For John, BLUF: Things are again heating up in the Ukraine, a former part of the Sovirt Uniom, Southwest of Russia. Nothing to see here; just move along.
From Voice of American, based on reports from Agence France-Presse, 1 April 2021, 07:08 PM.
Here is the lede plus four:
KYIV, UKRAINE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Moscow of building up troops on his country's border as the United States warned Russia against "intimidating" Ukraine.Further on in the story we seem to have a US commitment to the defense of Ukraine.Kyiv has been locked in a conflict with Russian-backed separatists since 2014, and this week Ukrainian officials reported Russian troop movement in annexed Crimea and on the border, near territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
On Thursday, Zelensky's ministers discussed the escalating security situation with Western allies, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Zelensky said in a statement that "military exercises and possible provocations along the border are traditional Russian games." He accused Moscow of seeking to create "a threatening atmosphere" as Kyiv hopes to resume a cease-fire brokered last year.
The U.S. State Department said it was "absolutely concerned by recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine."
On Thursday, U.S. defense chief Austin called his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Taran, Ukraine's defense ministry said.This is not some minor side-show. It is possible Russia, wishing to regain control of its former territory, might test the new Biden Administration, launching new territorial grabs under the guise of an exercise.Austin said during the call that Washington would "not leave Ukraine alone in the event of escalating Russian aggression," the ministry said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, for his part, discussed the "aggravation by the Russian Federation of the security situation" on the front line with his Canadian counterpart, Marc Garneau.
If the Biden Administration is not prepared to react quickly, it could be faced with a fait accompli in some land grad, further weakening Ukraine. This should be concerning.
Regards — Cliff
1 comment:
There will be a war there...no doubts about that one. The real question is what does that bode for the nations of Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, all of which were admitted into NATO in 1999. Subsequently in 2004 many of the remaining and former USSR satellite countries were also admitted to NATO. Naturally, Russia does not want to see the Ukraine follow those satellites path into NATO, and be left all alone with only its cruel cold Siberian winter still remaining to be dominated.
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