Ohio Representative Mike Turner (R-OH) made waves this week when he warned of an alleged “serious national security threat” to the United States. The supposed risk was soon revealed to be Russian in nature, with a media cycle quickly emerging over the danger of alleged “space nukes” the country could detonate to disable US satellite communications.
The timing of the revelation raised eyebrows as Turner had visited Ukraine just days ago as part of a Congressional delegation in solidarity with the country’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelensky. Turner’s claims also come as the Biden administration struggles to continue funding the US-backed Ukrainian proxy war, with key Republicans blocking a compromise bill with aid for Kiev and Tel Aviv.
Former UN weapons inspector and whistleblower Scott Ritter joined Sputnik’s Fault Lines program on Thursday to discuss the latest Russophobic hysteria, speculating Turner is part of a secret group of lawmakers and intelligence officials hellbent on undermining Russia at any cost.
“There's a cabal,” claimed Ritter, who was shunned in Washington after defying intelligence claims of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction during the George W. Bush administration. “Turner is… part of the cabal of people that view this Ukrainian conflict [as] not about defense of democracy – knock off this nonsense – it's about defeating Russia, the strategic objective of the United States by using Ukraine as a proxy in a conflict against Russia.”
“You've heard everybody say this, 'we're killing them without losing a single American, we're weakening Russia, we're creating the conditions to destroy Russia, to collapse Russian society, to bring down [Russian President] Vladimir Putin,'” noted Ritter. “He believes that this is a good thing. He believes that's the direction the United States should be going. And he understands that Ukraine right now is in freefall. Their military is being slaughtered on the battlefield. The Americans have no clue what's happening on the battlefield right now.”
Ukraine has faced declining fortunes in the Donbass conflict since the spectacular failure of the country’s vaunted “counteroffensive” last year. In recent days Russian forces have achieved an advantage in the city of Avdeyevka, where for months they’ve endured a stalemate with Ukrainian troops. Shortages in ammunition have undermined Ukrainian reinforcements in the past weeks, allowing Russia to break down Kiev’s foritifications.
“The Russians aren't losing anywhere,” said Ritter. “Maybe in the Black Sea they lost a ship, big deal, but on the ground, they're routing Ukraine. There's no ammunition left. There's nothing left. Ukraine has got nothing.”
“And he [Turner] knows he's looking at it, saying ‘it's over, game set match – Russia, they win,’” he added. “‘Therefore, we need to make people understand the consequences of a Russian victory.’”
Ritter speculated that lawmakers like Turner are worried a victorious Russian army could proceed to “dominate Europe,” even though President Putin has noted the country has no strategic or ideological interest in invading NATO countries. Despite decades of Cold War paranoia, Russia-aligned Warsaw Pact nations never militarily threatened the West. On the contrary, it was the West that invaded Russia when the United States sent troops to undermine the Russian Revolution in 1918.
NATO also funded fascist groups throughout Europe in the decades to come as part of the secretive Operation Gladio program intended to counter the Soviet Union. More recently, NATO has played a part in Western military aggression in Libya, Afghanistan, and the former Yugoslavia.
More recently, the so-called “Russiagate” narrative alleging Russian interference in US elections has reactivated dormant Russophobia in American society, with lawmakers like Turner representing the legislative wing of US anti-Russia diehards.
“Turner just fantasizes about a dominant Russian army,” said Ritter. “Now, you layer over that this emerging capability of taking out America's communications network, and suddenly you have this ‘Russia that's out of control. We can't contain it.’”
“The best way to contain this Russia is to continue funding Ukraine, to keep Russia trapped in Ukraine, to keep the Ukrainians killing Russians,” the whistleblower added, describing the motivations of lawmakers like Turner. “That's what's behind this.”
While officials in Washington and Langley stoke fear of an alleged Russian threat, Ritter noted that the United States already dominates the world, with the country’s vast satellite network demonstrating its projection of power around the globe.
“There's only one nation that projects power globally, that's America,” said Ritter.