White House says it does not back Ukraine attacks inside Russia

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | July 24th, 2023 | Jeff Mason and Kanishka Singh

[Mariner]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said it did not support Ukraine launching attacks inside Russia after two drones from Ukraine damaged buildings in Moscow earlier on Monday.

"As a general matter we do not support attacks inside of Russia," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a press briefing.

Russia vowed to take harsh retaliatory measures against Ukraine, calling the two drone strikes, including one close to the Defence Ministry's headquarters, a brazen act of terror.

"This is a war that Russia started. This is their war," Jean-Pierre said. "And they can end it at any time by withdrawing forces from Ukraine instead of launching brutal attacks on civilians."

[Paul R.]

Ah, make it a “Major”. :-)

[The Duke]

If I was President Xi of China I would first compromise the top politicians in America so they could be extorted. I would then subsidize the corruption of the American voting process, so that my new lackeys could be installed by the American media, which I also control.

Once my lackey was in office, I would command him/her to open America's southern borders. I will have compelled the governments in South America to build prisons to serve as incubators of diseases such as tuberculosis, and then offer those prisoners freedom if they will simply cross the Rio Grande.

I would also have my lackeys drive the price of fuel up, and the value of the dollar down.

I would also have them destroy their military by fleeing Afghanistan like cowards in the night, and by having them send their arms and treasure to a war in Europe.

I wouldn't worry to much about the conservatives in America, because it is their nature to fight among themselves.

[Old Yeller]

Wink, wink

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Seems like once upon a time the White House did not support attacks on Cambodia, either. But they were doing just that all the while. Some funny folks work at the White House sometimes.

[kabar]

That’s a bit out of date, so we’re likely something over $70 billion now.

In 2022 we allocated $113 billion for the war in Ukraine, and that is an understatement given the additional funding allocated to the Intel community and other foreign affairs agencies due to the war. How much do you think it costs to station permanently US forces in Poland and forces in the Baltics on a rotational basis?

As someone who spent 36 years working in the USG, I can assure you the figures you cite are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the total US resources devoted to supporting this proxy war. DOD is about to ask for a Ukraine supplemental. Remember when they found an accounting error that allowed them to send another $6 billion to Ukraine.

Biden lied to us about Afghanistan and he is lying to us about the costs of the war in Ukraine. Do you trust Biden's national security team to lead us on this war? They are fools and knaves.

[Tom Bombadil]

Trying to enforce a limited scope on one side in a war never made sense to me. War is war.

The Christmas ‘72 bombing of North Vietnam proved that.

[MeganC]

“Just don’t expect me to sign on to your sick view that the Ukraine’s enemies are genetically mindless killers.”

Methinks you doth complaineth too much.

[Paul R.]

Allocated or "authorized" is not "sent" OR "spent". The latter at least not yet, anyway. Much of that aid is slow-walked, some by design, some for "flexibility", and much due to incompetence.

All that counts for Ukraine is what's been received, and what's been received is a bad joke compared to the scale of this war. Biden's weak stream.

HIMARS launchers? So far we've sent, what, around 5% of our 2022 inventory, and well under planned receipts to said inventory in 2023. That's right, our inventory is growing. And while SOMEWHAT useful in specific situations, masses of them are unlikely to be particularly handy vs. China.

APC's? We've barely dented our inventory, and most any sensible military strategist will tell you that the entire contribution by NATO is maybe 1/4 of what is needed for the Ukies to mount a really effective counter-offensive. Tanks are even worse.

Now, I will grant you that what I'd prefer to see is a program where the Euro's simply buy the weapons from us, likely on extended credit, and we ship 'em to Ukraine. Or, if we can't deliver with some sort of alacrity (as it seems), the Euro's should buy from the South Koreans, who have considerable capacity and competence to produce NATO compatible weapons and ammo. But that has to be on an effective scale, because otherwise it still makes little sense.

Do you trust Biden's national security team to lead us on this war? They are fools and knaves.

No, and yes. Indeed, if this war drags out for, say, 10 years, and well it might, under "leadership" like Biden's team, the aid costs surely will go well over half a trillion dollars, and indirect costs could get there too -- to say nothing of global economic fallout (obviously includes us) and lives lost. If Pooty wins or "just breaks even", until the Euros can seriously ramp up (I'd say 5% of GDP to defense spending for the WEAKEST contributors), our "other costs" (my description) will go up even more than you describe. There's a lot more to defending Europe than even you mention, in that scenario. IMO it could very well lead to a breakup of NATO, which in the long run is sure disaster, even should Russia suddenly decide being nice makes sense. NATO is about much more than Russia -- Russia is and (almost) always has been the detail of the moment.

But I digress...

Anyway, the plan should have been to make Russia's occupation totally untenable by late 2023. And give the Ukies capability to smash Pooty's bridge in about 10 spots. Then Ukraine could negotiate from a position of strength.

[Reverend Wright]

“But you have someone on here tonight calling for the Chechens and Wagner to conquer Western Europe, and for Russia to attack and destroy our cities.”

---

That is an outrageous libel !

I don’t want Wagner and the Chechens to attack Western Europe and Globohomo cities in America.

I want Wagner and the Chechens AND Azov to attack Western Europe and Globohomo cities in America !

[kabar]

CSIS did a study in September 2022 re weapons sent to Ukraine and the impact on US war reserves. Is the United States Running out of Weapons to Send to Ukraine?

"A CSIS study examined the ability of the defense industrial base to replace inventories in an emergency and found that the process would take many years for most items. The problem is that the defense industrial base is sized for peacetime production rates. Surge capabilities have been regarded as wasteful, buying factory capacity that was not planned to be used. Conversion of civilian industry to wartime production is theoretically possible but a long process. In World War II, that conversion took two to three years in a society and economy that was fully mobilized."

[Texan4Life]

Russia downs three Ukrainian drones over Moscow, defence ministry says

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230730-live-russia-downs-three-ukrainian-drones-over-moscow-defence-ministry-says

Russia’s defence ministry said that three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow early on Sunday, the TASS news agency reported. One drone was destroyed in the air and two others crashed in Moscow, the ministry said. The attack damaged two buildings and temporarily suspended flights at Vnukovo airport.