Is this the preamble of World War III?

A look at the list of countries flooding lethal weapons of enormous magnitude into Ukraine creates jittery feelings as if these countries are getting ready to fight World War III. These arms should be called weapons of mass destruction (WMD), a term coined before attacking Iraq.  

Russia fired shots on Ukraine on February 24. Two days later President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video saying he needs ammunition, not a ride, referring to the United States’ offer of asylum to the besieged head of state. Since then, 15 countries have sent military hardware to Ukraine.

The majority of arms and supplies from ally nations are being sent via Ukraine’s 310-mile border with Poland, which has become an important lifeline both for supplies and equipment, and refugees looking to flee the conflict.

Some border nations have chosen not to allow military equipment bound for Ukraine to pass through their territory out of fear of Russian retaliation.

On February 28, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country won’t allow deadly weapons to be transported through Hungary’s territory, while reiterating the government doesn’t want to be involved in the Russia-Ukraine war. Szijjarto cited security concerns for Hungarian citizens as one of the primary factors in the decision.

Despite supply chain and shipping challenges, millions of dollars of ordnance continue to flow into Ukraine from two continents.

United States

On February 26, US President Joe Biden authorized the State Department to send US$350 million in weapons to Ukraine. Among the list of hardware on the list are Javelin anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft systems, ammunition, and body armor.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, US Acting Permanent Representative Aud-Frances McKernan said, “The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.”

McKernan then added, per Biden, neither the United States nor NATO has any desire or intention to engage in a conflict with Russia, clarifying that there is no threat to Moscow from either.

This is the third time Biden has used his presidential drawdown authority to send emergency security assistance, now totaling US$1 billion, from US reserves to Ukraine.

“It is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Canada

The Canadian government approved an additional US$25 million in military aid to Ukraine on February 27. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the country would send US$7.8 million worth of lethal equipment to the European nation during a press conference back on February 14 in anticipation of a Russian attack.

Regarding the initial shipment, Trudeau said, “The intent of this support from Canada and other partners is to deter further Russian aggression.”

Germany

Chancellor Olaf Sholz announced on February 26 that Germany would deliver 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to our friends in Ukraine. Scholz said February 24 marked a watershed in the history of our continent, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is jeopardizing the long-term security of Europe, which he said can’t be achieved in opposition to Russia.

Sweden

In a departure from its decades-long neutrality, the Swedish government approved the shipment of 5,000 anti-tank weapons, 135,000 field rations, 5,000 helmets, and 5,000 pieces of body armor. “My conclusion is now that our security is best served by us supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on February 28. She added this is the first time Sweden has sent weapons to a country at war since the Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939.

France

On February 26, an army spokesperson said France would send defensive military equipment to Ukraine to aid in the resistance effort against Russia. President Emmanuel Macron said, “It’s not only the Ukrainian people who are bereaved by the war … it’s all the peoples of Europe.”

United Kingdom

Back on January 17, Secretary of Defense for the United Kingdom, Ben Wallace, said the UK would provide self-defense weapons and training to Ukraine amid the build-up of Russian troops near the border. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on February 23, “In light of the increasingly threatening behavior from Russia and in line with our previous support, the UK will shortly be providing a further package of military support to Ukraine.” He elaborated that the second military support package included both lethal and non-lethal aid.

Belgium

Responding to a direct request from Kyiv, the nation opted to send 2,000 machine guns to the Ukrainian army and 3,800 tons of fuel on February 26.

Netherlands

As of February 26, the Dutch government said it’s delivering 50 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank weapons with 400 missiles to Ukraine to help with the resistance effort against Russia. Additionally, 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles were promised along with helmets, shard vests, and sniper rifles.

Czech Republic

Formerly occupied by Russian troops during the Soviet era, the Czech government sent 4,000 artillery shells worth US$1.7 million to Ukraine in January. The Czech Ministry of Defense released a statement on February 26 saying it will also ship machine guns, submachine guns, assault rifles, and pistols, together with ammunition at an estimated value of US$8.6 million.

Italy

Joining the growing list of countries providing military aid to Ukraine, on February 28, the Italian cabinet pledged to dispatch Stinger missiles, mortars, and Milan or Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons. Among the items included in the defense package are Browning heavy machine guns, MG-type light machine guns, and counter-IED systems.

