A melting gray stain in place of the mother of all Russian cities

Barely four months have passed since President Biden authorized the use of weapons of North American origin on Russian territory – a permit then limited to the newly opened front in the Kharkiv region – and he already has another hot potato in his hands that could influence both the course of the war and the outcome of the upcoming US elections. The dynamics of the conflict now force Biden to make a decision as soon as possible – even if he does not like the pressure, every day of delay. It will hurt the morale of the Ukrainian people, the center of gravity of Putin’s campaign, if he authorizes the use of his ATACMS surface-to-surface ballistic missiles on Russian territory. The use of the Storm Shadows supplied by Britain also depends, to some extent, on their decision, which requires data from American intelligence systems to hit targets that may not be decisive, but are certainly valuable: air bases, ground-to-ground. surface missile systems, drone launch points, command centers and logistics facilities located up to 300 kilometers beyond the front. Many analysts say that the authorization would come late, because Putin has had time to move many of your critical systems beyond this distance. However, this assessment is not entirely accurate. It is obvious that if Biden gives the long-awaited yes, he will open the possibility of delivering longer-range missiles to kyiv – the JASSM-ER would be compatible with the F-16. With these weapons at its disposal, Ukraine would make vulnerable almost the entire arsenal of Russian tactical missiles. In the Kremlin, of course, they are aware of the stakes. That is why they are making every effort to try to prevent it or, at least, to delay it until they see if the flute sounds during the North American elections. Putin, usually in the role of a good cop – by Kremlin standards – has once again put on a somber face, as if he regrets warning us that authorizing the use of long-range weapons on Russian territory would put NATO at war with the Federation. The Russian dictator likes to pretend that his enemy is the Atlantic Alliance – a man’s worth is measured by his enemies – even though he knows that it is not NATO, an organization that can only act if there is unanimity among its members. The decision on the use of ATACMS corresponds to that of the United States and contrasts with those of some allied countries that have already acceded to Zelensky’s reasonable request and with that of Hungary, which has never supported Ukraine by military means. Let us forgive the dictator his vanity, but not his cynicism. The complainer now sells weapons to half the globe and, although he denies it, uses ammunition and drones from North Korea and Iran on Ukrainian territory on a daily basis. In the West, the small but courageous legion of Russoplanists defends Putin’s threats with arguments that border on racism. The Ukrainians, who have already learned to fly F-16 jets and build fairly sophisticated missiles and drones, are not supposed to be able to launch a ballistic missile more reliable and more accurate than those of the Houthis, but not very different in terms of range. concept. Some pro-Russian analysts have even shown sympathy for the statements of Medvedev, the Kremlin’s bad cop, who shared his deep pain at the possibility of kyiv becoming “a gray molten stain instead of the mother of all Russian cities.” Moscow, of course, would have nothing to do with all this, because Putin assures that he does not attack civilian targets… with the same sincerity with which he denies having received Iranian drones. Biden should not give in to Putin’s blackmail. Nor should we Spaniards fear a nuclear war that will not take place because the Russian dictator, and with him his work and legacy, would be among the first victims. This is the very essence of deterrence, and it is by far the military mechanism that works best. But we must not neglect a serious issue either. Article 2.4. The Charter of the United Nations literally states that “members of the Organization, in their international relations, shall refrain from resorting to the threat or use of force.” If someone prefers not to mention it, that’s their choice, but I think that in addition to bombing Ukraine with weapons from various sources, Putin is threatening to take away our freedom to decide who we want to accept as a partner. It would be bad for everyone if we let him get away with it.

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