Posted on 04/02/2014 9:05:58 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Brussels, Belgium (CNN) -- NATO's military chief warned Wednesday that Russian troops could begin moving on Ukraine within 12 hours of being given an order, amid fears that Moscow could seek to invade its eastern region.
Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, also told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that with 40,000 troops massed near the border, Russia has all the components necessary to move on Ukraine.
These forces are "supported by fixed-wing aircraft, rotary aircraft, all of the logistics required in order to successfully make an incursion if they needed," he said.
In terms of deterrence, Breedlove said NATO has a good air and sea plan, and is working in the next several days on developing a land component to that reassurance. Ukraine is not a NATO member, but many countries that are members -- such Poland and the Baltic states -- have voiced their increasing anxiety about Russia's recent actions.
NATO said Tuesday that it would suspend "all practical civilian and military cooperation" with Russia in response to its annexation of Ukraine's southern Crimea region, which has triggered the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.
It also said it had seen no sign that Moscow is withdrawing some of its troops from the eastern Ukrainian border, as Russia has claimed.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking in Brussels, Belgium, at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the 28-member NATO bloc, said he shared Breedlove's concerns.
He accused Russia of trying to intimidate Ukraine as part of an attempt to "reestablish a Russian sphere of influence covering the former Soviet space."
Rasmussen again said Russia had a "massive military buildup along Ukraine's borders," with troops in a high state of readiness, and that NATO had not seen signs of any significant reduction...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
NATO military chief warns Russian troops could invade swiftly,
Thats the whole point of an invasion
Like DUH.
But this is a grave concern.
Grave?
Is there any other kind.
Isn’t the historical term “blitzkrieg”? Clearly it’s intolerable for Russia not to have a land connection to one of its major ports. As intolerable as having East Prussia separated from the rest of Germany by Poland. As intolerable as having Kaliningrad separated from Russia by Belarus and by Poland or Lithuania.
Thats the whole point of an invasion
Made me Laugh Out Loud.
Wesley Clark was actually correct at Pristina airport. Now we are paying the price.
Send in the Syrian Free Army-
they take no prisoners.
What I’ve read about the Russian army is that they’ve reorganized as a fast deploying high firepower force. The brigade is their basic unit not the division. What I’ve also heard is that observers say their forces lack staying power. Any significant resistance from the Ukies could wear out Putin’s forces or force use of more destructive weapons.
Clark was an idiot who tried very hard to start WWIII.
Thank God more intelligent heads prevailed...
Maybe the Bear would still be quiet if we had blown up half their tanks.
Yes America should have went to war with Russia to help Muslims seize control of parts of Europe.
Russians like to operate in a predictable environment where all the opponent’s positions and options are known - as in chess. They don’t like to deal with bluffs and called bluffs - as in poker. Unpredictable or “kinda crazy” NATO generals would be constraining then and now to the Russians.
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