LARRY JOHNSON—Ignore the fact the Russia has stepped up its missile strikes on key infrastructure during the past two months. If Ukraine’s tanks are moving and the Russians are losing, according to Lipson, then why does Ukraine desperately need hundreds of tanks from the West? If Ukraine is winning and Russia is being defeated on the battlefield, why is the West not preparing its victory party? Cobbling together a failed NATO summit in Ramstein this past week is not a sign that the West is confident of Ukraine’s military prospects.
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LARRY JOHNSON—This is a perfect example of art reflecting reality with respect to the Ukrainian military effort. Russian advances are not confined to Bakhmut and Soledar. Russia is expanding its bridgehead in the direction of Seversk (which is north of Soledar) and is attacking the villages of Razdolovka, Nikolaevka, Vesely, Vyemka, and Ivano-Daryevka. An impressive display of combat prowess by a supposedly spent force of ex-convicts.
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ANDREW KORYBKO—In remarks that he made while in Buenos Aires on Monday, one of the literal founders of BRICS shockingly declared that “In the same way that I am against the territorial occupation, as Russia did to Ukraine, I am against too much interference in the Venezuelan process.” Quite clearly, Lula was implying that Russia’s military efforts to restore the integrity of its national security red lines in Ukraine after NATO crossed them there are morally equivalent to the US’ unprovoked Hybrid War aggression against Venezuela.
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ANDREI MARTYANOV—I am on record, remember? US and NATO cannot do strategy, they never could after WW II. It is a cold hard fact of life. Sure, they love to use the term “strategy” but very few in the military-political top in the US have a grasp of what it is. So, what can I say–I already get flack for my pointing out that John Mearsheimer has no clue about strategy, Russia, and balance of power–he doesn’t have a toolset, as wouldn’t any political “scientist”, to grasp it. His early 1970s background from USMA at West Point and a few years in the USAF are radically not enough, especially lacking serious military engineering background, for understanding modern operations.
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THE SAKER—Furthermore, I also think that Russia, China and Iran should create a multi-national observer battalion ready to be deployed in combat areas which involve Russian, Chinese or Iranian interests. Further down the road, these three countries could invite other countries, but only if their national leaders have true sovereignty and are not comprador administrators for their colonial masters.
