantly there is ZERO support among French voters to become engaged in a ground war in Ukraine, at least as things stand today. Macron would have absolutely no public support for such an action. I do believe it is prudent for all NATO governments to point out to the public that the situation may arise where either NATO itself and/or individual nations have to involve themselves more directly in the war in Ukraine. It could happen, and people need to be aware of that fact. It gives the public the opportunity to decide where it stands before a crisis forces hasty and unprepared decisions. It also would send the important message to Putin (and Russia) that while NATO indeed has to be concerned about "what Russia will do", Russia also must be concerned about what NATO will do. Putin doesn't have a "free pass" to do whatever he wants, and he needs to know that. Miscalculations can lead to events nobody intended.