Putin’s Ukraine invasion drags Russians into meaningless European conflict
Dear Reader,
Last week, what I hoped would not have happened – despite acknowledging all the evidence to the contrary – happened. President Vladimir Putin ignored all attempts to negotiate and ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine on the pretext that joining NATO would pose a threat to Russia’s security.
This is not a war that ordinary Russian citizens want or support. But, as has been proven time and again, when unpopularity at home rises, tyrants try to rally ordinary citizens under the banner of nationalism. Putin’s political opponent, Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and then jailed on false charges, and his swift condemnation of Putin’s actions may have further harshly extended his sentence.
Thanks to digital communications and social media, the lies that Russia’s government-controlled state media tells its citizens every day can now be seen. Russians are now frequent travelers and can see a rapid increase in international condemnation of cancelled flights, travel restrictions and a slump in the ruble. More economic hardship is fast approaching.
Putin’s decisions are increasingly unstable. Sunday’s announcement that he had instructed the military to place its nuclear deterrent on “high alert” was unfounded, inflammatory and strategically dangerous. No country threatens Russia. There was no massing of troops on the Russian border. More importantly, Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and NATO has said it will not send armed forces to Ukraine. NATO is strengthening its membership just to guard against any further incursions that Putin might consider, especially against the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
The international community outside NATO should see this and call on Russia to end this senseless invasion, if only for self-interest and the restoration of global stability.
thanks for reading,
Andrew DeVega
think for a week
“When you attack us, you see our faces, not our backs” — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
NATO – fact-checking Russia’s claims
The following excerpts are taken from the NATO website. Unlike Russia, all statements can be independently checked by the international media and held accountable. Its title is:
Myth 1: NATO promises Russia that it will not expand after the Cold War
Fact: Such an agreement has never been reached. Since its founding in 1949, NATO’s doors have been open to new members—and that hasn’t changed. This “Open Door Policy” is enshrined in Article 10 of NATO’s founding treaty, which states that “any other European country capable of advancing the treaty’s principles and contributing to the security of the North Atlantic” may apply to join. Membership decisions are made by consensus among all allies. None of the treaties signed by the United States, Europe and Russia contain a clause on joining NATO.
In 1989, the idea of NATO expansion beyond a unified Germany was not on the agenda, especially with the Warsaw Pact still in place. This was confirmed by Mikhail Gorbachev in a 2014 interview: “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, nor was it brought up in those years. Full responsibility says so. “Even after the 1991 Warsaw Pact ceased to exist, not a single Eastern European country raised the issue. Western leaders have not raised the issue either. “
Declassified White House records also show that, in 1997, Bill Clinton consistently rejected Boris Yeltsin’s “gentlemen’s agreement” that former Soviet republics would not join NATO: “I cannot make a statement on behalf of NATO. Commitment, and I will not myself be in a position to veto NATO expansion for any country, let alone let you or anyone else do it…NATO operates by consensus.”
Myth 2: NATO is aggressive and poses a threat to Russia
Fact: NATO is a defensive alliance whose purpose is to protect our members. NATO’s official policy is that “the alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia”. NATO did not invade Georgia; NATO did not invade Ukraine. Russia did it.
NATO has been openly engaging with Russia for the past 30 years. We have collaborated on issues ranging from anti-narcotics and counterterrorism to submarine rescue and civil contingency planning — even during NATO expansion. In 2014, however, NATO suspended pragmatic cooperation with Russia in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. We do not seek confrontation, but we cannot ignore that Russia violates international rules and undermines our stability and security.
In response to Russia’s use of force against Ukraine, NATO deployed four multinational battle groups to the Baltic states and Poland in 2016. These forces are not permanently stationed in the region, in line with the allies’ international commitments, with a strength of around 5,000 troops. They do not pose a threat to Russia’s 1 million-strong military. Before Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, there were no Allied troops in the eastern part of the Union.
NATO remains open to meaningful dialogue with Russia. That’s why NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has invited all members of the NATO-Russia Council to a series of meetings to discuss European security issues, including the situation in and around Ukraine, NATO-Russia relations, and arms control and defense Diffusion problem.
Myth 3: Ukraine cannot join NATO
Fact: NATO allies welcome Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, and they support the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest summit that Ukraine would become a NATO member.
The decision to join NATO is up to each applicant and 30 NATO allies. There is no one else. Russia has no right to interfere or veto the process.
