G7 leaders speak with Ukraine's Zelenskyy; agree to Russian diamond ban

Keep throwing your money after a lost cause....

Lil' brother Kishida always wants to play baseball with big brother Biden and Biden's buddies. Lil' K doesn't do much. Just happy to be hanging out with the big boys.

What a joke this has become.

Russia will be the victor of this conflict.

"More urgent action is needed to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and minimize civilian casualties,"

they are sending sh.loads of money and weapons to facilitate the Gaza Holocaust. One baby or child killed every 10 minutes. But hey, Jews are gods chosen race.

The measures came as Biden pleaded with Congress to fund his weeks-old request for billions of dollars more in Ukraine assistance, saying it was an "urgent responsibility" and would keep U.S. allies behind Ukraine. The U.S. plans to announce $175 million in additional military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official.

There are a couple of important point to be made at this point. The first is that this $175 millions is presumed to be on top of the $23 billion (inside the the $111 billion supplemental security bill authored in the Senate) that is currently being sought. Which, itself, is an interim appropriation matter (since Congress will not have yet to pass the appropriations bills out on time), so there will need to be a continuing resolution. And the $23 billion + $175 million will be an aid package that supports Ukraine during the duration of the continuing resolution; about 100 days, the expected period of the continuing resolution (amount calculated on that spend between February 2022 and September 2023, at $6.8 billion per month (military aid being a part of that at about $2.7 billion per month).

Up until this (maybe) passes, the total amount of aid - all types - enacted by Congress since the war started, stands at $113 billion, which came in four packages appropriated by Congress: March ($14 billion), May ($40 billion), September ($12 billion), and December ($45 billion).

Want to know what this money would otherwise buy? According to HUD numbers, in terms of the last FY dollars (an amount not adjusted for current inflation; homeless numbers based on last FY figures), homelessness could be effectively eradicated in the U.S.

The other point is provided by the Ukraine Support Tracker (Keil Institute for the World Economy, at https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker. Showing that between August and October ,2023, the amount of newly committed aid packages now total just EUR 2.11 billion, which they say is the lowest amount since January 2022. As far as pure weaponry, EU countries together account for 47 percent of the total $25 billion in heavy weapon commitments already committed, with the U.S. accounting for 43%.

But, according to the tracker, the U.S. remains the largest single military donor, with total commitments of EUR 44 billion. Germany has made total military commitments exceeding EUR 17 billion, BUT that was before some fiscal upheaval last month, when their constitutional court ruled that a plan to take EUR 60 billion - that was left over from an emergency COVID-19 fund to finance the country's green agenda - was unconstitutional. Add to that news that their constitution restricts federal deficits to no more than 0.35 percent of GDP, except in times of emergency.

This is still a very fluid fiscal situation, with many political ramifications.

Oh wow let’s ban diamonds from Russia. Look at us, we’re “helping”!

at least Z bothered to show up for the call this time: did he get some money too?

A ban on non-industrial diamonds from Russia? The G7 countries are clearly running out of sanction options. No matter how much money you pour into Ukraine, you can’t defeat Russia, which is self sufficient in food and energy.

This is milk toast at its best. Diamonds for dog’s sake?!

Also, there is so much support for Russia in this forum. Lack of compassion, lack of empathy. Shocking.

did he get some money too?

Another article (U.S. announces new weapons aid for Ukraine as Congress is stalled on more funding) mentions he got a $175 million package with the caveat that the bottom of the apple barrel is within reach.

The diamond ban is basically non-sensical. The EU can maybe crack down on the Antwerp Diamond District & Hatton Garden (hurting them) but that will be a non-winnable game of whack-a-mole as the UAE, India and other places in Asia have lucrative and growing diamond cutting, polishing and dealing sectors. Plus, EU based businesses have skirted sanctions when it hurts them to no consequence.

Sounds like they are blowing hot air if they think this will tip the scales back the other way. I doubt they seriously think that, and this is more window dressing; being seen to be doing something in light of Putin's visit to the middle east and the disastrous aborted appearance by a certain someone in a video conference recently.

Interestingly someone else is sitting in for EU Council head Charles Michel (someone from his cabinet). The diamond ban, as mentioned, would hurt Belgium - a country he was PM of. I wonder if that is why he is absent.

LOL.

Utterly meaningless!

No ban on Russian oil or gas imports.

No ban on industrial diamonds.

This is all about keeping the grift going for Zelensky and corrupt Western politicians!

OK. It appears that Michel and von der Leyen (EU Council) are in China. They had more important business to attend to it seems - European Union-China summit on December 7 and 8 and couldn't join the Zoom call.

