A long-expected counter-offensive by Ukraine is drawing near. Disconcertingly, however, the Biden administration is unnecessarily trying to limit Ukraine's options in terms of choosing either the Donbas and/or Crimean Peninsula to launch the attack.
nuclear saber-rattling also appears to be having an effect. First, his suspension of Russia's participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty entered into in 2011, and subsequently, Moscow’s announcement of the transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.
Yes, Russian ground forces, along with the Wagner Group, are vulnerable in Bakhmut and elsewhere in the Donbas. They have been decimated by Ukraine, losing tens of thousands of soldiers and much material. However, solely focusing on the Donbas will not win the war. It also will not likely lead to the negotiation table as General Mark Milley, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, is predicting.
Time is running out for Washington to get this right. Zelensky is now able to take the fight to Russia and drive Putin’s forces out of the entire country. To do that, Kyiv needs a full combined arms capability to strike in both the Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula. As retired U.S. Army general Ben Hodges has emphasized, in order to liberate Crimea, Ukraine needs to make the peninsula untenable with precision deep strikes on key military facilities, headquarters, and the Kerch bridge — the logistics lifeline back to Russia; all long-range capabilities the Biden administration persistently refuses to accommodate. Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, fighter aircraft, and attack helicopters are also needed.
Enough prevaricating on these critical components. The fate of Ukraine, the Black Sea region, and perhaps eastern Europe is at stake.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ukrainian official offers plan for a Crimea without RussiaA top Ukrainian official has outlined a series of steps the government in Kyiv would take after the country reclaims control of Crimea from Russia. The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, published the plan on Sunday. Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, but most of the world does not recognize it as Russian territory. The Black Sea peninsula's status will be a key feature in any negotiations on ending the current fighting. The Kremlin has demanded recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea and acknowledgement of other land gains during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv has ruled out any peace talks with Moscow until Russian troops leave all occupied territories, including Crimea.
Read more »
Top Ukrainian official outlines plan for a Crimea without RussiaOleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, suggests all Russian citizens who moved to Crimea after 2014 be expelled and all real estate deals made under Russian rule nullified.
Read more »
Ukrainian official offers plan for a Crimea without RussiaA top Ukrainian official has outlined a series of steps the government in Kyiv would take after the country reclaims control of Crimea from Russia. The secretary of Ukraine’s National Securit…
Read more »
Former Russian commander mocks 'idiots' leading Putin's war in UkraineIgor Girkin blasted the defense ministry's announced plans on Saturday to increase the production of munitions amid the floundering Ukraine war.
Read more »
PolitiFact - These are not real photos of a Vladimir Putin arrestRussian President Vladimir Putin could be arrested on war crimes charges after a warrant was recently issued by the International Criminal Court. But online images showing the Russian president being arrested are fake.
Read more »
War-crimes warrant for Putin could complicate Ukraine peaceAn international arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin raises the prospect of justice for the man whose country invaded Ukraine but complicates efforts to end that war in peace talks. Both justice and peace appear to be only remote possibilities today, but the conflicting relationship between the two is a quandary at the heart of the March 17 decision by the International Criminal Court. Judges in The Hague found “reasonable grounds to believe” that both Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights are responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
Read more »