He believes cyber warfare would be a central feature of any Russian attack on Ukraine, with the United States and its allies attempting to protect the Ukrainian military’s ability to communicate with and command forces in the field, and to preserve the electric grid and other civilian infrastructure. destroyer, could be explosive,” Stavridis said. “A missile that goes astray and strikes a non-combatant, say a U.S. James Stavridis, a former chief commander of NATO forces in Europe and a retired Navy admiral, says two wild cards in the Ukraine crisis are the prospect of an escalation to cyberwar and the possibility of an unintended escalation in the Black Sea, where Ukraine’s small fleet is caught between the bigger navies of Russia and NATO nations. Some of those extra soldiers include elements of an airborne infantry combat brigade in southern Poland, not far from the Ukrainian border, preparing for the possibility of being asked to temporarily house and assist civilians who would flee Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion.Īside from the risk of an unintended or unexpected incident along Ukraine’s western borders, the scope of Russia’s military buildup and its options for disrupting Ukrainian and Western communications offer possibilities for an escalation that could draw in the United States. commitment to eastern flank allies like Poland and Romania that share borders with Ukraine. Austin is expected also to meet jointly with his counterparts from the three Baltic states.īiden has ordered about 5,000 extra troops, including a senior Army general, to Europe to demonstrate U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joins a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. military presence.Ī full range of scenarios for ending the Ukraine crisis and managing relations with Russia will be on the table Wednesday when U.S. allies on NATO’s eastern front, particularly the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once part of the Soviet Union, may press for a bigger and more permanent U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details beyond a Pentagon statement.Įven if Putin were to back off in coming days and pursue a negotiated path to his security goals, the enormous tension created by his buildup of forces on Ukraine’s borders could have a lasting impact elsewhere in Europe. In one case, a Russian SU-35 was reported by American crew members to have flown within about 5 feet of a Navy P-8A plane, according to a U.S. officials complained to Russia through diplomatic channels about three incidents last weekend in which American reconnaissance aircraft reported what they called unprofessional intercepts by Russian fighter aircraft. Once the fighting started, a bit of bad luck could lead to more conflict.Īn incident between American and Russian aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea that came to light Wednesday offered a glimpse at how even routine military movements can lead to unsafe results. “An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.”īiden also said that if any American in Ukraine is targeted by Russia, “We will respond forcefully.”īeyond the seemingly unlikely scenario of Putin deliberately extending an invasion beyond Ukraine, there is a risk that even a limited war could spread as a result of an accident, a miscalculation or a misunderstanding. The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,” Biden said Tuesday. ![]() That’s because Washington is obliged by the North Atlantic Treaty to defend its allies, some of whom fear they are Russian targets. But if Putin took his offensive beyond Ukraine’s borders onto NATO territory, the United States could get drawn into it. So a Russian invasion would not automatically trigger a wider war. ![]() President Joe Biden has said he will not fight Russia in Ukraine, nor would America’s NATO allies. Ukraine's utilities threatened by Russia in war's new phase
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |