Summary
As Biden accelerates military aid to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration, uncertainty looms over U.S. support for Kyiv.
Biden has approved $2 billion more in aid, eased restrictions on longer-range missiles, and advanced a $50 billion loan backed by frozen Russian assets.
Ukraine braces for reduced U.S. support under Trump, who calls for a ceasefire likely favoring Russia.
Moscow, stretched by escalating offensives, faces mounting losses, including setbacks in Syria.
Zelenskyy urges continued Western aid, warning that a premature ceasefire would benefit Putin.
Also to note, Putin is feeling his oats if you look at the weirdly specific tarrif against China.
https://asiatimes.com/2024/12/first-salvo-of-a-russia-china-trade-war/
The whole thing is bizarre since they are targeting a product not produced domestically.
Why are they doing this? Seems detrimental to Russian businesses and also sours relations with their only “friend” in the whole world?
Not their only friend there’s Iran which is not wholly within China’s sphere of influence. It could be Putin distancing himself from China with the current tensions between the US. Trump is a wildcard when it comes to foreign policy and seems to only be motivated with how much he can enrich himself or feed his ego. Which a war with China can definitely do both.
They made a new friend back in November… they just haven’t updated their relationship status on FB…
Tin pot dictators don’t work with policy, they work with people. Some oligarch is losing big with this decision as punishment for disloyalty, and some other oligarch is winning big as a reward for loyalty. It doesn’t have to make sense beyond that.