Russia is massing as many as 500,000 troops on the border with Ukraine ahead of the war’s one-year anniversary on Feb. 24. Ukraine may be able to get a few of the 30 or so tanks that have been promised, but that is a far cry from the 1,800 tanks and 700 aircraft Russia is preparing.
Colonel Richard Kemp, formerly attached to the Joint Intelligence Committee and COBRA at the Cabinet Office and former commander of British forces in Afghanistan said that the West “must be prepared for significant Russian gains in the coming weeks.”
Look at what Russia were able to do in WWII during the Battle of Stalingrad. The Russians were pushed back, but they held off the German army. From August 1942 through February 1943, more than two million troops fought in close quarters, with millions dying, including tens of thousands of Russian civilians. Russians have never forgotten the tanks with the Iron Cross – and now tanks with the same markings are heading to Ukraine.
President Joe Biden said that the United States is united in support for Ukraine as it opposes a Russian invasion, and that the U.S. will stand with Ukraine “as long as it takes.” With the 2024 elections looming, this really gives the Democrats, and especially Biden, very little room to back down – especially after the disastrous capitulation in Afghanistan.
So, where does this all leave us? The chances for peace seem slim. The US alone has sent $200 billion into Ukraine, and there are certainly US trained troops fighting on the ground. The 101st airborne is sitting in Romania ready to deploy if ordered, and The United States has told its citizens to “leave Russia immediately.” It seems far more likely that Russia will roll through the Ukraine in the next few weeks. The question is what will be the response of the US?