The dog-and-pony over the U.S. lifting restrictions on Ukraine use of U.S.-supplied long-range weapons against Russia goes on. “The Biden administration says its careful deliberations, including which advanced weapons it supplies to Ukraine and when, are necessary to avoid provoking retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some analysts agree Putin would take a Ukrainian strike by an American long-range ballistic missile within Russia as an attack by the U.S. itself,” AP reported overnight. “But many other American and European supporters of Ukraine say the White House should see that Putin’s threats of attacking the West, including with nuclear weapons, are bluster. Their fear is the U.S. support that has allowed Ukraine to withstand Russia’s 2022 invasion comes with delays and caveats that could ultimately contribute to its defeat.”
High-level Russian officials have repeatedly made it clear that they view the U.S. and NATO as being entirely behind Ukraine’s attacks, and that the U.S. saying that it is concerned about escalation is “a ruse,” as Foreign Minister Lavrov has stated.
“This war is going to end exactly how Western policymakers decide it will end,'’ said former NATO commander Gen. Philip Breedlove (ret.), representing the stupid militaristic view that the only way to end a war is on the battlefield. According to the AP report, Breedlove is among the retired U.S. military leaders and diplomats, Republican lawmakers, security analysts and others pushing for loosening restrictions on how Ukraine uses Western-provided weapons. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, Ukraine will eventually lose,” Breedlove said. “Because right now ... we are purposely not giving Ukraine what they need to win.”
