US Fears Ukraine War Spreading To Russia
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Worthy News) – The United States expressed concern Thursday about growing evidence that U.S. military equipment provided to Ukraine is used to carry out attacks inside Russian territory amid fears it could lead to a nuclear confrontation.
Moscow claimed it had killed 70 members of pro-Ukrainian militia, which used U.S. armored vehicles to enter Russia from neighboring Ukraine.
American Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added his office was looking into social media imagery of vehicles and military hardware in a cross-border incursion on Monday by militia in the Russian region of Belgorod.
“I can’t say with definitive accuracy right this minute to you whether that – and I saw the same video – whether that’s U.S. supplied equipment or not, what was the nature of the attack, who did what to whom,” Milley told reporters at the Pentagon in Washington.
“I can’t say that with definitiveness right this minute, but I can say that we have asked the Ukrainians not to use U.S.-supplied equipment for direct attacks into Russia.”
Footage of some destroyed vehicles released by the Russian defense ministry showed U.S.-made military hardware such as Humvee military trucks.
Reporters could confirm the location of damaged vehicles and surrounding details shown in the video, though not verify the date it was filmed.
Ukraine’s government has denied any role in the Belgorod raid.
BILLIONS PROVIDED
Washington has provided billions of dollars of military assistance to Kyiv but has sought to restrict its use to defend Ukrainian territory rather than attacks on Russian soil.
American officials say that could potentially be used as a reason for the Kremlin to escalate the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rules the world’s most extensive nuclear power, repeatedly cautioned the West that any attack on Russia could provoke a nuclear response.
As tensions mounted, Russia and Belarus signed a deal Thursday formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally.
Belarus borders Ukraine and several countries of the NATO military alliance, including Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
Putin said that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States, noting that the U.S. has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms, and training their crews,” Putin told state television over the weekend. “We are going to do the same thing.”
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.