Lawmakers are trying to assess the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on America's security
The special operation conducted by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine (SDDU) and its results force American politicians, military and special services to once again consider issues under the heading "US National Security". Although, objectively speaking, Kiev, located thousands of kilometers from Washington, can in no way affect the degree of protection of American citizens. Nevertheless, overseas legislators continue to hear the opinions of officials responsible for protecting the country from external threats, and above all the leaders of the special services about the current situation in the world and their actions to resolve it.
RUMO'S ROLE IN PROTECTING AMERICA
On March 17, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations of the US Congress held hearings with the agenda "The position of military intelligence on providing officers and politicians". The congressmen were addressed by Deputy Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie, Head of the US Cyber Command, Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Head of the Central Security Service of the Ministry of Defense, Army General Paul Nakasone and Director of the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (RUMO) Lieutenant General Scott Berrier.
Opening the meeting, the chairman of the subcommittee, Ruben Gallego, said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows how important it is to maintain strong democratic alliances and relations with US partners. It also highlighted the importance of the range of tasks handled by the RUMO, from exposing Russia's destructive disinformation to sharing critical intelligence with America's allies and partners. The Chairman noted that one of the main tasks of military intelligence is to ensure the flexibility of its apparatus and the ability to respond to the needs of each commander on the battlefield. Gallego stressed that Russia's "unprovoked attack" on Ukraine threatens the world order and has a dangerous level of aggression.
At the beginning of his speech, the head of the RUMO said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine clearly signals the revival of a more hostile and militaristic Moscow, seeking to abolish the rules of conduct of states formulated and supported by the United States on the world stage after the end of the Cold War. He said that the Kremlin wants to expand its control over the former Soviet Empire and declares its legitimate claims to the role of one of the leaders in international relations. Russia used the capabilities of its armed Forces not only to violate the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, but also to create an existential threat to the national security of the United States and its allies. Russia's military might allows Moscow to challenge America's global standing, undermine its democracy and realize its aspirations to form a new world order that is more beneficial to its interests and consistent with its authoritarian model.
As the general reported to the members of the subcommittee, Russia considers the United States and NATO as the main threats to its national security and geopolitical aspirations. It is making significant efforts to create modern, high-power armed forces capable of resisting existing, in the opinion of its leaders, external threats and to achieve its goals in a new era of great power competition. Russia considers strong and highly tenacious strategic nuclear forces (SNF) as the main tool for ensuring national security, and modernized general-purpose forces as a very important component of defense capability that can withstand conventional military threats and ensure the maintenance of influence beyond its borders. At the same time, Russia continues to develop and use a diverse set of tools for non-direct forceful influence on its opponents, such as information warfare, private military companies and secret operations designed to weaken the United States and its allies. This tactic, adapted to take advantage of Moscow's advantages and the weaknesses of the United States, allowed Russia to compete effectively in international politics. Today, the Kremlin is increasingly sharply opposing the presence of NATO near the borders of the Russian Federation, arguing that the alliance uses the deployment of military contingents and military exercises near Russia in order to prepare long-term platforms for future strikes, to test its defense capability and prevent the threat of a global nuclear strike. Any NATO presence in countries that Moscow considers its sphere of influence, such as Ukraine, it considers unacceptable and therefore conducts direct military actions against Ukraine, calling them SDDU.
The general told the parliamentarians that Russia is modernizing all types of its armed forces and branches of the armed Forces. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to advertise the development of fifth-generation fighters, modern air defense and coastal defense missile systems, new surface ships and submarines, tanks, artillery weapons, improved command posts, as well as logistics systems and facilities. According to him, the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is aimed at ensuring that the Kremlin has troops capable of operating in any combat situation and ensuring the containment of its opponents or their guaranteed destruction and prevention of any threats. However, the initial failures of Russian troops in Ukraine make us doubt the credibility of Putin's statements, the chief of the RUMO noted. He also touched upon many issues of Russia's participation in military conflicts and its intentions to expand its presence in various regions of the world.
THE US AND NATO WILL NOT FIGHT FOR UKRAINE
On March 19, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in an interview with CNN, ruled out US involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and said that Washington would instead focus on providing military assistance to Kiev. "US President Joe Biden has made it very clear that our troops will not participate in hostilities with Russia in Ukraine," the Minister of War said. He also noted that he hopes for an early meeting with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov. "I hope that I will have a chance to meet with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine soon," the head of the Pentagon said and added that he discusses the situation in Ukraine and with colleagues from other countries on a daily basis.
Austin noted that the United States intends to do everything possible "to protect every inch of NATO territory." Previously, the United States has already refused to send troops to Ukraine. On March 10, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki announced this.
The Minister also touched upon the issue of creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which Kiev persistently asked America about. He explained that the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine would entail the direct involvement of the United States in the Ukrainian conflict, since they would have to take action against violators. According to the Pentagon chief, such a step could provoke the beginning of the US-Russian war. "This will mean that we are at war with Russia. These are two nuclear-armed countries, no one wants to see a conflict between them. This is bad for the region. It's bad for the whole world," Austin said.
