Posted on 12/14/2014 1:48:39 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
On Monday, 28 Russian military planes including TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers were intercepted over the Baltic Sea near Latvia's border. On Tuesday, a Russian plane violated Estonia's airspace. Poland's defense minister later accused Putin of launching "unprecedented activity" around the Baltic Sea.
Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said the recent Russian flights were "of a different nature than we've seen in a while." The warplanes were intercepted by NATO in international airspace.
"For the past 19 years, we have been trying to treat Russia as a partner, trying to bring the nations of Europe back together and now what we see is a very different kind of scenario," Breedlove told NBC News.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I am saying that the Baltics would be apt to show Putin what Finland showed Stalin. I am sorry there are so many here on whom irony is lost.
You don’t understand irony, yes?
Thanks for your reply. I think Putin is not quite ready for more military adventure, my understanding is that Ukraine is proving to be much more difficult to digest, politically, and economically, than he had anticipated. We shall see !
I understand that you seem confused about the balance of power between NATO and Russia and seem to think that NATO wouldn’t fight.
Not to mention the apathy those in the former Warsaw Pact countries still have for Russia.
If I’m Russian, I don’t want a ticked off Poland and Germany wanting my hide because my military is a hollow shell of its former self.
JMHO
I heard you the first time.
It is silly, NATO isn’t just Obama, and his remaining two years in office.
As it is, we have recently conducted military exercises in Poland, and in Ukraine itself, and are moving troops for forward stationing, as all of NATO girds up.
excellent post.
Is there any chance NATO will deploy a missile shield?
“The Hague 23 November 2014 – Lawmakers from NATO nations on Sunday called for the prompt completion of NATO ballistic missile defences in response to the increasing threat posed by the proliferation of such weapons, including among potentially hostile states such as Iran and North Korea.
“We express our full support for NATO’s ballistic missile defence efforts,” said Stephen Gilbert, a British member of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly. He presented a draft resolution that urged Allied governments to step up voluntary national contributions to the defence system.
“This capability will be an integral part of our efforts to ensure our collective defence – a core task of the Alliance,” Gilbert added. He said expressed hope the missile defence system could be completed by the early 2020s.”
Might means nothing if there is no will to use it.
Claiming that NATO will surrender to Russia is your own knuckleheaded fantasy, and remember that your first claim was how weak we are.
We just finished exercises in Ukraine and Poland, are moving tanks and troops forward, and creating a new rapid response force.
I would say that your side is not looking to be on firm ground.
And Crimea is now controlled by...?
Posturing means nothing.
Crimea isn’t a part of NATO, what are you talking about?
I did not say we were weak. I said we would not use our strength.
It sure sounded like you think we are weak, it is why I posted to you.
To: arthurus
Putin probably just can’t believe how weak Russia’s one time dominating adversary has become.
8 posted on 12/14/2014, 2:04:06 PM by ctdonath2
Weak in terms of unwillingness to act. Pardon the lack of clarity, or I’ll beat the crap out of you ;-)
Except that we are acting, we are acting pretty well and aggressively, Putin is being placed deeper and deeper into a hole, and is starting to look more and more like a blunderer that is an incompetent boob in handling the West, and is having the opposite effect of what he desires, and more of what I see as favorable to us and NATO.
He has been overplaying his hand and strengthening the hand of the strong national defense conservatives, both in the US and Europe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.