The Ukrainian National Security Council today approved a new national military doctrine, formally declaring neighboring Russia to be a “military opponent” and making it a specific priority for the country to try to secure NATO membership .
Ukraine had last issued a new military doctrine in 2012, and at the time made it clear that their policy was overwhelmingly defensive and aimed at maintaining the nation’s territorial integrity. The main focus at the time was in reforms toward increasing the efficiency of a military built around Soviet-leftovers.
The National Security Council issued a statement confirming that the country is now abandoning its traditional position of non-alignment and instead wants “Euro-Atlantic integration,” while believing there is a “high likelihood” of a large-scale military conflict with Russia.
Since the perennial bankrupt Ukraine hasn’t got nearly the funds to fight a full-scale war against Russia on their own, it would make sense for them to try to align themselves with the more flush NATO nations in the region, trying to turn this “large-scale” conflict into World War 3.
Ukraine would never be accepted as a NATO member, however, both because it has existing territorial claims against Russia, and because it is in the middle of an unresolved civil war. NATO may be keen on needling Russia, but they could never get unanimous support for a new nation joining the alliance and immediately starting a huge war.
Ironically, Ukraine’s 2012 doctrine of defense and reform collapsed after two years, because a regime change turned them toward a more aggressive policy against the ethnic Russian east. The 2015 version seems destined for failure as well, since neither beating Russia in a full-scale war nor joining NATO is a realistic possibility.
Rather, it seems likely that the talk about Russia as a “military opponent” is an attempt at a concession to Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist parties, which are furiously condemning attempts to try to resolve the civil war, and have been eager to see the tensions with Russia escalate.
Ukraine should worry about how to stop the right wing from launching a coup that overthrows Porshenko and installs a fascist dictatorship.
No, they do not have to worry about it any more. Poroshenko has a license to kill, and he will order outright killing if anyone tries to unseat the government. Otherwise, why would they send to the Eastern Ukraine the worst openly Nazi scum, and letting them have a way with the civilian population of the east – anyone that is not under the protection of rebel forces. If they indeed wanted to win over hearts and minds of the East, they would follow different policy. Instead, they sent there psychopaths, cut their fuel supply, kidnap and kill civilians, and no longer pay people their pensions or social benefits, schools, etc. It seems that they want to have the region devastated Gaza style, to make it uninhabitable and force people to flee to Russia, as over one million already did. The West knows what is going on — and it approves obviously. This parliament vote is a joke anyway, as Minsk agreement calls for the agreement with the representatives of Lughansk and Donetsk regions. No such thing is happening, so it is just a window dressing so US can say — see they implemented Minsk condition! But Minsk also calls for amnesty for anyone involved in resistance to Kiev, including those that conducted referendum. That is a joke, as all people, including mayors of small cities and villages that participated in referendum, have been jailed. Yesterday, an elderly representative of the opposition has been brutally attacked in their Parliament, pulled by hair, and abused. A journalist has been brutally beaten in a press conference for asking "wrong" question! Scores of journalists have been killed or are in jail. Oligarchs are ruling all Russian-plurality regions, such as Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhe, etc. etc. Any of this in our intrepid media? Corporate brainwashing machine controls carefully what can or cannot be published. Decades ago, if somebody told me that I would live to see it, I would have not believed.
And a concession to the US and its European puppets.
This has been one of the agendas by far rights groups and governments all over Europe to militarize Europe more then it is, from previous NATO chief to present, from Swedish far right government to neo liberals are demanding to be one of the member of NATO, that has been the USG policy in Europe for last three decades since NATO started bombing Yugoslavia. NATO is a USG tool to be used when USG needs to grab lands in Eastern Europe or to destroy or divide nations and far right European love the idea. NATO is a illegal military instrument set up by U.S. Militarism, is illegal simply because NATO was built to confront ussr in case of ussr ever attacked Europe, ussr was resolved in 1990 but NATOs military operations been expending. Is like us having its militarism present in Hawaii, Pacific Ocean, Japan and all over Europe yet the Japanese empire is defeated so as hitlerism but these military bases are still occupying these nations.
