The Sun
RUSSIA and the US risk a military showdown as they continue to trade barbs over Ukraine amid fears of an imminent invasion.
Joe Biden has warned that Vladimir Putin may be preparing an offensive within days – with such a move feared to trigger the biggest conflict since World War 2.
NATO and Russia have long had a tit-for-tat row with each accusing the other of aggression in Eastern Europe.
And as tensions have ramped up, it appears to be devolving into a potentially devastating game of chicken.
Putin is believed to want to seize parts of Ukraine – as he did with Crimea in 2014 – as part of his chilling ambition to bring Russia back to the heady days of the Soviet Union.
Will the West send forces to deter Russian and intervene in the rising tensions? Or will Putin be left to carry out his feared invasion of Ukraine?
It has been warned any regional conflict which brings the West and Russia to loggerheads could spiral out of control and may become World War 3.
The US and Russia have comparable militaries in terms of size – but Washington massively outspends Moscow.
The White House forks out $778billion on its armies and weapons, while Russia reportedly spends a fraction of that – with $62billion.
The US has more active personnel with 1.4million compared to Russia’s estimated around 1million, but Putin has a much larger reserve force – with 2million compared to 850,000.
Russia also has more tanks with around 13,000 compared to the US’s 6,100, and more naval assets with 600 compared to 490.
Putin however lacks the key vessel in modern naval warfare – aircraft carriers.
The US have 20 of the mammoth floating airfields, while Putin has just one – the infamous, smoke belching and unreliable Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov.
Washington also has more destroyers with 94 compared to 18 – which include the state-of-the-art USS Zumwalt – and more submarines the with 69 to 59.
Russia has more corvettes – the smallest class of warship – with 83 as compared to 22.
And the US also rules the skies as it has vastly more aircraft with over 13,000 compared to Russia’s around 4,000.
The Pentagon also maintains a much larger force of combat drones with around 300, while Russia is only believed to have around two dozen.
And these are some of the most impressive weapons which head up each side’s arsenal at the world awaits with bated breath for Putin to make his move.
SATAN 2
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