Putin's spy chief predicts "second Vietnam" for USA
A dispute is raging in the USA over how to proceed with support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The Republicans have blocked an aid package worth billions for the time being. Moscow hopes that this will remain the case and warns the Americans of a "black hole".
The head of Russia's foreign intelligence service (SWR) predicts a "second Vietnam" for the USA as a result of its massive involvement in Ukraine. "Ukraine will become a 'black hole' that absorbs more and more resources and people," Sergei Naryshkin was quoted as saying in SWR's in-house magazine. "Ultimately, the US risks creating a 'second Vietnam' and any new American administration will have to try to deal with it."
During the Cold War, the Vietnam War was a kind of proxy conflict in which East and West faced each other. The USA fought alongside South Vietnam against the communist troops from the North, who were supported by the then Soviet Union and China. The war ended in 1975 with an ignominious defeat for the USA and is still considered a national trauma by many Americans today.
There is a fierce debate in Washington about continued support for Ukraine. President Joe Biden has called on the Republicans in Congress not to block the billions he has requested. The Democrat warned that should Russian President Vladimir Putin invade Ukraine, "he will not stop there", but may also attack a NATO ally. This in turn would lead to something "that we are not seeking and that we do not have today: American troops fighting Russian troops".
The opposition Republicans had previously blocked a billion-euro aid package for Israel and Ukraine for the time being. In a procedural vote in the Senate, the conservatives refused to support the package worth a total of 106 billion dollars (around 98 billion euros). The background to this is a dispute over immigration policy and securing the US border with Mexico. According to calculations by a research institute, total Western military aid has fallen significantly since the summer.
Moscow is hoping that the US Senate will permanently block new aid to Ukraine. "It remains to be hoped that there are still enough people with a clear mind among the US members of Congress," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He accused the US government of "burning" the funds in the "furnace of the Ukraine war". Washington is Kiev's most important supporter in the war against the Russian invasion forces. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression in February 2022, the USA has already provided or pledged military aid to Ukraine amounting to more than 44 billion dollars.
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Joe Biden strongly advocates for continued financial support to Ukraine, warning that an attack on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin might not stop at Ukraine's borders and could potentially involve a NATO ally. This economic aid, stalled by the Republicans in Congress, is crucial, according to Biden, to prevent a scenario where American troops might find themselves engaged in direct combat with Russian troops. In response to the blockage, Moscow's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has applauded the US Senate's temporary hesitation, hoping it will lead to a permanent halt of new aid to Ukraine, a nation currently receiving substantial military aid from the USA, totaling over $44 billion since February 2022.
Source: www.ntv.de
