Europe is providing aid to Ukraine as it reacts to an encroaching Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014.

Problem is, Europe is not providing the aid it promised to Ukraine. Europe nations' bloated social programs have limited the EU's ability to provide aid, both military and financial, to other countries, as well as to provide for its own defense. The EU is all-too-often long on promises and short on delivery.

Because of the WAR! parties that all "reasonable adults" in Washington belong to.

Why did Sen. Clinton promise to recognize NATO immediately on her ascension to the cherry-blossom throne? Because it would have ensured 50 years of more war.

There is a lot of money made in war, and a lot of money made in brinksmanship around war. The enrichment of the Biden family is just one of several - the McCains, the Pelosis - they all have their hands in this getting money.

Orange Man may be an uncouth horrible human being, but the Orange Man's NATO-skepticism prevented war with Russia.

Crimea belongs to Russia; they are ethnic Russians. Crimea has been Russian since at least the Crimean War. To pretend otherwise is attempt to use the power of imperialism to oppose the power of ethnic homogeneity. Little groups get cobbled together into big groups, and then they break apart based on who has the same grandfather, language, and religion.

Libertarians are useless in politics because they cannot set a priority on things. Wars have bled America in treasure and in the lives and livelihood of too many American youths. So long as they've got their pot and gay marriage, libertarians will continue to sperg like children who cannot realize that, if the toilet's overflowing, the roof is leaking, and the heater is venting into the house - it's not the time to win the battle for the closet organizer.

The libertarians are angry about war spending; the libertarians sure opposed Trump, and there were certainly some (!) who endorsed Mrs. Clinton... which we have been told by the Kremlin would have meant that Ukraine would have become Iraq.

You can name those people who ran on being antiwar and made it to any debate stage for the presidency this century:

Rep. Ron Paul
Pres. Barack Obama
Perhaps Sen. Rand Paul
Sen. Gravel
Rep. Kucinich
Pres. Donald Trump
Rep. Gabbard
Mrs. Marianne Williamson

Now, some of those people have wacky ideas otherwise, but, if you look at the budget squeezing us - the only thing that could be reduced is defense spending. If a commie marches us home from the wars abroad, let the commie do it, and then replace the commie once we've achieved an end of the unending wars.

Now, Pres. Obama was a different man before Washington got whatever they got on him. If you remember the late-night speech in which he famously said the 57 state remark, that was also when he said (paraphrase), "Everyone wants a tax cut. I want everyone to have a tax cut." They promptly "handled" him so that he never said things like that again, and he failed to deliver, and he got us into more warzones

Pres. Trump has not brought us home completely from any warzone yet, but he has kept us out of escalations against Russia. For how badly it's gone with North Korea, he is closer to peace than America has ever been - and you can see that the impeachment effort by the Democrats is aimed at disrupting foreign policy peace initiatives.

Marianne Williamson has no chance of securing the "D" nom because they won't put her on a debate stage. Tulsi Gabbard has a very low chance; you would have to have an extreme number of scandals or random sicknesses to put her as the "D" nominee; I think the anti-Bernie machinery would be brought to bear on her. Otherwise, the only choice is whether you want to enter the third decade of unending war or not, and the best bet for that barring a 2020 Tulsi ticket from the Dems is the Orange Vulgarian, who at least has provably kept us from turning Syria into Iraq.

And on a quick DuckDuckGo, Clinton was talking about putting Ukraine into NATO in April 2015 to protect them from Russia...as if you could protect the cradle of Slavic culture from the people who claim to be the leaders of the Slavs.

"1. Why is the U.S. giving $400 million to Ukraine, anyway?"

We give money to most anyone.

"foreign aid (of all types) is one of a thousand potential starting points for getting our fiscal house in order."

Not really. In the scope of the US federal budget foreign aid is pretty insignificant. To put this in context, this is like someone who makes $50k/year and is spending $75k/year talk about getting back on track by unscrewing one light bulb to save in electricity costs.

If you shut down 100% of discretionary spending the federal budget is still negative. If you aren't talking about cuts to social security, medicare, and medicaid you aren't serious about reducing the debt. I understand how difficult it is to cut spending on those programs. But if you aren't planning to do that you aren't planning to reduce the debt. Period. End of story.

It has become pretty clear to me in the last few years that foreign aid is just a way to launder money collected from US tax payers, through a corrupt foreign country and right back into the pockets of the US political elites and their kids.

No wonder they all hate Donald Trump. He is the biggest threat to their graft since Harry Truman.

