[Mariner]

"We had no problem with Article 5 during the Cold War. Why would we back down now? "

I'm not saying we should and I would advocate for existential war to honor the NATO treaty...but I think I'm part of a very small minority.

It would be a very, very tough sell politically and the POTUS that gave the order could well find himself impeached.

I believe the essential issue to be that NATO was over-extended when Russia was weak and none of the Neo Cons involved ever stopped to ask the question: Would we really defend such a country at crunch time against a nuclear power?

[Mariner]

Remember, many in the West and US wanted to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.

Sheer folly. And Putin is exposing it.

[kabar]

The Russians are well aware of NATO Treaty obligations. The real question you should be asking is whether Russia would risk a nuclear war for a small city in Estonia?

I believe the essential issue to be that NATO was over-extended when Russia was weak and none of the Neo Cons involved ever stopped to ask the question: Would we really defend such a country at crunch time against a nuclear power?

Absolute nonsense. NATO is not over-extended. It can meet any Russian capability up to and including a nuclear one. We had plenty of small countries before NATO was expanded. And the test of any alliance is that the other side must believe in your intention to act if provoked. NATO needs to make it very clear to the Russians that any attack against a treaty member is an attack against all. There should be no room for any miscalculation. We must respond against any attack period in both word and deed. There should be no doubting our resolve. Otherwise, we will have a war.

[AlexW]

“Let the European Union handle it.”
____________________________________________________
The logical solution would be for elections to be held in each disputed territory. two choices, go with Russia, or go it alone.
I know...fat chance.

[Always A Marine]

I believe the essential issue to be that NATO was over-extended when Russia was weak and none of the Neo Cons involved ever stopped to ask the question: Would we really defend such a country at crunch time against a nuclear power?

I agree. Wars start over such miscalculations.

[noinfringers2]

Any political agreement between government entities, be they local, national or multinational, must be couched in wording or affect so that no one party or group of the parties to the agreement can take away the authority of a dissenting parties obligation to that parties citizens. To hold otherwise is loss of the parties obligations to it’s citizens.