U.S. said assisting Ukraine as Czech Republic sends tanks, artillery: Is this a World War III escalation?
By jdheyes // 2022-05-04
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Reports last week noted that the Czech Republic sent about a dozen tanks along with armored fighting vehicles and some artillery pieces to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, as some suggested the weapons transfers were part of a 'quiet' U.S. effort to assist Kyiv's war effort. The rumors also addressed the notion that, if indeed Washington and NATO countries have begun a behind-the-scenes effort to provide Ukraine with much more military assistance than previously revealed, it could be a substantial escalation and result in a legitimate third world war. We Are Change reports: On Tuesday it was confirmed that Ukraine has received over a dozen Soviet-designed T-72M tanks from the Czech Republic amid a big push among Western powers to bolster Ukrainian defenses amid the continued Russian war, and as the Russians are beginning to cut off much of the east and south. The initiative by the Czech government, which is a member of NATO, is the first by an external power that has provided armor and heavy weapons support to the Ukrainians following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. Also, the transfer of the tanks involved the U.S. government, as has been reported by Politico and a few other outlets. According to the outlet, which cited a New York Times report, the transfer of the tanks and other equipment only came after the Biden regime signed off on it following a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Following Zelenskyy’s appeals last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said it would be “very difficult” to supply Ukraine with tanks and jets, adding that NATO and G7 countries felt “agony” over their inability to help Ukraine more decisively. But according to the Times report, while the official on Friday declined to say how many tanks would be sent, or from which countries they would come, the tanks would enable Ukraine to conduct long-range artillery strikes on Russian targets in Donbas, which contains the separatist provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.  Also, as The Wall Street Journal reports, those support efforts could be ramped up in the coming days, making it increasingly likely that the West appears to be sleepwalking into World War III with a well-armed nuclear power. “In a potentially even more important development, both the Czech Republic and neighboring Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, are considering opening their military industrial installations to repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment," the WSJ noted. Independent journalist Michael Tracey noted on Twitter that Secretary of State Antony "Blinken said yesterday that he 'can't get into' whether" the Times "report is accurate, and that the US will now be sending tanks into Ukraine. According to the Biden Administration, the public has no right to know the details of these daily escalations in an intensifying US proxy war." Early last week, Russian officials hinted that President Vladimir Putin would be ordering his commanders to refocus military efforts on the eastern Ukrainian regions after weeks of attacks on Ukrainian cities across the country. That announcement was viewed widely throughout the West as the Kremlin's tacit acknowledgment that its forces had become bogged down in a meat grinder as Ukrainian resistance had become unexpectedly stiff, which forced a change in strategy. Video reports from Ukraine have revealed masses of destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles, and equipment. There have also been videos of Russian helicopters being shot down as the war drags on. But make no mistake, the bigger weapons are certainly held by Putin and if he uses them, the West will have to respond. It's just a matter of time. Sources include: WeAreChange.org Politico.com
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