May 09, 2024
After some recent threats from 'western' countries to intervene with their own troops in the war in Ukraine Russia responded by revealing a deadly threat:
Russia also announced a spontaneous drill of the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons:
Russia has threatened to strike British military facilities and said it will hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in response to UK weapons being used by Ukraine to strike its territory.
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It is the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.The exercises will be held by the southern group of Russian forces which is also involved in the special military operation in Ukraine.
This should for now shut up the loud voices who dream of defeating Russia in Ukraine.
It now seems that the treat achieved its purpose.
The Italian broadsheet Corriere Della Serra reports (in Italian, edited machine translation):
"No boots on the ground". This, according to the Courier, is one of the key phrases contained in the original draft of the document and will be approved by Nato summit, held in Washington from 9 to 11 July. The reference is to the Ukraine: the North Atlantic alliance will not send soldiers into battle ("no boots on the ground"). The strategy, dictated by the United States, does not change. At the same time, however, western leaders prepare for a change of pace.
An official NATO decision, not to send any soldiers to Ukraine, is an assurance to Russia. It is also an attempt to block certain presidents, in this case the French Emmanuel Macron, from contradicting that strategy. That is at least how the Ukrainian outlet Strana as well as long time Russia correspondent Gilbert Doctorow interpret it. Strana (machine translation):
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, NATO plans to adopt a declaration at the July summit, which will fix the refusal to send forces to Ukraine. "No boots on the ground" - according to the newspaper, this item should read.Note that the Alliance has repeatedly said that it will not fight in Ukraine. If this is officially fixed, this approach will greatly problematize the efforts of countries such as France, which do not rule out the introduction of troops.
It is noteworthy that information about the preparation of an official NATO declaration on the non-participation of its troops in the war in Ukraine appeared literally immediately after the actual ultimatum of the Russian Federation with hints of the use of nuclear weapons in the event of the entry of NATO troops.
In theory, such a declaration would not prevent NATO countries from deploying troops unilaterally. However, in this case, it will be a very big question - whether the entire Alliance will come to the aid of this country if the Russian Federation begins to strike at its territory.
In an interview with Sputnik International Gilbert Doctorow supports that interpretation:
The rationale behind NATO's new “no boots on the ground” in Ukraine strategy is to silence belligerent “loudmouths” in the West, international relations analyst Gilbert Doctorow told Sputnik.The alliance’s decision was designed to “shut up Monsieur Macron, to shut up the prime minister of Lithuania and other loudmouths who have been calling for the dispatch of NATO troops to Ukraine to save the Kiev regime from imminent military defeat,” Doctorow said.“No boots on the ground” in Ukraine is a key phrase contained in a draft document set to be approved by the NATO summit in Washington in July, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
I cautiously agree with that interpretation. But I have yet to find any mention of this decision in other 'western' media. This is thereby still too unofficial to be taken as a defined fact.
Additionally, Corriere Della Serra writes, NATO will take over the collection and delivery of weapons for Ukraine. This was so far the task of the U.S. through the regular meetings of a contact group of U.S. proxies and allies in Ramstein.
The Biden administration is thus tossing its failed Ukraine project, which was supposed to 'weaken Russia' but has achieved the opposite, into the hands of the Europeans. (This is something I had somewhat predicted during the first month of the war.)
Posted by b on May 9, 2024 at 9:55 UTC | Permalink