The Pentagon is deploying military equipment to the Middle East on an unprecedented scale. Military portals report that at least 53 C17 Globemaster III and 7 C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft have recently arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Before that, Washington sent two aircraft carrier strike groups there, and Britain sent one. And all this armada is not seeking to strengthen Israel in its war against Hamas.
US President Joe Biden has announced an escalation of rivalry between America and its allies and the "axis of dictatorships:" Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. This is why the White House is underlining the importance of coordinating military developments in Ukraine and the Middle East, as Politico reports, viewing them as two interlinked fronts in the same conflict.
“In the near future, Taiwan may become the site of a third conflict. And now North Korea has decided to scare South Korea with its antique army.”
China is rapidly building up its military potential, and its naval forces are already surpassing the size of the US Navy. Russia, in turn, is increasing the production of armored vehicles and mobilizing its forces.
It is obvious that America's opponents are preparing for war. Experts say that China and Russia are building their armed forces up with the aim of attacking, not deterring.
The Americans seem to have learned the lesson of the Ruscist war against Ukraine: delay is costly.
Many experts are now writing that the slow Ukrainian counteroffensive is prompting the United States to reconsider its defense spending, and not just the United States: given the new realities, the current scale of Europe's armed forces is not sufficient. The EU must rebuild its armies and increase defense spending and be prepared for a prolonged period of instability.
The United States is playing proactively, preparing to counter the entire "axis of dictatorships." After all, the Pentagon has already stated that it will not participate in an Israeli ground operation, which means that all American efforts are directed at Iran and its satellites in the region.
“I don't even exclude the possibility that the United States will preventively attack the "ayatollah" because it is easier than fighting off the next attacks by pro-Iranian terrorists.”
It is worth paying attention to the squabble between Republicans and Democrats over aid to Ukraine: the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, decided to split aid to Ukraine and Israel, and Biden stomped his foot, promising to veto funds for Jerusalem if Kyiv is ignored.
The White House's logic is clear: there is only one war, but it is divided into two areas, and Biden cannot fight global authoritarianism while ending up with a second front opened by the Trumpists.
The US president was supported by Senate Republican leader Mitchell McConnell, who also voted for maintaining a comprehensive package of aid to Israel and Ukraine. Kudos to McConnell in this regard, who has departed from his typically cautious style of helping Ukraine and is spending political capital for a country in a war zone. Politico: "He's going out of his way to support Kyiv, despite divisions within the Republican Party.”
The Trumpists responded in an unconventional way: they are ready to approve aid to Ukraine if the Biden administration shows them a strategy for victory, not just a check. The Republicans also wanted a full-fledged sanctions policy against Russia by the United States and NATO, including a ban on all types of oil and oil products, grain, and minerals. They also asked about frontline reports and the return of Crimea - all the questions that any Ukrainian would want answered.
If the US Democrats had been so decisive a year and a half ago, the situation in Russia's war against Ukraine would have developed in a completely different way. But even today, the day before Cuban Missile Crisis 2, it is important that the White House has become proactive. Everything else will depend on the November meeting between the leaders of the United States and China.
About the author. Orest Sohar, journalist, editor-in-chief of Obozrevatel.
The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.