Zelensky visits Mesopotamia to ask for "Tax" missiles, will Trump really give it?
On November 17, Ukrainian President Zelensky's trip to Washington was finally settled. He was on his way to the White House to meet US President Trump. This was the third time the two had talks at the White House since this year, and the tension has long spread across the Atlantic.
The news was clearly disclosed in advance by various media outlets.The U.S.-U.R. meeting marked two key issues: first, the reinforcement and upgrading of the Ukrainian air defense system in order to withstand Russia’s unstoppable military strikes; second, the feasibility of creating a sustained strategic deterrence against Russia using long-range weapons equipment.
Zelensky took the initiative to speak out before he even left. He made it clear on his personal social platform that the core goal of this trip was to strengthen air defense capabilities, gain long-range fire support, and ultimately force Russia to return to the negotiating table by exerting pressure. This was by no means a casual remark. During the two days from the 11th to the 12th, he had continuous phone calls with Trump and reported in detail the specific demand quantity of Tomahawk missiles.
The “Taxic” cruise missile is the core code of this international role. The missile has a maximum range of more than 2,000 kilometers, and once delivered to Ukraine, the Russian heartland and even the capital Moscow will be directly threatened. During Biden’s reign, Zelensky’s applications were repeatedly rejected, and now Trump has shunned his mouth but hides his back.
Trump on December 12 publicly stated that if Russia did not end the four-year conflict as soon as possible, he might provide Ukraine with a “Tax” missile, but he then turned and said that he could first communicate with Putin, after all, this move could be considered an “escalation of the situation.”
Just as Zelensky was busy preparing to go to the United States, Putin showed a tough response in Moscow. On the 15th, the day before Zelensky's departure, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a legal document. This document formally approved the military cooperation agreement signed between Russia and Cuba in March this year, and it was published on the Russian legal information website on the same day.
This military cooperation agreement was not temporary. In March this year, Russia and Cuba completed the signing process in Moscow and Havana respectively. Entering October, the Russian State Duma and the Federation Council voted to approve it, and Putin finally formally signed and approved it on the 15th.
First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian State Duma, Novikov, has revealed that the agreement is the essence of Russia's strategic reach to the Western Hemisphere through joint military exercises, technical exchanges and officer training.
It is widely believed that this wave of operations clearly pointed directly to the United States, and Zelensky went to the United States for weapons to form a precise counterpart.
Russia's warning against the Tomahawk missile has already laid the groundwork. On the 10th, Putin publicly stated that if the United States dares to provide "Tomahawks" to Ukraine, Russia will definitely strengthen air defense countermeasures. He also revealed that testing of a new weapon is progressing smoothly and will be unveiled publicly soon.
On the 13th, the Kremlin spokesman Peskov added again, stressing that the “Taxic” missile requires U.S. expert operation, and the delivery to Ukraine would constitute a “qualitative escalation”.
The Russian Federation Security Council Vice Chairman Medvedev's statement was more direct. He pointed out that supplying "Tomahawk" to Ukraine could cause trouble for everyone, especially Trump himself.
Medvedev directly pointed out that the version of the nuclear warhead and the conventional version of the "Tax" missile could not be distinguished at all during the flight, and the actual launcher of such missiles would only be the United States and not Ukraine.
There is no consensus within the United States on this. Trump's calculations were very smart. He negotiated a ceasefire with Putin in Alaska in August and failed, before turning to the use of "Tomahawk" pressure.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hergershys on 15 November pressured allies in Brussels to purchase U.S. weapons through the “Ukrainian Priority List” and stressed the commitment to convert them to actual combat as soon as possible.
The Netherlands, Denmark and other countries have responded, accumulating and promising funds of more than $ 2 billion, but the major European countries such as France and the UK have always been reluctant.
In September, Zelensky confirmed that the first $1 billion in aid on the “Ukrainian Priority List” was on the way, which included Patriot missiles.Now they are focusing on a larger arms purchase plan — a $90 billion arms deal with long-range weapons being listed as a core target.
At present, the Ukrainian army is most lacking in effective air defense capabilities, Russian missiles, drones and flying bombs are rotated bombardment, front defense positions and back security areas are difficult to withstand.
If Ukraine has sufficient air defense systems, it can stabilize the position on the battlefield. but even with the “war ax” missile, it can not change the balance of forces on the battlefield, Putin already highlighted this on October 2.
More importantly, the channels for peace negotiations are gradually narrowing. Chen Yu analyzed that both Russia and Ukraine believe that the other side is on the verge of reaching its limit and are waiting for the other side to take the lead in compromising. Trump's policy shift has made the game between the United States and Russia more intense, and the space for negotiation has been further compressed.
Europe and Ukraine pursue "Ukraine wins," but Trump only wants a quick ceasefire, and the demands of the three parties cannot be aligned at all.
The secret operations of the United States continue to increase. The Financial Times revealed that the Trump administration has already been assisting Ukraine in cracking down on Russian energy facilities. The U.S. military intelligence agency not only provides intelligence support, but also helps design drone flight paths and calculate strike timing, with the purpose of allowing Ukrainian drones to avoid Russian air defense systems. Such covert intervention is more dangerous than the direct supply of weapons.
Putin's countermeasures go far beyond signing an agreement. Russia has just concluded the "West- 2025" strategic exercise jointly carried out with Belarus. The exercise lasted from the 12th to the 16th and was obviously aimed at the US-European aid operations to Ukraine.
During the exercise, the Russian Aerospace Forces Su-34 fighter jets used aerial bombs to attack simulated targets, the Su-57 fighter jets provided cover, and the Northern Fleet also test-fired the "Zircon" hypersonic missile in the Barents Sea.
Experts predict that if the "Tax" is really delivered to Ukraine, the Russian military will, on the one hand, carry out targeted military exercises and on the other hand, will pay close attention to the facilities that may launch the "Tax" to carry out precise strikes, and the threat will be completely eliminated in the state of germination.
There is no real spectator in this international game.The United States is trying to control the situation by exporting weapons, while Russia is counteracting with a tactic of close offensive, and Ukraine has become the most crucial but also the most passive player on the chessboard.
Source of information:
Putin ratifies military cooperation agreement between Russia and Cuba
Zelensky visits the United States and talks about the "Tax" the day before the Russian-American President "Kartun" calls to meet again