Portugal

Upon request from Ukrainian officials, the Portuguese Ministry of Defense announced on February 26 that it will deliver military equipment including vests, night vision goggles, grenades, ammunition, complete portable radios, analog repeaters, and automatic G3 rifles.

Greece

The Balkan nation sent defense equipment and medical supplies on two C-130 aircraft from Athens on February 27 at the request of Ukrainian authorities.

Romania

Another former satellite state of the Soviet Union, Romanian government spokesman Dan Carbunaru said the country would ship ammunition and military equipment on February 27.

Spain

On March 02, Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, announced the nation will send defensive equipment to Ukraine. “In this first shipment that will go aboard two planes, we expect to send 1,370 anti-tank grenade launchers, 700,000 rifles, and machine-gun rounds, and light machine guns,” Robles said.

Finland

President Sauli Vainamo Niinisto decided to send an arms support package to Ukraine on February 28. The delivery will include 2,500 assault rifles, 150,000 cartridges, 1,500 single-shot anti-tank weapons, and 70,000 combat ration packages.

Colin Powell embarks upon eternal journey

General Colin Powell, the first black American, former US Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away on Monday due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated. 

"We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment,” the Powell family said in a statement posted on Facebook. “We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the family added.

Powell, born on April 5, 1937, in New York City, was raised by Jamaican immigrant parents in the South Bronx. The family said the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been fully vaccinated and was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Medical Center. Powell reportedly had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. 

Following a decorated military career that included tours in Vietnam, Powell held key military and diplomatic positions throughout government, serving under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Powell endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Former President George Bush, who tapped Powell to serve as his secretary of State, said he was “deeply saddened” by the military leader’s death.

“Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell.

He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam. Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience,” Bush said in a statement.

“He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration. He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom — twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad. And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man,” he added.

Powell first joined the Reagan administration in 1987 as national security adviser, becoming the first Black individual to serve in the role. He later transitioned to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1989, a position he held for four years under former Presidents George Bush and Clinton. 

Calls for Powell to wage a presidential bid ramped up ahead of the 1996 election following the US-led coalition’s win in the Gulf War. He ultimately passed on a campaign of his own, concluding that he did not have a “passion” for elected politics.

The four-star general reentered the political sphere in 2001, when he was tapped by George Bush to serve as secretary of State, breaking another barrier and becoming the first Black American to serve in the role. He served in the post until 2005.

Powell led the US on the diplomatic front in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, helping to secure support from other countries for the war on terror and invasion of Afghanistan. The secretary also faced criticism for his push for invading Iraq in 2003.

In a speech before the United Nations in February 2003, Powell showed what he said was evidence from US intelligence that illustrated that the Iraqi military was misleading United Nations inspectors and concealing weapons of mass destruction.

“There can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more, many more,” Powell said in his speech.

Inspectors, however, later said that weapons of mass destruction did not exist in Iraq.

In 2005, two years after Powell’s speech before the UN, a government report concluded that the intelligence community was “dead wrong” in its claim that Iraq was holding weapons of mass destruction prior to the United States' invasion.

Powell later said his speech before the UN was a “blot” on his record and recognized that it would be a part of his legacy, adding that he regretted delivering the remarks.

“I regret it now because the information was wrong — of course I do,” Powell told CNN’s Larry King in November 2010. “But I will always be seen as the one who made the case before the international community.” “I swayed public opinion, there's no question about it,” he added.

In his memoir “It Worked for Me,” published in 2012, Powell again discussed the speech, writing that “the event will earn a prominent paragraph in my obituary," according to CNN.

Powell studied at the City College of New York, where he participated in ROTC.

After graduating in 1958, Powell joined the US Army and was twice deployed to South Vietnam, where he was wounded twice.

Powell waded into the political arena during the Trump administration, announcing after the January 6 attack on the Capitol that he no longer considered himself a Republican.

Asked by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria if he believes “fellow Republicans” who have not criticized former President Trump “encouraged, at least, this wildness to grow and grow,” Powell said, “They did, and that’s why I can no longer call myself a Republican.”

“I’m not a fellow of anything right now. I’m just a citizen who has voted Republican, voted Democrat throughout my entire career, and right now I’m just watching my country and not concerned with parties,” he said.

 “I do not know how he was able to attract all of these people. They should have known better, but they were so taken by their political standing and how none of them wanted to put themselves at political risk. They would not stand up and tell the truth or stand up and criticize him or criticize others,” he added.