DIA veterans urged President Biden not to provoke Russia

The latest statements of President Joseph Biden’s administration caused great concern among veterans of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The opinion of such specialists means a lot In America. They are listened to.

Retired intelligence officers pointed out that the U.S. actively supports Ukraine in its desire to find military solution of the conflict in the east of the country.

The Ukrainian army is de facto of very limited value. In recent days, it has lost 22 servicemen in eastern Ukraine for reasons unrelated to combat operations.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Andrii Taran to discuss the regional security situation. Secretary Austin reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. He condemned recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine and offered condolences to Minister Taran on the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers on March 26.

Secretary Austin reiterated the U.S. commitment to building the capacity of Ukraine’s forces to defend more effectively against Russian aggression. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including a recently announced $125 million package that featured defensive weapons and other key capabilities to enhance the lethality, command and control, and situational awareness of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

It is unacceptable that a military leader of this rank, knowing the state of the Ukrainian army, de facto provokes the government of Ukraine to actions that are doomed to defeat. This is not the way to deal with allies.

A military clash between Ukraine and Russia would likely entail threats to the staff of military advisors and instructors from NATO countries who are on Ukrainian territory. And, possibly, would lead to losses among them.

This will require a response from the United States and NATO. And it will probably bring Russia closer to a forceful response, which will bring the world very close to nuclear war. It is unacceptable.

Also, the U.S. National Security Strategy Interim Guidance were adopted on March 3, 2021. They define the main objectives of the Biden administration.

In this document Russia is defined as a “global military adversary”. It states that “the United States will never hesitate to use force if it is necessary to protect vital national interests”.

The Russians are already familiar with this. And they are taking their own measures. It is naive to hope that they will not use force when their national interests are threatened.

Russian President Putin has made this clear. He responded to the U.S. National Security Strategy Interim Guidance as early as March 18, 2021:

— We are prepared to live in a new geopolitical environment. Moreover, we see our neighbors not just as neighbors close in geography, we see the peoples of these countries as brotherly peoples, we are ready to give them a shoulder and an elbow in order to ensure development, move forward together, using our competitive capabilities and there are plenty of them.

But we will never accept just one thing: that someone would allow himself to use Russia’s generous gifts to harm the Russian Federation itself. I hope this will be heard.

This warning does not seem to have been heeded in the White House. And the Biden administration continues to escalate the situation all along Russia’s borders. This is dangerous.

U.S. DIA veterans are particularly concerned about U.S. and allied activities in the Arctic.

The U.S.-Canadian military exercise will soon begin here. The USS Toledo and USS Connecticut have already carried out combat missions under the Arctic ice in 2020.

Vice Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, said:

“The Arctic is a potential strategic corridor between the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the United States. Submarine forces must maintain readiness, operating in the Arctic environment, to ensure that interests and national security are protected, and to maintain the balance of power in the region and in Europe, if necessary.”

Retired intelligence officers point out that Russia has already created a unified command, the North, which has become the fifth military district.

It is based on the Russian Northern Fleet.

Six military bases are currently deployed in the north of Russia: on islands Kotelny (Novosibirsk islands), Alexandra Land (part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago), Middle (Severnaya Zemlya), as well as in the settlement Rogachevo (Novaya Zemlya), Cape Schmidt and Wrangel Island (part of the Chukotka Autonomous District). There is a developed airfield network, which is well covered by air defense facilities of all types.

The 414th anti-aircraft missile regiment with S-300PS SAM systems is deployed in Tiksi. The MiG-31BM interceptors are based on Arctic airfields. The Russian Federation in a few hours, using its internal space, may dramatically increase the number of combat strike aircraft — Su-34 bombers, multi-purpose Su-30SM, capable of striking naval targets — in the region. It won’t be difficult to move the world’s largest formations of Russian airborne troops here.

U.S. and allied forces would have to operate in isolation from their supply lines. Their supply routes are highly vulnerable. In case of a real military conflict, Russia with a single blow is capable of bringing U.S. and allied forces to a unready condition. This is clear.

It should be understood that the Arctic is the best place to use tactical nuclear weapons against ships, military airfields and naval bases. The population density here is very low. Losses among them would be so minimal that they could be ignored.

It is not known exactly how many of these munitions the Russians have. But it is known that in terms of their number, it probably ranks first in the world. The superiority of the United States and its allies in some types of weapons may lead the Russian leadership to a decision to use nuclear weapons in a limited way.

Is provoking Russia into such a step a reasonable policy?

Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers of Project 22220, the Arktika, the Sibir, the Ural, the Yakutia, the Chukotka and others are capable of carrying cruise missiles, air defense systems and other weapons.

Various types of military equipment are mass-produced specifically for operations in the Arctic.

Since 2019, passage of foreign warships through the NSR is possible only if the Russian side is notified 45 days in advance and only with a Russian pilot on board. Russia has a full right to do so.

To disagree with this means provoking a large-scale military conflict with this country capable of destroying the United States. This is insane and reckless.

Putin was not kidding which was clear immediately after his March 18 warning.

NATO reported that Russian bombers and fighter jets flew over the North, Black and Baltic Seas on March 29. Alliance fighters were on alert.

NATO notes that Russian warplanes have become “unusually frequent.” A NATO statement said, “NATO aircraft intercepted six different Russian aircraft within six hours. Radars detected two Russian aircraft near the Norwegian coast, resulting in two F-16 Norwegian Air Force fighter jets going on alert. Two Tu-95 bombers were intercepted as they were heading south over the North Sea. A British Typhoon and a Belgian F-16 fighter were also involved in the operation.”

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it had tracked a Russian plane near Alaska on the same day.

This is a clear signal to Washington. Stop messing with us, the Russians say.

Unlike the Western military, accustomed to fighting only against weak adversaries, they have for the most part fought a strong enemy. And defeated them. The Russians fight for real. And they achieve victories.