Arctic: US and its allies take concrete steps towards war with Russia

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In the United States, a statement has been made at the official level, which with good reason can be regarded as a declaration of war on our country for control of the Northern Sea Route. The high rank and position of the Speaker - US Secretary of the Navy Rear Admiral Kenneth Braithwaite leaves no doubt about the seriousness of the announced intentions and does not allow them to be interpreted other than a direct challenge from Washington to Moscow.

Let's try to figure out how great the threat arising in connection with this, and what the consequences of its implementation may be.



"Freedom of navigation" at the cost of World War III?


As a matter of fact, Mr. Braithwaite announced nothing less than a complete disregard for Russia's position regarding special conditions for the passage of foreign ships (primarily military) in the Arctic waters, along the Northern Sea Route. According to the head of the US naval department, his subordinates in the near foreseeable future intend to "act in this region much more persistent and proactive" in order to "put an end to the claims made by Russia and, to a certain extent, China." How will such actions be expressed specifically? According to the minister, the US Navy plans to "conduct operations to ensure freedom of navigation directly off the northern coast of Russia." In other words, American warships are going to operate on the Northern Sea Route, in the waters that are our territorial waters, just like at home.

Let me remind you that, according to the decision of Moscow, today, in order to navigate the NSR, warships under the flags of foreign states are required, firstly, to officially request permission for this 45 days in advance, and secondly, to provide in advance all the basic data of both the ship itself and its captain. Well, and thirdly, if admission to the NSR is obtained, the "visitors" will certainly have to take on board a Russian pilot. It is clear that Mr. Braithwaite’s department is not going to do any of the above. The best proof of this is the recent boorish trick of the US Navy destroyer John McCain, which violated our sea borders in the Peter the Great Gulf. From there, the Yankees, who had literally lost their shores, had to be escorted out by a clear demonstration of their readiness to use force.

A number of provocative maneuvers organized by NATO forces in the Barents Sea, which reached particular intensity last year, are of the same kind. In May 2020, the US Navy destroyers Donald Cook, Porter and Roosevelt, as well as the British Navy frigate Kent, cruised it for almost a week. Other "allied forces" were represented in the form of the Ulla submarine and two P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from the Norwegian naval forces. In September, a no less representative company arrived at the same address - a task force that included the USS Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the Norwegian Navy's Thor Heyerdahl frigate, as well as the 23 Sutherland frigate of the British Navy, which was supported by the auxiliary vessel "Tidesprin" "supervised the actions of the grouping." Patrol planes circled in the northern sky - the American P-8 Poseidon and the Danish Challenger, supported by Typhoon fighters of the British Air Force. In total, more than 1200 military men from four countries participated in the maneuvers.

According to the official report, the British sea wolves "guided the task force through many maneuvers, testing its ability to fight on water and under water in one of the harshest regions on the planet." Well, the fact that the test showed the result is rather negative than positive is a separate question, and we will return to it a little later. So far, it is worth noting that by making such demarches, which, in the words of British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, "are not aimed at provocation," NATO is coming close to an extremely dangerous line, which, in practice, will inevitably be followed by a large-scale armed clash. The fact that Russia does not intend to tolerate a foreign military presence near its northern shores has been made clear in Moscow many times and very clearly. However, for some, these warnings will never reach.

Northern Sea Route and the West: I really want it, but it's very cold


The same Ben Wallace, with the frankness of hereditary pirates and colonialists inherent in the "white Sahibs" from London, in his speeches, has repeatedly acknowledged the true motives behind Britain's actions in the region. The planned sharp increase in the activity of the British Navy in the Barents Sea is due to the fact that "the melting of ice, which fetters the sea routes in the Far North, over time will reduce the delivery time of goods from China to Europe by half." And this, of course, "can bring huge profits" - something really, and such things Mr. Wallace and his compatriots understand perfectly well. And they are only concerned that "Russian barbarians" may "try to openly challenge the principle of freedom of navigation." That is, to prohibit just anyone from roaming back and forth in their territorial waters, without even informing their owners about it. Indeed, barbarism ...

