Volodymyr Zelensky is prepared to ignore Russia’s nuclear threats. But the Biden administration is still wary of escalating the war.
Already a subscriber?With its Kursk offensive, Ukraine has not only crossed Russia’s borders. It has also crossed red lines set in Washington.
As a result, there is a different appetite for risk in Washington and Kyiv. The US has been consistently cautious about the kinds of weapons it supplies to Ukraine. When HIMARS long-range missiles were first supplied to Ukraine, the Biden administration placed limits on how far they could be fired. Ukrainians prepare to fire rockets towards Russian positions near Chasiv Yar town, in Donetsk region.With the Kursk offensive, the Ukrainians have taken a leaf out of Israel’s book– by taking military action that has not been approved in Washington. The assumption by both Ukraine and Israel is that, if the action is successful, it will receive retrospective approval by America. If it fails, the US will ultimately help them deal with the consequences.
The Americans point to that warning by Sullivan to refute the idea that they simply folded in the face of Russian threats. Rather than respecting Russia’s red lines, the US and its allies have gradually tiptoed over them – testing how far Putin could be pushed through gradual escalation.
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