Trump finally followed through with his threats against Russia in a major way, or did he?
“Fake News” Trump Allows Ukraine to Use Long-Range Missiles
The Wall Street Journal reports U.S. Lifts Key Restriction on Ukraine’s Use of European Long-Range Missiles
The Trump administration has lifted a key restriction on Ukraine’s use of some long-range missiles provided by Western allies, enabling Kyiv to step up attacks on targets inside Russia and increase pressure on the Kremlin, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
Ukraine used a British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missile on Tuesday to strike a Russian plant in Bryansk that produced explosives and rocket fuel, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces announced on social media. It called the strike a “successful hit” that penetrated Russian air defenses.
The unannounced U.S. move to enable Kyiv to use the missile in Russia comes after authority for supporting such attacks was recently transferred from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon to the top U.S. general in Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who also serves as NATO commander.
The shift coincided with a push in early October by President Trump to pressure the Kremlin into talks on ending the war, including the possibility that he would approve sending Kyiv U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles. Trump has since backed off that proposal.
However U.S. officials said they expect Ukraine to conduct more cross-border attacks using the Storm Shadow, which is launched from Ukrainian aircraft and can travel more than 180 miles. The U.S. can restrict Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow because the missiles use American targeting data.
The Pentagon didn’t respond to requests for comment. Ukraine’s General Staff didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
After this article was published, Trump posted on social media that “the U.S.A.’s approval of Ukraine being allowed to use long range missiles deep into Russia is FAKE NEWS! The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!”
Ukraine’s renewed use of Storm Shadows isn’t a game changer on the battlefield. They have a far shorter range than U.S. Tomahawks, and have been used to strike targets in Russia before. But the missiles do enable Kyiv to expand its attacks inside Russia.
Ukraine is also carrying out attacks well inside Russia with domestically-produced drones and a small number of homegrown missiles. Many of the strikes have been directed against Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure. The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Trump has approved sharing that targeting data, which notably includes oil refineries.
“As it has shown, Ukraine is incredibly capable itself of striking deep inside Russia at legitimate military targets that enable the Kremlin’s senseless war, which is straining its economy and has killed or injured more than a million Russians,” said Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman. “It does not need our permission.”
Trump last week expressed interest in holding a second summit with Putin in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss ending the war, but talks between the two governments quickly broke down. Trump on Tuesday said such a meeting would be a “waste of time.” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday.
U.S. Imposes Substantial New Sanctions on Russian Oil Giants
Also note U.S. Imposes Substantial New Sanctions on Russian Oil Giants
President Trump has announced substantial new sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies as frustration in Washington grows over the war in Ukraine.
The new sanctions, which would be the first direct U.S. measures on Russia during the second Trump administration, target Lukoil and Rosneft as well as nearly three dozen of their subsidiaries. Oil is one of Russia’s largest sources of revenue.
The U.S. sanctions could bar foreign countries or companies from conducting business with the oil companies and cut them off from much of the international financial system.
Asked at the White House why the administration had decided to act against the companies at this stage, Trump said, “I just felt it was time. We waited a long time.” He posted the sanctions list on social media, calling on Moscow to agree to an “immediate cease-fire.”
The Treasury Department, in its sanctions notice released on Wednesday, also warned that “foreign financial institutions that conduct or facilitate significant transactions or provide any service involving Russia’s military-industrial base” also “run the risk of being sanctioned.”
Treasury added that transactions with the newly designated entities “may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions.”
“A Chinese bank, a U.A.E. oil trader, an Indian refinery—if any of them transact with those Russian companies, they could be hit with U.S. sanctions,” said Fishman.
Penalties on Russia’s ability to sell oil and energy resources are expected to significantly hit the country’s economy. “Russia’s war machine is going to take a severe hit,” said Kim Donavan, a former White House and Treasury official now with the Atlantic Council think tank. “They’re already having a hard time funding the government and military, so this will affect their ability to continue the war and could be a driving factor to pressure Putin to come to the negotiating table.”
Trump’s own sanctions strategy against Russia has run hot and cold. He has increased tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy, like India, to squeeze Moscow’s war coffers and slapped sanctions on Serbia’s main oil supplier, which is majority owned by a Russian state energy company. But he had previously expressed doubts that increasing sanctions on Moscow, which is already under severe pressure from the U.S. and Western allies, would convince Putin to change course during months of prolonged negotiations.
“I don’t know if it’s going to affect Russia, because he wants to obviously probably keep the war going,” Trump said in July. “It may or may not affect them, but it could.”
As long as China and India keep buying Russian oil, the sanctions are useless.
When the first headline on missiles hit, I thought Trump was taking serious actions.
Instead, the Journal noted Trump called it all “fake news”.
Musical Tribute
Trump’s Wishy-Washy Threats
On October 21 I commented Trump’s Wishy-Washy Idle Threats Will Prolong the War in Ukraine
Enough already. Do something, or nothing. Just stop the bluffs.
When both sides understand you are a big transparent bluffer, what incentive is there for either side to make a change?
My Stance
My stance is the US created this mess by meddling. I do not like US actions that led to this mess, or the messes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, or Vietnam.
But if you are not willing to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, there is no point in pretending that you are.
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