It is because of the desire to control the Northern Sea Route and the potential super-profits from its exploitation, London, through Wallace's mouth, declares that the British Navy now intends to "expand its presence in the North and move forward", operating no further than 100 nautical miles from the Russian coast. Incidentally, Kenneth Braithwaite, who I quoted earlier, also announced "regular patrols" of our shores by American warships precisely because "the sea routes in the North are becoming navigable." Moreover, in the opinion of the head of the American naval department, it is also "an inalienable right and duty of the United States as the dominant naval force in the world" ... In short, if you listen to the Anglo-Saxon ministers and admirals, the words put into the great Russian will soon come true poet in the mouth of Peter the Great: "All flags will visit us!" But in this particular situation, these flags (or rather, naval pennants) are intended to be welcomed uninvited and uninvited. Well, the meeting would be appropriate.

A fair amount of irony lies in the fact that all the grandiose plans described above, fortunately, are still very far from the possibility of practical implementation. The vital truth, let's say, is somewhat different from the victorious reports about "extremely productive operations", which, I remember, broadcast the commander of the frigate "Sutherland" Tom Weaver. Back in 2018, the aircraft carrier Harry Truman showed its full non-combat capability in the conditions of "one of the harshest regions on the planet." The main force of the American Navy, the strike aircraft carrier groups in the Barents Sea, has nothing to do ... However, as it turned out last year, their other ships cannot function normally there either - the previously mentioned destroyer Donald Cook simply froze, as if abandoned in a harsh winter without a garage old "Zhiguli". On it "due to unfavorable climatic conditions" almost all the onboard equipment and weapons were out of order. The formidable ship turned into a defenseless pelvis, dangling on the merciless freezing waves.

Taking into account these completely unreported but extremely unpleasant facts, the entire "series of maneuvers" of the NATO naval group under the leadership of Sutherland boiled down to a rather stupid circling in the Barents Sea in the region of the Norwegian Vardo Peninsula. No one even attempted to really move in the direction of the Northern Sea Route through the Kara Gates, realizing that they could be extremely expensive. By the way, according to available data, the British Typhoons, which until now have not climbed to the North further than Iceland, during the mentioned maneuvers also showed themselves far from being falcons ... With all their great desire to “ride” the Northern Sea Route and dictate their own conditions both the United States and other NATO members today cannot do this physically. It's too cold there for them ...

The US Secretary of the Navy can promise his own "allies" to carry out operations to "ensure freedom of navigation", but let him first specify how he intends to carry them out. With the help of a couple of icebreakers that are far from being in the best condition - against four dozen Russian ones? The Pentagon's grandiose plans for the laying and construction of new ships, including those capable of effectively operating in the specific conditions of the Far North, bringing the number of US Navy combat units to more than half a thousand - that's all, as they say, pie in the sky. In 2020, the head of the American defense department, Mark Esper, was forced to admit that the US military fleet, which in reality does not even reach up to 300 pennants, lags behind the Chinese, which has 350 surface ships and submarines, at least quantitatively. The Russian forces, perfectly adapted for operations in the harshest latitudes, both on earth, in the sky and at sea, in their combat qualities surpass everything that the Americans can try to use in the Far North, many times over.

However, the Pentagon does not seem to be fully aware of this fact and continues to take actions aimed at trying to change the balance of power in their favor. One of the last of these, to put it mildly, ill-considered decisions - the forced transfer to the Eielson airbase located in Alaska of the F-35A Lightning II multipurpose fighter-bombers. It is being carried out, again, "to contain Russia." Now the 336th and 335th squadrons stationed there have two dozen "most modern", but by the end of this year the number of these machines is planned to be increased to 54. One of the local senators, Dan Sullivan, speaking in Washington, boasted that "such a cluster There are no fifth generation fighters and will not be anywhere else on Earth! " A very dubious thing to be proud of - after all, the enthusiasm of such a large equipment, by and large, can only cause those who will aim at him "Daggers" and "Zircons" ...

