Posted on 04/29/2022 7:15:44 PM PDT by elpadre
The EU faces difficult questions that need to be debated now rather than later. Europe needs a strong deterrent against Moscow, and that will only be possible if France and Germany team up to advance the debate.
In the end, the meeting at the United States airbase in Ramstein, Germany, resembled a ribbon ceremony with praise awarded to the most diligent. Germany is a great friend that is doing everything it can to support Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said. It was not only thanks for the Germans’ proposal to send tanks
to Ukraine, but also the polite way of saying: "Finally, you have understood!" The praise followed weeks of criticism in Washington, NATO capitals and Kyiv over perceived German dithering about whether to supply heavy weapon systems to Ukraine to defend itself.
The United States is choreographing the anti-Russia policies in this war. It is setting the pace in arms deliveries, it invited its allies to gather in Germany for a special Ukraine Defensive Consultive Group meeting, and it is providing the necessary deterrence against the nuclear power Russia with its own arsenal of nuclear weapons. Most importantly, the U.S. has formulated the West’s aim in the war: "We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine," Austin said. DER SPIEGEL 18/2022
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
more of editorial:
“...Imagine if the U.S. president were still named Donald Trump. He probably would have quit NATO long ago and left it up to others to respond to Putin’s aggression. A shake-up in Europe would have suited him just fine. Putin would have celebrated one success after another because Europe wouldn’t have been able to act as resolutely as the U.S. is right now....”
As I recall Trump was calling upon NATO to become stronger and be more assertive and for the US to take a lesser role. Europeans should take the lead in European problems with the US only in a supportive role. To do that they were being asked to contribute more.
Der Spiegel is the Washington Compost in German. Of course it’s anti Trump and pro Biden.
German truffles? French lager?
The possibilities seem endless. And they would deter, no doubt about it.
I think Germany and France should definitely play a major role in resisting Russian aggression. Unfortunately, Germany has become rather pacified, and France...well, France is kind of like the Ents: It will show up years after the fight has ended.
The Germans decided to take advantage of the end of the cold war and DEEPLY cut their armed forces across the board. At the present time the army has 328 tanks, 3874 APVs, 400+ artillery tubes, 121 self propelled guns and 38 MLRS according to one site I looked up. They are barely able to defend themselves. There’s a lot of re-arming needed to have a credible defense. This probably applies to many NATO countries in the EU.
“The United States is choreographing the anti-Russian policies in this war. It is setting the pace in arms deliveries, “
Soros/Schwab/WEF U.S.proxy war v Russia.
With the U.S. largely footing the bill to defend Europe (driving up the federal debt because they weren’t funding their own defense), Europe was free to spend money on social welfare programs, further driving cultural rot in Europe.
The Ukrainian people also made the mistake of electing a pro Russian president in 2014, but the United States saw fit to overthrow that election to make things better.
.
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WWIII
Putin would have celebrated one success after another because Europe wouldn’t have been able to act as resolutely as the U.S. is right now....”>>> And Russia’s nukes would all be pointed at them. hopefully.
There doesn’t need to be a Russia deterrent. Russia only cares about Russia and Russians. That may include Russians in former Russian territories. Note I didn’t say Soviet.
NATO needs to be abandoned. It should have been in the 1990s.
-SB
He was demanding that they pay their promised share of the NATO costs. Most still aren't and haven't for decades. You're paying.
I’m starting to get the impression the WEF might ne behind the idiotic push to more sanctions and war, knowing it will devastate economies and lead to mass starvation.
Dairy in the US is up 90% in a year. Ninety Percent. Almost doubled. Other countries will be a lot worse, soon.
After covid killed economies, remember, the WEF said it’s a good thing, and will help usher in The Great Reset.
So will wars and sanctions on the biggest food and energy producers in Europe.
Who gains???
That is false. It has threatened Finland, Sweden, Poland and Bulgaria. And they have next to no Russians.
But if you agree with them caring about former Russian territories, perhaps you want to hand Alaska back to them?
Putin is behind the push to war. Putin’s army invaded a weaker neighbour
Why? Russians have proven to be poor soldiers and their tanks easy to kill with drones. Poland could stop them in a week. The Russian Bear has proven to be not a grizzly but more like a Yogi Bear. No guts—they run from Ukes—they would have no chance against Germans or French. Once they had a real army but corruption has weakened them into pussy cats. If Germany fears Russia—just hire a few Ukrainians. One Uke is better than ten Ruskies. Russia will be lucky to keep any of the Black Sea ports they have now. When the Ukes are done with them, the Turks will finish the job. All they got is Nukes but no guts to use them.
“Why? Russians have proven to be poor soldiers and their tanks easy to kill with drones. Poland could stop them in a week. The Russian Bear has proven to be not a grizzly but more like a Yogi Bear. No guts—they run from Ukes—they would have no chance against Germans or French. Once they had a real army but corruption has weakened them into pussy cats. If Germany fears Russia—just hire a few Ukrainians. One Uke is better than ten Ruskies. Russia will be lucky to keep any of the Black Sea ports they have now. When the Ukes are done with them, the Turks will finish the job. All they got is Nukes but no guts to use them.”
Lots of bravado mentioned in your comment. However, bravado is just bluff and bluster.
I think Poland would indeed put up a hell of a fight; but to say Poland could stop a Russian invasion in a week; well, that’s just hyperbole.
But you are right to the effect that Russia is not the big bad bear it has tried to frighten people with. But it can still bite, and can still claw. Russia cannot defeat the West militarily in any conventional war; it can do a hell of a lot of damage, though, if it plays the nuclear game. Of, course, if Russia went that route Russia would cease to exist — literally.
Russia badly miscalculated in invading Ukraine. Russia is a bully, and always has been. It just never expected its intended victim to fight back.
Russia needs to withdraw ASAP, and end this thing; and hope that its standing as the world’s biggest pariah will be brief.
Nothing less will answer.
RE: Germany and France Must Drive Effort for Credible Deterrent Against Russia
Forget Germany. They’re still enriching Putin’s coffers by buying Russian oil and gas. They’ve also decomissioned their nuclear power plants. They can’t do without importing from Russia.
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