[gleeaikin]

JFK was reacting to Russia putting nukes 90 miles from our shores. I don’t recall that there was any suggestion of putting nukes in Ukraine, especially since they had voluntarily given up the ones they had. UK and France have nukes. How many other NATO members have hem set up and aimed at Russia, 90 miles away at that? This was a blatant invasion attempting to take over all of Ukraine and its resource riches in the east. Since the total takeover failed, east Ukraine is Putin’s fall back position. His multi months deployment of large numbers of troops all around Ukraine’s eastern perimeter was a blatant provocation, and very hard to ignore without looking like wimps. I doubt there is anything that could have stopped Putin short of nuclear threats by the west.

[Kevmo]

thanks for the ping

I’ve got woodsucker on ignore mode, you bring up some good points

[ought-six]

“I doubt there is anything that could have stopped Putin short of nuclear threats by the west.”

Yup.

[woodpusher]

JFK was reacting to Russia putting nukes 90 miles from our shores. I

Cuba was reacting to the United States invading Cuba at the Bay of Pigs and attempting to overthrow the government of a sovereign nation. The blatant invasion was a blatant provocation. After that, Cuba sought a relationship with the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union installed missiles in Cuba in response to the United States installing nuclear 45 Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey, with 15 more planned. The Soviet Union and the United States each removed its nuclear missiles as part of the resolution of the crisis.

Under international law, the Monroe Doctrine and the Polk Doctrine have no standing whatever. Russia has the same lawful authority to object to NATO in Ukraine, as the United States has to object to Russia in Cuba. Legally, none.

The Axis forces came through Ukraine to enter Russia in WW2. They are sensitive about their losses in WW2 which amounted to about 25 million dead. Where the United States claims two continents as a buffer zone, Russia claims the immediate area surrounding Russia. Each side defends its buffer zone not by right of law, but by military force. Our doctrines not only tell the Europeans that are prohibited from establishing any military installation in the Americas, it tells all the nations of the Americas that they are prohibited from permitting any such installation upon their sovereign territory.