President Biden made an unannounced trip to Ukraine on Monday and promised U.S. financial and military support for “as long as it takes.” President Biden pledged another $500 million to Ukraine above the $100 billion already sent to Ukraine. Ukraine’s annual GDP is about $200.1 billion.
Ukrainian aid is approximately the 14th largest U.S. expenditure. The government has hidden the total amount spent in Ukraine, so specifics are unknown. For comparison, money spent in Ukraine is more than the entire U.S. department of education budget at $94.6 billion, FEMA’s budget of $25.89 billion for American disaster relief, and nearly thirty-three times more than HUD's budget to help the American homeless of $2.8 billion. Also, Ukraine should apply for statehood because Ukraine is funded better than 49 U.S. states. The $100 billion is more than the total revenue each state, except Virginia, receives from the Federal government. Click here to explore how the U.S. spends money.
The U.S. called Russia hours before the President took the flight to avoid any mishaps between the nuclear-armed nations. The Russian talk show “60 minutes” host discussed if Russia guaranteed Biden’s safety and asked why Russia didn’t kill him. Former Putin advisor, Sergei Makov, was a guest on the show, and he discussed the risks of nuclear war if a Russian missile had killed Biden. After the phone call to Moscow, a Russian MIG flew from Belarus across Ukraine, triggering an air raid siren across the country.
The Russian Security Council Chairman and former President, Dmitry Medvedev, frequently makes ominous and threatening statements to dissuade Western support of Ukraine. He recently threatened that "the defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war". The siren strengthened the President Biden’s resolve to send aid, which raised questions about Russia's intention of sending the MIG. Russia knew that the siren would sound. Suppose you want to keep Western weapons out of Ukraine.
Why would Russia want Ukraine to feel like an active war zone when its most significant donor is visiting? To quote Star Wars’ Admiral Ackbar: “It’s a trap.”
The U.S. and NATO believe Russia’s goals are territorial, but Russia’s stated goals are to overthrow the Dollar’s hegemony. Nearly a year ago, I warned that Russia would draw the conflict out to draw the U.S. into an endless spending cycle and create political division.
“…he [Putin} is trying to bait the U.S. into an expensive conflict provoking the Federal Reserve to continue printing incredible amounts of dollars to aid Ukraine in war. Inevitably, energy costs will increase, creating a higher overall cost of living for all Americans. Putin is engaging in adventurism in Ukraine, but do not be fooled; this war is against the American economy and the Dollar's international reserve currency supremacy.”
Also, don’t forget President Biden’s statements that no one believed sanctions would deter Russia. If no one believed sanctions would deter Russia, why were the most extensive sanctions ever placed upon them? The sanctions were designed to punish the Russian people so they would turn against Putin. “No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening," Biden said. "This could take time, and we have to show resolve so he knows what's coming and so [sic] the people of Russia know what he's brought on them. This is what this is all about."
The sanctions placed upon Russia had the opposite effect of the President’s statement. The Russian Rubble gained 6.9% against the Dollar since the February 24, 2022, invasion.
Sanctions on Russian oil crippled Europe’s economy. Also, sanctions created supply chain problems and global economic pain. Many nations are being forced to choose between the East and the West. Many governments are looking for alternatives to the Dollar, including China and Saudi Arabia negotiating oil trade in Yuan, China setting up Yuan Clearing in Brazil, and India and UAE developing mechanisms to trade in their local currencies to name a few international responses to the sanctions. If preserving the American way of life was the goal, sanctioning Russia had the opposite effect. The American way of life became more expensive, and the Dollar lost international prestige.
President Biden has committed the U.S. taxpayer to fund Ukraine “as long as it takes.” The U.S. guaranteeing Ukraine we will support them “as long as it takes” needs to be defined. As long as what takes? Are we talking about the Dollar’s destruction or peace in Ukraine? How are we defining victory? Spending hundreds of billions in Ukraine without a clear objective is like buying billions of lottery tickets for yesterday’s drawing. What’s the point? There is no way to win, and it is a waste of money.
The U.S. actions are leading to Russia's goal. Russia is defining victory by a weak and overthrown Dollar. Should we define victory as a Russian cease-fire or a strong and attractive Dollar? Wouldn't defeating Russia by strengthening the American economy and quality of life make more sense? Shouldn’t we improve our ties with OPEC and other members of the BRICS to make the Dollar attractive to them again? Wouldn't it make sense to institute business-friendly tax policies to build a strong economy not reliant on China? Wouldn’t it make sense to free American Oil to become self-reliant so we can set policy on moral principles instead of economic necessity? The way to beat Russia is by making America free to be free again.
If the road to peace passes through self-reliance, how much more so for financial peace of mind? Why not become economically self-reliant today by keeping some of your wealth in precious metals? The Dollar is heading toward an explosion, but there is no reason your portfolio needs to wait at ground zero for the detonation.
Call the U.S. Gold Bureau.
(800) 775-3504
Get Our Free
Investor's Guide
Posting in:
byRyan Watkins, Op-Ed Contributor