Analyst: Russia rushing into offensive as quickly as possible as losses and debts mount

Analyst: Russia rushing into offensive as quickly as possible as losses and debts mount

moving on Moscow has issued orders to
increase weapons and ammunition
production this comes in the wake of the
passing of the $61 billion of military
aid by US President Joe Biden that’s the
famous package that was blocked uh in
Congress for many months there are un
investigations underway to confirm if
North Korean arms have been used by
Russia who already of course use Iranian
shahad attack drones to strike Ukraine’s
cities so Russia already has a supply
coming in and is now seeking to it seems
almost double its spending on weapons
and ammunition let’s bring in now for
analysis Jacob halron who’s editor of
the national interest magazine and from
the Atlantic Council joining us live
from Washington DC Jacob thanks for
being with us um how do you read this
news about Russia increasing production
what do you see behind that well Mr
Putin has decided to move in a
totalitarian Direction and part of that
is to put the entire Russian economy on
a war footing and to greatly increase
expenditures on armaments and neglect
the economy the larger economy in the
Russian standard of living and this is
one of the things isn’t it because yes
there will be people who work in those
sectors and they you know may may get
bonuses they may earn money but on the
whole as you just pointed out that takes
a lot of cash away from the broader
public doesn’t it it does indeed and the
Russian economy while it has managed to
uh Prosper more than I think the Biden
Administration initially predicted I
think the chickens are coming home to
roost for Russia over the next year or
two as Russian debts continue to Mount
And as more of the Russian resources are
put into what is essentially a colossal
waste of money are we essentially now
then in in a Race Against Time because
clearly the the money that was blocked
in Congress by the Trump caucus let’s
call it that that’s 6 1 billion of of
military aid now coming to going to ke
from from Washington that’s going to
happen but it doesn’t mean overnight
that ammunition is there does it it
doesn’t mean overnight the resources are
there Russia too trying to now to boost
their resources too it has it now
basically become a Race Against Time to
get the the troops armed to make
progress on the battlefield definitely
and you can see that the Russians are
trying to go on the offensive as quickly
as they can but the Russ that the
ukrainians have been using these
long-range missiles that they’ve
acquired
from the United States and other
countries to Target Russia behind the
lines I understand that the Russians are
now back to losing a thousand or more
men a day a thousand or more a day it is
an absolutely astonishing figure um
Lloyd Austin Jacob a few days ago uh
talking about the US defense secretary
um has called on countries that have um
it sounds strange to say but spare
Patriot missile systems to donate them
to Ukraine um one wonders why this
hasn’t happened sooner and will that be
enough
it it’s never enough but it’s absolutely
vital since Ukraine has been neglected
for months particularly by the United
States and the Russians have been
systematically targeting the energy
sector in Ukraine and definitely hurting
the Ukrainian economy and the morale
with the new Biden package I think
Ukraine can reverse both the morale and
its losses on the ground we’ve had this
evening a strike uh by Ukraine on the
power sector in the K region of Russia
we’ve had a Russian strike on the Nova
POA postal company uh which apparently
has resulted in no casualties just a
little update about what’s happening
because things are still carrying on as
we’re talking clearly um this situation
of
course let’s go back to what Vladimir
zeni was saying when NATO jumped uh to
help Israel when Israel was being
attacked by Iran um without talking
about whe whether that was right or
wrong seninsky was pointing out of
course why can’t the same favor be
afforded to Ukraine
should NATO do
that no I think we do have to exercise
some caution because we’re talking about
potentially becoming a meshed in a
direct conflict with Russia that’s the
red line that Joe Biden is never going
to cross but he has he keeps pushing
more and more sending the long range
missiles to Ukraine is a definitely a
much more aggressive move than he was
willing to comp contemplate
previously that said though on the the
Russian side of things there’s evidence
that for instance North Korean missiles
May well have been used the UN
investigated an incident back in January
and um only just two days ago Odessa
attacked by what seemed to be a cluster
bomb clearly there there is one set of
rules being observed by one side of of
the the wall and a different set of
rules on the other well as you know is
Mr Putin is a dictator and he shrinks at
nothing you you gasp at the Thousand
number but he’s willing to sacrifice as
many bodies as he thinks is necessary in
this meat grinder of a war I think that
the Biden has managed to Rally NATO he’s
expanded NATO he’s gotten the arms
package through to through to Ukraine Mr
Putin has stepped into an
imbroglio that ultimately could still
jeopardize his own rule on power Jacob
hbr thank you very much for joining us
here in France 24 we appreciate your
time sir and we appreciate your analysis
Jacob albron of the national interest
magazine and of the Atlantic Council
thank you once again for joining us
thank you we of course will be watching
for all developments on the situation uh
in Ukraine next

Mark Owen speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn of the Atlantic Council and editor of The National Interest foreign policy magazine as Russia ramps up weapons production for the Ukraine war. Heilbrunn says Russia is going on the offensive as quickly as possible as casualties and war economy debts mount.
#Russia #Ukraine #NATO

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