The Pentagon has given its tacit endorsement of Ukrainian attacks inside Russian territory and no longer fears such operations could lead to a “dramatic” Russian escalation, The Times reported on Friday, citing unnamed US defense officials.
The US position appears to only be based on the fact that up to this point, Russia hasn’t responded to attacks on its territory with nuclear weapons or by attacking NATO countries.
The Times report reads: “Moscow’s revenge attacks have to date all involved conventional missile strikes against civilian targets. Previously, the Pentagon was warier of Ukraine attacking Russia because it feared the Kremlin would retaliate either with tactical nuclear weapons or by targeting neighboring NATO nations.”
The report came after Ukrainian drone attacks hit Russian air bases deep inside Russian territory, including one that killed three Russian soldiers and damaged two Russian bombers. Following the attacks, Russian missiles pounded Ukrainian energy infrastructure, worsening the already dire situation for millions of Ukrainian civilians who are without power and heat in freezing temperatures.
Russia didn’t start launching large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure until October, after the truck bombing of the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to the Russian mainland. US officials previously said that they support Ukrainian attacks on Crimea.
The Times report said that the US doesn’t want to publicly give Ukraine the greenlight to attack targets inside Russia. In public comments, US officials have said they are not “encouraging” or “enabling” Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory. But a US defense official said that it’s up to Ukraine where they attack and that they have limited restrictions on using US-provided weapons.
“We’re not saying to Kyiv, ‘Don’t strike the Russians [in Russia or Crimea].’ We can’t tell them what to do. It’s up to them how they use their weapons,” the official said. “But when they use the weapons we have supplied, the only thing we insist on is that the Ukrainian military conform to the international laws of war and to the Geneva conventions.”
The official’s comments appear to mark a shift in US policy as the Biden administration previously sought “assurances” from Ukraine that it wouldn’t use the HIMARS rocket launch systems to hit Russian territory. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made similar comments in public last week.
“When we give them a weapon system, it belongs to them, where they use it, how they use it, how much ammunition they use to use that system. I mean, those are Ukrainian decisions, and we respect that,” Kirby said.
So far, there has been no confirmation of Ukraine using US weapons to hit targets inside Russian territory. Russia said Ukraine used modified Soviet-made drones to launch the attacks last week that hit Russian air bases hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.
But The Times report said that with the US now tacitly backing Ukrainian attacks inside Russia, the Biden administration will be more likely to provide longer-range weapons that Ukraine has been seeking. “Nothing is off the table,” a senior US official said.
Ukraine has been asking for the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles and can be fired from the HIMARS systems, although The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the US modified the HIMARS it sent to Ukraine so they can’t fire munitions with a range of greater than 50 miles.
While the US might no longer fear escalation, Russian officials have strongly warned against the US sending longer-range weapons to Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged on Friday that there’s a “real possibility” of a war between the alliance and Russia, which could quickly turn nuclear, but insisted the West should keep arming Ukraine despite the risk.
“I struck a match and caught the house on fire but I didn’t realize the danger until I saw the house burn down…”
We make the Roman Empire look like pikers in the enabling department. I guess “civilization” was spared for another 1500 years or so because no one had nukes, among other things technology should never have come up with.
Sitting here in the Bay Area, warm and toasty, with neighbors (and me I must admit) complaining about “it’s raining! it’s cold!” — recent film “The Forgotten Battle” about Scheldt in WWII, filmed largely in Lithuania, gives some real sense of what war looks like on the ground in Europe in winter.
This is not a game. To keep goading Russia to behave irresponsibly as the USA always does is not just another step. STOP the escalation. You will lose, but better sooner than after thousands more of those you “support” are killed.
I’m pretty sure that was a quick and easy message to Z.
Your country is under a full scale invasion by Russia to take your land. Go ahead and defend yourself. Fight back.
Known as “over the cliff”.
“When we give them a weapon system, it belongs to them, where they use it, how they use it, how much ammunition they use to use that system. I mean, those are Ukrainian decisions, and we respect that,” Kirby said.
If this guy was Pinocchio, his nose would look like Johnny “the wad” Holmes’ penis.
NO way they have the men with logistics experience to send missiles accurately. NO way.
😂
“The US position appears to only be based on the fact that up to this point, Russia hasn’t responded to attacks on its territory with nuclear weapons or by attacking NATO countries.”
well of course russia hasn’t responded to attacks on its territory by attacking NATO! They have as of yet, assumed this was done by Ukraine alone! But when america starts giving Ukraine long range weapons, the calculus is different.
“don’t worry yalls, we gots plenty of drones!”
…… Raytheon
“The Pentagon
y and no longer fears such operations could lead to a “dramatic” Russian escalation,
reported on Friday, citing unnamed US defense officials.”
Another unnamed warmonger in the pentagon.
Thing is, Russia will soon start sinking ships and shooting down planes that will deliver these weapons. That Wash. isn’t at war with Russia is the biggest lie of the new century.
Under full war it is inevitable.
Very unlikely about the last thing Russia needs is to start a conventional conflict with NATO – if we assume that things will stay non nuclear the west can cause a lot more damage to Russia than vice-versa.
If things does not stay non-nuclear, the question becomes one of do the Russians want to die because their attempt at annexing large parts of Ukraine is not working out?
So, if the missiles that strike deep into Russia are directed in part by U.S. logistics, and are of U.S. manufacture, then I guess Russia can hit our West coast. Alaska. The West coast. Might that wake up a few people?
Yes, the Russians can hit the US west coast.
But the people who would have to give that order probably prefer to live, and therefore won’t give it.
Kremlin doesn’t have any choice now. They must strike back or Putin’s admin will crumble. That is exactly what Anglo-American terrorists want. You can’t negotiate with these pests and tolerating their attacks in Eurasia only encourage more terrorism.
Yes, or maybe their position is so strong they needn’t fear from public opinion?
Pentagon Orders Ukrainian Drone Attacks Deep Inside Russia
I just read the linked article in The Times, and the linked editorial from within that article (‘The Times View on Peace after the Ukraine War’). The article reports that the US has ‘given the green light’ to Ukraine to use its weapons (i.e., NATO’s weapons) directly against Russia. And the editorial suggests that Western minds are ‘overly concerned’ about escalation, since Russia has not attacked any NATO countries.
These people seem to believe that Ukraine can actually defeat Russia in full-on war. Which is about as likely as Mexico defeating the US.
The attitude of the US and UK appears to be, ‘Let’s ramp it up! Russia is a pushover.’
I think we’ve reached a new level of insanity here. The US/UK neocons are just talking to each other in a windowless locker room and exciting each other into a frenzy.
I am now very worried.