Like every country, Ukraine has the sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements. This is a fundamental principle of European security, which Russia has also signed, including through the Helsinki Final Act (1975), the Paris Charter (1990), the NATO-Russia Establishment Act (1997) and the European Charter for Security (1999) year).
This full article and more can be found at:
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/115204.htm#myths
Major U.S. Arms Sales (Defense Security Cooperation Agency – DSCA).
22 February – Australia, LAIRCM Line Replaceable Unit (LRU)
The State Department has approved a possible sale of the LAIRCM line replaceable unit (LRU) and related equipment to the Australian government at an estimated cost of $122 million.
22 February – Design and construction of the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense of Kuwait
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale to the government of Kuwait of potential foreign military equipment for the design and construction of the Kuwait Department of Defense headquarters building and related equipment at an estimated cost of $1 billion.
U.S. government contracts
Highlights major equipment and support contracts and selections for foreign military sales for the period February 21-25, 2022. This list is an editor’s choice and is arbitrary.
February 25
American armies
Oshkosh Defense was awarded a $9.9 million contract for commercial semi-trailers. 2022 foreign military sales Funding of $9.9 million was committed at the time of award. U.S. Army Contracting Command is a contracting activity.
US Navy
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $49.2 million order to provide long-range anti-ship missile integration and testing work for the Australian Government’s Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 E/F aircraft. Work will be completed by March 2026. foreign military sales Funding of $49.2 million will be undertaken upon award. Naval Air Systems Command is a contracting activity.
Zenetex has been awarded an $8.1 million retrofit contract with an option to provide contractor support services for the Australian Government’s MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. foreign military sales Funding of $8.1 million will be disbursed upon award. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division is a contracting activity.
February 24
American armies
FITT-PDS JV; Advanced Technology Leader; TopSarge Business Solutions; and Flatter will compete for each order of a $120 million contract for instructors, training, support and development services. The U.S. Army Field Service Office is a contracting activity.
US Navy
General Dynamics Electric Boat Awarded $108M Smart Start Maintenance, Repair and Modernization Contract to Support USS Hartford (SSN 768) Engineering Overhaul. Naval Sea Systems Command is a contracting activity. (Awarded 18 February 2022)
US Air Force
Leidos has been awarded a $26.9 million contract to develop a full-fledged prototype based on a first-generation technology demonstrator, a high-power microwave (HPM) counter-unmanned aerial system (cUAS) prototype. Air Force Research Laboratory is a contracting activity.
February 23
US Air Force
FlightSafety International Defense has been awarded a $32 million conversion contract to execute the KC-46 Aircrew Training System (ATS) Production Year 7 option. Contract modifications are for additional weapon systems trainers, boom operator trainers, airframe trainers, pilot part-mission trainers, support equipment, McCord site activation, systems engineering and program management, summative assessments and new refresher training The exercise scenario for the option contract line item number. The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center is a contracting activity.
US Navy
Sikorsky has been awarded a $36 million order for the redesigned CH-53K Flight Control Computer (FCC) due to obsolescence and will include non-repetitive engineering for the integration, testing and certification of the updated FCC Work. The redesigned FCC will undergo qualification testing to ensure that all changes meet the performance requirements of the current CH-53K FCC Technical Requirements Specification and maintain backward compatibility at the crew level with all CH-53K flight control system hardware and software interfaces. Work is expected to be completed by September 2025. Naval Air Systems Command is a contracting activity.
February 22
American armies
Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $48.3 million contract to provide development design and risk mitigation engineering work for airborne VLF system modernization in support of the Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) program ability requirements. This risk reduction effort is in response to the requirement to integrate very low frequencies into the C-130 aircraft. Naval Air Systems Command is a contracting activity.
renew: Contract modification announced on December 28, 2021, valued at $492 million, awarded to Lockheed Martin Aerospace to exercise option to deliver combined F-35 Lightning IIs for Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and non-U.S. sectors Strike Fighter Systems providing logistical support to defense participants and foreign military sales customers has been revised to $2.1 billion.
event confirmation
World Defense Exhibition
6-9 March, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. .
DIMDEX
21-23 March, Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), Doha, Qatar.
Asian Defense Services
28-31 March 2022, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
QUAD-A
Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit,
April 3-5, Nashville, TN, USA
thanks for reading,
Andrew DeVega
chief editor
International Armada/Asian Military Review
