Russia Says Cooperation on HIMARS Strikes Means US Is ‘Directly Involved’ in Ukraine War
Dave DeCamp / Anti-War.com

(August 2, 2022) — The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday said Washington was “directly involved” in the war in Ukraine after a Ukrainian official detailed Kyiv’s cooperation with the US before launching strikes with US-provided HIMARS rockets.

Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, told The Telegraph that Ukrainian officials consulted with US officials before launching HIMARS strikes and that the US has veto power over the attacks.

Skibitsky insisted that the US wasn’t providing “direct targeting information,” but suggested Ukraine was using satellite imagery provided by the US and Britain. “I can’t tell you whether [we are directly tasking] British and American satellites, but we have very good satellite imagery,” Skibitsky said.

Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that this cooperation “proves that contrary to the assurances by the White House and the Pentagon, Washington is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine.”

The comments from the Russian Defense Ministry highlight the danger of the US’s deep involvement in the war, which risks provoking a response from Moscow. Russian officials have cited US military aid as a reason to push further into Ukrainian territory.

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the US expanded intelligence sharing with Ukraine’s forces, and US officials have bragged to the media that this cooperation helped kill Russian generals and sink a Russian warship. Although the claims were not verified, the comments themselves were major provocations toward Moscow.

Russia Says US Has Shown No Interest in Negotiating New START
Dave DeCamp / AntiWar.com

(August 2, 2022) — The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Washington hasn’t shown interest in negotiating a replacement for the New START, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia that will expire in 2026.

The comments from the Kremlin came after President Biden said his administration was ready to “expeditiously negotiate” a replacement for New START, but signaled the US wouldn’t enter arms control talks with Russia because of the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian officials have been calling for negotiations to replace New START. “However, you know, it is the United States that is showing no interest in any substantive contacts, which are highly necessary,” Peskov told reporters, according to the Russian news agency Tass.

Peskov said Moscow has “repeatedly highlighted the need to launch such talks as soon as possible because the time is running out.” He said that if the New START expires before a replacement is negotiated, it would “have the most negative impact on global security and stability, first and foremost, in the field of arms control.”

The New START limits the number of nuclear warheads, bombers, and missiles that each power can have deployed. President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to extend the treaty for five years back in January 2021.

The US and Russia were engaged in arms control talks, but the US cut them off after Russia invaded Ukraine. Since the invasion on February 24, Russian officials have said they favor reviving the dialogue.

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