Shit is about to get real for what is a proxy war between friends. Russia is looking at a change in foreign policy for the US and its allies that had been providing aid, weapons, training, and firing solutions to kill Russians while they constantly maintain the facade. They are not directly involved in the war against Russia in Ukraine. The argument always had a lot of sheer nutter nuts about it considering what might be classed by definitions as a legitimate military target. This might vary from country to country, but a generalized look at Wikipedia on legitimate military targets provides enough insight into the argument.
Wikipedia Legitimate Military Target
A legitimate military target is an object, structure, individual, or entity that is considered to be a valid target for attack by belligerent forces according to the law of war during an armed conflict.
Overview
Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 52, provides for the general protection to protected persons, hindering attacks to military objectives in a war between two or more belligerents. Article 52 states, "In so far as objects are concerned, military objectives are limited to those objects which by their nature, location, purpose or use make an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military advantage."
Any attack must be justified by military necessity: an attack or action must be intended to help in the military defeat of the enemy, it must be an attack on a military objective,[1] and the harm caused to protected civilians or civilian property must be proportional and not "excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated".[1]
Some targets are clearly legitimate, including all military personnel directly engaging in hostilities on behalf of a belligerent party who are not hors de combat or are not members of a neutral country. Some civilian infrastructure, such as rail tracks, roads, ports, airports, and telecommunications used by the military for communications or transporting assets, are all considered to be legitimate military targets.
The legal situation becomes more nuanced and ambiguous if the harm to civilians or civilian property is "excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated". During World War II, there was a song called a thing-ummy-bob, which contains the lines "And it's the girl that makes the thing that holds the oil, that oils the ring that works the thing-ummy-bob, that's going to win the war". Whether such a girl is a legitimate target is an area that probably has to be decided on a case-by-case basis. However, Protocol I suggests that if it is not clear, then the parties to the conflict should err on the side of caution, as Article 52 states: "In case of doubt whether an object which is normally dedicated to civilian purposes, such as a place of worship, a house, or other dwelling or a school, is being used to make an effective contribution to military action, it shall be presumed not to be so used".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legitimate_military_target
Like sanctions will win a war, sometimes BS can have a certain use-by date. Like, we have put up with the BS long enough. It is with that type of consideration that a change in Russia's foreign policy was probably going to be unavoidable. The stupid argument of providing aid, weapons, training, and firing solutions to kill Russians while claiming you are not part of the war was always that. Stupid! Enemies of my enemy are my friends, how big is that list?
6 June 2024 - Enemies of our enemies are our friends – Medvedev
Washington’s arming of Ukraine is about to backfire, the former Russian president has warned
Moscow is prepared to arm the enemies of the US in response to Washington and its allies sending weapons to Ukraine, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin floated the possibility of such an “asymmetric” response at Wednesday’s meeting with foreign news agencies, but pointed out the suggestion was only under consideration.
“This is a rather significant change of our foreign policy,” Medvedev said in a post on his English-language X (formerly Twitter) account.
Until now, he said, “the Yankees and their drooling dogs” felt entitled to send all sorts of weapons to Ukraine, to destroy Russia “by any means possible,” while threatening anyone who would provide Moscow with weapons or other materials for its defense.
https://www.rt.com/russia/598888-medvedev-arming-enemies-usa/
Australia for its part has hit over 1 billion dollars in aid.
28 April 2024 - Australia tops up Ukraine military aid with $100M
“This takes Australia’s military assistance to $880 million since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and brings Australia’s overall support for Ukraine to over $1 billion,” the ministry statement said last night.
The new tranche includes:
- $50 million for short-range air defence systems
- $30 million for drones;
- $15 million for high priority equipment such as combat helmets, rigid hull inflatable boats, boots, fire masks and generators.
Australia has already supplied 120 Bushmaster vehicles, six 155mm howitzers, 56 M113 armored vehicles and 14 special operations vehicles. Perhaps the single most effective weapon Australia has supplied — especially for cost-benefit — is more than 500 of the cardboard-based drones designed and built by the Australian company Sypaq.
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/04/australia-tops-up-ukraine-military-aid-with-100m/
The list of military aid to Ukraine by countries reads like the script for a horror movie. The Australian contribution seems a bit more in-depth with its list on the Wiki.
List of military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
As of December 2023, Australia's military support to Ukraine was worth about AU$730 million in monetary terms.[16]
Armoured personnel carriers
- 56 M113AS4 [Delivered from June 2022 onwards. 28 more pledged in June 2023]. Some M113AS4 Armoured Logistics Vehicle variant also donated [Before March 2023].[17][18]
Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles
Vehicles
Towed artillery
Ammunition
- Joint manufacture of 155mm artillery ammunition with France with Australia supplying the gunpowder [January 2023].[23][24]
- 105mm artillery ammunition [2022/2023].[18]
- "Ammunition" [March or April 2022].[17]
Loitering munitions
Unmanned aerial and unmanned ground systems / Radar systems
- Part of A$25 million package announced in [March 2022].[27] Oryx describes the unspecified systems as Reconnaissance UAVs,[17] while ABC News reported they were radar systems.[28]
Small arms (delivered along with ammunition)
- A$70 million worth of lethal military equipment ("including missiles and weapons") [March 2022].[29]
- A$26.5 million worth of anti-armour weapons and ammunitions [April 2022].[30]
- Small number of Australian Combat Assault Rifles.[31]
Miscellaneous equipment
- ''Tactical decoys'' (part of A$25 million) [March 2022].[27][17]
- A$21 million worth of "Australian Defence Force stocks" including ammunition and body armor [March 2022].[32]
- Demining equipment.[33]
- Portable X-ray machines[33]
- A 3D metal printer[33]
- Counter UAV systems.[33]
Training
- Training of Ukrainian soldiers by 70 Australian instructors [from January 2023 onwards].[34] In 2024 the number of instructors increased to 90.[16]
Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft
Financial aid
- A$3 million contribution to a NATO trust fund [February 2022]. Later increased to AU$24 million (as of December 2023).[36][37]
- A$50 million grant to the International Fund for Ukraine for the purchase of military equipment.[
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_aid_to_Ukraine_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War
The following videos might be a good example of how the history of war or the reasons for war can have a start date. The BBC lists the reason for sanctions was because Russia invaded Ukraine elsewhere Putin has said the war was started in Ukraine by a Western coup in 2014. The truth as always is left for the victors or perhaps the unethical power of the press to decide.