"Aggravation of confrontation": why the US and NATO announced the acceptability of escalation in Ukraine

The United States practically does not take into account the threat of an escalation of the crisis around Ukraine when supplying military equipment to Kiev, Colin Kahl, deputy head of the Pentagon for political affairs, said at a hearing in the House Armed Forces Committee.

“In general, I don’t think that we are currently holding back our security assistance to Ukraine for fear of escalation, first of all.

I believe that most decisions on security assistance are made by us, mainly based on our assessment of the actual needs of Ukraine, ”he said.

In addition, the decision to supply weapons is also influenced by the financial capabilities and defense needs of the United States itself, Kahl said.

“What can we provide that does not greatly affect our preparedness and ability to respond to our own national security crises in other parts of the world?

Here are our two evaluation criteria.

I think we are relatively comfortable with the current situation in our escalation dynamic with Russia at the moment.

But we are constantly consulting on this issue with our colleagues from the intelligence community in order to more or less correctly adjust the “rheostat” without harming ourselves, ”said the Pentagon official.

It is worth noting that on the same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a similar statement at an international conference in Helsinki.

He, in particular, noted that for the alliance the risk of escalation in Ukraine is less dangerous than Russia's victory in the conflict.

“I hear concerns that our support (Ukraine. -

) increases the risk of escalation.

But... there are no risk-free options.

So let no one doubt that the biggest risk of all is the victory of President Putin in Ukraine, ”he said, adding that NATO must urgently fulfill promises to Kiev on the supply of heavy weapons and on the training of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Stoltenberg made similar statements during the security conference in Munich.

• Jens Stoltenberg at the SAMAK summit in Helsinki

• © NATO

"The stakes are rising"

According to analysts, the rhetoric of the Western leadership reflects the volume and composition of arms supplies to Kyiv.

If at the beginning of the conflict the United States and NATO avoided the transfer of heavy equipment to Ukraine, now the alliance is already supplying Kyiv with Leopard and Challenger tanks, and in the future the Armed Forces of Ukraine should also receive M1 Abrams.

Washington is also transferring ammunition for the MLRS to Ukraine, the range of which reaches 150 km.

Against this background, the West is openly discussing the possibility of transferring even more long-range missile systems and fighters to the Kyiv regime.

At the same time, Kyiv receives a significant share of these weapons conditionally free of charge, within the framework of the lend-lease law.

As Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander noted at a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, Ukraine has not yet made large-scale purchases from American companies: “At the moment, they do not have budgetary opportunities of this magnitude.”

However, she added that Washington "also needs to transfer them (Ukraine. -

) to start planning their own defense spending."

Such an approach in arming the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to experts, indicates that the West has chosen an escalation line in its policy in the Ukrainian direction.

“The United States is demonstrating a serious escalation in arms supplies to Ukraine... These deliveries will continue, although, of course, the West cannot carry them out indefinitely either.

Firstly, their resources are limited, and secondly, sooner or later they will see the pointlessness of these supplies, ”said Alexei Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Research, in a conversation with RT.

• Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov

• © Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

The fact that Washington has been heading for escalation throughout the conflict was announced on February 22 by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

“After the start of the special military operation, we observe the escalation line of the United States, their satellites and henchmen in relation to what is happening in Ukraine and around it.

Remember: it all started with in-depth, active discussions in NATO circles about whether it was worth supplying small arms and bulletproof vests there.

Now there is a discussion of possible deliveries of military aviation, they are going to (deliver. -

) tanks, ”said the diplomat, speaking at a plenary meeting of the Federation Council.

At the same time, he noted that such a policy of the West "does not change the determination" of Russia to achieve the full fulfillment of all the tasks facing the special military operation.

“This technique will not help the Western bloc and its puppets in Kyiv achieve their goals, but the fact is that the stakes are rising.

The United States is provoking us, they do not hide the fact that their goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia... Under these conditions, it is also impossible to conduct business as before, as usual, in the key, most important area of ​​​​arms control, ”the diplomat said, adding, that is why the Russian Federation decided to suspend the New START.

It is worth noting that not only in Russia they note the danger of such a policy of the West.

The situation in China is assessed in a similar way.

For example, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the European Union, said at the end of February that attempts by Western countries, led by the United States, to defeat the Russian Federation would lead to a "cruel protracted war," which would create major risks for the world community.

Course to escalate

According to experts, the statements of Western functionaries that the risk of escalation is not as dangerous as a Russian victory does not mean that there are no red lines left for the US and NATO.

“One of the most important principles of American policy is to control the escalation so that it does not turn into a nuclear conflict.

Therefore, the words of Stoltenberg and Kahl should be considered in this vein - escalation in Ukraine is acceptable for them, but not to the exchange of nuclear strikes, ”said Alexei Podberezkin.

• Deliveries of Western weapons to Ukraine

• AP

• © Alex Brandon

Thus, political scientists believe, the West is ready to take any hostile steps against the Russian Federation, if they are not associated with the risk of starting a nuclear confrontation.

According to Podberezkin, such a policy of the West creates serious threats to world security.

“This policy is, of course, dangerous, because it inevitably leads to an aggravation of confrontation.

The desire of Kyiv and the West to inflict damage on the territories of the Russian Federation, including new regions, will inevitably force Russia to take retaliatory measures, ”the expert said.

In turn, Vladimir Vinokurov, a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, in an interview with RT, noted that the growing escalation from the West may indicate that the United States and NATO have reached a dead end in Ukraine.

“They are provoking Zelensky and his entourage to escalate, including in Crimea.

But I believe that these are rather the last cries of despair, because today we are seeing the full initiative of the Russian armed forces at the front, ”concluded the analyst.