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The US wants to help Ukraine conquer Crimea.
Hardly any place is more symbolic in the Ukraine war than the Crimean Peninsula. Annexed by Russia in 2014, the Black Sea peninsula came back into focus at the start of Vladimir Putin’s (70) invasion of Ukraine. While the Kremlin is convinced that it has a claim to Crimea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) still defines the reconquest of all of Ukraine, including Crimea, as a top-priority war goal.
Although experts still considered it difficult for Ukraine to take Crimea a few weeks ago, the tide could now be turning – in Ukraine’s favour. The reason for this is the USA, which could currently take one of its boldest steps. As the New York Times reports, US President Joe Biden (79) is considering helping Ukraine in a Crimean attack.
According to this, US officials are to advise their Ukrainian colleagues on the use of American weapons. The two parties bring out the big guns: from Himar missile systems to Bradley combat vehicles, everything is up for discussion.
Possible turning point in the Ukraine war
As the newspaper goes on to write, the aim is to use the high-precision weapon systems to attack the land bridge controlled by the Russians. It acts as a major supply route, connecting Crimea to Russia via the Kremlin-held cities of Melitopol and Mariupol.
Still, Biden doesn’t seem ready to pull out all the stops just yet. The Democrat is not yet supplying the long-range missile systems that Kyiv would need to attack Russian positions on the peninsula. Nonetheless, the US President’s decision to supply Ukraine with the Bradley tanks could mark a major turning point in the Ukraine war. These are armored personnel carriers armed with powerful 25mm guns and guided missiles that rival Russian tanks.
According to Frederick B. Hodges (64), the former supreme commander of the US Army in Europe, the Bradleys should be deployed in the coming months and make an attack on the land bridge possible.
Will Putin use nuclear weapons in a Crimean attack?
Thanks to the direct aid of the United States, which Ukrainian officials have been begging the great power for months, Ukraine can now make another push — including attacking Crimea.
According to the Ukrainian military and US officials, it is essential to increase pressure on Russia’s bases in Crimea in particular, in order to support Ukrainian forces on the battlefield in other parts of Ukraine. The Black Sea Fleet is one of the most important Russian air force bases in Crimea. From there, with the help of command posts and logistics centers, Putin’s bloodhounds support Russian operations in southern Ukraine.
One thing is certain: an attack on the peninsula would mean a new level of escalation and, according to experts, end in a bloodbath. The Ukrainian officials are well aware of the concern that Putin could launch a drastic retaliation in the event of an attack on Crimea, the newspaper continues. According to officials, fears that Putin might resort to nuclear weapons have subsided: “I have the impression that the government is increasingly realizing that the risk of a Russian escalation may not be as great as it used to think,” says General Hodges Newspaper.
Political researcher Dara Massicot is of the same opinion: “Crimea has already been attacked several times without there having been a massive escalation by the Kremlin.”
Planning should start next week
The aim of attacking the peninsula is to make Russia believe that Crimea is in danger and thus strengthen Ukraine’s position in future negotiations. “Without Crimea, the whole thing falls apart,” said Evelyn Farkas (55), the Pentagon’s top envoy for Ukraine under the Obama administration.
However, according to a senior US official, Ukrainian officials see no other way out. The fear is that if Crimea is not targeted now, Ukraine will perish from years of deadlock in the conflict.
High-ranking American and Ukrainian commanders are due to meet in Germany this week to start planning the offensive. (dzc)