Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Even without sound this is dramatic

The US is again is proven to be an unreliable partner, they go in guns blazing but back out on a whim and leave coalition partners deal with the fallout .. Just remember the Kurds in Syria/Turkey, the shambolic withdrawal from Afghanistan, and now Ukraine. The US wants to be the big player on the world stage, its time they take responsibility and finish what they start.

NATO provides the US with allies and because of its military power holds an almost guaranteed leading role in the alliance

NATO provides the US an economic boost by completely dominating arms sales to members and other friendly countries

NATO provides for the US to have a great deal of influence and power on joining countries.

The 2% norm needs to be reached but grandstanding lead by that sexual predator, former president is laughable.

The US without NATO means the US loses a great deal of its influence on the world stage.

OT but the US spent years and billions in Afghanistan trying to train and handover to an Afghan army. I'm not saying it was done for altruistic purposes, but the collapse when they left was down to the (lack of) willingness of the Afghans to fight the Taliban.

Greeks are seriously P*SSED offffffff

Would that widow be willing to sit beside Trump?

What we are discussing here is Putins invasion of Ukraine, and nowhere else, not an invasion of Europe which would be a 100% different scenario, as you seem to be suggesting. War gaming is one thing, actual implementing it is something else. The UN-NATO Military manoeuvres planned for 2024 have been several years in the planning. For the US attack on Iraq, they began staging operations late 2022, but the attack didn't actually start until March 20, 2003. The ideal world (and start of ww3) would be to hit Putin's military when it was staging his forces for the actual attack itself, after conveniently finishing his own war games. That would have stopped it dead in its tracks, for sure, but like I said, started ww3. Two weeks advance notice would at best have given Zelensky a small chance to move critical stuff away from the front.

The Greeks also have a surprising amount of military equipment (owing to their rather bellicose Turkish neighbors). Some of which would be very familiar to the Ukrainians. Might have been a considerable misstep on the Russians' part.

My whole point is about the 2-week time factor, and what is possible to do in that time. As you mentioned, it took the US almost a month to respond to the Sept 11 attacks, and this from a Country with the best military in the world. Regarding the current situation in the Baltics, the states themselves are on a high state of alert, the complete opposite to what Ukraine was on pre-Feb 24 2022, and backed up by NATO. They are 100% prepared for any attack by Putin at any time, 2-week advance warning or not. Everything that they need to repulse Putin is already there, ready to go. But what could Ukraine have done with their 2 weeks warning?

Well that's one way to ensure an increase in supplies for Ukraine. Absolutely insane, the potential consequences of killing an EU and NATO prime minister. Russia proving yet again there's no line they won't cross.

Me thinks these lads went to Russia probably thinking they were going to be getting paid to fight for Russia behind the lines, logistics or IT specialist and have been handed a rifle and told they will be going over the top,and came up with that nonsense story, hahaha, delighted for them.

The usual question: why isn't the West/NATO responding militarily, rather than with the usual expressions of "outrage"? It only emboldens Russia to do it again

Sounds very plausible.

Why not agree on them? They have to out down a number for the sake of the agreement and they know people won't hit whatever they put down (unless they have other reason to). Yes it applies to environmental agreements as well. Don't get me wrong, I think if people commit to a number they should match it but that is not the world we live in.

Like when a new building (children's hospital) is being made. It will take longer than announced and go over budget.

Europe hitting spending targets might won't effect US decisions. Trump is just finding an excuse, no more than Putin claiming Nato was encroaching. He would find one irregardless to pull out of Nato commitments and Putin would have had another excuse for invading Ukraine.