A top NATO commander in Europe, US Admiral Michelle Howard is the last official to play up the “threat” posed by Russia, insisting that despite having a much smaller navy now than during the Cold War, Russia’s Navy is more active in Europe now than they were back in the Soviet era.
Admiral Howard went on to rail about the usual list of Pentagon complaints about Russia, accusing hem of “unprofessional” behavior for having their planes fly by US warships deployed in Europe, and accusing them of growing cyber-attacks against NATO members.
That Russia’s Navy is more active in Europe is undeniable, of course, but Howard’s comments totally lack context, as at no point during the Cold War did NATO have a large “spearhead” force deployed directly along the Russian border. The US has been increasing its military presence along Russia’s border for several years now, while claiming Russia might “invade” NATO lands.
Howard continued to play up the idea that NATO needs to stay united in building up a force against Russia, warning that Russia’s deployments risk leaving NATO nations focused on the importance of their own immediate vicinities while faiing to continue the overall buildup.
It’s somewhat comforting to know that Russia is responding correctly in kind to Nato.
It’s discomforting to think that Russia needs to respond and play into an economically bad practice.
But then again, it’s comforting that the US is playing the same cold war games against Russia.
The nuclear deterrent to US led war is firmly in place and likely won’t be overstepped unless a psychopath gains the control he needs to do it.
At the moment, we can safely assume that Trump is being handled like a child until he learns something tangible on foreign policy.