• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Jennifer Coolidge reveals ‘terrible mistake’ she made early on in her career
  • Britney Spears Goes to Gym in Silk Dress and Heels With ‘Hot, Crazy Husband’ Sam Asghari
  • Study finds the political impact of marriage varies by sexual identity

Russian abuses complicate US balancing act on Ukraine

Towleroad April 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

Published by
AFP
506990 origin 1
Ukrainian soldiers sit on an armoured military vehicule in the city of Severodonetsk, Donbas region, on April 7, 2022

Washington (AFP) – The US balancing act in providing substantial military aid to Kiev without provoking nuclear-armed Moscow into a dangerous reaction has grown far more difficult as allegations mount of abuses and atrocities by Russian troops.

Since the Russian invasion on February 24, the United States has provided Ukraine with a flood of light arms, like the shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles that have become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

But it has also refused to provide heavy weaponry like combat aircraft which could be seen as escalating the conflict and increasing the risk of a nuclear confrontation with Russia — a prospect US President Joe Biden has likened to a potential “World War Three.”

American officials justifying the limited range of weapons point out that the Ukrainians are not trained to use many US technologies.

Instead they have urged former Soviet-bloc countries to send more familiar Russian-made weaponry to Ukraine.

But as haunting reports emerge of alleged war crimes by a frustrated Russian army, the Pentagon has come under growing pressure from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to do more to help Kyiv repel the invaders.

“It seems to me that often our strategy seems to be somewhat schizophrenic -– we want the Ukrainians to defeat Russia, but we’re afraid that pushing Putin into defeat may provoke escalation,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, an influential Democrat, during a hearing with top Pentagon officials.

And Republican senator Kevin Cramer, questioning why the Pentagon failed to back a Polish proposal to provide MiG-29 combat jets to Kiev, asked, “Do you have any evidence Vladimir Putin has ever worried that his massacre of women and children civilians would be escalatory?”

Training and logistics

Outside a NATO-enforced closure of Ukrainian airspace, raising the risk of direct confrontation with Russian planes, the Pentagon’s options are limited.

Heavy US weaponry is not compatible with that used by the Ukrainian army, and training Ukrainian troops in their use would take them off the battlefield for weeks just as Moscow is planning a major assault in the southeastern Donbas region.

US Abrams tanks, for example, have turbo engines that consume huge amounts of fuel, requiring enormous logistics support, and their laser-guided targeting systems require extensive training, Pentagon officials say. 

Similarly, the A-10 “Warthog” combat aircraft, mentioned by Blumenthal as a possible major addition to US military aid to Ukraine, is known for its reliability and durability. 

But pilots would require weeks of training, and an entire logistical chain would be needed to maintain the aircraft.

In response to the criticism, the White House has published an exhaustive list of the military material furnished so far to Ukraine.

It includes: 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 5,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 7,000 anti-tank weapons of other models, several hundred Switchblade drones, 7,000 assault rifles, 50 million rounds of various ammunition, 45,000 sets of bullet-proof vests and helmets, laser-guided rockets, Puma drones, anti-artillery and anti-drone radars, light armored vehicles, secure communication systems and anti-mine systems. 

On Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby angrily rebuffed the criticism, saying, “We just fundamentally bristle at the notion that we’re not doing enough.”

Biden has released $2.4 billion in military aid to Kiev, “which is almost as much as Ukraine’s defense budget,” the spokesman said.

Pointing out that the US had also increased its military manpower in Europe from 80,000 to 100,000 and had sent a Patriot air defense battery to Slovakia to compensate for its having sent a Russian-made S-300 system to Kiev, Kirby described the effort as “unprecedented.”

“No other country can do that,” in terms of logistics and supplies, he said.

“At the same time,” he added, “we are mindful that Russia is a nuclear power.”

Topics: Aaon, Men, Military More Posts About: Donbas, Europe, Joe Biden, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

Related Posts
  • Blinken says US to consider visa restrictions over Ugandan anti-gay law
  • President Joe Biden Roasts Himself For Being ‘Ancient,’ Mocks Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson in Hilarious White House Correspondents’ Dinner Speech
  • Biden, 80, makes 2024 presidential run official: “Let’s finish this job”
  • Britney Spears Goes to Gym in Silk Dress and Heels With ‘Hot, Crazy Husband’ Sam Asghari

    Britney Spears Goes to Gym in Silk Dress and Heels With ‘Hot, Crazy Husband’ Sam Asghari

