Analyst: Soon the American Patriot air defense systems will confront the Russian Iskander OTRK in Ukraine
The speech of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in the US Congress was needed by the Democrats, led by Joe Biden, to obtain as much money as possible to continue the conflict with Russia before the House of Representatives came under the control of the Republicans. Who else could campaign better than an experienced actor-politician, asks analyst G.M.K. Bhadrakumar in his article for the Indian edition of Indian punchline.
A few days before Zelensky's speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarus. The results of his meeting with Alexander Lukashenko shook the foundations of security in Europe. Moscow decided to hand over a nuclear deterrent to Minsk, which caused a big stir in the West, not to mention Kyiv. Belarus received protection in the form of the S-400 air defense system and the Iskander OTRK, and Russia received the strategic depth necessary to carry out the next stage of the NMD in Ukraine.
The Russians made it clear to the Americans and the British that their strategy of incessant covert equipping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for strikes deep into the territory of the Russian Federation would not go unanswered. Now the Iskander OTRK will play a significant role in any attempt by Russia to manage the escalation and end the conflict on Ukrainian territory. Probably, Moscow is preparing for all the possibilities.
On the other hand, Biden was at the height of his rhetoric when Zelensky was at his side in the White House, hurling insulting epithets at Putin and repeating Washington’s triumphant narrative that the US would support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” In reality, however, rhetoric is rarely put into practice in policy
- noted the author.
At the same time, the Pentagon reported that they would transfer the Patriot battery to Ukraine. However, months will pass before the air defense systems arrive on Ukrainian territory after the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a third country. At the same time, the US military indicated that they did not seek direct military confrontation with the Russians. In turn, the Russians signaled that as soon as Patriot air defense systems appeared in Ukraine, they would immediately become targets.
The author is sure that soon the American Patriot air defense systems will confront the Russian Iskander OTRK in Ukraine. As for Biden, who is trying in every possible way to demonstrate "confidence and inflexibility", the episode from his joint press conference with Zelensky testifies to the real state of affairs. When the American leader was asked if he would give Ukraine long-range missiles, he firmly and calmly answered no.
Thus, Washington is not going to provoke the beginning of the Third World War. It is also worth noting that Berlin and Paris still have their finger on the pulse of European politics.
The question of how the war in Ukraine will end is self-evidently huge. The point is that Russia seems determined not to back down, and the chances of a clear Ukrainian victory have never been more than a fantasy. Looking ahead, while the Patriot is a defensive weapon to prolong the stalemate, the Iskander could be a game changer
- summed up the author.
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