Washington funnels more weapons to Ukraine for its counteroffensive; China’s new Cuban spy nest is old news
(Originally published June 12 in “What in the World“) The U.S. on Friday announced another $2.1 billion in military aid for Ukraine as it launches its Big Summer Counteroffensive with probing attacks along the front lines.
The latest weapons package, which includes among other things more Patriot and Hawk air-defense missiles, brings to $39.7 billion the total military aid the U.S. has given Ukraine since Russia’s invasion (full inventory below).
Ukraine is stepping up its use of those weapons. After softening up Russian defensive lines, command posts and logistics with Western-supplied rockets and artillery, Ukraine’s new Western-supplied tanks have pushed across the Dnipro River into southeastern Zaporizhzhia province and in the western portion of neighboring Donetsk province. Ukraine is also pressing a counterattack farther east around Russian-held Bakhmut. Results are so far mixed: Ukrainian forces claim to have liberated three villages in Donetsk, but in the process suffered losses that resulted in the capture or destruction, Russia claimed, of seven of its German-made Leopard tanks and five of its 109 U.S.-made Bradley fighting vehicles.
Once the counteroffensive is fully underway, it is anticipated to be the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II. But Europe isn’t the only theater where things are heating up. Russian bombers last week flew joint missions out of China with Chinese bombers into the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. The arrival of Russian fighter jets to escort the Russian bombers home over the Sea of Japan prompted Japan to scramble fighter jets to intercept them. If war breaks out in the Pacific, the U.S. and its Pacific allies won’t fight it alone: European militaries have been beefing up their deployments to the region even as they face a growing threat from Russia at home.
The White House elaborated on its rejection of reports that China was paying Cuba billions to let it build a spy base on the Caribbean island. China isn’t building a spy base in Cuba, the White House explained, because it already has one—and it’s been up and running since 2019.
What’s new is that China and Cuba have apparently agreed to enhance the existing facility’s capabilities. That isn’t likely to make China hawks on Capitol Hill sleep any easier. It also suggests that China put eyes and ears on America’s doorstep well before former U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in 2020 to put U.S. troops in Taiwan—which the U.S. still considers part of China.