In the surreal world of Russian state television, Russia is about to prevail in its war against Ukraine, which is being presented as a battle against the United States and NATO. According to top Kremlin propagandists, it’s only a matter of time before the West admits its defeat and pays reparations to Moscow or risks a devastating nuclear strike
Pundits who dared tocriticizeRussia’s invasion of Ukraine have not been seen on state-controlled television ever since they spoke out last week. Even though their timid disagreement pales in comparison to the bravery of Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, who has beendetainedafterinterruptinglive programming with an anti-warsign. Meanwhile, state TV broadcasts are filled…
He threatened any country that interfered in his invasion of Ukraine with “consequences greater than any you have faced in history.” He placed his nuclear forces on high alert and held exercises with them. And then he proclaimed that Western sanctions amounted to a “declaration of war” against Russia.
The fate of humanity suddenly seems to be in the unsteady hands of an isolated, frustrated, and potentially unhinged Vladimir Putin. And people are understandablypanickedaboutthatprospect. “The fact that there’s a very short path from, say, Putin feeling humiliated to the end of life as we know it,” the sociologist Kieran Healywrote, “is literally insane.”
The possibility of the war in Ukraine spilling over into a NATO member nation got perilously closer on Sunday when a barrage of Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian military base just miles from the border with Poland. Russia has warned the US that military aid shipments to Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets” for the Russian armed forces.
President Biden has told Vladimir Putin that the US has a “sacred obligation” to meet its Article 5 commitments,which states that an attack on one is an attack on all.But he has reiterated that the US will not get involved in the hostilities inside Ukraine, with his administration dismissing the idea of a no-fly zone.
Faced with the choice between playing a constructive role in helping to resolve the Ukraine crisis, or helping supportRussia’s brutal attack on that country, China seems committed to a course that could plunge the world intoa new Cold War.
On Monday, US officials led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Romewith a Chinese delegationled by his counterpart, Yang Jiechi. While a central topic of the seven hour-long discussion wasUkraine, the meeting covered a wide range of topics including North Korea, Taiwan, and on-going efforts to manage strategic risks confronting the two nations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that a possibility of nuclear conflict exists in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Guterres briefed journalists on the Ukraine situation Monday, where he described multilateral efforts to reach a diplomatic end for Russia’s attack on the country. During this presser, Guterres spoke to therecurringquestionsabout howVladimir Putin’smilitary steps against Ukraine could lead to the breakout of nuclear war.
“Raising the alert level of Russian nuclear forces is a bone-chilling development,” Guterres said. “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility.”
Guterres also called for the safeguarding of nuclear facilities, which comes amid rising public concerns when the Chernobyl nuclear plant recently got cut off from the Ukrainian national power grid.Power was restoredto the Chernobyl facility on Sunday…
BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. says Russia has asked China to provide military assistance for its war in Ukraine, and that China has responded affirmatively. Both Moscow and Beijing have denied the allegation, with a Chinese spokesperson dismissing it as “disinformation.”
Still, the claims have generated conjecture over how far Beijing would be willing to go in backing its “most important strategic partner,” as China’s foreign minister recently described Russia.
WHAT DID THE U.S. SAY?
Following initial reports that Russia had asked China for military aid, unnamed U.S. officials said that Washington had determined that China had sent a signal to Russia: Beijing would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West.
At a meeting in Rome on Monday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi against providing such support, even as the Kremlin denied requesting military equipment.
The U.S. is wary of China’s intentions because the government of President Xi Jinping has refused to criticize the Russian invasion, even as it seeks to distance itself from the Kremlin’s war by calling for dialogue and reiterating its position that a nation’s territory must be respected.
WHAT MIGHT CHINA OFFER?
If anything, smaller items such as bullets and meals are more likely than fighter jets and tanks, experts said.
China “probably wants to avoid high-profile or big-ticket arms sales to Russia in the midst of a conflict which would expose Beijing to international sanctions,” said Drew Thompson, a former U.S. Defense Department official currently at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.
