A bipartisan House group wants Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US weapons.

Speaker Johnson Thinks Ukraine Should
Use US Weapons on Russian Territory
Dave DeCamp / Antiwar.com

(May 22, 2024) — On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed support for Ukraine using US-provided weapons on Russian territory, a step that would risk a major response from Russia.

Ukraine has been lobbying the US to allow the use of US-provided missile systems on Russian territory in the wake of Russia’s Kharkiv offensive, and the idea is gaining support in Congress.

A group of bipartisan members of the House sent a letter to President Biden on Monday urging him to lift any restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US weapons. “It is essential the Biden administration allows Ukraine’s military leaders to conduct a full spectrum of operations necessary to respond to Russia’s unprovoked attack on their sovereign land,” the lawmakers said.

Johnson was asked if he supported the idea of Ukraine hitting Russian territory with US weapons and replied that the US needs “to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war in the way they see fit.”

“They [Ukraine] need[s] to be able to fight back. And I think us trying to micromanage the effort there is not a good policy for us,” he told Voice of America.

Moscow recently warned the UK that if Ukraine used British weapons on Russian territory, Russian forces would target UK military sites in Ukraine “and beyond.” The warning came after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine had the “right” to use British arms in attacks on Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking NATO to take another step that could lead to a catastrophic escalation. In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, he pleaded for the Western alliance to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, which would mean direct NATO involvement in the conflict, raising the risk of nuclear war.

Russia Begins Nuclear Weapons Drills Near Ukraine Border 

Kyle Anzalone / The Libertarian Institute

(May 22, 2024) — Russian forces are undergoing a test of their ability to deploy tactical nuclear weapons near the country’s border with Ukraine. The Kremlin announced the war games earlier this month in response to Western leaders suggesting NATO troops could enter Ukraine.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, on Tuesday, “The first stage of the military exercise on the practice of preparation and use of tactical nuclear weapons started in Russia.” The outlet explains that Russian forces will deploy the “Iskander tactical missile systems and the hypersonic Kinzhal missiles with special payloads will be deployed to southern Russia.”

Belarus is expected to join Russia during the war games. The Russian forces will simulate loading the tactical nuclear warheads onto delivery vehicles, but the Kremlin did not say if it planned to test-fire any missiles.

Earlier this month, the Kremlin announced the drills, claiming it was a response to statements from Western leaders about sending troops to Ukraine. Leaders in France and Estonia have suggested deploying their country’s soldiers to Ukraine in recent weeks.

Additionally, the UK publicly green-lit a Ukrainian attack on Russian soil using British weapons. The US refuses to explicitly support or condemn American weapons being used by Ukraine to attack Russia.

Some NATO states have warned about the dangers of continuing to escalate support for the proxy war against Russia. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, “Some European politicians want to send soldiers to Ukraine while other European politicians are fantasizing about using nuclear weapons. In any event, this will mean a world war and those who are in close proximity to the armed conflict will have to pay for this.”

He added that Budapest had “grown weary of these dangerous statements” that aim to drag all of Europe and the world into a war with Russia.

Air defense systems have downed at least one Ukrainian UAV over the Russian city of Elabuga

US Behind Drone Attacks on Russia!
Alert Closes Russian Airports and Factories
RT News

MOSCOW (May 23, 2024) — Several industrial enterprises have been evacuated in the Republic of Tatarstan in central Russia, with two airports temporarily suspending operations, local media and officials have said. Videos circulating on social media appear to show a drone attack taking place in the oil-rich region.

In a statement on Thursday, officials in the city of Nizhnekamsk, located around 200km east of Kazan, said “measures are being taken to ensure the safety of employees” due to reports of a possible “emergency situation in a number of local manufacturing facilities.”

They added that all “measures are being taken according to a previously developed plan,” and that all appropriate steps were being taken to ensure the security of local residents.

Local media also reported that an evacuation was underway at the Kazanorgsintez chemical plant in the city of Kazan itself, where employees were being taken to the nearest metro station.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Elabuga Rustem Nuriev said at least one drone had been shot down in the area, as quoted by local media. The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that its air defenses had thwarted a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” in Tatarstan, destroying one UAV.

READ MORE: Ukrainian drone raid repelled in central Russia – MOD (VIDEO)

Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency briefly suspended operations at Nizhnekamsk and Kazan airports in Tatarstan, citing flight safety concerns. The restriction remained in place for around two hours, with a total of ten planes diverted to other airfields.

Tatarstan, a region more than 1,000km from the front line of the Ukraine conflict, has been targeted by drone attacks in the past. The region is home to a large number of oil processing plants and other industrial facilities, which have repeatedly come under attack from Kiev in recent weeks.

Blinken Lobbying for Strikes on Russia
RT News

(May 23, 2024) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pushing the administration of President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to attack targets deep inside Russia with American weapons, the New York Times reported on Thursday, referring to unnamed US officials.

The ban, according to the White House, was imposed out of concern that if US arms were used inside what Washington acknowledges as Russian territory it would trigger an escalation and potentially World War III. Blinken has been advocating for scrapping the restriction after making a “sobering” visit to Kiev earlier this month, the newspaper said, citing insider sources.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that being unable to target Russian forces across the border with American weapons led to the failure of its troops to prevent the recent Russian advances in Kharkov Region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the offensive is a response to months of Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks in Russia’s Belgorod Region and that a buffer zone is required to deprive Kiev of the capability to make such strikes. The Times said that Ukrainian weapons “don’t pack the power and speed of the American weapons.”

Kiev has launched a lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill to pressure the White House over the issue and has some allies among lawmakers. A group of representatives signed a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday calling for the Ukrainian request to be granted.

During a hearing in Congress on Tuesday, Senator Michael McCaul displayed a map showing the strike range of ATACMS missiles – a weapon the US has donated to Ukraine – if Kiev were allowed to use them inside Russia. He called the outlined territory a “sanctuary zone” for Russian troops and accused the Biden administration of tying the hands of the Ukrainians behind their backs.

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has urged increased NATO involvement in the conflict and has argued that the West should not fear Russia’s reaction. Moscow believes that Zelensky’s goal is to trigger an escalation to maintain his position.

Russia is currently conducting a military drill to test its capability to use non-strategic nuclear weapons, which Putin ordered in response to hostile rhetoric by Western officials. One such remark identified by Moscow came from British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said earlier this month that Kiev “has the right” to use weapons donated by his nation to attack targets inside Russia.

Comment
Steven Starr — Attacks deep within Russia are now occurring on a regular basis. The targeting information for these attacks is being provided by the US via its aerial and satellite reconnaissance capabilities. US/NATO out-of-uniform troops are likely operating the drones, which are being supplied to Ukraine by the US/NATO. Russia understands this and in response has just conducted drills with its tactical nuclear weapons. Yet these attacks on Russia continue. 

Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.