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Republican criticism of Biden intensifies as midterm elections draw closer.
Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Washington announced plans to tighten arms control in Ukraine to keep US-made weapons out of the black market and to stop Russia from using them for other purposes. However, this “U.S. Plan to Counter Illicit Diversion of Certain Advanced Conventional Weapons in Eastern Europe” fact sheet is very evidently a tool of distraction to boost the Democrats’ chances in the upcoming midterm congressional elections.
According to the Department of State fact sheet, which was published on October 27, demand for use of weapons during the Russia-Ukraine war seems to be “impeding black-market proliferation of small arms and guided infantry weapons”. It also stated that the ability of pro-Russian forces to capture some Ukrainian weapons “has been the main vector of diversion so far and could result in onward transfers.”
The State Department added that war in Ukraine can “provide opportunities for weapons to fall into private hands via theft or illicit sales, sometimes creating black markets for arms that endure for decades.” It is a paradoxical situation when the US is concerned that its weapons, which were intended for Ukraine to fight against Russia, can be bought on the darknet instead. Effectively, such weapons have the potential to also end up in terrorist hands, as one example.
In-depth investigative journalism has unveiled that US weapons shipped to Ukraine can now be found at low prices in many countries around the world, something that is a blow to the reputation and image of the Biden administration. More importantly, this information will certainly be used by the Republicans in the lead up to the mid-term legislative elections to take votes away from the Democrats.
That is why now, almost on the eve of the US electoral process, this particular Republican criticism of Biden’s foreign policy is being countered through the introduction of the “U.S. Plan to Counter Illicit Diversion of Certain Advanced Conventional Weapons in Eastern Europe.” The State Department published this plan as a distraction to show the Biden administration is dealing with the arms situation in Ukraine.
Historically, weapons that the West supplied to foreign battlefields later ended up in different countries. The West knew this would also be the case in Ukraine, but for propaganda reasons paid almost no attention and deliberately ignored it. However, after more Republicans began to resent this policy in the run-up to the election, the State Department has now decided that it is making an effort to curb the unaccounted supply of weapons.
None of this can effectively combat the black markets in weapons though. The reality is that even if Washington were effective on their end of the plan, the total corruption in Ukraine would end all legitimate efforts. This makes it all the more frustrating for Washington as there is no guarantee that US weapons which arrived in other countries from Ukraine will not be used against the US and its allies in the future. This very scenario has happened all across the Middle East in the last two decades.
Washington has supplied the Ukrainian military with helicopters, anti-aircraft systems, guns, grenade launchers, military vehicles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS. It is recalled that in September, Congress approved the spending of $1.5 billion to replenish the US weapons stockpile after it had been sent to Ukraine.
Even more recently, the White House said in October that the US would send Ukraine a new $725 million worth of weapons, including additional HIMARS. This came about after Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, said that the Ukrainian military needed 32 HIMARS rocket launchers to combat Russia.
“To continue the counteroffensive, preventing escalation from the Russian side and Ukrainian victory we need three times as much 155 mm artillery, three times as many HIMARS and the maximum amount of ammunition for them,” he said.
This resupply of Ukraine comes as a new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that more Americans trust the Republican Party over the Democratic Party when it comes to handling the economy, crime, inflation, and gas prices. The popularity of the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden is rapidly declining, and it is for this reason that the creation of the “U.S. Plan to Counter Illicit Diversion of Certain Advanced Conventional Weapons in Eastern Europe” is nothing more than an attempt to eradicate one of the many criticisms the Republicans can weaponize against the ruling party. It is doubtful it can be successful though, especially as more Republicans criticize the entire US involvement in the war in Ukraine.
I’m surprised how Biden isn’t attacking Iran or starting a war between Taiwan and China, guess that won’t happen until the war in Ukraine de-escalates, the US army they knew war was good for the economy, four months later (After afghanistan withdrawal) their legacy lingers on. They left the US with great isms.
The Biden regime is both attacking Iran and trying to start a war with China over Taiwan. Pay attention.
The US can no longer invade Iran – their only plan for Iran is to regime change with fake riots which are failing. The US regime change in Pakistan is also not looking good.
Biden and the other members of his party are making a lot of money from China, Taiwan wouldn’t last long as well (if a war breaks out that is)… I mean look at Ukraine which is next to most of the NATO countries and they are still failing against a small number of Russian forces.
But yeah… The US, NATO, and the UK are making some good money from the blood of Ukrainians.
little girls dont trust him…
He’s icky. He smells like old cheese and he forgets my name. I made it up anyway..
Oh, have you read this yet on RT?
“Biden ‘lost temper’ with Zelensky over aid request – media”
Joe Biden “lost his temper” when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked him for more military aid immediately after the US President informed him that Washington would send $1 billion, NBC News reported on Monday.
Zelensky’s Jewish blood is coming out.
Biden lost his bladder several times per day and night for some decades so… 🤣
After that Obama warmongering degenerate chimp and the creature known as Trump, this zombie is the last nail in the coffin of what could have been a great nation if the Founding Fathers were to be remembered.
Zelboy’s not long for this planet.
I invite the regime in DC to stop sending arms and armaments to conflict zones.
The Thalassocracy in DC…it´s what that peculiar regime is.
“We’ll always have Paris.”- Casablanca
Now it´s more “We´ll always have Beijing.”
In Biden’s case, he’ll always have Newark, NJ.
Today, the Parisians are crying ‘I wish I was in Casablanca’.
What Someone needs to do is send some of these weapons to terrorsts in Europe and USA and then have them use these weapons to shoot down passenger planes and stuff like that.
People would then wake up to the fact that the weapons of war they are supplying to Ukraine may be the weapons that will shoot down their plane the next time they fly.
Good luck with that. One of the most corrupt nations on the World, in a difficult situation, war. People will do what they have to do in order to survive, like they always did in these situations. If that means selling HIMARS to the Russians, they will do just that.
Biden’s NAZI gladiators fight on in the Ukrainian circus but the big guy and the Banderites need a cut of the taxpayer loot to keep the show on the road never mind the insanity of this lost cause after all they need the money for drugs and sniffing little girls.
Gladiators, hah! More like drunken trench rats watching porn on starlink and fiddling each other to keep warm.
it is problematic that while the “Republicans” claim their opposition to war in Ukraine they still support the perpetual warfare scenario and ignoring the collapse of the trans Atlantic system. Then there is the barbaric view of China. No war with Russia yet China another nation to target as a threat to US security…heard that before.
Washington couldn’t give a sh_t about it’s weapons getting into terrorists hands or some into Black Market. I expected weapons to make there way to the usual Hotspot. Look at all the weapons sent to the terrorists backed by US and NATOSTAN in Libya, then off to OBAMA’S other Jahadists in Syria for US, ZIONIST pipelines. Yes these same psychopaths, pedophiles up to same in Ukronazistan and blowing up pipelines to Germany. Finally shifting but they are desperate to hold on to power and the dollar. Saudis have pivoted to Russia, China and to join Bricks. Massive win in, Brazil with LULA, after he was convicted and jailed by DEEPSTATE set up. He’s back and the recent assassination failure in Argentina of Christine, shows another Deepstate failure. Massive win for BRICKS +. Let’s hope the currency basket is now expedited faster away from US currency. November 8 fast approaching and the cards will fall.
The same guy that handed billions worth of weapons to Afghans?
Americans are the dumbest nation of the world choosing its fate between cholera and bubonic plague. I wish them new civil war to getting out from such choices.
I am glad that the world knows now that Russians weapons are worthless.
Way too late 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