Military and policy The United States is taking new steps that directly lead to a potential escalation of armed conflict in the theater of operations, where the advantage and chances of success will definitely not be on the side of the United States and NATO. Persistent attempts to cling to the myth of one's own total superiority and "domination" in the world that has long been untrue to reality can lead in this case to a very deplorable result.
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36 comments
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  1. +10
    8 January 2021 10: 43
    I was always surprised and outraged by this position. NATO is not afraid to go to conflict and provocations, but we are afraid to respond! This is war, how can you! Ukrainian boats are insolent for a breakthrough - you can't shoot! Ram! Idiocy! They come into your house in a brazen robbery, kill, and you don't have the right to defend yourself? You have to wait until there is a threat to life! And this is the power that controls us! Let them send their children to stop violators, and then let others teach.! They violated the border - a warning shot on the course, then the word ultimatum. They did not listen, there is no need to persuade the bandits. Shoot to kill !! Rockets are installed on boats.
    1. +7
      8 January 2021 12: 10
      Idiocy! To your house they climb into impudent robbery, kill, but you do not have the right to defend yourself?

      And we have idiocy everywhere, and even more so to protect our own home. Even if a man-eating maniac climbs up to you, gnawing at the leg of a neighbor on the staircase, then God forbid you shoot him even with a slingshot - they will sue!
    2. +1
      13 January 2021 06: 50
      It's pretty simple. They don't like to talk about it on TV, but the fact is that the economy is the first to fight.
      When the USSR collapsed, the rockets did not help and no one wanted to fight for SUCH country as it was in 1991. But they fought against her. The army supported Yeltsin.
      And every patriot of the USSR ran after the Turkish-Chinese consumer goods. Plants and enterprises focused on the closed market, read, - the lack of competition with a fall in demand for domestic goods went bankrupt.
      These are facts, whether they like them or not.
      Now ask yourself the question, who will fight for the handful of government from the Kremlin? They will not eat less.
  2. +6
    8 January 2021 12: 43
    It is necessary to mine the straits of the Kara Gate and Velkitsky - the mouse will not slip!
  3. -8
    8 January 2021 16: 03
    Russia's territorial waters in the Arctic are 20 miles from the coast or what?
    1. +6
      8 January 2021 16: 49
      Russia's territorial waters in the Arctic are 20 miles from the coast or what?

      No not like this! The ocean ice formed from water that touched the shores of Russia is also Russian! And only Russia has the right to split it!
      1. The comment was deleted.
    2. +6
      8 January 2021 16: 58
      The territorial waters of Argentina and several other countries are 200 nautical miles. Nobody prevents the Russian Federation from doing the same.
      1. -3
        8 January 2021 21: 19
        Nobody prevents the Russian Federation from doing the same.

        And the Russian Federation has them. It is forbidden to fish within these waters without permission, to explore for minerals, etc., but it is possible to pass through these waters, according to the laws of international maritime law, without any permission. And Russia will not be able to stop amers, tk. there is no reason for this.
        1. +3
          12 January 2021 19: 27
          Do not confuse territorial waters with a special economic zone, in which fish cannot be caught without permission.
          1. 0
            12 January 2021 23: 15
            You are right - I got it wrong. I typed on Google “what is the territorial sea and learned a lot of interesting things.
            It is a little further from the sea border and the state itself indicates its size and rules of passage. Here are the Russian rules that Americans want to test:

            In the territorial waters, innocent passage of foreign ships and warships is allowed on the grounds provided for in Section 3 of the ILC-82. Passage means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose of:
            a) cross this sea without entering inland waters or without standing on a roadstead or at a port facility outside inland waters; or
            b) go into or out of inland waters, or stand in such a roadstead or at such a port facility.
            The coastal State shall not obstruct the exercise of the right of innocent passage and, subject to proper publication, may enact laws and regulations regarding the following matters:

