Will the Russia-Ukraine struggle escalate and lead to a third world war? Most national leaders say it won’t. But other nations, including the United States, continue supplying weaponry to Ukraine. While most watchers of world affairs express worries about such aid from a supposed noncombatant, President Joe Biden and most U.S. civilian leaders have repeatedly stated that the U.S. favoritism to Ukraine will not lead to a world conflagration.
But on January 27, 2023, four-star General Mike Minihan, the leader of our nation’s Air Mobility Command, sent a memo to the forces under his leadership that began with his wish — “I hope I am wrong.” The general continued, “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping secured his third term and established his war council in October 2022. China’s anticommunist breakaway province in Taiwan will hold its own presidential election in 2024. Such an independent act will offer Xi a reason [to begin a fight]. United States presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer a distracted America. Xi’s team, reason and opportunity are all aligned for 2025.”