All those strikes on Russian airplanes, don't seem to have slowed down the the Russian land attacks. Why not? Because the planes that were destroyed or damaged by the Ukrainian drone attack, were not even being used by the Russians. They were more or less mothballed, in the open, in plain sight, on a Russia airfield, by treaty with the US.
Now, why would Russia mothball a bunch of jet bombers right in plain sight on an open airfield... especially in a time of war, when they knew Ukrainian drones might attack them? It's because of the 2011 "New START Treaty" - https://www.state.gov/new-start-treaty - between Russia and the US. According to the Treaty, those Russian planes were required to remain out in the open, in plain sight of satellites, at the airfield, to prove that they were not being used.
Futhermore, the treaty includes language that neither the US, nor its allies, would attack those planes.
So we can see... Zelensky forced the breaking of the Treaty by his actions against those airplanes... airplanes that might not be easily replaced by the Russians, but airplanes that were not in use by Russia, anyway.
The question, now, revolves around whether or not the Treaty can be rescued through negotiations. If it can, the thing that it will be doing is cementing agreements between the US and Russia - and China, because China is an ally of Russia. And this cementing may easily make Western Europe a bit of an enemy of the US, because it is Western Europe that is supporting Zelensky.
Zelensky may exult in his activity in destroying Russian planes, but the thing he is really doing is, he is making himself more obnoxious than ever in the eyes of many of his allies... and especially allies in the US.
As far as weakening Russia, since those planes weren't being used anyway, Russia hasn't been weakened at all. Considering that Russia has nukes in subs all around Western Europe, and considering Oreshnik, and the fact that Russia has BUREVESTNIK - the only nuclear powered cruise missile able to reach any spot in the world - Russia is only being pushed into using them... by Zelensky and Western Europe.
It's only the patience of Putin that is keeping WW3 from going viral. Now, we'll see if Trump and the US can match Putin's patience.
Now, why would Russia mothball a bunch of jet bombers right in plain sight on an open airfield... especially in a time of war, when they knew Ukrainian drones might attack them? It's because of the 2011 "New START Treaty" - https://www.state.gov/new-start-treaty - between Russia and the US. According to the Treaty, those Russian planes were required to remain out in the open, in plain sight of satellites, at the airfield, to prove that they were not being used.
Futhermore, the treaty includes language that neither the US, nor its allies, would attack those planes.
So we can see... Zelensky forced the breaking of the Treaty by his actions against those airplanes... airplanes that might not be easily replaced by the Russians, but airplanes that were not in use by Russia, anyway.
The question, now, revolves around whether or not the Treaty can be rescued through negotiations. If it can, the thing that it will be doing is cementing agreements between the US and Russia - and China, because China is an ally of Russia. And this cementing may easily make Western Europe a bit of an enemy of the US, because it is Western Europe that is supporting Zelensky.
Zelensky may exult in his activity in destroying Russian planes, but the thing he is really doing is, he is making himself more obnoxious than ever in the eyes of many of his allies... and especially allies in the US.
As far as weakening Russia, since those planes weren't being used anyway, Russia hasn't been weakened at all. Considering that Russia has nukes in subs all around Western Europe, and considering Oreshnik, and the fact that Russia has BUREVESTNIK - the only nuclear powered cruise missile able to reach any spot in the world - Russia is only being pushed into using them... by Zelensky and Western Europe.
It's only the patience of Putin that is keeping WW3 from going viral. Now, we'll see if Trump and the US can match Putin's patience.
Interesting narrative, but all false as usual:
Firstly, the treaty was suspended by... guess who:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_START
Quote
On 21 February 2023, Russia suspended its participation in New START.[8] However, it did not withdraw from the treaty, and clarified that it would continue to abide by the numerical limits in the treaty.[9][10][11]
Second, the bombers were not only not "mothballed", they were being actively used to launch balistic missiles towards Ukraine. In fact, they usually do it right the day before peace negotiations and that is why Ukraine decided to act precisely at that time.
Thirdly, they were kept in the open because Ruzzia though that Ukraine did not have the range or ability to hit them. Wel...
BA, you are really outdoing yourself with fakes.