In a dramatic turn of events, Russia’s new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, reached out to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with alarming news: Russia suspected a covert Ukrainian operation against them had U.S. backing. This unexpected call, which came after several years of limited communication, threw the Pentagon into a frenzy as officials scrambled to clarify the situation and prevent any potential escalation. Despite Ukraine’s secretive military maneuvers causing tension, including strikes deep inside Russia, the real story is the fraught diplomacy behind the scenes as the U.S. and Russia navigate this high-stakes game of military and political chess.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III received an odd request earlier this month from an unexpected caller: a request to speak with his Russian colleague.
Only five times since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 had Mr. Austin had a phone conversation with Russia’s military minister, nearly all at the Pentagon’s request and frequently in an attempt to prevent errors in judgment that may cause the crisis to worsen reports the New York Times.
Just a few weeks prior, on June 25, Mr. Austin had made contact with Andrei Belousov, Russia’s new defense minister, in an attempt to keep “lines of communication open,” according to the Pentagon. This was the first time the two men had spoken on the phone since Mr. Belousov, an economist, took over as Russia’s defense minister instead of Sergei K. Shoigu during a Kremlin purge in May.
Now, on July 12, two U.S. officials and one other person briefed on the call claim that Mr. Belousov was calling to convey a warning: The Russians had discovered a clandestine operation being planned by the Ukrainians against Russia, which they assumed had American approval. Mr. Belousov questioned Mr. Austin about the plot’s potential to escalate relations between Washington and Moscow and whether the Pentagon was aware of it.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to disclose the private phone conversation, the two U.S. officials stated that they were taken aback by the allegation and had never heard of any such scheme. However, all three officials stated that whatever Mr. Belousov disclosed was regarded seriously enough that the Americans got in touch with the Ukrainians and basically said, if you’re thinking about doing something like this, don’t.
Even though Ukraine is heavily dependent on the US for diplomatic, military, and intelligence support, Ukrainian officials occasionally withhold information from their US counterparts regarding their military operations, particularly those that involve strikes against Russian targets hidden behind enemy lines. U.S. officials are dissatisfied with these operations because they think they haven’t significantly strengthened Ukraine’s position in the conflict and run the danger of upsetting European allies and escalating the conflict.
Drone attacks deep inside Russia, a truck bombing that partially destroyed the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, and an attack on a Russian air base on the western coast of Crimea have all been actions over the past two years that have unsettled the United States.
Such strikes are frequently referred to as “terrorist attacks” by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, and the Kremlin cites them as support for Mr. Putin’s baseless assertion that his special military operation in Ukraine is a defensive war. Russian authorities openly maintain that such strikes would not be possible without U.S. authorization and support, despite American denials.
It’s still unclear what shape the purported Ukrainian plot this month took and whether it was serious and impending. White House and Pentagon officials claim that nothing has transpired as of yet. They have emphasized the importance of communication amongst enemies but declined to provide a detailed description of the call.
“During the call, the secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters hours after the conversation on July 12.
Pentagon officials would to comment on whether Mr. Austin discussed the issue with his counterpart from Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, over the phone on Tuesday.
Following the contact on July 12, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement confirming that Mr. Belousov was the one who started it and stating that “the issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed.” However, there was no mention of a possible clandestine mission by Ukraine in the statement.
Officials from Ukraine declined to comment on the situation. Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and the Kremlin declined to comment on this issue.
The infrequent behind-the-scenes look into a delicate phone chat between defense ministers shows how much more frequently private discussions between US and Russian officials go unreported. … the covert ways in which the US and Russia attempt to control the dangers of escalation.
For example, Mr. Austin “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine” in the phone conversation he had with Mr. Belousov last month, according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder.
General Ryder stated that Mr. Austin made the initial call and that he “believes that keeping lines of communication open is important.”
The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement over the same call, stating that Mr. Austin and Mr. Belousov “exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine.” “Pointed to the danger of further escalation of the situation in connection with the continued supply of American weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the statement said, quoting Mr. Belousov.
Amidst escalating tensions in Ukraine, Mr. Austin reportedly cautioned his Russian counterpart not to jeopardize American troops stationed in Europe, according to two individuals who were aware of the conversation.
Four days later, in reaction to evasive warnings from the Kremlin regarding Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles on Russian soil, US defense authorities increased the security alert level at US military installations in Europe.
According to US authorities, no particular intelligence regarding potential Russian assaults on US bases has been gathered. Whether overt or covert, such a strike by Russia would represent a major uptick in its confrontation with Ukraine.
Russia has increased its sabotage activities in Europe to obstruct the supply of supplies to Ukraine. Although the attacks have not yet targeted any American bases, U.S. authorities stated that increasing the alert level would assist in guaranteeing that servicemen were on guard.
Then there were the phone calls between Mr. Austin and Mr. Shoigu on October 21, 2022, and October 23, 2022; the Americans sought the first call, while the Russians requested the second.
“Secretary Austin rejected any pretext for Russian escalation and reaffirmed the value of continued communication amid Russia’s unlawful and unjustified war against Ukraine,” read the Pentagon’s report of the second call.
A week later, three senior American sources told The New York Times that senior Russian military authorities had recently discussed when and how Moscow may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
The new information came to light as Moscow was spreading the unfounded rumor that Ukraine intended to use a “dirty bomb,” which is a conventional explosion tainted with radioactive material.
The talks between Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and his generals took place at a time when Russia was facing setbacks on the battlefield and ramping up its rhetoric about nuclear weapons.
However, the Biden administration was concerned that senior Russian military officers were even holding these conversations, since it demonstrated their frustration over their failures in Ukraine and raised the possibility that Mr. Putin’s implied threats to use nuclear weapons were more than simply empty words.
Biden administration officials and U.S. allies stated at the time that phone conversations between Western and Russian counterparts in late October helped reduce some of the nuclear tensions, even if there was still a high potential for additional escalation.
According to RAND Corporation Russia expert Samuel Charap, “These calls are about avoiding worst-case outcomes in a relationship that could potentially go over the edge.”
Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that in a dramatic speech at London’s prestigious RUSI conference, Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s exiled former commander-in-chief turned ambassador, warned the world about the looming threat of World War III.
One Response
Since the whole Ukraine SNAFU is a cover for the biden/democrat deep state CCE, nothing is out of the realm of possibility on the U.S. side. From now on, in every conflict, the politicians who started it should be forced to be the first across the line of departure!