Posted on 12/14/2005 10:27:43 AM PST by Lukasz
Russian defense experts warned this week that Ukraine could retaliate against a major price hike on their Russian gas imports by letting the United States use its early warning radar bases for ballistic missile defense.
The Russian military establishment is taking very seriously the possibility that strongly pro-American Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko could dramatically tilt the balance of global strategic power by giving the United States an advance radar base in the historic former Russian naval fortress of Sevastopol on the Black Sea.
An article published in the Moscow newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta Monday cited several military sources indicating that Ukraine was willing to give U.S. experts access to its early-warning radar facilities in Sevastopol and Mukachevo in western Ukraine. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has permitted Russia the sole use of the old Soviet facilities in both centers.
Several Ukrainian sources told the official RIA Novosti news agency that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Yushchenko already discussed this issue during their meeting in Kiev Dec. 6.
Col. Gen. Volter Kraskovsky, commander of Russia`s missile defense troops from 1986 to 1991, told RIA Novosti that the Ukrainian-based radars could certainly be used as part of extended U.S. ABM warning systems.
Kraskovsky said U.S. access to the Sevastopol and Mukachevo radars could significantly damage Russia`s missile defenses in the direction of central and southern Europe, and towards the Mediterranean.
Russia is raising the price of its natural gas exports to Ukraine from the current level of $50 per 1,000 cubic meters to the price it charges European Union nations, $160 per 1,000 cubic meters.
RIA Novosti said Yushchenko could also retaliate against the gas price hike by refusing to sign a recently negotiated agreement with Russia to extend the operation of its 15P118M missile launchers for Russia`s old but still formidable RS-20 heavy ballistic missiles, known in the West as the SS-18 Satan. Under the agreement, Ukraine agreed to assist Russia in maintaining the systems that have been on combat duty for the past 15 years, for another 10-15 years.
Without that agreement, Russia will have to decommission its existing SS-18s and replace them with new but much more expensive Topol-M ICBMs at an estimated cost of $3 billion-$4 billion, RIA Novosti said.
wow
that would be something
SS-18 Satan
That's one heckuva designation for a weapon system!
I would like to see it, no matter what Russia is actually doing.
So the Ukraine would host Russian Nukes and US Radars?
Geez, we could set radars directly adjacent to the silos and include webcams.
It's an ICBM, it deserves it.
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/icbm/r-36m.htm
Agreed. We forget sometimes that our friends are friends and not pawns to be used.
Yep, I love FAS.org.
This is perfectly fair game. Russia has a right to charge market prices for its gas and oil. Ukraine has a right to enter into military alliance with the US. Whether it's done in retaliation for Russian position on gas or for other reasons (or combination of them), in the end, if countries defend their national interests using legitimate means, it's a welcome sign.
Russia has this right, when they will make new deal with Ukraine. Now they should respect contract that they themselves signed.
I would like to see this (the radar station) as a mark of increased cooperation, but not as any pressure against Russia.
We have reasonably good relations with Russia, and we should continue to build on them; we should avoid getting involved in Ukrainian-Russian disputes, we will only wind up the loser. Rather, we should be open and above-board with both, we should not build a relationship that is hostage to the current state of affairs between the two, which can and will vary widely over time.
I would like to see increased contact between US and Ukrainian forces, and between US and Russian forces as well. Our ultimate adversaries are neither of them, and if we should ever have to confront those "ultimate" adversaries, we will need the cooperation of both Russia and Ukraine. Its not either-or, its both, hopefully.
The contract expires on 12-31-2005 so as of 01-01-2006, the contract is no longer valid.
Russia, Russia, Russia… It is Ukrainian territory and the Russian question/problem shouldn’t even be discussed as a matter of respect to the host country.
I understand your point and has nothing against. But I’m also aware that this cooperation depends rather from Russian will. There is no will on their side to any closer cooperation IMHO.
Whatever, this doesn't change my opinion on this subject.
Putin could just kill yushenko. Also, the Ukranian military is very opposed to US interference.
Poland is where our new missile defense system is going I believe.
Red6
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