Joe Biden, the US President, appears to be playing a precarious game of poker in the face of global tensions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested recently to Sky News that Biden has yet to shelve the idea of allowing Ukraine to shoot missiles deep into Russian frontiers. Despite the potential for escalation this presents, it seems that negotiations with Iran have allowed Moscow to gain short-range missiles. These weapons, Blinken suggests, will likely undersign further violence in Ukraine in the upcoming weeks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, has sought permission from the U.S. and the West to launch long-range missiles into Russia. The objective? To wield pressure and turn up the heat on Moscow to cease the ongoing conflict. Biden’s administration, from their side, have made promises of arming Ukraine to resist Russian aggression with might and main since the onset of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion.
Hypothetically, Western allies, including the United States, could provide Ukraine with state-of-the-art systems. Nevertheless, Blinken has voiced concerns about the Ukrainians’ capacity to operate and support such systems. The reality of war might require a more direct approach. After all, these considerations pivot into deciding on military aid. However, Blinken’s words come with a key caveat: the U.S. will continue to adapt and adjust their strategies.
He tends to lean toward ambiguity, expressing that America does not ‘rule out’ scenarios and options. However, Blinken capitalizes on caution, dictating that any rules established should propel Ukrainian efforts. Putting rhetoric to one side, the United States still holds the spanner in the works as it continues to train Russian military personnel to use Iran’s ballistic missiles.
Earlier in a news briefing, Blinken shared this reality but also revealed a worrying piece of news: Iran’s Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles are being trained on Russian personnel. With access to Iranian missiles, Russia is essentially able to employ more of its arsenal to hit targets that are not sidelining the frontline.
Yet, the US has already assisted Ukraine with some of its weaponry. Last September saw a limited quantity of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) delivered to Ukraine. These missiles, boasting a range of around 180 miles, show the extent of American support for the embattled Ukraine.
Blinken addressed the media in London, in the aftermath of a significant Ukrainian drone attack targeting various regions in Russia. His response was clear: the United States had formally warned Iran about the consequences of persisting with such actions. In his view, these actions would surely result in severe repercussions.
He continued, even as the new Iranian president acknowledged a need for economic relief in their country, weighed down by a heavy burden. Yet Iran is going against its own interests by supplying Russia with missiles, argues Blinken. This approach, he adds, is the absolute opposite route to what they claim they want.
Blinken also faced questions about the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. He was asked whether the US was closer to orchestrating a ceasefire. In his response, he stated that 90% of the terms have been agreed upon. Yet, attaining this goal seemed to be more challenging as they approached the endpoint. Naturally, the most demanding issues often lay in wait until the end.
Another hurdle Blinken mentioned was time itself. Every day passing brings with it the potential of an unforeseen event that may hamper progress and compound difficulties. Despite 90% of the terms agreed to on paper, he acknowledges it’s still a tough road ahead.
His concluding statement curbs any clinging optimism on the matter. Blinken concludes that while progress is close, based on agreed terms, it does not guarantee that an agreement will be reached owing to persistent challenging issues. Unfortunately, with every bleak statement, it is a reminder of the current administration’s lack of strength in dealing with global issues.
In sum, it’s evident that President Biden isn’t dismissing the dangerous possibility of allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles into Russia. Simultaneously, the permits granted to Iran for supplying Moscow with short-range missiles show a concerning level of appeasement to these countries creating havoc on the global stage.
The administration appears to have various concerns, such as Ukraine’s ability to operate sophisticated military systems, yet these are concerns that they themselves are creating due to their lack of strategy. It’s an ever-evolving situation, and the only thing they are sure of is that they are undecided on how to proceed.
All of this paints a troubling picture of the Biden administration: they are training Russian military personnel, delivering weapons to Ukraine, and quite openly allowing Iran to arm one of America’s geopolitical rivals. They are stretched in many directions, none of which seem to be leading them to any concrete solutions.
Taking stock of it all, the Biden administration’s actions, or lack thereof, continue to raise more questions than answers. Against a backdrop of real-world violence and global tension, one can only hope for a more confident direction from such a pivotal global actor.
Biden’s Duplicity: Arming Ukraine and Training Russian Military appeared first on Real News Now.
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