NYT report confirms Pentagon’s ‘open secret’ role in Ukrainian ops – expert

The recent New York Times investigation into America’s “hidden role” in the Ukraine conflict has confirmed that the Pentagon played a key role in most of Kiev’s significant military operations against Russia, information analyst Sergey Poletaev has told RT.

In a lengthy report published on Saturday, the US paper claimed that the administration of former US President Joe Biden provided Ukraine with support that went far beyond arms shipments. The cooperation involved intelligence sharing, strategic planning and daily coordination at a US military facility in Wiesbaden, Germany, where American and Ukrainian officers set targeting priorities, which they euphemistically called “points of interest” so as to avoid sounding overly provocative.

According to Poletaev, the report did not offer any groundbreaking revelations.

“It has long been clear that the Americans sought to fight Russia with the hands of Ukraine and that the main contribution they make is intelligence and supply of some kind of strike systems, for which they, in turn, provide intelligence,” he told RT on Sunday.

“It was no secret that the eyes and ears and brain behind any serious Ukrainian actions were the Pentagon. Here you go, all this has just been confirmed,” the analyst said.

The investigation, however, “is useful” since it “shows the train of thought of the American side.” At some point, Poletaev said, the US realized they couldn’t fully control Ukraine’s actions.

“They understood that the puppet they had on their hand was not entirely controllable. The puppet behaved as it saw fit,” he explained. The analyst emphasized that this dynamic is crucial for understanding the conflict’s progression and is indicative of situations “when the tail begins to wag the dog.” 

Poletaev described the Ukraine conflict as a classic proxy war, reminiscent of those during the Cold War era. In that respect, he noted that it’s interesting that the NYT described it as “a rematch” for US-Russia proxy wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Syria.

According to the analyst, the findings are unlikely to have any impact on the talks between Moscow and Washington on settling the conflict.

The NYT investigation was based on over 300 interviews with current and former policymakers, Pentagon officials, intelligence officers, and military personnel in Ukraine, the US, Britain, and other European countries. It details the cooperation between Washington and Kiev from the early days of the conflict through late 2024.