Ukraine: Military Aid Coming Soon Via U.S. Army Training, But Are Russian Troops Already Fighting?

The U.S. Army may begin giving Ukraine military aid soon in the form of military training for Kiev’s troops, but a top U.S. Army commander in Europe claims that Russian troops are already fighting in the front lines alongside the Ukrainian separatists.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, European diplomats involved in the Ukraine peace talks claim that giving Ukraine lethal aid could start World War 3, and if it comes to a ground war between major powers, then some even say Vladimir Putin’s Russia would win the Ukraine war. Great Britian is also considering giving Ukraine lethal military aid in order to prevent the forces directed by Kiev from collapsing entirely.

The Ukraine war has already reached the level of a small scale conventional war, with over 5,000 people being killed and over 1.5 million people becoming homeless. President Obama is considering giving Ukraine military aid as defined by the requirements of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, which was signed by Obama in December of last year. In that legislation, the U.S. Congress authorized Obama to give Ukraine a long list of weapons, hardware, and military training.

The last option is already being implemented, according to U.S. Army Europe commander Ben Hodges.

“We will train them in security tasks, medical (tasks), how to operate in an environment where the Russians are jamming (communications) and how to protect (themselves) from Russian and rebel artillery,” he said, according to Reuters.

According to the Associated Press, this U.S. Army training will also include securing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, treating and evacuating casualties, and operating in an environment where Russians are jamming communications.

In a recent statement, Vladimir Putin claimed Russia is “not going to wage war on anyone,” while also blaming the United States for interfering in Europe.

“There clearly is an attempt to restrain our development with different means. There is an attempt to freeze the existing world order … with one incontestable leader who wants to remain as such thinking he is allowed everything while others are only allowed what he allows and only in his interests (…) This world order will never suit Russia But we are not going to wage war on anyone, we are going to cooperate with all.”

Hodges believes this statement by Putin is false, and claims that Russian troops in Ukraine are already fighting a war.

“I think it’s very important to recognize these are not separatists, these are proxies for President Putin. It is very obvious from the amount of ammunition, the type of equipment, that there is direct Russian military intervention in the area around Debaltseve. I do worry that if they are successful in Debaltseve that then they will shift their attention to Mariupol,” Hodges said, referring to the strategic port city. “I don’t know that, but I am concerned that that is something that they might do. They certainly have a large number of Russian forces, 10 battalions, on the border of eastern Ukraine.”

Do you think President Obama should authorize giving Ukraine military aid to its fullest extent?