“Reconquista”.
Or maybe the “filibustering” that US citizens did on the periphery of the early United States of America in Spanish-held Florida, and Mexican-Texas.
Another analogy is that Putin is playing the parts of both Kaiser Wilhelm I and his chief minister Otto Von Bismark. He’s building Russia by picking a series of international fights on the borders.
Old Russia irredentism, parading as second generation Marxism, parading as recreating the Czarist Russian Empire.
Sort of like the movie “Victor,Victoria” on steroids!
Got it!!!
Reconquista.
I think it extends way beyond that. I'd say his goal is what the Normandy landings prevented Stalin from doing - take all of Europe. That's why great changes are afoot among NATO's European members. Thanks to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the Germans have done a head-spinning U-turn - they are finally re-arming. The analogy would be to the Pope suddenly declaring that he's really a devout Hindu (although that wouldn't surprise me). I suspect the appearance of 100,000 demonstrators in Berlin forced the chancellor's hand.
Up until now, the US was pushing the reluctant EU. Now the EU and Germany are out in front. The sanctions WILL hurt Russia, a lot, especially the rich. The weapons that the EU is paying for and sending will hurt Russia. Putin is like Japan at Pearl Harbor – he has awakened the sleeping eagle (albeit the German one) and it wasn’t a good idea to do so.
When the German chancellor, who has acted like Putin’s personal valet throughout suddenly does a U-turn - that’s when you sit up and take notice. When the Green weenies in Germany start talking about reviving coal, you know these people have seen the elephant, and are acting accordingly.
German chancellor Scholz in a fairly long formal speech in parliament an hour ago has announced five steps that the German government is taking:
- Support Ukraine with weapon deliveries from Germany and Allies as an answer to Putin's aggression
- Deter Putin from further aggression through sanctions and embargos, both against the country, its private business and "responsible individuals".
- continue to increase deployed Bundeswehr units to support Eastern-European NATO allies.
- Maintain Battlegroup in Lithuania (being expanded with reserve forces).
- Contribute to second Battlegroup in Slovakia being built up (Germany will also take command of this second Battlegroup).
- Continue current adhoc-formed Air Policing deployment in Romania (training deployment with Italy was transformed to that)
- Continue current adhoc deployment of German Navy ships in patrols in Baltic Sea and Mediterranean.
- Ready air defence forces for deployment on NATO eastern borders if required.
- Invest to increase Bundeswehr capabilities:
- Establish an immediate 100 billion Euro budget for 2022 to increase Bundeswehr capabilities.
- Permanently raise defence budget above 2% GDP.
- Prioritize projects with European partners, in particular France for new MBTs, future Eurofighter replacement and just signed Eurodrone project. Replace Tornado with SEAD-enabled Eurofighters and consider F-35 for nuclear delivery (and yes, he named the thing usually not named). Procure Heron UCAV from Israel.
- Increase hybrid warfare and cyber resilience.
- (Seek increased energy independence from Russia by expanding coal and gas reserves and building two LNG terminals.)
- (didn't quite catch that - lots of bla about "ceasing naive exterior politics" of recent years and about alliances and "defending a peaceful Europe")
There was a lot of serious pathos and patriotistic platitudes throughout the speech, going as far as "we shall defend every square meter of NATO" and a "do not ask what you can get out of Brussels for your own country, but ask what is the best decision for The Union". The speech was accentuated by standing applause from most of the plenum (except the right-extremist pro-Putin AfD faction).