U.S. satellite targeting of Russia risks nuclear war because it makes the U.S. a co-belligerent against another nuclear power.
“U.S. to Restore Military Support to Ukraine After it Agrees to Ceasefire” and “immediately lift a pause on intelligence sharing.” (The Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2025)
“Intelligence pauses like this severely hinder Ukraine’s ability to plan deep strikes inside Russia.” (Ukraine Daily, March 13, 2025) “Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack on Moscow . . . including a Moscow oil refinery” on March 12. (The Wall Street Journal)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a cease-fire in Ukraine, but that “questions remained.”
Putin asked: “How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilize? Rearm?” (BBC, March 14, 2025). That is already a fact because Trump announced, “U.S. to restore military aid after Ukraine agrees to truce.” (The Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2025)
Putin added: “A ceasefire should lead to an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis”. . . fundamental concerns, about NATO expansion and Ukraine’s sovereignty.” (BBC) “Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement. Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal.” (BBC)
A 30-day cease-fire with Ukraine rearmament is a formula for a bigger war, possibly World War III by U.S. targeting of Russia.
Security guarantees
A so-called security guarantee for Ukraine against a renewed offensive by Russia requires Western troops on the ground which also risks World War III. It pits two or more nuclear powers against each other. Even though such Western troops would be a “coalition of the willing” and not under NATO’s Article 5 (an attack on one is an attack on all), it could still escalate out of control if such troops were killed by Russian projectiles.
But what about a security guarantee for Russia? Just as the U.S. demanded a non-nuclear buffer zone near Florida in 1962, Russia needs a non-nuclear buffer zone near Moscow.
“U.S. and European officials suggested that Mr. Biden could return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union.” (The New York Times, November 22 and 29, 2024). “Zelensky has made his nation’s need for a nuclear weapon clear if the country isn’t granted NATO membership.” (The New York Times, editorial, December 22, 2024). It should be no surprise if Russia rejects a 30-day cease-fire when the U.S. targets Russia and re-arms Ukraine.
If a 30-day cease-fire happens, what is to prevent either side from restarting the war with bigger weapons? Or worse, what is to prevent Ukraine from letting the U.S. put nuclear missiles close to Moscow?
Accordingly, nuclear missiles on both sides must be withdrawn an equal distance from the Ukraine-Russia border. That means back to the French border and out of Belarus.
Just as Ukraine never intended to continue the Minsk cease-fire, which it saw as merely an opportunity to re-arm (as admitted by then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel), a 30-day cease-fire is the same thing. We know that because the latest cease-fire was proposed with a U.S. promise to re-arm Ukraine.
The U.S. and Ukraine need 30 days to do that because they are losing right now.
Ukraine and the U.S. are goading Russia with another Minsk-type deception. The Western peace movement should not fall for this trick and, instead, oppose U.S. targeting of Russia.
Trump may be naively giving Zelensky this ploy to exchange for rare earth metals, not realizing that Russia cannot accept this ruse. It risks World War III.
I believe the peace movement should oppose a 30-day cease-fire as a formula for dangerous escalation. We can ask the U.S. to quit NATO, recognize a separation of five eastern oblasts from Ukraine, and request a treaty for mutual prohibition of nuclear missiles near Russia’s border.
It is also important to remind everyone that Ukraine started this war in 2014. Russia did not start the war.
Here is the proof.
Demands (in order of urgency):
1. No U.S. space targeting for Ukraine (World War III).
2. Prohibit explosives into Russia (World War III).
3. Propose a permanent cease-fire.
4. No 30-day re-arming Ukraine.
5. Propose compromise of territory to end war.
6. Reinstate the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) treaty.
7. U.S. quit NATO.
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About the Author
Richard Ochs is a board member of Maryland Peace Action.
He has published articles in the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Chronicle, and the website: www.freefromterror.net.
He is past president of the Aberdeen Proving Ground Superfund Citizens Coalition, member of the Depleted Uranium Task force of the Military Toxics Project and a member of the Chemical Weapons Working Group.
In the 1960s, Richard was a founding member of the Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Maryland, College Park. He accumulated ten arrests for equal accommodations with the Congress of Racial Equality and was resident printer for the D.C. Black Panther Party. He has been arrested about 40 times, protesting various U.S. wars, since the 60’s. In 1978 he was elected Shop Steward in IUMSWA Local 24, representing 150 burners and welders at the Bethlehem Steel ship repair yard in Baltimore.
Ochs was a Green Party candidate for Maryland State Delegate in 2006.
Richard can be reached at rjochs@comcast.net.