    Published by OK Magazine @britneyspears/instagram Britney Spears is trying something new! The princess of pop changed up her look while joining husband Sam Asghari in the gym, opting for a pink, silk dress with lace and …Read More »
  • Study finds the political impact of marriage varies by sexual identity

    Study finds the political impact of marriage varies by sexual identity

    Published by PsyPost New research indicates that marriage and political activism are intertwined, but the nature of this relationship differs based on sexual identities. Married heterosexual individuals tend to be less politically active, while sexual minorities, …Read More »
  • ‘It’s great!’ Elliot Page talks dating since coming out as trans

    ‘It’s great!’ Elliot Page talks dating since coming out as trans

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Elliot Page is having more fun dating since his transition. The 36-year-old star- who was previously married to Emma Portner from 2018 until 2021 – was born female and lived as …Read More »
  • Barstool Sports hits back amid backlash over online sportsbook’s support for Pride month

    Barstool Sports hits back amid backlash over online sportsbook’s support for Pride month

    Published by Raw Story Barstool Sports is facing backlash over its support for Pride month, and the sports betting blog is hitting back, The Daily Beast reports. Barstool Sports, which in 2020 launched the Barstool Sportsbook …Read More »
Previous Post: « Warsaw donor conference raises billions in aid for Ukraine refugees
Next Post: Jennifer Lopez announces engagement to Ben Affleck (again) »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • 14 organizations that support LGBTQ+ tech workers

    14 organizations that support LGBTQ+ tech workers

  • Indiana mayor orders city remove social media posts celebrating Pride: report

    Indiana mayor orders city remove social media posts celebrating Pride: report

  • ‘Grotesque scaremongering’: Nikki Haley decried for blaming teen suicidal ideation on trans kids

    ‘Grotesque scaremongering’: Nikki Haley decried for blaming teen suicidal ideation on trans kids

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Elliot Page Shockingly Admits He had Secret Relationship With Kate Mara While She was Dating Max Minghelia

    Elliot Page Shockingly Admits He had Secret Relationship With Kate Mara While She was Dating Max Minghelia

  • VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Mark Indelicato & Vincent Rodriguez Discuss Being Gay Role Models In ‘With Love’

    VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Mark Indelicato & Vincent Rodriguez Discuss Being Gay Role Models In ‘With Love’

  • Britney Spears ‘Already Toned’ Down Her Tell-All Book ‘a Few Times,’ Says Insider: Pop Star Is ‘Annoyed at All the Delays’

    Britney Spears ‘Already Toned’ Down Her Tell-All Book ‘a Few Times,’ Says Insider: Pop Star Is ‘Annoyed at All the Delays’

Partner Links

  • 'Perry Mason' Canceled After 2 Seasons at HBO
  • Tallulah Willis Says Her Mom Demi Moore’s Marriage To Ashton Kutcher Sent Her Into A “Total Dumpster Fire”
  • Kim Cattrall Is On A Mission To Fight Off Aging “Every Way” She Can
  • OMG Stars: June 2023 Horoscopes
  • OMG, he’s naked: Alexis Quiroga goes full-frontal and rear in ‘Big Brother Argentina’

Most Recent

  • Jennifer Coolidge reveals ‘terrible mistake’ she made early on in her career

    Jennifer Coolidge reveals ‘terrible mistake’ she made early on in her career

  • Britney Spears Goes to Gym in Silk Dress and Heels With ‘Hot, Crazy Husband’ Sam Asghari

    Britney Spears Goes to Gym in Silk Dress and Heels With ‘Hot, Crazy Husband’ Sam Asghari

  • Study finds the political impact of marriage varies by sexual identity

    Study finds the political impact of marriage varies by sexual identity

  • ‘It’s great!’ Elliot Page talks dating since coming out as trans

    ‘It’s great!’ Elliot Page talks dating since coming out as trans

  • Barstool Sports hits back amid backlash over online sportsbook’s support for Pride month

    Barstool Sports hits back amid backlash over online sportsbook’s support for Pride month

  • Kelly Clarkson Looks Stunning in Pride-Themed, Makeup Free Video

    Kelly Clarkson Looks Stunning in Pride-Themed, Makeup Free Video

  • Andy Cohen Thanks Former Governor Andrew Cuomo for Having Daughter Lucy be ‘One of the First’ Gestational Surrogacies in New York

    Andy Cohen Thanks Former Governor Andrew Cuomo for Having Daughter Lucy be ‘One of the First’ Gestational Surrogacies in New York

  • Honor the past and celebrate the present with PRIDE | Opinion

    Honor the past and celebrate the present with PRIDE | Opinion

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×