            So the Americans (and not only Americans) have the right to walk in these waters, keeping their fishing rods / nets in the hold, and not on the deck, otherwise boarding ...!
            1. 0
              13 January 2021 00: 12
              Quote: cmonman
              In territorial waters allowed peaceful passage ...

              monman... Order only your admission in advance, otherwise it will turn out like with the Ukrainians under the Crimean bridge. laughing
            2. +2
              16 January 2021 19: 56
              There is a clause stating that during a peaceful passage, the combat systems of the ship must be turned off, otherwise this is a hostile reconnaissance activity. The Yankees do not turn them off, so they are a legitimate target for the RCC RF.
              1. -2
                16 January 2021 23: 36
                The Yankees don't turn them off ...

                How is it known?
                Cannons uncovered? Rockets stick out and the ignition fuse smolders? Does the Morse radio work? If yes, then all this gives rise to bombing them (or boarding - choose which is safer for yourself) ...
                1. 0
                  16 January 2021 23: 53
                  Quote: cmonman
                  ... choose what's safer for you ...

                  monman, you are not the only hero on this site. Bindyuzhnik, perhaps, will be more abruptly. laughing
                  1. -1
                    17 January 2021 00: 04
                    You remind me of Tabaki - a character from the collection of stories "The Jungle Book" by the English writer Rudyard Kipling, a wolf, unchanging henchman tiger Sherkhan. You whine, look into the eyes, make yourself felt, hope for something ...
                    Do you want to grow up and grow wiser?
                    1. 0
                      17 January 2021 00: 37
                      monman, do not be offended. Whoever comes to us with an unkind person will die from that. Yes
                2. +2
                  20 January 2021 18: 22
                  Modern instruments of the coastal units of the Russian Federation accurately record the operation of the enemy ship's combat systems, or their shutdown. Remember the scandal between France and Turkey, when France became psychotic because a Turkish frigate took aim at a French frigate.
        2. +1
          15 January 2021 19: 46
          as it is sung in the song MAZ: no reason - so no reason!
  4. +2
    8 January 2021 16: 28
    We must accept this challenge and in fact show everyone who is the boss in the Arctic !!!
    1. -2
      8 January 2021 21: 33
      What for? For the amusement of the goldsmiths?
  5. +6
    8 January 2021 16: 52
    Respecting the borders of the Russian Federation is possible only by force of arms and not by demonstrating them, but by using them for purposes that have violated the Russian border. I remember from the USSR, the Yankees also became impudent, until the planes of the Yankees and their allies began to shoot down.
    1. +2
      9 January 2021 12: 16
      It is not worth comparing the power of the USSR and the Russian Federation. They are not even closely comparable. And besides, the USSR had its own closed economy. And here it will be enough to press the liberal officials and promise to kick the Russian Federation out of SWIFT, and some are already too afraid to defend their national interests.
      1. +2
        12 January 2021 19: 30
        In the USSR, there were also such. For example, Mr. Yagoda was shot for his great love of stealing timber in the USSR, selling it abroad, and keeping the proceeds in a personal bank account in Switzerland. And now you can put things in order, if Vladimir Andersen would have a desire.
  6. +1
    9 January 2021 08: 08
    High rank and position of Speaker - Secretary of the US Navy

