New security plan empowers US to strike Russia if it breaches Ukraine ceasefire

The US and Europe have developed a package of security guarantees for Ukraine that enables US forces to strike Russia in the event of a renewed invasion.

Under the new plan, US forces will be able to assist Ukraine by launching cross-border deep strikes against Russian military equipment used to sustain a renewed invasion. However, it does not involve the deployment of American troops in Ukraine.

“The plan will not result in American boots on the ground," Ukrainian and European officials told The Telegraph.

Instead, the officials said the plan “will initially usher in a US-led mission to monitor a ceasefire and mediate disputes, to quash any flare-ups before they turn violent.” Only then will Washington decide whether to use force against Russia, they said 

“Under the plan, American F-35 fighter jets, Tomahawk missiles or similar systems stationed inside Nato territory could be used to launch counterstrikes if Moscow were to breach an armistice,” the paper reads.

However, pre-emptive strikes are ruled out so as not to exacerbate the conflict. American military action would come only after responsibility for any flare-ups had been clearly attributed to Russia.

A 20-point peace plan sketched out between Europe and the US is understood to propose limiting Ukraine’s military to 800,000 service personnel, a compromise made to address Russian demands.

However, there would be no restriction on what weapons systems Ukraine could use to defend itself. Vladimir Putin has previously insisted that it should not be allowed missiles that are capable of striking Moscow or St Petersburg. And America is unlikely to directly contribute to the donation of such weapons or finance Ukraine’s domestic defence industry, the paper adds.

By Khagan Isayev