Despite warnings that arms deliveries to Ukraine will lead to a world war, US President Joe Biden continues to defy Russian leader Vladimir Putin – a strategy that carries both risks and rewards.
Source: The Washington Post in reference to sources within the US government
Details: As US officials explain, the main reason for ignoring Putin’s threats is that the Russian president is breaking his promises to punish the West for supplying arms to Ukraine. His bluff assured American and European leaders that they could continue to do so without serious consequences.
US officials say managing escalation risks remains one of the most difficult aspects of the war for Biden and his foreign policy advisers. When deciding which new weapons systems to supply to Ukraine, they focus on four key factors:
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Do they need it?
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Can they use it?
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Do we have that?
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What will Russia’s response be?
A State Department official said Russia’s lack of response has affected Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Biden’s top confidant, who has encouraged the administration and U.S. allies to do more to support the government. ‘Ukraine.
A White House source said that, like Blinken, Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, also believes the benefits of providing Ukraine with more powerful weapons outweigh the risks. escalation, and is actively cooperating with European allies to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
According to US officials, a possible explanation for Putin’s reluctance to strike at the West is the deterioration in the quality of the Russian military.
General Mark Milley, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, draws attention to the fact that since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost up to 250 000 killed and wounded, and that’s a loss for any conflict. And Putin replaced them with undisciplined reservists; they are poorly trained and poorly equipped.
Quote from the abstract of the article: “Unquestionably, the Biden administration’s willingness to cross Putin’s red lines has bolstered Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and retake territories to the east and south. What remains to be seen, however, is is if Putin will continue to allow the West to defy his threats without consequence.”
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