Following up on yesterday’s promise of more deployments to the region, the United States has sent six F-15 fighter planes to the Baltic States for NATO air patrols.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas confirmed the deployments, saying they were a response not just to Ukraine but to “additional military activity in the Kaliningrad region.”
Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic, formerly East Prussia. Olekas claimed significant increases in military operations there in the past four days, but exactly what form they took is unclear.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said the deployment proved NATO is responding “promptly and fast” to the Ukraine situation, saying it underscored that “Russia today is dangerous” and needed to be countered militarily.
The plan with Yugoslavia and Balkan wars was for such day when USG and EU Neo liberal fascism looking for ways to enter Russia and thereby control of Russian, Central Asia natural resources, what hitler wanted to do and where his fascist military paid a price for.
Easier said than done. I think it is a March of Folly par excellence. A few weeks ago, everything was ducky, although all the sportscasters were so snarky about Putin. Might have known something was up.
What do you want to make a bet they try and use a Chechen to take him out? Hiding of course behind the Marathon. But the Russians are not going to crumble if one guy goes down. Someone else will take up the standard – and they ain't parting with their warm water port neither.
Thus, we are (once again) hoist by our own petard, fake once, real this time. So sad to feel it will be richly deserved – by those who planned this during the Syrian crisis and even earlier.
The hilarious things that if war should erupt between Russia/NATO, those six F-15 fighters won't amount to anything.
One of the lessons from the start of World War I is that its dangerous for big countries to ally with much weaker countries. The weaker countries act like the little brat who knows his big brother will come back him up in a fight. Thus, the weaker countries in an alliance are the ones pushing for war. Like this idiot Lithuanian minister. This is how Germany got pulled into a war in 1914 in a crisis that really had nothing to do with Germany. But Austria felt like they could be tough and start a war thinking big brother had their backs. The rest is history.
I like your analogy, but aren't we forgetting that Austria was not then what it is today? It was then Austria-Hungary and it had vast territories under the emperor. This was no little upstart then. After the war, it was nothing, true. So I don't think that analogy quite holds. The closer one might be Britain allied with Poland before WWII, in which the invasion of Poland by Germany resulted in a declaration of war by Britain and soon after the bombing of London. Blood being thicker than water, the US had to ally with Britain and await the opportunity to fight in Europe (which came due to Germany's alliance with Japan when Pearl Harbor happened under well-anticipated circumstances).
The situation is grave at the moment. From what I have heard from a few credible people, the cause lies in the haste with which the Baltic countries were brought under the NATO umbrella. There is an accident waiting to happen. As for Putin, we can see that Russia does not want to be land-locked or ice-locked. He acts in the long-term traditions of the state he leads, and anyone who gets between Russia and its ports will surely answer for it. It could be two hundred years ago: the mandate for any leader of Russia is the same.
Strategic bombing was commenced by Britain on Germany before London was bombed. The US was "allied" with Britain way before London was bombed. Germany's alliance with Japan did not require Germany's declaration of war
What happened to our assurances to the then-Soviet Union, that their withdrawal from East Germany would not result in expansion of NATO eastward, and just why wasn't NATO disbanded when the Warsaw Pact was?
I know they were allied long before. My grandfather was one of the implementors of Lend Lease, and he was helping FDR and Henry Kaiser get the ports ready so that no strikes or lack of manpower interfered. He got some credit for integrating the yards too, driven of course by the need for more hands on deck, so to speak. The date when Lend Lease was signed into law was 1941, but most likely it was cooking as early as 1939.
Great analogy Chapman. These weaker countries have been relying on the U.S. for too long.
Six F-15 fighter less to harass Iranian war ships
Chapman I agree with you wholeheartedly, not only with your specifics, but the notion that big countries can play and get closer to war without falling into it. It was only luck that saved the world in the Cuban MIssile Crisis, and the US and Russia should not be playing around like this.
There is no f-ing reason for the USA to dictate to Russia about Crimea. Even Western Ukraine is pushing it, but Crimea has always housed such a critical Russian Naval Base, that the USA KNOWS that it is pushing on Russia in a very sensitive manner. The news in the USA also has me very concerned, with everyone branding Putin as provocative, and noone questioning American motives.
What are the europeans doing? They want to lose their energy resources?
Playing at war can get you into one. We don't need even a limited nuclear exchange. I live in Seattle.
This garbage needs to STOP. USA SHUT UP NOW!
hey martin. It’s the USA and all of Europe and yes we do have a reason to get involved in Crimea. Treaties were signed and Russia is breaking international law all because Ukraine wants to go to EU. Russia still acting like former USSR. Russia has great potential as a country they just need to join the rest of the world instead of thinking everyone is out to get them. Childish leadership. This is Putin’s emotional behavior from his divorce directed at the state. He needs counseling.
Russia was invited by the people of Crimea, the same way Libyans and Kosovars asked the US/Eu for help to protect their citizens from impending massacre. Part of Ukraine wants to go with EU. And most do not favor NATO membership. When Yanukovich saw a better deal from the Russians rather than the vague, partial-membership, strings attached EU deal, he rightfully told them he wasn't ready to sign the EU deal. The people who overthrew the lawfully elected gov't. are also in violation of the law, and many are clearly sympathetic to Nazi ideology, as well as bigtime Russophobic, anitsemitic racists, which western MSM mostly ignores.
If the Ukrainians are willing to let themselves be driven into IMF debt and to be used as pawns by the West to f*ck with the Russians, then they deserve whatever they get.
More hands out for American money.
Most dangerous country by far, in fact and world opinion, is the USA. Win/Gallup: 24% of world pick usa,2% pick Russia.
Doesn't Lithuania have its own (small) air force? Or Poland? They are NATO counties now too. Hell, since Obama thinks he's such a tough guy why doesn't he just park one of his aircraft carriers off St. Petersburg? Because he knows Russia isn't Iran and won't tolerate that crap like the Iranians have to.
To do what !!! burn fuel and cost the American taxpayers more coin ! OH! That's the response to the Russians successfully testing an ICBM. Interesting how unprosecuted war criminal Henry, yes, that one, and the rest of the reactionary flock are quiet about these latest affairs of state.
You're in the big leagues now Mr Frankenbama and you deserve the ignominy on your way out for your betrayal of the American people. Russia is not going to back down on this one just as Jack Kennedy didn't on that Missle Crisis in Cuba. Looking foward to seeing you on Charlie Rose spouting crap about what you should have done and didn't do but maybe you should have done anyway etc,etc. Redeem thyself O Hypocrite! hahahahahaha.