Whilst the idiots in the Pentagon might sign off on Ukraine joining NATO, the list of other countries that KNOW this would be an automatic declaration of War on Russia, would mean a NYET from most of them!
What a great idea??
Mr Ditz's is probably correct to argue that this is the knock-on effect of the demonstrations. Ukraine doesn't need to be a member of NATO. Its military forces are already being trained and equipped up to NATO standards. In addition, any attempt by Putin to grab more Ukrainian territory would be a sufficient threat to the NATO members bordering on Russia to trigger Article 5 of the NATO treaty and land him in a war with NATO. If Putin didn't fear that outcome, he probably would have occupied the whole of Ukraine long ago. By the way, my friend in Kharkov tells me that nobody in Ukraine believes that Putin can be stopped other than by war. The demonstrators are probably fairly representative of Ukrainian opinion all over the country.
Apparently you don't know any more about the North Atlantic Treaty than you do about the Helsinki Final Agreement.
Article 5 of the treaty very specifically applies only to NATO member states. By definition, an attack on a non-member state does NOT trigger that article.
Your friend in Kharkov must really think you are naïve — and is selling you a story. But if you want to know the real story, check with the majority of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians of Odessa and other south-east regions — they would love nothing else but for Putin to free them up from the insane combo Nazi-oligarch regime. They dream of it, they pray for it. Clowns in Kiev know it too. There is no way of knowing what they are capable of doing, should they start losing control and go after each other. Luckily, they are still listening US — they are too afraid not too. And only that will stop them from starting something very foolish and dangerous. However, recent agreement among members of SCO of July 8, 2015 calls for mutual protection of borders, what means that NATO may face Russia and China should their clowns try anything.
Russia has so far been very patient with all the crap going on in Ukraine, but it is easy to understand that its patience cannot be tested forever. Just as it was the case with Georgia, there is absolutely nothing anybody will do about it.
It is a political necessity for a "strong man" like Putin to act to protect the Russian speaking population of the Ukraine. It is a military necessity to secure the Crimea. Putin is a rational actor. Russian doesn't need a refugee crisis on its border.
The last thing Russia needs is another fractious economic basket case like the "Ukrainian Ukraine" to deal with. NATO can have that job.
A Russian invasion of the Ukraine makes about as much sense as the US invading Mexico. What is to be gained for the trouble?
The threat to Ukraine is not from Russia or Putin. The real threat is the Svoboda party and other ultra right militants who dominate the police and military in Ukraine. When the Ukraine fascists were soundly defeated last Spring in Eastern Ukraine they were threatening to march on Kiev. The beginning of a new front may develop between forces loyal to Poroshenko and the ultra right fascists.
August 23, 2015 Do You Have the Guts to Face the Truth—And Act in Time?
The entire global strategic situation can be summed up in two essential facts. First, Wall Street is disintegrating and the entire US economy is about to vanish, unless immediate action is taken. Second, President Barack Obama is moving in the direction of launching thermonuclear war against Russia. He is seeking an element of surprise, trying to outguess the Russians.
https://larouchepac.com/20150823/do-you-have-guts…
Ukraine does not qualify for NATO membership, but don't put it past the neo-cons to find a way.
Because war with Russia is so attractive to these monsters, their mouths are watering at the thought.
its so idiotic that the west is backing these ultra right wing bastards that are bringing war to the ordinary peaceful people of Ukraine lets use our brain and not fox/sky or the like that lies to us every time and realise that the foreign minister of Ukraine has only yesterday asked people of the world to send details of any Russian in Syria to ISIL so these bloody animals can target them and their families..what a bastard ?? anyone that helps them are just as guilty and should be dealt the same fate. Bless you Russia you are the only one of them all that have made ISIS fall back and hide like the sub rats that they are keep it up and piss on NATO and EUROPE that are just trying to justify their existence and stirring the pot to do so
more crap