After yesterday's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a first in more than 3.5 years, there are noticeable developments. No surprise given that Putin was accompanied by Defense Minister Shoigu, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Kremlin Press Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Attendees from world media outlets took notice at exactly who was in the Russian entourage; the three top men from the Russian government and a rare foreign trip by the top Kremlin spokesman as well. There hasn't been this level of high-ranking Russian officials to any single foreign meeting since . . . the Cold War.
Today, videos began emerging of trains carrying heavy armor into Belarus from Russia. Below, two videos of trains with T-80 tanks:
and this one . . .
Next, video of trucks along roads in Belarus, carrying S-400 and/or Iskander Hypersonic Missiles toward the Ukraine Border:
Below, photos of the S-400 air defense system, inside Belarus, not far from the Ukraine Border, all setting up for action:
Also in Belarus near Ukraine Border: Iskanders:
As this story was being written at 6:00 PM EST on Wednesday evening, video of yet a THIRD trainload of tanks arriving in Belarus became available, this train alone carrying at least thirty (30) more tanks:
To sum this up, within the last 48 hours, Russia has sent AT LEAST 73 additional tanks by trains into Belarus, plus at least 20 Infantry Fighting Vehicles moving southward in Belarus toward Ukraine, and added S-400 air defense missiles and Iskander hypersonic missiles in Belarus near Ukraine.
Retired American colonel: Russia is stronger than all NATO countries combined
US Retired Colonel James W. McConnell is confident that Russia's military tactics in Ukraine is "just what the doctor ordered."
"The Russians have begun to destroy the Ukrainian lines of communications — the power grid, bridges, roads and railroads — without which Ukraine's forces can't be resupplied. Once the destruction of the lines of communication is completed, Russia's army, particularly its extensive artillery, will present Ukrainian forces with the unpleasant reality that they are vastly outgunned and outnumbered," James W. McConnell, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives wrote in an article published on the website of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.
The degree of "unpleasant reality" will depend on how far Russia wants to move west, he believes. The most likely option is that the Russians will want to take at least Nikolaev and Odessa regions in addition to the four regions that Russia) has already taken (Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions).
When Moscow achieves these goals, NATO will find itself in a difficult situation, in which the alliance will have to either recognize the victory of Russia, or engage in battle with the Russians, the retired colonel wrote in the article.
The North Atlantic Alliance, despite its undoubted military power, has very little chance of winning the war with Russia.
In support of his opinion — quite unexpected for a career US Air Force officer — McConnell admits:
Russia is the world leader in terms of air defense technology.
Russia's S-400 air defense system is considered to be the world's best system of this class. Turkey, a NATO member, has such systems at its disposal, but Russia has already modernized them to S-500. Moreover, S-500 systems have already been deployed at critical facilities in Russia.
Russia is five years ahead of the US in the field of hypersonic missile technology.
The United States is defenseless against Russian missiles that travel at hypersonic speeds and are capable of maneuvring during the flight path. The US is still at the stage of hypersonic tests, whereas Russia has already fielded four different hypersonic missiles from its existing families of missile systems — Kinzhal, Kalibr, Iskander and Zircon, let alone the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle.
"Should NATO enter a war with Russia, the US Navy's carrier task force in the Ionian Sea is an obvious Russian target. How can it successfully defend itself against Russia's simultaneous and probably massive hypersonic and conventional missile attack?" McConnell wonders.
"Should the Russians sink a carrier task force, Taiwan would, for example, have to rethink any illusions it has about the US coming to its aid in a conflict with China and become far more amenable to a soft conquest similar to the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong," he continues.
Pentagon spends too much
McConnell admits that building new aircraft carriers is impossible as "building capable and survivable modern warships is a complex and time consuming process."
Strangely enough, it is 850 army bases that the USA maintains around the world that have crippled America's combat capability:
"Boots on the ground give the US influence of a sort the Navy can't match and are essential to those who see the US as the world's policeman. Inexcusably, the cost of these bases and the extended (and counterproductive) efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and now Ukraine, have come at the expense of the Navy and America's defense," James W. McConnell wrote.
Based on the above, he concluded:
"For the last twenty years, the Russians and the Chinese have sought to strengthen their armed forces while America's leadership has, on a bipartisan basis, been obsessed with the Middle East. As a result, a persuasive argument suggests the US is no longer unbeatable."
Hal Turner Editorial Opinion
Given the remarks of the Colonel above, and the facts reported in the story above that, whatever is coming, is not going to be small.
Will NATO burst-forth and get involved? Who knows?
Will POLAND go off on its own and enter Ukraine on its own? Unknown.
Whatever happens, it appears it will begin quite soon.
All the latest details on tonight's Hal Turner Radio Show starting at 9:00 PM eastern US time tonight. Click the LISTEN ONLINE links in the menu bar above to tune-in free.
