The Biden administration recently announced that Ukraine can attack Russia with NATO-supplied missiles with a range of hundreds of miles into Russian territory. Ukraine recently claimed that US-supplied HIMARS hit targets near Belgorod.
For the first time Ukraine has fired a US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) which “destroyed targets” inside Russia.
Ukrainian forces fired the HIMARS which is thought to have hit a Russian S-300 of a S-400 air defence system which also sent a field ablaze in Belgorod city, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed.
Vladimir Putin has issued a threat warning the West and Ukraine this will “fatal consequences.”
Putin warns of ‘fatal consequences' as US HIMARS fired at military targets inside Russia - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/world/europe/ukraine-strikes-russia-western-weapons.html
Of course, these missiles require NATO-supplied targeting information, and NATO “contractors” are required to maintain and operate the missile systems. Ukraine provides the launching location and perhaps a Ukrainian finger is on the launch button. Russia has made it clear that NATO-backed attacks on Russia such as these are a red line and are a NATO act of war against Russia:
“I would like to warn American leaders against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive, . . .
“I urge these figures (in the U.S.) … to spend some of their time, which they apparently spend on some kind of video games, judging by the lightness of their approach, on studying what was said in detail by Putin,” Ryabkov said.
Putin had delivered “a very significant warning and it must be taken with the utmost seriousness”, he added.
Putin said the West would be directly involved in any use of its weapons by Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia, because such attacks would require its satellite, intelligence and military help.
Russia Is Flashing Red, the West Better Pay Attention
The US policy is that responses to conventional attacks such as these could include a nuclear first strike:
The United States would only consider the employment of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States, its allies, and partners. Extreme circumstances could include significant non-nuclear strategic attacks. Significant non-nuclear strategic attacks include, but are not limited to, attacks on the U.S., allied, or partner civilian population or infrastructure, and attacks on U.S. or allied nuclear forces, their command and control, or warning and attack assessment capabilities.
Nuclear Operations and Counter-Homeland Conventional Warfare: Navigating Between Nuclear Restraint and Escalation Risk - Texas National Security Review
We have a president who has trouble finding his way off of a stage. He is surrounded by advisors who appear to be marching NATO into a hot war with Russia and are downplaying the likely Russian response.
Is Biden sleepwalking into WW3?
