2) Steven Erlanger, “Russia-Ukraine War: State Department Walks Careful Line On Russian Attacks,” New York Times, December 6, 2022 (Updated 6:30 p.m. ET);

Analysis

Erlanger reports:

(M)much of Western Europe, and Washington, too, remain committed to denying Ukraine longer-range missiles, like the ATACMS, which can reach up to 190 miles and could be used to hit targets deeper inside Russia with much more explosive power than a drone. Nor have NATO countries been willing to provide Ukraine with modern Western tanks or fighter jets.

The Biden Administration and NATO do not want to get into a shooting war with Russia. Moscow, too, has been careful not to attack NATO depots close to Ukraine that are supplying the Ukrainians with so much sophisticated military equipment, weapons and ammunition.

The concern is that Russia may choose to escalate the war if it feels that its hold over Crimea, especially, is collapsing, given the importance to Russian national security of the centuries-old Russian naval base there on the Black Sea. U.S. officials have warned Moscow about the consequences of a major escalation that could include the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The U.S. policy is in a certain sense a cruel joke. The U.S. is transferring weapons to Ukraine but restricting their use and capabilities so that they cannot be used against targets in Russia from whicjph attacks on Ukraine are being launched.

The logical restriction would be that Ukraine cannot use such weapons except in in lawful exercise of tbe right of self-defense under international law and the U.N. Charter.

Biden @pand NATO go one step further, restricting their use so as not to cross one of Putin’s “redlines”.

The end result is a situation in which Vladimir Putin and Russia are committing the international crimes of aggressiin through the illegal use of mikitary force, and at the same time dictating to Ukraine through Biden and NATO what weapons use and target ps it may selects.

This is crazy.

The Trenchant Observer

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