US military now doing onsite weapons inspections in Ukraine
By: Lolita C. Baldor (AP News via YahooNews)
Q-U-A-G-M-I-R-E
Step by step, inch by inch, the United States is being drawn into a prolonged war. And there's no way out.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON (AP) — A small number of U.S. military forces inside Ukraine have recently begun doing onsite inspections to ensure that Ukrainian troops are properly accounting for the Western-provided weapons they receive, a senior U.S. defense official told Pentagon reporters Monday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide a military update, would not say where the inspections are taking place or how close to the battlefronts the U.S. troops are getting. The official said U.S. personnel can't do inspections "close to the front lines," but said they are going where security conditions allow.
The official said there have been several inspections, and they are being done by the U.S. Defense attache and the U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation team that is in Kyiv. So far, the official said, Ukrainian officials have been transparent about the weapons' distribution and are supporting the inspections.
The effort is part of a broader U.S. campaign, announced last week by the State Department, meant to make sure that weapons provided to Ukraine don't end up in the hands of Russian troops, their proxies or other extremist groups.
Earlier this year, the U.S. said a small number of U.S. military troops had returned to the embassy in Kyiv to do security and other tasks. U.S. President Joe Biden has ruled out any combat role for U.S. forces inside Ukraine.
U.S. officials have faced persistent questions from some members of Congress over how the administration is accounting for the billions of dollars in arms that have been sent to Ukraine over the past year. But the administration had been reluctant to detail its work on that front due to concerns about the state of the conflict and fears it might tip off would-be smugglers to potential evasion techniques.
The State Department plan includes short-, medium- and longer-term initiatives to bolster U.S. and Ukrainian oversight of transferred weapons, particularly more advanced missile systems and anti-aircraft devices, as well as to improve Ukraine's aviation and border security to combat the misuse of weapons and prevent possible arms trafficking.
The State Department said that so far Ukraine's intense demand for weapons on the battlefield appears to be impeding black-market proliferation of small arms, portable air defense systems and anti-tank weapons such as Javelins. It said the main problem has been the seizure of weapons by Russian forces as they take ground, and warned that Moscow can use them to develop countermeasures or conduct false-flag operations.
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The more assistance the United States feeds into the Ukrainian war, the greater the risks. Has anyone been talking about how to end this war?
This may not end well. It was little teams like this that got us involved in Bosnia and Kosovo.
We should all surrender to the bullies of the world because the risks are greater if we piss them off?
Yes, when Russia takes it's toys and goes home the war will be over.
Are you kidding? It's an opportunity for this dumpster fire administration to point to Ukraine and say "see what we are doing to help" all the while running our country in to the gutter.
“The more assistance the United States feeds into the Ukrainian war, the greater the risks.”
And should the GOP gain control of Congress and the rhetoric becomes reality and funding ceases, which is greater…the risk to the Ukrainians or our loss of respect?
Obviously both. No winners in that very real possibility other than Putin.
First, the world already lost respect for the US after Brandon's botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Think Putin would have pulled this shit if Brandon hadn't made the US look so weak and incompetent against the Taliban?
Second, how much fucking money and resources do chicken hawk Democrats want to waste in Ukraine? Party of fiscal responsibility; what complete and utter bullshit! We all know leftists have a hard on for Russia ever since 2016. Sorry, Putin didn't change a single damn vote. Hillary lost because she ignored fly over country completely; and called anyone that wasn't with her "deplorables". She lost to Trump for fucks sake. How much more hated and pitiful can she be?
How about all of the newly minted Democrat and leftist chicken hawks nut up and go over and fight in Ukraine? I am sure they will love being assigned to Ukraine units; some of which are run and mainly manned by fascists. They may even run into some of their hated rival US fascists from the Proud Boys and other groups that are already fighting over there. Just make sure to renounce US citizenship and drop all identification into the nearest dumpster fire once you arrive. Don't want to give Putin any more hostage leverage; or make him any more unhinged.
Find out if rioting in US cities is the same as fighting in a real war where the enemy actually fights back with everything at their disposal.
You must have missed other allied countries in Afghanistan had the same results.
Either we fight them by proxy here or we fight them in a NATO country down the road with our own troops. Which would you prefer?
