A Biden administration official recently briefed members of Congress that following Ukraine's success in retaking Kherson, the path to liberating Crimea is clear.
But that doesn't mean a fight for the strategically important peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, wouldn't come at a cost.
Beyond the loss and life and property, some U.S. officials worry that such a move would force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons.
NBC News reports:
The late November Ukraine briefing to some members of Congress included discussion of the reasons Ukraine will continue to need U.S. weapons and equipment for the foreseeable future. The two officials said a Biden official, when asked during the briefing about continued support for the Ukrainian military and whether it would try to retake Crimea, responded that Ukraine now has the ability to take it back.
Asked about the response, a U.S. official said that Ukraine has no near-term objective to retake Crimea and that a military offensive is not imminent but did acknowledge that Ukraine has shown resilience and perseverance throughout the war. Administration officials say they believe three recent deadly drone strikes against Russian military bases were carried out by Ukrainians, although they say it's still not clear whether the Zelenskyy government ordered them directly.
In October, a truck bomb caused the partial collapse of a 12-mile bridge connecting Crimea with the rest of Russia. Moscow is working quickly to repair the bridge, which functions as the main artery supplying Russian forces in Southern Ukraine.
NBC News continues:
Washington and other governments have provided Kyiv with more powerful weapons, including HIMARS artillery, that have inflicted serious damage on Russian forces. U.S. and Western perceptions of Ukraine's armed forces have changed since the February invasion, when U.S. and European officials worried Russian troops and tanks would crush their adversaries in a matter of days or weeks. Senior U.S. military officers and Western governments say Ukraine has shown ingenuity and grit in fighting a larger, better-armed military and quickly incorporated new weapons systems provided by NATO members.
The Biden administration is reportedly close to a decision on giving Zelenskyy Patriot missile defense systems. Meanwhile, Russia launched the largest missile salvo of the war so far against Kyiv on Friday.
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More BS western propaganda. Russia will annex most of Ukraine before the end on winter 2022.The U.S. has no legitimate reason for provoking this war. They are war mongers, plain and simple.
Sebastapol is in Crimea. It has a huge Russian naval port, that has been home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet since Russia has had a navy.
In 2013, when Soros and other kingmakers triggered a (US backed) coup to overthrow the elected, albeit corrupt, government, they stood up a radical left replacement that was (and still is) anti Russian.
This government began publicly pronouncing its intent to throw Russia out of Sebastapol and turn it over to NATO.
That, to the Russians, is the equivalent of the Hawaiians throwing the US Navy out of Pearl Harbor and turning it over to the Chinese.
Such threats and the outright hostility and violence against native Russian speaking Ukrainians, convinced Russia to occupy Crimea and ultimately support autonomy for the eastern Ukrainian (formerly Russian) Oblasts.
That, and anyone paying attention to what is happening, beyond the talking heads of the Lie Factories from the Ministry of Truth, that we affectionately call the mainstream media, would realize how precarious the Ukraine’s position really is. And how ludicrous the fantasy of the Ukraine seizing Crimea appears.
Actually, it would be more like Hawaii kicking the Chinese navy out and turning it over to the US.
Ukraine claimed that they shot down 60 of the 77 missiles.
Ukraine should be given the tools to not only retake its country back, but to strike Russia itself. Putin and the Russians are hitting non military targets intentionally. The origin of those strikes are fair targets for Ukraine.
Send your children to fight.
I agree. All of these warmongers need to suit-up and take their children with them. You don’t see the thugs in DC sending their kids for these stupid wars.
The only way to stop Russia’s constant attack on civilians is to give Ukraine the Mig -29’s, German and/or U.S. Abrams tanks, and the more lethal and long range ATCKM ammunition, so Ukraine can compete on an equal footing. Right now they are outgunned by Russia’s use of cruise missiles and artillery. They need to be able to hit them where they are fired from.
Hey Patrick Houck, what kind of drugs were you on when you wrote this fiction?
I don’t care what Ukraine or crimea do. The USA needs to STOP sending money to launder to Zelensky.
Whatever is transpiring, remember the dictum of Winston Churchill: ‘In time of war, the first casualty is the truth (or words to this effect).’