Free Republic

Russia reacted to U.S. military strikes on its ally Syria Friday by cutting a hotline intended to prevent midair incidents, a response that demonstrates Moscow's readiness to defy Washington and could even put the two nuclear superpowers on a course toward military confrontation. President Vladimir Putin signaled he was ready to risk a clash with the U.S. and abandon hopes for mending ties with the U.S. under President Donald Trump, rather than accept the humiliation of standing by while his ally is bombed.

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Putin tells the world - 'Attacking Syria again? You'll need to get through me': Russian battleship is positioned between US warships and runway hit by Trump's air strike as Vladimir makes his move The US military fired more than 50 tomahawk missiles at al-Shayrat military airfield at 8.45pm EDT Thursday Moves comes just hours after Trump said 'something should happen' following Tuesday's gas-attack atrocity Trump took action after more than 80 were killed and many more were injured in the Sarin poison gas attack 'Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack,' he said after launching the...

That Russia has previously threatened, and followed through with, sending ships to the Mediterranean is nothing new. In the past, every such episode was related to the protection of what Putin considered vital geopolitical interests in the region: whether defending the Syrian port of Tartus, various crude and natural gas pipelines in the region threatened by NATO expansion in Turkey, or offsetting heightened US presence around Gaza and Israel (and of course Iran). Which is why with the legacy conflicts in the region dormant, and the only news of any relevance being the European intervention in Cyprus against Russian oligarch...