Newsweek: Russia will destroy NATO’s plans for Ukraine with one decision
Charlie Moore, a retired US Air Force general who served as deputy commander of the US Cyber Command, said that if Western countries sent F16s to Kiev, US Foreign Service personnel would become legitimate targets for the Russian military.
“Unlike Soviet aircraft, which Ukraine operates from dispersed locations, the F16s will require centralized flight bases, making them desirable targets for Russian strikes,” the US officer was quoted as saying by Newsweek.
He added, “At these bases, Ukraine will need Western or NATO specialists to provide maintenance, and under the laws of armed conflict, it becomes a very interesting target for Russia”.
Moore stressed that in this case, all NATO plans to support Ukraine in the face of Russia will turn into easy opportunities that Moscow will seize, and thus they will be destroyed in one step.
The Newsweek article notes that it’s not clear how long it will take Ukrainians to learn not only to fly planes, but also to use them effectively.
At the same time, former British Air Force Commander-in-Chief and Air Marshal Greg Bagwell has expressed doubts about sending military personnel from the United States or NATO countries to Ukraine.
Earlier, the head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, said that Ukraine would not receive F16 fighter jets until the end of the counterattack.
Russia had sent a memorandum to the NATO countries over the supply of weapons to Ukraine, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
Lavrov stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, not only supplying weapons, but also training personnel in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and other countries.
