US Pushing World Toward Edge of War With Reckless Moves in Ukraine and Taiwan, Ex-Lawmaker Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Elements within the US government have put the world on the edge of war due to reckless policy decisions with respect to the situations in Ukraine and Taiwan, former Virginia State Senator Richard Black told Sputnik.

"There are elements of the American government that are quite irresponsible right now. And they do reckless things. They're doing them in Ukraine, and they're doing them with Taiwan. And they're being recklessly provocative," Black said. "When a nation like the United States is reckless, when they gamble that they can do something that's provocative, then they depend on the sound judgment of the other country... and that's a very dangerous thing to do, because either side can make mistakes."

Black said he shares former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's concerns that the US is on the edge of war with Russia and China over issues "we partly created ourselves," without any idea where this is going to end or even where it is supposed to lead to.

This is a very strange posture for the United States to be in, Black added, and warned that the US is literally gambling with the lives of American citizens by relying on the other side not to miscalculate.

People walk past a billboard welcoming U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Aug 2, 2022

© AP Photo / Chiang Ying-ying

Black said the US had no justification for recklessly pouring weapons into Ukraine and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had no right to visit Taiwan to challenge Washington's delicate one China policy.

Pelosi earlier in August became the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island.

Sending Weapons to Kiev

Black also noted that Washington no grounds for pouring weaponry into Ukraine and getting involved in the situation there, while much of its funding for it will likely end up in Swiss bank accounts.

States has never had any business supplying weapons to Ukraine from the very beginning... I think much of it will end up in Swiss bank accounts."

Black said the $56 billion in Ukraine aid Washington approved in May is getting close to the entire annual defense budget of Russia.

"It’s just an immense amount of money. Some of it will be in bank accounts owned by Ukrainian oligarchs. Some of it will be in bank accounts owned by the sons and the relatives of some US senators who will profit very handsomely," Black said.

Black, citing a CBS News report, said only 30 percent of US weapons sent to Ukraine are actually making it to the front lines.

The US announced another $3 billion in security aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, the largest tranche to date, bringing the total committed since January to $13.5 billion, according to the Pentagon.

A launch truck fires the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at its intended target during the African Lion military exercise in Grier Labouihi complex, southern Morocco, on June 9, 2021.

© AP Photo / Mosa'ab Elshamy

Moscow has repeatedly denounced the continuous flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying that it adds fuel to the fire. In April, Russia sent a note to NATO member states, condemning their military assistance to Ukraine. In July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that foreign weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine ended up in illegal markets, not only in Europe but also in the war-torn Middle East. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.

"Some of the weapons of course, are being destroyed through carefully targeted strikes by Russia, which have been very, very effective. But also a lot of the weapons are being sold on the black market," Black said. "What's happening is Western countries have become so reckless in distributing these anti-aircraft missiles that we do not know where they go... There's something on the dark web where you actually can purchase these anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles."

Black said the recklessness of this war is difficult to comprehend, with weapons going "all over the place." And the small portion that actually reaches the front lines, he added, is just getting more people killed, especially more Ukrainians.

"But I think Russia is able to sustain the war and the time will come when Ukraine has simply been bled dry, and they will not be able to fight it any longer," Black said.

US President Joe Biden delivers a statement at the White House, March 21, 2022

© Sputnik / stringer

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He also stated that the Biden administration will definitely not let any talks between Russia and Ukraine take place before Americans, who have been fed a distorted view of the conflict by US media, head to the polls in the midterm elections.

"The United States will certainly not allow any negotiations before the midterm elections," Black said. "The American people not know that Ukraine is losing the war. All of the reports that are published by the mainstream corporate media give a very distorted view. So, they're a relatively small group of people who understand what's really happening."

The latest US security package, announced on Ukrainian Independence Day, includes six additional NASAMS and munitions, laser-guided rocket systems, 245,000 artillery shells and 65,000 mortar rounds, the Pentagon said. The package also includes VAMPIRE counter-unmanned aerial systems, Puma unmanned aerial systems and up to 24 counter-artillery radars.