Biden doubles down on respecting Putin's "red line" regarding attacks on Russian territory
Lare-Breaking News Flash--American policy may be changing. See at end of article.
Part One
See
1)“Germany supports Ukraine's right to conduct attacks on Russian territory,” Trenchant Observations, December 7, 2022;
2)”Ukraine War, December 8, 2022: Mario Vargas Llosa on the punishment of Ukraine,” The Trenchant Observer, December 8, 2922;
Adapted from The Trenchant Observer, December 9: 2022
France's Macron leads appeasement push; Biden administration doubles down on adhering to Putin's "red line" regarding attacks on targets in Russia
Dispatches
1) Philippe Ricard, “Les déclarations d’Emmanuel Macron sur la Russie ulcèrent Kiev et ses alliés; Alors que les frappes russes se poursuivent sur les infrastructures civiles, le chef de l’Etat évoque « les garanties de sécurité » à accorder à Moscou après la guerre. Les déclarations d’Emmanuel Macron sur la Russie ulcèrent Kiev et ses alliés, “Le Monde, le 8 décembre 2922 (15h30);
2) Carlos Torralba, “Estados Unidos se desmarca de los ataques en territorio ruso; Wendy Sherman, subsecretaria de Estado, destaca que Washington “ni ha facilitado ni ha alentado” a Ucrania a alcanzar objetivos en Rusia,” El País, el 8 de diciembre 2022; (23:40 EST;
Analysis
The Biden Administration has doubled down in its position that it will not cross Vladimir Putin’s “red line” prohibiting any attacks by Ukraine on Russian territory.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of StateWendy Sherman defended this position this week, with a misleading statement about what military actions by Ukraine are “defensive”.
Russia renewed and expanded its 2014 invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Under international law and Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, Ukraine has every right to defend itself by striking targets in Russia as well as the Crimea, and other Russian-occupied portions of Ukraine.
The purported annexation of the Crimea in 2014 and four provinces in 2022 violates peremptory norms of international law (jus cogens) and has no kegal effect.
Biden has acceded to Putin’s demand that the U.S. and NATO not support any Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
Any such “attacks”, however, are simply military actions taken in self-defense against Russia’s invasion, and are therefore essentially “defensive” in nature.
Biden’s muddled policy in this area is costing thousands of Ukrainian lives.
Germany earlier this week correctly stated that Ukraine has the right to strike targets in Ukraine in exercise of its right of self-defense under Artivle 51 of the U.N. Charter.
Putin’s “red line” is supported only by Putin’s nuclear threats and Biden’s fear of Putin.
Part Two
Biden signals to NATO and Germany he is sticking to policy respecting Putin's "red line"
Adapted from The Trenchant Observer, December 10, 2022
Dispatches
1) Boris Johnson, “For a Quicker End to the Russia War, Step Up Aid to Ukraine
No negotiated settlement is possible, and the longer the conflict goes on, the costlier it becomes,” Wall Street Journal, Updated December 9, 2022 (5:15 pm ET);
2) Carlos Torralba, “Estados Unidos se desmarca de los ataques en territorio ruso; Wendy Sherman, subsecretaria de Estado, destaca que Washington “ni ha facilitado ni ha alentado” a Ucrania a alcanzar objetivos en Rusia,” El País, el 8 de diciembre 2022; (23:40 EST;
3) Carlos Torralba, “The United States disassociates itself from attacks on Russian territory; Wendy Sherman, Undersecretary of State, emphasizes that Washington “has not facilitated nor encouraged” Ukraine to reach targets in Russia,” El País, December 8, 2022 (23:40 EST);
4) Alexander Epp, Christina Hebel und Oliver Imhof, “Was steckt hinter den Drohnenangriffen auf Russland? Putins Militär erlebt eine weitere Demütigung: Auf zwei Luftstützpunkten weit von der Grenze zur Ukraine entfernt gibt es Explosionen. Wie hat es die ukrainische Armee geschafft, so tief im Landesinnern anzugreifen?” Der Spiegel, den 7. Dezember 20229 (11.31 Uhr):
Analysis
Carlos Torralba quotes Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman as saying in Paris this week that the United States “neither facilitated nor encouraged” Ukraine to strike the two airbases deep within Russia which it attacked a few days earlier. Sherman insisted, Torralba reports,
that all the weapons that Washington has supplied to Kiev during this year are “exclusively for defensive purposes” and stressed that the transatlantic allies remain “deeply committed” to supporting Ukraine.
Sherman’s remarks, made in Paris on tbe day of a visit with President Emmanuel Macron, repeated the confusion on Biden’s part between weapons capable of striking targets in Russia and those he deems “defensive”.
Actually, all weapons furnished to Ukraine, including those capable of hitting and used to hit targets in Russia, are “defensive” so long as Russia is engaged in an armed attack against Ukraine.
Any attacks with such weapons against targets in Russia are “defensive” if used in exercise of Ukraine’s right of self-defense under the U.N. Charter and international law.
So, the opposing positions are clear.
The German government has stated clearly–and correctly–that Ukraine has the right to strike targets in Russia in exercise of its right of self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and international law.
The Biden administration, for its part, continues to obfuscate the point as it declares it’s continued determination to respect Putin’s “red line” prohibiting Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
International law is clear. So is Biden’s abject fear or Putin and Putin’s nuclear threats, and what seems to be some secret back-channel understanding with Putin to respect his “red line”.
The victims of Biden’s muddled thinking, or raw fear, are the thousands of Ukrainians who are being killed by missiles and drones and who may freeze to death this winter as a result of Biden’s failure to stand up to Putin by sending Ukraine the weapons it needs to defend itself.
Boris Johnson, in an impassioned plea, explains why these weapons are necessary.
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Late-Breaking News Flash — American policy may be changing
See,
1) Chris King, “Pentagon says ‘the situation has changed’ and no longer bans Ukraine from hitting targets in Russia,” EuroWeekly News, December 10, 2022 (21:23).
2) Michael Evans and Marc Bennetts, “Pentagon gives Ukraine green light for drone strikes inside Russia,” The Times, December 9, 2022 (2:45 p.m.).
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