WION: 'Not encouraging' Ukraine strikes into Russia, says US
The United States said on Tuesday (local time) that it was "not encouraging" Ukraine to carry out strikes inside Russia. The statement from US has come after several drone attacks on Russian airbases.
These attacks are widely being perceived as having been carried out by Ukraine. Kyiv hasn't yet claimed responsibility.
"We are not enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders; we are not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"Everything we are doing -- everything the world is doing to support Ukraine -- is in support of Ukraine's independence," he said.
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Update: Live: US 'not encouraging' drone strikes in Russia, State Department says (France 24)
WNU editor: As this blog pointed out earlier today. Many in Russia believe the White House gave the green-light to Ukraine to attack one of Russia's nuclear triads.
But I am not worried on what Russian social media is saying. What worries me are recent actions from the Kremlin.
Russian President Putin, after making public appearances everyday for the past week, has now disappeared. Other officials who have been making a number of public appearances for the past week have also disappeared. There are also rumors floating around that Russian nuclear forces are now at high alert. These rumors are not new. But what is new is that there has been no denial or remarks from the Kremlin on the status of its nuclear forces. In the past they would have simply denied it while saying it is not their policy to make public the readiness status of these forces. But that has not happened today.
But the US response to this crisis has also been telling.
For much of yesterday the US mainstream media has been downplaying this attack. The narrative has been that this was another great Ukrainian victory, and another example of Russian military weakness and vulnerabilities. There has also been little if any word from the US government. The only one who said anything on this strike was from U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland who kinda/sorta said that it looks like Ukraine was involved (link here).
Everything changed this afternoon. It looks like someone in the US State Department finally realized that they better say something before the situation gets out of hand (see above video).
Update #2: It looks like there is a lot of scrambling happening in Washington right now. US Secretary of State Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Austin are now publicly coming out and saying that the U.S. had nothing to do with this Ukrainian attack on one of Russia's nuclear triads. That this was an operation conducted by Ukraine only .... US issues denials after Ukraine strikes inside Russia (RT).
The problem with these denials is that no one in Moscow believes in this US administration anymore.
As to what do I believe.
These recent 3 Ukrainian attacks deep into Russia are not going to change the course of the war. To make a dent Ukraine must send hundreds of strikes deep into Russia, and to do so constantly. But they cannot do it.
So why launch the strikes?
Upon reflection I think it only confirms what I have been feeling for the past two months, and what I have been hearing from my contacts, friends and family members who are still in Ukraine.
Everyone is desperate in Ukraine right now, including the government. What scares me are reports like this one .... that this could have been an attempt to escalate the war as this former CIA officer believes it was .... Ukraine trying to drag US into war – ex-CIA officer (RT).