    I wonder what will he become after January 20? Or will he win SMP under 20 together with Trump? fellow
  7. +1
    9 January 2021 09: 56
    They intimidate the Chinese so that they do not bet on the SMP, and they provoke us into unnecessary costs and mistakes. Let them stick around.
  8. -2
    9 January 2021 20: 15
    They will swim all the same. One chatter. Putin will shrug his shoulders. The plane was shot down, the ambassador was killed, the helicopter was shot down, etc. ... and where is the answer?
  9. The comment was deleted.
    1. The comment was deleted.
  10. +6
    10 January 2021 03: 47
    Listen comrades! Among us, Russians, the overwhelming majority are not afraid to die for the Motherland and its interests, be it the Arctic or elsewhere, this is a national feature of Russians, a character trait, so to speak! Therefore, it will be the third world or the tenth, it is up to one place! The fact is that you don't need to let anyone into the Arctic at all! As a world power to prohibit, to issue a law in the end, on a special territorial zone of the Arctic up to 10000 km. do not approach from the coast! Fire to kill without warning! Very much our people began to bask in front of their huge TVs, on warm sofas with fancy gadgets on credit, pouring mud on each other in the comments. They will decompose us from the inside! And then they will wipe their feet on us. This cannot be allowed, comrades! Everything material, for which we cling so much today, tomorrow will turn out to be decay, worthless, obsolete. Amers have whole institutes, universities, academies, on how to disintegrate the backward peoples from the inside, and then give everyone the task of what to do with them. We all understand this, but we continue to decompose, out of habit. There is no need to be afraid of nuclear war, it will not be or will not escape! But it is necessary to bang at the violators, but properly !!!
  11. -5
    10 January 2021 04: 35
    They started barking, and why shouldn't other countries swim there with weapons, Russia does swim. USA, Canada, Denmark, etc. also have an outlet to the pole. Arctic countries. Russia dreams of taking the entire Arctic for itself, since European countries do not need large territories to live well, we already see this. They live with their brains and they are comfortable there on a piece of land. The Internet, auto, electronics are the result of their work and contribution to the development of mankind. And Russia is only to pump mineral resources and that's it. And in order to live well, she needs huge territories rich in oil, gas, and iron forests.
    1. +3
      10 January 2021 11: 25
      since European countries do not need large territories to live well, we already see this. They live with their brains and they are comfortable there on a piece of land.

      So about this and the article.)

      Russia just does not want to deprive the Europeans of their comfort, actually saying:
      From good, good is not sought. Let's live in peace. Do not meddle in other people's possessions, and everything will be fine with you.

      Quite humane. What's so barbaric?
  12. +4
    10 January 2021 10: 45
    Price issue: the time of the arrival of sea-based missiles from the Arctic to the industrial regions of the Urals. It is for this that Russia will fight and let everyone who wants to try us for strength to the bottom. War means war. But we will never give up the North, by definition, NEVER.
  13. -1
    10 January 2021 14: 26
    In the US Congress, the alcoholic and scoundrel EBN assured the complete subordination of Russia to the interests of the Yankees. But the successor and his comrades decided to steer and use the country themselves, although they keep all their stolen loot over the hill. Hence the contradictions in their affectionate responses to rudeness. I want to, but inject.
  14. 0
    10 January 2021 20: 16
    And if their boat dies in the ice, who will they call for help, China?
  15. -1
    12 January 2021 11: 38
    The author of the article is grinding some nonsense. What territorial waters and border violations by Americans does he fantasize about? To begin with, I would familiarize myself with the term and what it means.
  16. +2
    12 January 2021 19: 31
    We need to learn from the Americans how to make non-binding statements very loudly and make you mention your name every other time in every media. After all, this gallant American admiral said that he intends to act more decisively in the near foreseeable future. Is he sure that this very near foreseeable future will ever come? For him, at least.
  17. 0
    14 January 2021 18: 16
    There is no need to stir up tension. Read the Convention on the Law of the Sea. And if the Arctic melts, it will be more profitable and faster to carry goods through the Canadian Northern Straits.
    1. 0
      14 January 2021 18: 49
      Quote: NICK VALDY
      And if the Arctic melts, it will be more profitable and faster to carry goods through the Canadian Northern Straits.

      How long do you think we will have to wait for this event, and what will happen to all of us, if God forbid it happens?