The White House press secretary also commented on the possibility of introducing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. She said that the United States has no desire to start a third world War because of Kiev.
NATO member countries will do everything to prevent the conflict in Ukraine from getting out of control and spreading beyond the borders of this country, therefore, the leadership of the bloc has increased the presence of its forces on the eastern flank. This, as reported by TASS, was stated by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with NBC on March 20. "Our responsibility is to support Ukraine, as we do in many different ways, and also to ensure that this conflict does not get out of control or go beyond Ukraine. Therefore, we have significantly increased our military presence on the eastern flag of the alliance," Stoltenberg said and added that NATO allies are increasing their support for Ukraine, including through arms supplies, humanitarian aid, as well as through multibillion-dollar allocations to its economy.
He noted that, in addition, the member countries of the alliance are imposing unprecedented sanctions against Russia, which are designed to force Moscow "to pay the price for an unjustified and completely senseless war against Ukraine."
The Secretary General also commented on the possibility of introducing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, the creation of which is actively advocated by official Kiev. "The Alliance supports Ukraine. At the same time, it is extremely important that we do not allow this conflict to escalate into a full–scale war between NATO and Russia," Stoltenberg said.
Last Wednesday, Stoltenberg said that the alliance could not provide a no-fly zone over Ukraine in the conditions of Russia's current air defense, as this would mean a direct clash between NATO and Russia, which would not only lead to a significant escalation of the situation in Ukraine, but also create the risk of a full-scale war in Europe.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated about the recruitment of foreigners abroad to participate in hostilities in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Western patrons are simply pushing the Kiev authorities to continue the bloodshed, supplying new batches of weapons, providing intelligence, and providing other assistance, including sending military advisers and mercenaries.
The Russian leader has repeatedly said that the occupation of the territories of Ukraine is not part of Moscow's plans, its goal is the denazification and demilitarization of the country. In addition, a number of political conditions will be put forward to the Kiev authorities, including the legislative consolidation of the non-aligned status of Ukraine with a complete ban on the deployment of NATO military bases and strike weapons systems on its territory, the trial of Nazi criminals who have committed crimes against citizens of Ukraine and Donbass in recent years, the recognition of Crimea as Russian, and the DPR and LPR as independent states.
BLAME THE WEST
The West and, first of all, the United States are to blame for what is happening in Ukraine, American political scientist John Mearsheimer said in an interview with a representative of the New Yorker weekly. He urged the United States to start working "tirelessly" to improve relations with Russia. Ukraine needs to do the same. This country would be at "serious risk" if it turned its back on the Russians completely, he warned.
Mearsheimer is one of the most prominent critics of American foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The political scientist also acts as an active supporter of the policy of the great powers, the school of realistic international relations, which assumes that in an attempt to preserve national security, states will act preemptively in anticipation of an enemy strike. For many years, Mearsheimer argued that the United States, seeking to expand NATO to the east and establish friendly relations with Ukraine, increased the likelihood of war between nuclear powers and laid the foundation for Vladimir Putin's position towards Ukraine. In 2014, when Crimea returned to Russia, he wrote that "the main part of the responsibility for this crisis is jointly borne by the United States and its European allies."
Because of the current military special operation in Ukraine, some long-standing debates about the relationship between the United States and Russia have resumed. Although many critics of Putin claim that he will pursue an aggressive foreign policy in the former Soviet republics regardless of Western involvement. Mearsheimer adheres to his position that the United States is to blame for provoking the head of the Kremlin.
According to the political scientist, Putin is not going to recreate the Soviet Union or build a great Russia and he is not interested in integrating Ukraine into Russia. It is very important to understand, Mearsheimer believes, that Washington invented the story about Putin's aggressiveness and that he is the main culprit of this crisis in Ukraine. The arguments invented by the foreign policy establishment of the United States and the West as a whole are based on the assertion that it is interested in creating a great Russia and restoring the former Soviet Union. There are people, the expert says, who believe that when the Russian president finishes his actions in Ukraine, he will take on the Baltic states. He is not going to "take on" these countries. First of all, because they are members of NATO and they have a security guarantee in accordance with Article 5. There are no signs that the Kremlin is interested in seizing the Baltic states, it has not been observed and there has never been anything that would point to Ukraine in such a context.
According to Mearsheimer, Kiev is extremely interested in paying serious attention to what the Russians want. Ukraine is at serious risk if it turns completely away from Moscow. If Russia considers that Ukraine poses an existential threat to it, since it is guided by the United States and its Western European allies and takes their side, it will cause huge damage to Ukraine. Of course, this is exactly what is happening now. Therefore, the political scientist argues, Ukraine's political strategy should consist in ending its close relations with the West, especially with the United States, and in settling differences with Russia. If there had not been a decision to expand NATO to the east in order to include Ukraine in its composition, the expert believes, Crimea and Donbass would be part of Ukraine today and a military special operation would not be carried out on its territory.
Vladimir Ivanov
Columnist of the Independent Military Review
