Posted on 03/09/2014 3:40:49 PM PDT by COBOL2Java
RIGA, Latvia—Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Veshnyakov created a new wave of concern in Latvia with recent remarks saying it may soon become easier for ethnic Russians in Latvia to obtain Russian citizenship.
Mr. Veshnyakov told Latvian Radio 4, a Russian-language public broadcasting channel, that proposed legislation in Russia would allow granting Russian citizenship to ethnic Russians in Latvia to "save the Latvian noncitizens out of poverty by giving them citizenship and a pension without having to stay in Russia." Russians constitute 27.6% of Latvia's population of 2 million, the largest ethnic group among the minorities living in Latvia.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Latvia is, of course, a NATO member. A Crimea-type move against Latvia is an act of war against all NATO members, which means a risk of nuclear war.
This is, to put it mildly, not good. JMHO
I guess it’s time for another happy hour at the White House?
Latvians hate the Russkies
I hope you don't believe, FOR A SECOND, that any NATO member West of the Oder would lift a finger to defend Latvia.
I sure don't.
More to the point, I hope the Letts don't believe it.
Latvians hate the Russkies
Time for a strongly worded letter.... no that might offend them.... just a letter... no forget the letter. A round of golf!
Thanks COBOL2Java.
Heard today on TV that Ukraine was forced to give up their nuclear weapons in ‘94 under that Yeltsin-Clinton-Ukraine govt. head agreement...
Not a god move in light of what’s happening these days....
Yes, it is true.
Ukraine gave up their only bargaining chip for a “gentleman’s agreement” with Bill Clinton.
It certainly makes more sense than granting US citizenship to Iraqis or muslims in general!
Stain would like you.
LOL! - Stalin would like you.
BTW, i went to your home page. Did you serve in 5th ID? I was in 1/61 Inf.
“Heard today on TV that Ukraine was forced to give up their nuclear weapons in ‘94 under that Yeltsin-Clinton-Ukraine govt. head agreement...
Not a god move in light of what’s happening these days....”
____________________________________________________________
Even our dear obama had a hand in that back in 2005.
https://web.archive.org/web/20080617231047/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lugar Contact: Andy Fisher, 202-224-2079, andy_fisher@lugar.senate.gov, http:// lugar.senate.gov
Obama Contact: Tommy Vietor, 202-228-5511, tommy_vietor@obama.senate.gov, http://obama.senate.gov
Date: January 11, 2007
Lugar-Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President
WASHINGTON – President Bush today signed the Lugar-Obama proliferation and threat reduction initiative into law.
Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.
"The United States should do more to eliminate conventional weapons stockpiles and assist other nations in detecting and interdicting weapons of mass destruction. We believe that these functions are underfunded, fragmented and in need of high-level support," said Lugar, Republican leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"The Lugar-Obama initiative will help other nations find and eliminate conventional weapons that have been used against our own soldiers in Iraq and sought by terrorists all over the world," said Obama. "The Nunn-Lugar program has effectively disposed of thousands of weapons of mass destruction, but we must do far more to keep deadly conventional weapons like anti-aircraft missiles out of the hands of terrorists."
"We want to ensure that our government has the capacity to deal quickly with vulnerable stockpiles of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, otherwise known as Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS). Such weapons could be used by terrorists to attack commercial airliners, military installations and government facilities here at home and abroad. Al Qaeda reportedly has attempted to acquire MANPADS on a number of occasions," said Lugar.
The Lugar-Obama initiative would energize the U.S. program against unsecured, lightweight anti-aircraft missiles and other conventional weapons. There may be as many as 750,000 man-portable air defense systems in arsenals worldwide, and the State Department estimates that more than 40 civilian aircraft have been hit by such weapons since the 1970s. In addition, loose stocks of small arms and other weapons help fuel civil wars in Africa and elsewhere and provide the means for attacks on peacekeepers and aid workers seeking to stabilize war-torn societies. In Iraq, unsecured stockpiles of artillery shells and ammunition have been reconfigured into improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that have become an effective weapon for insurgents.
"Lugar-Obama would also strengthen the ability of America's allies to detect and interdict illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction, a critical step in securing these weapons before they ever fall into the hands of terrorists that has not been a focus of current anti-terrorism efforts," Obama said.
Lugar and Obama traveled together to Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan in August 2005 to oversee a number of Nunn-Lugar projects. In Ukraine they saw a conventional weapons facility that is typical of the focus of the new legislation.
The Lugar-Obama initiative is modeled after the Nunn-Lugar program that focuses on weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union. Lugar and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the program in 1991. It has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. Among many accomplishments, the program has deactivated 7,000 nuclear warheads and reemployed 58,000 scientists in peaceful research. Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan are nuclear weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program. They otherwise would be the world's the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear weapons powers, respectively.
If they want to be Russian citizens, they can move to Russia.
Well, Putin offered Russian citizenship to that French actor - what’s his name - who didn’t want to pay his taxes. Watch out France. The Russians are coming.
Nope.
You have to go all the way back to 14JAN1994.
Well, Latvia is a dues-paying member of NATO.
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