Biden Admin Nearing Ukraine Move That Would Significantly Escalate Tensions with Russia: Report
The United States is inching closer to World War III as the Biden administration reportedly is on the verge of shipping longer-range missiles packed with cluster bombs to Ukraine.
The move could come as early as this week, Reuters reported Monday.
The weapons would give Ukraine the ability to cause “significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory,” four U.S. officials told the news service.
Cluster munitions are bombs that open in the air and release dozens of smaller bombs.
“They typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area,” Reuters reported. “Those that fail to explode pose a danger for decades after a conflict ends.”
If authorized, the latest shipments would mark another dramatic escalation in the Ukraine-Russia war, with the United States fanning the flames of the Slavic neighbors’ border dispute from the sidelines.
A final decision hasn’t been made, the report said.
“After seeing the success of cluster munitions delivered in 155 mm artillery rounds in recent months, the U.S. is considering shipping either or both Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) that can fly up to 190 miles (306 km), or Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles with a 45-mile range packed with cluster bombs,” Reuters reported.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly asked the United States to supply longer-range missiles, but the Biden administration refused those requests amid concerns the weapons would be used to launch devastating air strikes deep inside Russian territory.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in July 2022 that President Joe Biden wasn’t willing to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine so “we do not end up in a circumstance where we are heading down the road towards a third world war.”
The arms shipments, if approved, would be pulled from existing U.S. stockpiles under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the four officials told Reuters.
During the past 12 months, the Biden administration has used the Presidential Drawdown Authority 43 times to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
Cluster bombs have long been criticized by humanitarian groups because of the horrific damage they cause to civilians.
Notably, cluster bombs often fail to detonate on impact and settle into the ground, where they can remain active for decades. They essentially become deadly land mines for unsuspecting civilians.
Cluster bombs are canisters that carry dozens of smaller bombs.
While they are designed to explode on impact, as many as 30% do not, making them a risk to civilians for years.
Over 90% of recorded cluster bomb casualties are civilians, of which nearly half are children.
The… pic.twitter.com/ZLsVljnyMn
— Joshua Reed Eakle (@JoshEakle) July 7, 2023
The Biden administration has sent more than $75 billion to Ukraine since the February 2022 Russian invasion, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Nearly $47 billion of that total is military aid.
Meanwhile, during the past 18 months, the United States has been roiled by crippling inflation, daily border invasions and skyrocketing crime.
Our bridges, subways and highways are crumbling while Americans struggle with soaring grocery bills and gas prices.
CBS POLL: Two-thirds of Americans describe the economy as ‘bad,’ while 70% say their paychecks aren’t keeping up with rising prices pic.twitter.com/oq4FPiZxxz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 30, 2023
Instead of fixing the problems plaguing this nation, Biden is sending U.S. tax dollars to bankroll a foreign war and defend another nation’s borders while ours remain under siege.
Now he might be poised to take things further with a move that could escalate that war in a big way.
If this isn’t the definition of insanity, what is?
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