Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russian state-run TASS news agency that the Kremlin sees training-or-supplying Kieve with F-16 fighter jets would escalate the conflict, though not saying what the Kremlin would do. Meeting at the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, 80-year-old President Joe Biden secretly invited 45-yea-rold Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hoping to win the G7’s approval to train Ukrainian pilots on F –16 warplanes. U.S. and NATO have supplied Kiev with new tanks and armored personnel carriers to advance a counteroffensive to take back lost sovereign territory. After receiving the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems [HIMARS and Patriot Missile Batteries, you’d think Zelensky would have enough but now pushes for F-16 fighter jets. Whether supplied by NATO or the U.S., the Kremlin takes the new development seriously.
Using the G7 so Zelensky can meet and ask the world’s top democracies for more lethal aid in the war wit the Kremlin crossed a red line. “We can see that Western countries continue to stick to an escalation scenario which carries enormous risks for them. In any case, we will take it into account when making plans. We have all the necessary means to achieve our goals,” said Grushko. White House officials said Biden now supports training and supplying Ukraine with F-16 warplanes, something he resisted since the war began Feb. 24, 2022. Biden sees light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Ukraine reclaiming lost sovereign territory. Whether Ukraine’s any closer to taking back lost sovereign territory is anyone’s guess. When it comes to Donbas, it looks like a stalemate. Announcing his support for F-16s, Biden lets the Kremlin know he’s out to topple Putin’s government.
Blindsiding G7 leaders in Hiroshima with Zelensky created problems for India’s 72-year-old Nereneda Modi and 77-year-old Brazilian Presidetn Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, both part of the BRICS economic bloc, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, all of which with strong trading ties to Russia. Biden hoped to convince 69-year-old Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi to join Western economic sanctions against the Russian Federation. Much to Biden’s disappointment, China and India maintained close economic ties with Putin, buying more Russian crude oil to make up for lost economic revenue from Biden’s Russian oil embargo. Biden hoped that after meeting Zelensky, China and India would take Kiev’s side in the conflict, denouncing the Russian Federation for its Ukraine War. Neither Xi nor Modi changed their loyalty to Putin based on the Ukraine War.
Escalating the conflict training and supplying fighter jets to Kiev could escalate the conflict to other European capitals. Putin has mentioned that nuclear weapons were on the table, especially if Ukraine starts attacking targets inside the Russian Federation. Biden’s decision at the G7 to provide training and supply Ukraine with F-16 puts more skin in the game for the U.S. Biden tried to secretly fund a proxy war against the Kremlin by funding Kiev’s forces to battle the Kremlin. Now that Biden escalates the war involving U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, he tried to get the approval from his G7 partners. Brazil and India were taken aback by inviting Zelensky to make his pitch in Hiroshima. Brazil’s Lulu felt blindsided by Biden, knowing Brazil put its best peace plan forward only to be rebuffed by Zelensky. Zelensky wants to part of any plan unless Putin withdraws all forces from Ukraine.
Heading into 2024, Biden walks a tightrope spending billions on Ukraine, when Congress can’t agree on a $1.5 trillion continuing budget resolution allowing the government to continue meeting its debt obligations. Former President Donald Trump, unlike many Republicans on Capitol Hill, opposes Biden’s proxy war against the Kremlin. Contrasting himself with Biden, Trump has made clear he wants to end the Ukraine War with 24 hours of taking office. Biden has an aggregate approval rating of 41.6%, far lower than most incumbents facing reelection.. When Trump hits Biden on Ukraine, the President will be forced to repeat Democrats’ big lie that Putin seeks to take over all of Europe. No one in the EU or NATO believes Biden and Zelensky’s excuse for the war. Biden and Zelensky tell the U.S. Congress or European Parliament that Putin seeks to destroy European democracy.
Biden and Zelensky have ignored Putin’s warnings about continuing to escalate the Ukraine War. Training Ukrainian plots on F-16 or supplying them through NATO counties would be a red line for the Kremlin. Putin could make good on his warning to other European capitals, especially ones supplying Kiev with F-16s. Biden said in February that was not inclined to supply Ukraine with F-16s, realizing it could prompt Putin to attack other European capitals. Polish President Anrdrzej Duda turned from pro-Russian ally to key Kremlin adversary, turning over tanks and rocket launchers to Ukraine. When it comes to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, they’re all in support to F-16s jets to Kiev. France and other European countries aren’t sure how supplying F-16s would escalate the war, possibly jumping to other NATO countries waiting for Biden’s orders.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
