THAT’S THE DAY TODAY.
NOW YOU KNOW.
MILITARY OFFICIALS IN UKRAINE
ARE LOOKING TO USE WESTERN
WEAPONS TO DELIVER THE KERSOHN
REGION THE FIRST
MAJOR CITY CAPTURED BY RUSSIAN
FORCES WHEN THE WAR FIRST BEGAN.
GENERAL JACK KEANE IS WITH ME
THIS MORNING.
GENERAL IT SEEMS TO ME THE
UKRAINIANS ARE GEARING UP
FOR A MAJOR OFFENSIVE A LARGE-
SCALE COUNTERATTACK.
IS THAT THE STATE OF PLAY RIGHT
NOW?
>> YEAH, YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, STUART.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN IN
THE PLANNING AND PREPARATION
STAGES NOW FOR WEEKS, AND IT
LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE BEGINNING TO
SET IN MOTION WHAT THEY CONSIDER
TO BE A COUNTER OFFENSIVE TO
TAKE BACK KHERSON CITY AND THE
SURROUNDING AREA WHICH BE A
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT IF THEY’RE
ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF AND
CERTAINLY THE WEAPONS THAT THE
UNITED STATES HAS BEEN
PROVIDING TO THE EUROPEANS AS
WELL, PARTICULARLY THE HIGH
MARS HAS REALLY HELPED THEM
QUITE A BIT IN TERMS OF
DEFEATING RUSSIAN ARTILLERY,
WHICH HAS BEEN THE MAIN WEAPON
SYSTEM THAT THE RUSSIANS HAVE
BEEN USING TO TAKE TERRITORY
AWAY FROM THE UKRAINIANS IN THE
EASTERN DONBAS REGION.
THIS IS A MAJOR MAJOR MOVEMENT
BY THE UKRAINIANS, STUART, AND
THE OUTCOME IS UNCERTAIN, BUT
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS UKRAINIANS
HAVE THE SKILL, THEY’VE GOT THE
WILL, WE BELIEVE THEY HAVE
THE PEOPLE TO DO IT, AND NOW,
THEY ALSO HAVE SOME WEAPON
SYSTEMS THEY’RE GOING TO HELP
THEM DO IT.
IT’S GOING TO BE A VERY TOUGH
FIGHT BUT THIS WILL HELP
DETERMINE WHETHER THIS WAR IS
GOING TO BE PROTRACTED FOR YEARS
TO COME, OR WILL THE UKRAINIANS
REALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE TERRITORY
BACK AND DRIVE THE RUSSIANS OUT.
STUART: DO WE HAVE ANY MILITARY
PEOPLE, AMERICANS, ON THE GROUND
, IN UKRAINE?
>> I DON’T THINK WE DO, BUT
I’LL TELL YOU WHAT.
THIS MUCH I DO KNOW, BECAUSE I
HAVE RECEIVED BRIEFINGS IN THE
PENTAGON.
WE PROVIDE THEM EXQUISITE
INTELLIGENCE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
NOT JUST ONCE IN A WHILE.
I’M TALKING ABOUT CONTINUOUSLY.
WE HAVE FULL VISIBILITY OF THAT
BATTLEFIELD.
IF THERE’S A RUSSIAN UNIT THAT’S
MOVING ON THAT BATTLEFIELD, WE
HAVE VISIBILITY OF IT, AND WE
ARE TELLING THAT TO THE
UKRAINIANS.
WE’RE USING ALL OF OUR SOURCES
TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT FROM
IMAGERY, SURVEILLANCE OF THE
BATTLEFIELD.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SATELLITES, WE
HAVE AIRPLANES THAT CAN STANDOFF
NOT OVER UKRAINIAN TERRITORY TO
DO IT, SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE, AND
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER ASSETS AS
WELL, SO YES, WE ARE HELPING
THEM.
I DON’T BELIEVE WE HAVE PEOPLE
ON THE GROUND BUT I DON’T KNOW
FOR SURE.
I DON’T THINK WE NEED TO HAVE,
FRANKLY.
STUART: LET’S CHANGE NOT THE
SUBJECT BUT THE THEATRE OF
OPERATIONS.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS
, GENERAL MARK MILLEY, HAS
A WARNING ABOUT CHINA’S MILITARY
HE SAYS THE MESSAGE IS THE
CHINESE MILITARY IN THE AIR,
THE SEA, HAVE BECOME
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NOTICEABLY
MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THIS REGION.
THEY ARE TRYING TO EXPAND THEIR
INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT THE REGION
AND THAT HAS POTENTIAL
CONSEQUENCES.
NOT NECESSARILY FAVORABLE
THROUGH OUR ALLIES & PARTNERS IN
THE REGION.
THAT’S A STRONG STATEMENT FROM
GENERAL MILLI.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT GENERAL
KEANE?
>> YES.
WELL HE IS OUT IN THE REGION
HAVING A MAJOR MEETING WITH ALL
OF THE CHIEFS OF DEFENSE IN
TERMS OF OUR ALLIES & PARTNERS
LATER THIS WEEK IN SIDNEY,
AUSTRALIA.
HE’S CURRENTLY IN INDONESIA AND
HE’S SOUNDING AN ALARM SOMETHING
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE
FOR SOMETIME.
PRESIDENT XI AND HE’S BEEN IN
POWER NOW OVER 10 YEARS,
CERTAINLY CHANGED THINGS RATHER
DRAMATICALLY IN TERMS OF THE
INTIMIDATION AND COERCION OF
TAIWAN ACROSS THE TAIWAN
SEPARATES STRAIGHSTS AND OUR
ALLIES AND TO INCLUDE WHEN
GENERAL MILLEY IS TALKING ABOUT
HARASSING OUR AIRPLANES AND OUR
SHIPS.
THE AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVENESS IS
OBVIOUS AND I THINK WHAT WE HAVE
TO CONSIDER SERIOUSLY IS THAT
PRESIDENT XI, WHILE HE’S
WATCHING THE WAR IN UKRAINE, AND
HE’S WATCHING RUSSIA HAVE A LOT
OF PROBLEMS WITH IT.
PRESIDENT XI, AS OPPOSED TO
PAUSING AND SLOWING DOWN HIS
DESIRE TO TAKE OVER TAIWAN, MAY
INDEED BE INCREASING IN TERMS OF
TIMEFRAME.
WHY?
BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHT NOW OUTGUN
NED AND OUTMANNED IN THE
REGION BUT HE KNOWS FULL
WELL THE UNITED STATES IS
WORKING VERY HARD TO CORRECT
THAT.
THAT’LL TAKE A FEW YEARS TOK DO
SO BUT THAT ENCOURAGES HIM,
MAYBE TO DO SOMETHING SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER.
SECOND PROBLEM IS YOU’RE AWARE
OF THIS.
HE HAS, PRESIDENT XI HAS
ECONOMIC SETBACKS, RIGHT NOW,
AND THEY ARE DESTINED TO GET
WORSE AND IT MAYBE BETTER
FOR HIM TO DO SOMETHING SOONER,
AGAIN, RATHER THAN LATER
ECONOMICALLY, AS WELL AS IT IS
MILITARILY.
THAT’S THE CONCERN WE HAVE AND
MILLEY CERTAINLY IS GOING TO
SURE UP OUR ALLIES TO WORK
TOGETHER IN THE REGION TO
PUSHBACK ON CHINA’S AGGRESSION.
STUART: THAT’S JUST THE KIND OF
ANALYSIS THAT WE NEED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED,
GENERAL FOR SUPPLYING IT.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE IT.