Good to see Europe is still standing behind Zelenskyy.

Russians are laughing!!! the G7 is cursing itself.

I am sure that will bring an end for the conflict and the Russians will return to within their borders.

Who needs the UN when you can be the Western G6 + Japan. This way you can discount the concerns of Russia, China, BRICS and the Global South.

And one more time, international rules based global order created by the G6 + Japan.

lol way to Jack up the value of diamonds. Well played G7, well played indeed.

The US senate just blocked Biden's $106 billion bill (that includes the Ukraine money), with ALL republicans voting it down.

Maybe the EU can pony up a cool $60 plus billion.

When are they going to start sanctioning Israel?? The hypocrisy is there for all the world to see!

Under the new measures, the countries will ban non-industrial diamonds from Russia by January and Russian diamonds sold by third countries from March,

Considering Bort (AKA industrial diamonds) are the real money maker for the mining companies and diamond producing countries, this is clearly a PR stunt!

The USA is the world's largest market for non industreal /cut diamonds but if you look at the numbers, 80% of Russia's diamond industry revenue comes from the Asian market mostly China and that is nearly Al from industrial diamond sales.

What it will do is hurt Israel, because it is the main buyer of Russian if uncut precious diamonds.

What a pathetic farce..

Diamond ban won't save Kyiv regime..

This is a lost cause..

This is a lost war..

US military intelligence, an oxymoron of the highest (bloodiest and most dangerous) order

So you've said for the past 500(?) days.

when UA defeat is inevitable even "russia diamond ban" may "help".

as same as winter coat for dead UA heroi.

exactly same.

read between lines-USA and west are confirming that "UA adventure" is close to the end.

Politik Kills

Today 07:49 am JST

This is milk toast at its best. Diamonds for dog’s sake?!

> Also, there is so much support for Russia in this forum. Lack of compassion, lack of empathy. Shocking.

It's nothing.

You should see the support for israel

Be interesting to watch (De Beers owner) Anglo American's share price this week.

G7 is finished.

New World Order is coming.

Will they make the dollar obsolete and use BRICS? Got a timeline on that?

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

We are currently in the tail end of 'good times creating weak men' (in the west).

The west is in full decline. BRICS is taking over. A new world order is coming. Us from the west will endure hard times.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

deanzaZZRToday 08:44 am JST

Who needs the UN when you can be the Western G6 + Japan. This way you can discount the concerns of Russia, China, BRICS and the Global South.

This but unironically. Poor countries are beholden to the precious dirt cheap oil the war offers them. They have the power to do something in the UN General Assembly actually, but as usual, they are not interested in sending Russia back to its room without dinner unless there is something in it for them.

deanzaZZRToday 09:45 am JST

US military intelligence, an oxymoron of the highest (bloodiest and most dangerous) order

The US isn't suffering massive recruitment by a foreign adversary due to an unpopular war.

EastmanToday 09:28 am JST

USA and west have lost.

Nope, the one that loses lives loses. How are those Crimean summers working out for you?

Mr Kingpling Today 06:50 am JST

Keep throwing your money after a lost cause....

Wasn't the United Kingdom and Finland considered a "lost cause" in 1939 too?

deanzaZZR Today 08:44 am JST

US military intelligence, an oxymoron of the highest (bloodiest and most dangerous) order

And yet, you are perfectly fine with Russian military intelligence carrying out targeted assassinations around the world, some of which has unleashed WMD in public areas due to their bloody and dangerous agenda?

TiffanyToday 03:37 pm JST

Hows counteroffensive and top class NATO game changers working out for ya ? Effective?

It's only money and says nothing about how they will perform with trained operators and air support. So, yes, still very effective.

The Western Alliance must not waver in the slightest in it's stance against Putin.

Whatever it takes in supplying Zelenskyy with whatever he needs, no matter what the cost, this is the only way to defeat the toxic tyrannical dictator Putin. If he senses a weakness in our commitment to helping the fledgling Ukrainian democracy survive, then he will push for total control of Ukraine, and then who knows which country will be the next victim.

It was annoying that the spineless imbeciles in UAE couldn't spring a nice surprise and have the War Criminal arrested when he touched down there briefly the other day - the rest of the free world could really use some good news.

We had a family member who worked at De Beers for many years, he was very high up the chain and got a fantastic salary. I am not into diamonds and so not really interested in them, but I did visit his office when I was very young and remember seeing bags and bags of diamonds on his desk, they were tiny ones for industrial use, what ever that meant.