American officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his recent visit to Ukraine, indicated that according to American military intelligence, Russia is considering providing the Houthis with missiles should the West escalate the war in Ukraine. Apparently, recently released in a prisoner exchange with the West, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is negotiating the sale of advanced missiles.
This information was given to the Ukrainians to justify Western reluctance to allow Ukraine’s use of Western weapons deeper into Russia.
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I suppose that any excuse is as good as another, but this one is so far-fetched that the Ukrainian side cannot possibly accept this alleged justification.
Suffice it to say that American Intelligence has been duplicitous throughout the war in Ukraine, and frankly long before. CIA director William Burns has been sharing information with Ukrainian military intelligence throughout. At the same time, he and his people have been meeting with Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his people.
What is not known is the extent or purpose of the CIA’s meetings with the Russians. The CIA is not the agency for diplomatic negotiations so the purpose must be something else. From the outside it looks like the United States is playing both sides, helping Ukraine not to lose, but not assisting sufficiently so that Russia retains its influence in that part of the world.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October, 30, 2024
According to The Moscow Times: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday [Oct. 27, 2024] he hoped the West ‘heard’ his warning about the danger of a direct war with NATO if it allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russia.”
Putin made the initial threat in September after Britain and the United States mulled letting Kyiv use long-range arms against Russian targets, warning this would put NATO “at war” with Moscow.
“They didn’t tell me anything about it, but I hope they heard,” Putin said in remarks to a state TV reporter when asked if the West had listened to his warning.
“Ukrainian troops cannot use these weapons on their own. Only specialists from NATO countries can do it, because they need space intelligence, which Ukraine naturally does not have,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had for months been pressing his Western allies for permission to use long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory, arguing the move would “motivate” Moscow to seek peace.
Western officials signaled last month a decision on the matter was imminent, but British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden later put it off amid Moscow’s dire threats.
Biden played down Putin’s warning, with US officials saying the missiles would likely make a limited difference to Ukraine’s campaign.”
And now for the truth. The Houthis not only possess hyper sonic ballistic missiles but have used them against Saudi Arabia and Israel. America is very much aware of that because American destroyers in the Red Sea have shot down sophisticated Houthi missiles.
Thus, Washinton's arguments are specious and once again point to the fact that the US is appeasing yet another Russian red line. These Russian red lines are drawn flippantly and often.
The West apparently deliberates for so long that its response no longer aids Ukraine. Even more ridiculous is that the West often then proceeds to tell Ukraine what Ukraine needs instead of what it says it needs.
What are some, if any, of NATO’s and America’s red lines? Certainly, war crimes, and attempted genocide are not. Killing babies and mothers about to give birth have not been considered red lines. Inviting soldiers of a country which is an international pariah sanctioned by the United Nations appears also not to be a red line.
I suppose that a long-range missile aimed at Brussels, London or Washington would be deemed a red line. But by then it may be too late, and the only possible result will be Armageddon.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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