Posted on 05/16/2015 6:41:25 PM PDT by robowombat
The three Baltic states have written a letter to NATO asking for hundreds of soliders to be stationed in each country. They have expressed fears of possible aggression from Moscow.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia announced on Thursday that they would petition NATO to permanently station troops throughout the Baltic region as Russia has done little to allay concerns that it may pose a threat to its three small neighbors.
"Russia sees NATO as its main nemesis and this has put the Baltic countries on the front line, so to say," said Roland Murof, speaking for the Estonian defense ministry. "Hence, NATO's deterrence needs to involve real military presence."
A spokesman for the Lithuanian army commander added that the countries were asking for a battalion, around 700 to 800 soldiers, of rotating troops in every Baltic state, adding that they intended to send an official request in writing by means of a joint letter to General Philip Breedlove, the alliance's top commander in Europe. Baltic states long wary of Russian intentions
The three countries, all NATO members, have often said in the past that they feel threatened by Russia's aggressive actions in eastern Ukraine. They said they will send their letter next week, which Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said "will of course be assessed carefully," though he was careful to stress that we have already increased our military presence in the eastern part of our alliance."
NATO had already planned to create six regional command-and-control centers in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, but the alliance has sought to balance the concerns of its eastern members with an agreement it struck with Russia in 1997, pledging not to permanently station "substantial combat forces" in those countries. Stoltenberg has, however, said that measures are being put into place to create a new "spearhead force" of 5,000 soldiers that could be ready for deployment in 48 hours. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey have already volunteered to lead this force in upcoming years. He promised that the spearhead force will "make it easier to reinforce the defenses of the Baltic States."
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were under Soviet rule from the end of World War II until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Their past experience has given rise to new fears that Moscow could try to destabilize their region to test the level of NATO's commitment to collective defense.
BTTT
Obola will sent American troops and National Guard,
and replace them all with Islamic terrorists,
narcoterrorists, and criminal illegals
(at least the ones whom he does not make federal judges).
The NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997
"John C. Kornblum, a former U.S. undersecretary of state for European affairs who helped draft and negotiate the act, spoke to the Journal about the NATO debate. Below is an edited transcript.
Q: Some NATO members are against the permanent stationing of troops in Eastern Europe, arguing that it would violate the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act. Are they right?
Mr. Kornblum: The first important thing is that this is not a treaty. It’s not something legal. An act is an agreement of political commitments people make. It’s not legally binding. The Germans are twisting that around by saying ‘We can’t violate the act.’ But there’s nothing to violate.
Q: If it’s not binding, what was the purpose of the act? Mr. Kornblum: The NATO Russia Founding Act was a statement by NATO and Russia as to how they were going to regulate relations. It was all done in terms of political commitments. It isn’t written in the terms of a legal commitment. It’s written as a political intention.
Q: In that case, it should be easy to cancel the agreement, correct?
Mr. Kornblum: It says if conditions change, all bets are off. There are all kinds of escape clauses if the other side isn’t sticking to its commitment. Clearly, the Russians have broken virtually all of theirs. There’s no way you can say the conditions are as harmonious as when it signed."
So far the Rapid Reaction forces and the Spearhead forces are coming from a number of countries, it is NATO, a 28 nation alliance.
It is unlikely that we will again have 550,000 men in Europe like Reagan did, unless of course, we don't stand up to Russia and we allow them put the world under threat again.
Active Duty ping.
What?
You have to tell me what you are questioning.
will start (another) war with Russia (again)
“Spades dance best from the hip”
“The music was new,
,Black polished chrome and came over the summer like liquid night”
Where will the treasure (and blood) come from that will be needed to entangle ourselves in centuries old European conflicts?
Let’s avoid that by standing up now to prevent Russia from putting the world under threat again, and presidents like Reagan having to keep a half million men there while we all wonder if each day will be our last, as we face the daily threat of WWIII and nuclear holocaust.
There goes more US tax dollars.
“Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were under Soviet rule from the end of World War II until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.”
They were also occupied briefly following the division of Poland in 1939 until the Nazis liberated them; they have reason to fear Russia.
Some people (American LEADERSHIP!) just want to watch the world burn...
They are our NATO military allies now, Russia won’t be taking them.
NATO isn’t quite all that.
Russia is no match for NATO, regardless of where your loyalties lie.
I agree with you although the West is asleep at the moment. Look at what’s happening in Eastern Ukraine.
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