Isab hit the nail on the head. If you get rid of Foreign Aid, how will the children, spouses, in-laws, budddies, etc. earn a decent living without all the graft that they believe they have coming to them. Why do you think the Senate has been very quiet about Ukraine all this time.

You should be angrier still about the money sinkhole that Afghanistan has become.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the US gave billions of dollars to eastern Europe to encourage economic growth and promote democracy. I think this was money well spent with most of the countries having experienced fast growth and becoming reasonably democratic. Some of these countries have joined NATO which I think is good for the US.

If (a big if) money to Ukraine would have a similar result, it would be wonderful. I do not know enough about Ukraine to know if this is a likely outcome.

I do not know enough about Ukraine to know if this is a likely outcome.

It isn't as sure a thing as Poland, or some of the less corrupt states of eastern Europe. Ukraine has a considerable amount of corruption.

The hopeful thing is that They The People have thrown out of office the usual suspects who were corrupt, and turned over the government to a comedian. But he promised to be honest and transparent, so I take that - and the fact that before the recent unpleasantness with Russia, they also threw out Putin's stooges.

Compared to WarrenCare, $400 million is walking around money.

But he promised to be honest and transparent, so I take that

to be a positive sign.

Uhhhh... because in the modern era things that happen "over there" are no longer so isolated from "over here".

If they ever were.

How about them Cruz missles? I don't mean Penelope. And them thar Twin Towers, eh. And lets all hope that recently-arrived African refugee didn't cough on that sammich yer eatin.

And money is a lot less objectionable than sending troops.

And Ukraine is a ginormous strategically located resource rich tract of land that is currently in economic/political play.

As an expat I am perpetually amazed by the head-up-ass ignorance of my fellow Muricans when it comes to Rest of World.

Buy a @#$#@ map Elmo.

Ben David, as others have said it is debatable that the money would actually do any of that. Yes Ukraine is strategically located for many purposes. And it has had a fair amount of corruption. Add on top the general incompetence of the US government to advance it's own interests. So skepticism on the efficacy of this spending is warranted.

Why is it cheaper to ship a package from Beijing to Houston than to ship one from Houston to Seattle? Well, the post office had to have a deal. Doesn't matter if it was a bad deal. Doesn't matter that the deal lost money for the post office. Doesn't matter that any person with an IQ over freezing could tell this was a stupid thing to do. They had to have a deal. So now we have one. And that isn't an isolated case. Instead it is closer to the norm.

That said $400 million is insignificant in a $4.1 trillion dollar budget. And it isn't closing our $800 billion in annual overspending. You are talking about 0.05%. Plus or minus it doesn't really matter.

Isab: It has become pretty clear to me in the last few years that foreign aid is just a way to launder money collected from US tax payers, through a corrupt foreign country and right back into the pockets of the US political elites and their kids. No wonder they all hate Donald Trump. He is the biggest threat to their graft since Harry Truman.

Isab nailed it. The pervasive corruption in Ukraine creates a lot of lucrative opportunities and corrupt American politicians want a piece of that action.

Democrats have been trying to think of some way to undermine President Trump since Nov 8, 2016. Then they really started freaking out when they learned from their whistle blower that Trump was encouraging the new president of Ukraine to crack down on corruption. They thought they put a stop to that when Biden was Vice President. Burisma isn't the only cookie jar they've had their hands in.

Ukrainians Find Misuse of $5.3 BILLION in US Aid During Obama Admin

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/rudy-nukes-democrats-ukrainians-find-misuse-of-5-3-billion-in-us-aid-during-obama-admin/?utm_source=wnd&utm_medium=wnd&utm_campaign=syndicated

Ben:

Why is it cheaper to ship a package from Beijing to Houston than to ship one from Houston to Seattle?

Because the Chinese engaged - and gamed - the International Postal Union.

Which proves the necessity of engaging ROW.

Muricans have to forget the dream of returning to 19th century isolationism. And they must understand that the post WWII period - in which the US was the only industrial power left standing - was an anomaly. Our clothes, phones, and cars are assembled in places that Sinatra-era Americans considered banana-boat backwaters. Not rolling that back, folks.

In addition it's clear that many evil folks expand their activities into any political/economic/military vacuum. And lotsa folks covet what America has. And in particular the modern Left has no intention of leaving anyone alone.

Which means trade.
Which means competition.
Which means proactive engagement.
Which means building alliances.
And that sometimes includes baksheesh.
So?

"Putting American interests first" cannot be divorced from executing America's role as a world power. In fact they are one and the same.

""Putting American interests first" cannot be divorced from executing America's role as a world power. In fact they are one and the same." ~Ben David

Something Trump appears to be doing quite well.