Beijing would be more willing to provide spare parts, consumables, ammunition, and dual-use items that don’t contravene sanctions and could fall below the threshold of international reprisals, Thompson said.
Related video: Russia asks China for military aid in Ukraine, U.S. officials say (NBC News)
Pause
Loaded: 52.33%LQCaptionsFullscreenUnmute
Russia asks China for military aid in Ukraine, U.S. officials say
For example, Russian helicopters are likely using up their flares to counter portable short-range missiles like the Stinger. China could conceivably sell Russia some of its flares, if they are compatible with Russian systems, Thompson said. China might also share surveillance and intelligence, he said.
Given Washington’s warnings, any Chinese aid would likely involve “very basic stuff,” such as ration packs for soldiers, said Sam Roggeveen, director of the International Security Program at Australia’s Lowy Institute.
He added that Russia would find it virtually impossible to integrate Chinese armaments into its armed forces on such short notice.
WOULD CHINA DO IT?
While not impossible, both Chinese and non-Chinese experts say there are several factors working against it. For starters, it could look bad.
“China will be very careful trying its best to avoid its aid and other assistance being used on the battlefields of Ukraine,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing.
He added that China “has no motive to provide any assistance to Russia’s operation in Ukraine.”
Roggeveen concurred that there is no “obvious upside” for China in aiding Moscow, adding that a weakened Russia could work to China’s strategic and economic advantage.
Chinese officials have also said throughout the crisis that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries should be respected — though critics say its refusal to criticize Russia’s invasion is in fundamental contradiction to that position.
“Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has in nature become an invasion, and China will never provide arms to help a country attack another sovereign county and that is not in accordance with international law,” said Li Xin, director of the Institute of European and Asian Studies at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
China also does not want to see the conflict worsen or be dragged in as a co-belligerent, so any Chinese support “would be measured and carefully calibrated,” Thompson said.
We’ve known about China’s massive nuclear expansion for some time now. Last year, Admiral Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified that we are on a trajectory to face two nuclear peers – Russia and China – for the first time in its history.
This constitutes a significant shift in threat environment. Richard said the nuclear forces we have today are“the absolute minimum”and that the Pentagon will need to make“immediate and significant”changes to our nuclear posture.
Disarmament advocates greeted his statement withskepticism, but Richard is right. There is no time to waste…
We may have hunted more wildlife during the lockdowns of 2020, a new survey has found.
Hunting for household consumption increased, while the need for sports and recreation may have played a role as well.
Improving livelihoods and food security during periods of socio-economic upheaval could be crucial to minimise the impact on wildlife.
Palakkad: Wildlife experts feel that we may have hunted more wildlife during the pandemic-induced lockdowns of 2020, according to a survey. Hunting for household consumption increased during this time; sports and recreation were motivators for hunting as well, the online effort found.
These findings suggest that steps to improve livelihood and food security during such periods of socio-economic upheaval could be crucial in minimising the impact on wildlife at…
Black bears were again the target of discussion on Friday during a special Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.
Approximately 200 people hoped to comment on whether the commission should reinstate the state’s 2022 spring black bear hunt. During the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, 55 people shared their opinions on the hunt. The commission is expected to decide on the future of the 2022 spring bear hunting season on March 18.
Most of the people who spoke at this meeting supported reinstating the black bear hunts. Many hunters said the spring hunt provided an opportunity to teach their children about ethical hunting.
“You get to teach your children about the right bear to take. You don’t shoot cubs. You don’t shoot sows. That’s not the goal. The goal is to get meat and share that with your friends…
![](https://img.img-taboola.com/taboola/image/fetch/f_jpg%2Cq_auto%2Ch_225%2Cw_300%2Cc_fill%2Cg_faces:auto%2Ce_sharpen/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.taboola.com%2Flibtrc%2Fstatic%2Fthumbnails%2Fc8d78c8fc53b079daefd83df756a4767.jpg "This "Smart" Security Device Is Taking United States By Storm")
