As of: March 27, 2024, 9:09 p.m
By: Stephanie Munk
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The USA apparently warned Ukraine against further attacks on Russian oil refineries - for several reasons. Former US General Hodges disagrees.
Kiev/Washington - There have been over a dozen Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries in Russia since the beginning of 2024. Ukraine sees the attacks as a legitimate means of defense - after all, Russian oil is also used on the front, somewhat as fuel for tanks. Russia should also be hit economically by the attacks - and morally: the Russian people should feel that the war in Ukraine does not stop at their lives.
US should not condone attacks on Russia's oil refineries
But now it has emerged that the US government, as Ukraine's largest supporter, does not approve of the attacks on Russian refineries. According to a report in the
Financial Times,
there are also election campaign tactical reasons behind this. Background: Oil prices are currently climbing on the global market. This is not convenient for US President Joe Biden. “Nothing scares a sitting American president more than a spike in gasoline prices during an election year,” former White House energy adviser Bob McNally was quoted as saying.
The fear that Vladimir Putin could at some point retaliate for the Ukrainian attacks deep in the Russian hinterland also contributes to the US's skepticism, writes the
Financial Times
, citing anonymous sources close to the government. Ukraine's attacks were viewed as "brazen," the report said.
US Department of Defense: Do not encourage Ukraine to attack Russia
The US Department of Defense has now officially declared that it does not support Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries: “Since the beginning of this war, it has always been our position that we do not encourage or support Ukraine to carry out attacks outside its own territory,” said ministry spokesman Matthew Miller, according to Ukrainian news agency
Ukrinform.
This is a “long-standing position” of the USA that has not changed and which has also been made clear to Ukraine.
Former US General Hodges contradicts the US government: Ukraine's attacks are legitimate
However, a major US military official clearly contradicts the US government's position: Ben Hodges, who led US forces in Europe until 2017, said in an interview with
BBC Ukraine
that he considered it a "terrible recommendation" from the US government said Ukraine should stop attacks on oil refineries. “Ukraine should ignore it,” he demanded. In his view, Russian oil refineries are “legitimate targets” for Ukraine.
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Former US general Ben Hodges sees Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries as legitimate. © Imago (montage)
Hodges further criticized the US for having to be more clear towards Russia: “Why don’t we say we want Ukraine to win and focus on that? We urgently need strategic clarity and priorities,” said Hodges in an interview.
The USA must contribute to the cohesion of NATO in the Ukraine war
The US must play a leading role in the Ukraine war and contribute to the cohesion of NATO, warned the senior military expert. He also appealed to Europe to abandon what he saw as its ambivalent positions in the Ukraine war and to fully support Ukraine. Germany in particular must be clear that it would be the “biggest loser” if Putin were to win in Ukraine.
(smu)