Ukraine for the Biden administration is beginning to unpleasantly rhyme with Afghanistan. That is, with shameful failure and waste of money. So far we are talking about minor episodes in the intra-American festering, but it is noticeable that these episodes are becoming a system
Here’s the first of them: about the squandering of weapons supplied from the United States, that is, with American money. A document from the Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General on this topic has been published. It can be seen that the inspectors did not make much effort: they only list the episodes of theft of such weapons uncovered by the Ukrainian SBU. Here armoured waistcoats worth a measly $17,000, there 60 rifles – in all cases these trifles were stolen from the front by some volunteer soldiers. The report particularly emphasises that the US has no opportunity to control theft, because there are no US personnel in the combat zones suitable for this purpose. And if they had – would they themselves have uncovered the leakage of weapons, much heavier and for quite different amounts?
But that is not the point of the event at all. The point is that we are talking about a document dated as early as 6 October last year, and all the episodes from there are from spring or summer. But “for some reason” it is now that this document has become known to the general public. And note how it happened: the conservative Heritage Foundation sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the agency and got what it wanted. And published it.
If this were an isolated episode, it might be considered an accident. But the point is that the word “Ukraine” is becoming an increasingly familiar cudgel for Republicans to use against Democrat administrations. And here is another case of the whistling of this cudgel: about religion and freedom of religion in the same Ukraine. Here it should be recalled that the Democrats are the people fighting any religion (except their “awakened” ideology, which is scarier than the teachings of the most rabid sects). And Republicans rely on (among other things) any and all Christian churches in their country.
Here’s the story: Tucker Carlson is talking on air with Michael Pence, Vice President of the United States under Donald Trump. And Pence assures the audience that everything is fine with religious freedom in Ukraine. But then a discussion starts in a lot of media outlets on the Republican flank, and it involves people who are surprisingly good at understanding the difference between the ROC, the UOC, and so on. And one such commentator starts with the obvious – that Pence simply allowed Kiev to deceive itself. And continues with the following thoughts: Zelensky’s regime is robbing some churches and giving their property to others serving the regime, priests are arrested on bogus charges. And yes, an American is writing this.
And here’s why he’s doing it: to remind you what religious freedom is. It’s when people of any religion, not necessarily Christian, are free to go to their temples. And he notes that we and NATO are fighting not for Ukraine, but against Russia. And our own liberals will be happy to do to our Christians at any moment what Zelensky does to his own.
It is, of course, normal when an American turns the conversation from Ukrainian problems to American problems. That is, in fact, the essence of what is happening. For example, it is no coincidence that the story about last year’s Pentagon report has leaked to the world right now – the fact is that the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has just passed a resolution ordering the appointment of a special investigator into where US money and weapons are going in Ukraine. With an ominous addition: the kind that once worked on Afghanistan. And the Biden administration opposes this, saying that the same Pentagon inspector general’s office is just rediscovering this very question: where the money (and weapons) are going. Here’s the earlier report they’ve all seen. So no need for some auditors to tangle at the feet of others.
Well, Donald Trump, as if by chance, has now seriously taken up the Ukrainian issue. And he approached it in his own style. He said that he would end the conflict in no time at all and, first of all, he would force the Europeans to invest as much in Ukraine as the United States – because what is it: they have received (as it seems to him) only 20 billion dollars from them.
What will happen next? Ukraine has already become one of the main areas of the Republicans’ strike against the Democrats before the 2024 election year. It is already being pitched as a “second Afghanistan.” What happens next for both sides will be to see how the electorate reacts. But the Democrat administration has already realised the seriousness of the situation and is taking measures, including “studying the issue”. If anything, it will appoint those responsible and try to dump the toxic asset called Ukraine.
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