Where is the money coming from?

DiamondLily

I’d prefer that any money was spent helping people in this country

Apart from the very wise saying that no man is an island entire of itself by John Donne, I would ask if you are unaware of the huge amount given to every household in the country towards our energy bills this last winter, or the cost of living payments made to every pensioner household this last winter, or the disability cost of living payments made to disabled persons, or the £300 x three cost of living payments to low income households? This last week a further £150 was paid to every household on benefits (not pensioners, except possibly pensioner credit recipients) The entirety of the payments is listed on the GOV.UK site and is entitled Cost of Living Payments 2023 to 2024. You should take a look and see just how much has been spent in this country, and all this on top of the most generous furlough scheme in the world during Covid.

Of course we should continue to support Ukraine. We should not be selfish.

People are people everywhere

We left the EU now we must continue to invest in good relationships with other countries more than ever

When that generally boils down to putting a stop to those bent on war, eradicating disease and feeding and housing people... We may very well need those protections ourselves in the future

Diamond Lily Your remarks remind me of the poem
that starts
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

and ends with
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

The Ukraines are the first front in WW3. The war there is as much our war as theirs.

You say 'I'd prefer that any money was spent helping people in this country, before other countries.'

That is exactly what is being done. The defence of Ukraine is the defence of Western Europe and, while we may have Brexited, we are still partof Western Europe.

Monica one bit of me thinks that if we insist on getting involved in the territorial disputes of other countries then we need to be aware of the consequences. The UK is now considered a legitimate target of the Russian government - so rather than avoid WW3 it feels as if we have given ourselves an open invitation.
Since we will never get to the truth of territorial disputes, I would rather the role of honest broker between the two sides rather than a clear ‘friend’ to one. Bit late for that now ….

ronib unless you are party to inside information you have no idea what negotiations are ongoing in the background.

I cannot think of one recent conflict that we have improved by getting involved.

It usually ends up worse for the civilians.🙁

I appreciate that various groups have had help, over here, through the winter, but that doesn't change the fact that food bank use is increasing rapidly, the NHS in in meltdown, we have a cost of living crisis, and services are being slashed.

Homelessness and affordability to get/keep a home is collapsing.

We are also, as a nation, massively in debt.

GG13 but no one has any idea of what is happening. Does Belarus have Russian nuclear weapons targeted at the Uk, Europe and USA? How much is bluff?

I don’t know why anyone would think for one moment that Russia would not fight this war to the bitter end. I feel that Ukraine was ill advised from the outset.

ronib

GG13 but no one has any idea of what is happening. Does Belarus have Russian nuclear weapons targeted at the Uk, Europe and USA? How much is bluff?

I don’t know why anyone would think for one moment that Russia would not fight this war to the bitter end. I feel that Ukraine was ill advised from the outset.

What was ill advised was letting Russia waltz in and annexe Crimea with little objections.

This gave President Putin the green light to invade Ukraine years later when he needed a boost at home.

I am in principle against war and the dreadful loss of human life on both sides which is the inevitable consequence.

I am more against despotic leaders thinking they can take whatever land they perceive as belonging to the motherland whether that be Russia with Ukraine, Israel and the Palestinians and China with Taiwan.

Where will they stop?

GG13 well it’s not up to tiny ill equipped Uk to bang the drums where Russia is concerned. Not in our power - what could we have done? Ukraine and Russia need to start talking to each other.

Interest rates have gone up, which means more money for the banks and therefore more money for the government to squander.

Well, it also costs the government more to borrow money, which increases our debt, and decreases the amounts apparently available for services.🙁

ronib

GG13 well it’s not up to tiny ill equipped Uk to bang the drums where Russia is concerned. Not in our power - what could we have done? Ukraine and Russia need to start talking to each other.

The only ones that might, in the end be able to influence all this will be China or America.

We are too small to make much difference - other than with cash and arms, which won't affect the outcomes.

The banks borrow money Curtaintwitcher. As with everyone, they now pay more to borrow it.

ronib

GG13 well it’s not up to tiny ill equipped Uk to bang the drums where Russia is concerned. Not in our power - what could we have done? Ukraine and Russia need to start talking to each other.

We're part of NATO.

Where will they stop?
Partway through Germany last time, splitting that country in two, families either side of the divide.

People have short memories but surely we all remember 9 November 1989?

Germanshepherdsmum

The banks borrow money Curtaintwitcher. As with everyone, they now pay more to borrow it.

Who are the banks 'borrowing' money from, GSM?.

Banks create money when they make a loan (under licence from the government) and make some of their profits from interest charged on the loans. Rising interest rates increase their profits.

They also are paid interest by the BoE for their reserves (which is odd, as it's the BoE which created the reserves in the first place).

I know they undertake other profitable operations on the financial markets, but I'm puzzled as to who they 'borrow' from.

Like any other business, banks are taxed on their profits. Is that what curtaintwitcher might be referring to?

I agree with GrannyGravy in that we should have acted long ago. We allowed Russia to murder Litvinenko over a cup of tea in a London hotel. A few sanctions were made but nothing of substance. Then we allowed Russia to attempt to kill the Skripals in Salisbury using a lethally dangerous substance, and in the process seriously injuring a British policeman, another British man, and killing a British woman. Again a few sanctions, but nothing really too serious. We pretty much ignored the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The sanctions were never severe enough to stop Putin. I would ask the question how dare our government do so little to protect and uphold the sanctity of our island?
Given our inaction previously it is not surprising that Russia thought her west would not do anything about his invasion of Ukraine. The west is in bed with Russian money and there is still far more Russian money in London than there should be, so I understand. On that reasoning I believe we owe Ukraine.

So Libor is a fiction Maizie?

Callistemon21 Ukraine isn’t part of NATO.

ronib

Callistemon21 Ukraine isn’t part of NATO.

I know that!!

But it borders NATO countries which in turn border other European countries.

Callistemon21 and therefore? Not exactly been the life and soul of the party?

🤔

Who - me?

It's the heat.

Callistemon21 No not you - NATO.

I beg to differ.
NATO boots on the ground and other offensive actions could cause this to escalate into a much wider conflict.

NATO’s actions are defensive, designed not to provoke conflict but to prevent conflict. The Alliance has a responsibility to ensure that this war does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, which would be even more devastating and dangerous

www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_37750.htm