Posted on 10/19/2023 3:55:17 PM PDT by MeganC
On February 15, Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency quoted retired U.S. Colonel Douglas Macgregor’s interview with the “Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom” program, streamed on YouTube that same day.
The Russian translation of Macgregor’s claim isn’t precise but represents his ideas accurately:
"We just don't have ammunition to send. We have reached the limit; our own reserves are rapidly coming to an end."
This statement is misleading and fits into the Kremlin’s anti-U.S. and anti-Ukraine propaganda targeting Russia’s domestic audiences.
In reality, for most categories of ammunition, the U.S. can provide support to Ukraine indefinitely. Only for two types of ammunition -- 155 mm artillery ammunition, which includes a wide variety of non-precision projectiles, and 155 mm Excalibur GPS-guided precision artillery shells -- the United States may have a shortage in the coming years if it doesn’t replenish.
However, the U.S. has already moved to increase munitions production to avoid shortages. Another way to prevent ammunition shortages is to purchase it from third countries. The U.S. military has already purchased Soviet-standard 152 mm and 122 mm artillery shells and 125 mm tank shells outside the United States.
According to the Pentagon, “Since 2014, the United States has committed approximately $24 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and approximately $21.2 billion since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked, full-scale invasion on February 24.”
Russian use of Macgregor’s misinformation
On December 15, 2021, when the United States was warning about an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin was denying any such plans, RIA Novosti reported it was unlikely that the Ukrainian army could withstand a Russian military invasion for more than three to four days. The agency quoted an article in The National Interest written by Macgregor and former CIA officer George Beebe:
“Under these circumstances, it is not unreasonable to assume that Russian ground forces would reach their operational objectives along the Dnieper River in as little as seventy-two to ninety-six hours.”
However, the Russian troops were unable to reach their goals in the Dnipro River basin even by mid-March 2022.
As of January 2, 2023, Ukraine had liberated 40% of the territory that Russian forces occupied after last year's invasion.
RIA Novosti quoted Macgregor again on March 6 as telling Fox Business that the Russian army in Ukraine was being very careful to protect civilians:
“The colonel noted that the Russian side is trying to act as carefully as possible and minimize damage, unlike, in particular, the US army in Iraq. He also expressed the opinion that the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is inevitable, and President Zelensky is trying to delay it by any means.”
That claim was also false. Ukrainian and international authorities, including the United Nations, reported mass atrocities against Ukrainian civilians allegedly committed by the Russian troops, some of which potentially constitute war crimes.
Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group, reported on February 25, 2022, that the Russian army had carried out indiscriminate missile and bomb strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine. In just the first five days of the war, at least 102 Ukrainian civilians were killed (including seven children) and 304 injured, according to the United Nations.
On March 25, 2022, RIA Novosti quoted Macgregor as falsely claiming in an interview with the “Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom” YouTube show that a majority of the residents of eastern Ukraine were Russians. Calling the Russia-occupied regions of eastern Ukraine “these republics,” in language used by the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign, Macgregor said:
“These republics are fundamentally pro-Russian. And, in general, mostly Russians live in eastern Ukraine. … They should not be forced to speak Ukrainian, write Ukrainian, they are not Ukrainians.”
But the 2001 census, the last before Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, showed that most of eastern Ukraine residents are ethnic Ukrainians, with ethnic Russians the region’s largest minority.
This map shows the % of ethnic Russians in each region of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/xyTbhGLyLj
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) May 27, 2021 The Voice of America asked the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to comment on Russia’s use of Macgregor’s erroneous forecasts and analysis in its domestic disinformation.
“Douglas Macgregor is a private citizen, exercising his 1st Amendment rights as an American, and so his views are his own and not representative of official U.S. or DOD policy,” DOD spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn said.
Macgregor did not answer Polygraph.info’s inquiry.
Your team are the war whores.
There would be no war if Vlad had not broken the Budapest Memorandum and invaded a sovereign nation.
You say PIF stands for Politically Incorrect Fish, but from where I sit, I think Perpetually Ignorant Fool seems more applicable.
You sound like you are jealous.
I’m glad to see an article attempting to expose this fraudulent creep.
I have a friend who is a full bird retired colonel who fought in every war up to including Afghanistan and Is an absolute expert in armored warfare.
My friend is completely realistic and in the few conversations I’ve had with him regarding Ukraine he has never told me anything along the lines of what McGregor is peddling.
But even if I didn’t know him it’s obvious that something is wrong deeply wrong with McGregor and the things that he says.
Lol!
Good one👍
“Why is a Russian border war”
This is not a mere border war. Russia objects to the existence of Ukraine and has stated their intent to occupy and control the entire country before moving on to other victims.
At this point their initial war aims have been soundly defeated.
Russia has no voice in the expansion of NATO and now NATO forces are based in Finland well within immediate striking distance of both St. Petersburg and Moscow. Sweden is effectively a member of NATO now. Switzerland and Austria are both integrated with NATO forces.
NATO today is bigger, more powerful, and more able to defeat Russia than before February 2022. This alone makes Putin’s war a defeat. The Baltic is effectively closed to Russia. So is the Mediterranean.
And Russia started this. At the risk of WW3 if they should choose to attack NATO.
That’s simply how it is.
Oh, and Doug Macgregor is a treasonous moron.
Thanks for the picture. I’ll never set foot in a Disney store so I’d have never seen this.
“The U.S. military has already purchased Soviet-standard 152 mm and 122 mm artillery shells and 125 mm tank shells outside the United States.”
When did we start using Russian ammunition?
L
Russia is the largest country
Under populated
Over resourced
No post civilization
Obama - Biden metrosexualism
Free
We’ll never run out of war materials. It’s pretty much the only thing America makes anymore, aside from airplanes.
We also make new genders and pronouns! Don’t forget the pronouns!
/-:
Excellent point:
“NATO today is bigger, more powerful, and more able to defeat Russia than before February 2022. This alone makes Putin’s war a defeat.”
putin lately tried to claim:
“I didn’t start this war, I’m trying to finish it”
he lies and lies and lies. Feb 24, 2022 putin/russia started his evil war against Ukraine. pooty owns it!
You misread the smoke signals.
Under populated
Putin reducing
Less Russian men
“”””When did we start using Russian ammunition?””””
The Russian ammo is for Ukraine.
Of course it is.
Thanks.
L
He retired from the Army in 2004.
That’s an awful long time to hold onto a grudge about a promotion.
(But seriously, what evidence do you ha e that Macgregor’s views on Russia-Ukraine are tied to not getting promoted to Brigadier General?)
If I had a drink for everytime someone on FR incorrectly invoked the Budapest Memorandum, I'd be dead of liver poisoning.
Hypersonic missiles
Loaded
Goin to ukraine
Ashes
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