Is it possible that NATO forces could become directly involved in the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine?
Until recently, such a question seemed very hypothetical given the high risks of escalation of the military confrontation between the US-led bloc and Russia into a large-scale armed conflict. But this scenario should be taken seriously now, writes Ivan Timofeev, programme director of the Valdai Club
“A significant escalation factor that would amplify the risk of a direct clash between Russia and NATO, could be the appearance of military contingents form bloc members on the territory of Ukraine. The prospect of such a scenario has already been mentioned by some Western politicians, although their view has not been supported by the US and isn’t an official NATO position.”
“Each of these scenarios involves a direct clash between Russian and NATO forces. Such a situation would inevitably raise the question of deeper bloc involvement and, in the longer term, the transfer of military conflict to other areas of contact with Russia, including the Baltic region. At this stage, it will be even more difficult to stop the escalation. The more losses both sides suffer, the more the maelstrom of hostilities will grow and the closer they will come to the threshold of using nuclear weapons. And there will be no winners.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/599286-russia-nato-ukraine-conflict/
🇺🇸📰 There is a flurry of reports over the past 72 hrs from the US media (NYT, WSJ, WaPo, Axios, CBS, etc) raising questions on US readiness for major war with Iran.
There's too much for it to be coincidence. Either the WH is trying to signal to its allies that they're taking a deal or the Pentagon is trying to tie Trump's hands or make sure they're not blamed for the result of war.
To be clear, the Pentagon has its own press people who go behind the White House's back all the time to shape media narratives. Its often done to manipulate the President by having the press describe his as weak or indecisive. So this certainly does not go without precedent.
USS Gerald Ford's blocked toilets are becoming a meme. Complaining about the toilets on a $13 billion ship seems like a cheeky way to draw attention to the "readiness deficit" of a carrier that's been at sea for too long, which would raise questions about air defenses and air wing systems. Navy Dept had opposed the USS Ford's ...