Tensions between NATO and Russia are once again on the rise, with Russia responding to Western sanctions with a round of bans on US and European fruits and vegetables.
As it has so often in the past, this has fueled a new round of NATO statements expressing fear about a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine, where ethnic Russian rebels are being fought by the pro-West Ukrainian military.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel cited the “military buildup” along the border region, which is actually a Russian military exercise already announced, as proof of a “increased threat” of an invasion of Ukrainian territory.
Other NATO officials particularly in eastern Europe, have presented the putative threat as an existential one for them as well, advancing the notion that if Russia did fight Ukraine, they might conceivably sweep across Europe like a plague of locusts, starting World War 3.
There’s no evidence of any of this, of course, and it rather is the response to Russia pushing for the UN to make some provisions for the growing humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine. The war there is fueling a massive number of refugees into Russian territory, with estimates that up to one million civilians have been displaced. The US has repeatedly downplayed the crisis, and at times the State Department has suggested the mostly ethnic Russian refugees could conceivably just be “visiting relatives” in neighboring Russia, and not fleeing the invasion of the Ukrainian military.
When you hear the propaganda machine screaming about '20,000' troops, remember that this is the size of the US Border Patrol. Add in installations like Ft. Hood in Texas and Camp Pendleton in CA, and the US easily has much more than 20,000 personnel 'massed' on the US / Mexican border. Is the US planning on invading Mexico (again) ?
I hope Putin learned his lesson, next time the West gets stupid. Act with force Vlad!
NATO is nothing but the fifth column of USG militarism regime, a land grabbing European illegal military source that created and exist by vulture capitalism and for vulture capitalism. To expend the European Neo fascism hand in hand with vulture capitalism, NATO and their Neo fascism leaders are looking for any and every imaginable reason to start a war with Russia, the entire USG is looking for a war with Russia, otherwise they have no use for all that weapons that made by US-EU war machinery, vulture capitalism main source of income.
I am ready to reiburse the visit to a psyatrist for Obama.He pushed all this situation and now he complains about Russia.Guys like him (including Nuland and others are a threat for the peace of the world)
I tend to agree with Mr Ditz that Putin will not invade. I suspect the troop buildups are designed to create the illusion of an immanent invasion, essentially to impress Putin's elderly supporters back home and NATO's reaction is actually very helpful to him if that is his plan. Once the rebellion is definitively put down, and seems to be getting quite close now, Putin will end his "exercise" and all the talk will then be of how to deal with the ethnic Russians who have fled to Russia. The soldiers' presence will actually be helpful in that regard. Putin has no choice but to capitulate or start WWII. If he capitulates, he will (tacitly) be allowed to keep (and probably ethnically cleanse) Crimea. If he invades, everything will be back on the table, not just Crimea but Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia as well.
And the sanctions are starting to bite hard. Like all Europeans, Russians like their holidays in the sun and a major Russian package tour operator has just gone bankrupt due to the collapse of the ruble, stranding 27000 Russian holidaymakers in their holiday resorts with no return flight and leaving God know how many who had booked and paid for holidays with that company at the loss of both their holiday and their money. That'll make Putin popular!!!
"Putin has no choice but to capitulate or start WWII."
Through how many sequences of events have you kept repeating that?
How many more sequences of events and repetitions of the claim do you expect before randomness and coincidence will cause you to be right for once?
When did the Ukraine join NATO?
It's so obvious that NATO wants a Russian invasion. That would practically guarantee Ukraine's NATO membership.
Don't think so , NATO won't let Ukraine join NATO . NATO does not want a real war with Russia . It would not be good for buisness or anything else .
Ukraine do not need to join Nato.Nato is already acting.More over they will help friendly Kiev governement.There are many ways : trainings (already done), supplies, info on the positions of separatists,etc,…Look at the representative of the ukrainian army at press conferences : copy of us manner. (it's like in Mac Donalds).I prefer guys with own manners and own traditions.