US troops in Moldova in emerging Plan B for Ukraine

asiatimes.com ^ | April 5, 2024 | Stephen Bryen

[elpadre]

Big trouble may be brewing in little Moldova, which is starting to look like a staging area for the European Union to offset an emerging Russian victory in Ukraine. Whether such a plan, if attempted, would succeed is not clear. But Moldova is not the most stable country in the world with the nation split between pro-EU and pro-Russian elements.

US troops are now in Moldova with Romanians, ostensibly for a military exercise called JCET 2024 (Joint Command Exchange Training). The exercise started on April 1 and will continue until April 19.

According to a Moldovan Ministry of Defense statement, “The aim of the exercise is joint training and exchange of experience between Moldovan, Romanian and American special forces, as well as to increase the level of interoperability between the participating contingents. This year’s event will also be attended by representatives of the [Moldovan] State Protection and Security Service and the Pantera Special Forces.”

These exercises are not new but they taken on new urgency now because of the developing situation in neighboring Ukraine............

[ComputerGuy]

Let the Euroweenies deal with it themselves. I don’t want my great grandson to have to do what I did.

[elpadre]

“...There was once a large and thriving Jewish community in the country. Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, was 46% Jewish. In the Kingdom of Romania during the Holocaust, an estimated 380,000–400,000 Jews died in then-Romanian-controlled areas including Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transdniestria.

Romania is said to rank first among Holocaust perpetrator countries other than Nazi Germany. Today, there are about 15,000 Jews in Moldova and Transdniestria....
“

[Darksheare]

They really are hell bent to start WWIII aren’t they.

[McGruff]

“US troops are now in Moldova”

Why, Moldova is not a member of NATO.

[linMcHlp]

NATO would likely “adopt” the western-most oblasts of Ukraine, as a buffer to stop further westward movement by Russia.

Trying to protect the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, etc.

[Jan_Sobieski]

stop further westward movement by Russia

Wouldn’t you say NATO’s 2000 mile Eastern Movement is more significant than Russia’s 100 mile Western movement?

[Justa]

“Why, Moldova is not a member of NATO.”

And it’s not a part of Russia either. Yet Putin has troops stationed there in another one of his ‘breakaway republics’ he uses to invade neighboring countries.

[Saintgermain]

Trying to protect the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, etc.

Protect them from what?

[Fiji Hill]

One of those Jews from Chișinău was David Stoliar, the only one of about 300 passengers and crew to survive the 1942 sinking of the Struma, a ship carrying Jewish refugees trying to get to Palestine. Interestingly, his father, who remained in Romania, survived the war but his mother, who had fled to France, was sent to her death at Auschwitz.

[M Kehoe]

In the fwiw department, I’m not participating in any more wars.

Unless it comes to me and then it will be personal.

5.56mm

[BobL]

“Why, Moldova is not a member of NATO.”

Same reason they were in Ukraine training their Nazis in early 2015, getting them ready to start their war with Russia: Victoria Nuland.

[VeniVidiVici]

Ewww! More Nazis!! Do they have Tiger tanks?

[gundog]

Just to clarify, you did mean Baltic and not Balkan...?

[cambyses]

Moldova (Bessarabia) was part of the Great Romania between 1918 and 1940.Due to the pact Ribbentrop-Molotov , Soviet Army occupied Moldova in 1940 and incorporated it in USSR till 1990. There was no holocaust or Jewish People deportation in concentration camps as long Moldova was part of Romania.
In the year of 1940 due to the same Pact , Ribbentrop- Molotov
part of the North West of Romania was occupied by Hungarian Army and stay under Hungarian administration till the end of the world war 2. There was a massive deportation of the Jewish People to concentration camps from that territories under the Hungarian Administration, including the family of Ellie Wiesel.
There was no deportations or holocaust in Romania. The Quine Elena of Romania helped the Romanian Jewish People in time of the war and is well respected by the State of Israel.

[linMcHlp]

NATO countries closest to Russia

Moldova has relations with NATO. Distances are miles.

Country		Joined		Distance		Why		Russian Boss		U.S. Pres.
Estonia		3/29/2004		0		Russia		V Putin		GW Bush
Finland		4/4/2023		0		"		V Putin		Joe Biden
Latvia		3/29/2004		0		"		V Putin		GW Bush
Lithuania		3/29/2004		75		"		V Putin		GW Bush
Turkey		2/18/1952		90		"		J Stalin		H Truman
Poland		3/12/1999		250		"		B Yeltsin		WJ Clinton
Moldova		relations 1992		300		"		B Yeltsin		GHW Bush
Romania		3/29/2004		330		"		V Putin		GW Bush
Hungary		3/12/1999		425		"		B Yeltsin		WJ Clinton
Slovakia		3/29/2004		425		"		V Putin		GW Bush
Bulgaria		3/29/2004		450		"		V Putin		GW Bush
Sweden		3/7/2024		480		"		V Putin		Joe Biden
Greece		2/18/1952		500		"		J Stalin		H Truman

[linMcHlp]

Baltic

[Saintgermain]

I may be wrong but personally I wouldn’t worry too much about Russia trying to expand again as they have their hands full just taking care of what they got now. Aside all that I think the next major conflict most likely will not be fought on the battlefield but with subversion as well as biological warfare and I think the last virus scare was just a dry run which didn’t quite go as expected.

Perhaps the next one may be designed to be a little more selective. We live in a crazy world which becomes crazier by the day, resmbling a powder keg it is just a question where, when and who will touch off the fuse.

[rxh4n1]

Better get a better map. Poland is adjacent to Russia.

[rottweiller_inc]

they aren’t worried about Russia expanding..they are worried about about Russia winning then making good on it’s promise of consequences to countries that sent arms to Ukraine.