The Russians are barely fighting back at all. Their soldiers/conscripts are increasingly unwilling to die for a lost cause
You must have missed that our allies were royally pissed at Brandon for his botched pullout. Our allies followed our lead. Brandon never had an exit plan. Just tuck tail and run before his extended deadline.
Not even Brandon's own commanders agree with his decisions.
Where have I heard that before? Oh that is right. North Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and any other shithole they like to dump US resources into the bottomless pit of eternal foreign policy stupidity. How did all of those end? Was it worth it? Did the dominoes fall when North Korea was still left standing? How about Vietnam- did communism spread all over the world when it fell? How about Iraq- that turned out great! We handed that country to Iran on a silver platter! Created a brand new terrorist organization that has spread world wide in ISIS/ISIL- guess Al Qaeda was too damn weak for them. And we still have troops there protecting British and French oil; and getting attacked regularly by Iranian militias and missiles. What a fucking deal! Libya turned out great as well. We removed Gaddafi and allowed a corrupt weak government to take over- along with the very terrorist organizations we are fighting to take over! We still have troops sitting on Syrian oil; and play wack-a-terrorist. What is the end game there? Wait around an see if the Turks, Russians, and Iranians find a way to take out our troops first? ISIS/ISIL just moved on to Lebanon and Libya (which they can't thank Obama enough for).
Russia can't even defeat a hastily trained thrown together Ukraine military. You think they are going to hit a NATO country? Get fucking real- we would tear them a new one by ourselves. The last thing Putin wants is a confrontation with the US- otherwise he would have already attacked our supply lines and troops in Ukraine. He knows were they are at. He has threatened repeatedly to kill any US personnel in Ukraine- yet has done nothing. He hasn't even attacked Ukrainian foreign military training centers. He knows Americans are there- he doesn't want to risk the response from the US killing them- nor attacking so close to NATO country borders.
Russia needs to learn how to fight a modern war before they can be taken seriously as a threat.
Did other allied countries abandon hundreds of their citizens? The attitude toward Biden here at Fort Bragg is not pleasant in the least. Especially those in the 82d Airborne that had to go back and attempt to clean up the clusterfuck that stammering idiot caused.
Risk of what? Should the US let Putin have his way?
We're in it until Putin gives up....Russia doesn't have the resources or commitment to keep this up for much longer
Never stopped Putin before. Won't stop him now.
Russia has much bigger and more powerful weapons it can deploy if Putin so desires.
Those thinking some pro Western leader will oust Putin haven't followed history. Since the US/NATO fucked Gorbachev over Russian leaders have become more and more anti west hard liners. They aren't going to change now.
Russia doesn't need troops in Ukraine to attack Kyiv. Ballistic missiles are quite capable of carrying conventional munitions. Russia has the capability to attack Kyiv from Siberia. And we're supposed to believe that a Russian military defeat inside Ukraine will end the war??
It's rather amazing that Russia is completely ignorant of the suite of munitions deployed against a civilian population by the United States in Vietnam. Napalm. Agent orange. Anti-personnel mines. Percussion bombs. Of course, now the United States considers those types of munitions terror weapons.
A little damn late for that isn't it? With the flood of weapons entering Ukraine the time for figuring out to track and account for weapons was before sending the first one. I am sure with how corrupt Ukraine's government is (anyone think the war has change that?); many of the weapons have disappeared never to be seen again to fascists groups; independent mercenaries; and maybe a few even slipped over to the Russians to be reverse engineered later.
Zelensky had better hope those Fascist militias they integrated into the Ukraine military don't decide to stage a coup of their own. He would get to experience first hand the destruction those US weapons can cause. Also find out that a small, heavily armed, determined faction can take over a country.
Either was we are not getting our weapons back; or if we do they will not be in good working order and might be cheaper to scrap than salvage. Ukraine will never repay us for this. But they will eagerly stick our their arms palms up for our money to rebuild their country.
WTF do we get from them again? Outside of a great place for politicians to send their family and friends to cash in on their names and political clout. The amount of money flowing to Ukraine after the war will again make it a hot spot.
Is it me or do we seem to always have this problem with every military 'action' we are involved in.