Posted on 03/27/2014 3:54:03 PM PDT by Mariner
Will Putin call NATO's bluff?
The Russian invasion and rapid absorption of the Crimean peninsula might seem like the spark ready to ignite a new Cold War. In fact, given the feeble Western response so far, the more likely outcome is not the division of Europe once more between NATO's Western alliance and a neo-Soviet Russia, but rather the fracturing and ultimate demise of NATO and the Western alliance itself.
Of course, no one expects the West to use military force to protect Ukrainian territory, despite the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in which Russia, the U.S., and the U.K. guaranteed Ukrainian sovereignty in exchange for its relinquishing the nuclear weapons that remained on its territory after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet even the Russians now seem surprised, indeed somewhat amused, by how disunited and weak the Western response has been. So what comes next?
Having demonstrated to the Ukrainians with his Crimean excursion the emptiness of Western guarantees...
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
I know who poked the Bear while sleeping. It was the weakness from 0bama, and the disastrous five years of his foreign policy.
We could be witnessing the start of WWIII.
5.56mm
While I have no doubt US Forces would prevail eventually, I also have no doubt that Russia's best...not the export stuff...will have more than a few surprises for us.
They also maintain the ability to strike and do tremendous damage to US/NATO forces and airfields, depots etc.
A dozen Blackjack bombers can wreak havoc all on their own, but when combined with the rest of the Russian Air Force they will definitely get some targets.
The American public is not used to taking losses and Congress is even worse.
It was really up to the people of Estonia if they wanted to receive the NATO flag. Being a former "Soviet satellite" should have nothing to do with it, at least morally.
And your description that Estonia was "aggressively recruited" is hyperbole.
1914 all over again. Entangling alliances over nothing that matters to most of the American People.
Should the US go to war with Russia over a town in Estonia that is nearly all Russian?
Yup. ................................................... Of course, its like going into Czechoslovakia when parts of it was nearly all German. In fact I half expect Putin’s Navy may try and annex Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn soon. LOL will our Leader do then? Draw a red line in Queens? s/
By aggressively recruiting former Soviet satellites, the formerly defensive alliance shifted to offense by planting its flag on Russia’s doorstep -
Utter rubbish. Where did you come up with that? Alex Jones? Savage?
The fact is the new NATO members lined up and happily joined NATO. No recruitment necessary. They have plenty of graves in their country to remind them that periodically Russia murders them. That’s all the motivation they needed to seek NATO membership.
I'd like to hear a supporting argument for that contention.
the idea that the USA has an interest in defending Bulgaria from anyone, at any time is ludicrous to me.
Romania?
And, would you expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia...and would their defense with US Forces make sense?
To "make sense" there would have to be a real US strategic interest.
WTF?
You don't think the original members of NATO got a vote on that?
Of course all the European members thought it was a GREAT idea. What I want to know is where the hell was the US Senate when the treaty modification came up for a vote? Surely it had to be ratified by the US Senate.
I contend it was a major strategic blunder to expand NATO. There is no US interest served by doing so.
But I also contend we MUST honor that sh!tty treaty at all costs lest the entire world sink into chaotic destruction.
Putin is not going to annex Poland - he’s going to give Lwow, Grodno, Brest and possibly Wilno BACK to Poland.
Which begs the question - what about Breslau, Stettin, Danzig, and Königsberg?
So I ask you, do you think defending the original NATO countries make sense?
If so then why wouldn't Estonia make sense?
Nice guy that Putin.
On another site there was a heated discussion regarding what if California with its love for illegal aliens votes to join Mexico.
WTF? You don't think the original members of NATO got a vote on that?
Don't waste my time with your nonsense comment. Read what I wrote. Read every word. Do you know what the word "receive" means?
Unbelievable.
Just where would you draw the line? A few days ago you were saying Crimea but no more. Now you’re willing to start carving up Estonia. What are you going to say when Putin talks about the poor oppressed Russians in Brighton Beach?
I have it on good authority that Kerry-Heinz has sent a flurry of stern notes to the Russians. The Russian responses are #$@%%^^^^ you stupid dip sh!t!
My tone and words were totally uncalled for.
I apologize.
Notify NATO that any nation that does not spend 3% of GDP on Defense and meet certain readiness and capability requirements to be defined by our US Military professionals...will be expelled from the Alliance. They have 5 years.
If we cannot gain agreement with the majority of NATO countries on this, we will withdraw from the treaty in that same 5year timetable.
NATO died in 1986 when France denied the US overflight rights to Libya.
It died again in 2003 when Turkey denied the US overflight rights as well.
It is a two way street.
Now, when they are scared they want us to fly over in powerful aircraft. Right.
I understand completely.
The current circumstances aren’t the same. Events are still manageable if they had the will.
What is war but failed diplomacy?
Economic pressure is the proper method. Tell Russia that they would be financially responsible for any area they would annex. The IMF loaned Ukraine $18B and since Crimea is still recognized as sovereign territory, Russia would have to pay proportionally.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the expansion of NATO.
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