Late last week Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba traveled to Bucharest, Romania to join a meeting of what he called NATO’s Eastern flank: Poland, Romania and Turkey.
The Ukrainian foreign minister posted this on his Facebook page: “Greetings from Bucharest. Today, for the first time, Ukraine is taking part in the negotiations of the Romania, Poland, and Turkey triangle – NATO’s Eastern flank.”
The trilateral format was created at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Chicago in 2012.
This year Georgia as well as Ukraine participated. In Kuleba’s words: “Today, for the first time, they invited guests – Ukraine and Georgia – to join their format. And this isn’t just an invitation. It’s a political signal and concrete action to support Ukraine in a difficult moment.”
As reported in the Ukrainian press, the foreign ministers of the five states, all but Poland on the Black Sea, “discussed in detail the issues of regional security in the context of Russia’s aggressive actions, the prospects for NATO enlargement, and the support of Allied partners.”
The five nations – Turkey (85 million people), Ukraine (44 million), Poland (38 million), Romania (19 million) and Georgia (4 million) – have a total population of 190,000,000. If the other members of NATO’s eastern border are included – members Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Enhanced Opportunities Partner Finland – the total is 209,000,000; far larger than Russia’s 144,000,000.
Ukraine and Turkey also recently held a meeting in Ankara of the Strategic Ukrainian-Turkish Council, with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey jointly pledging support for Ukraine seizing the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, Crimea being returned to the country also after having reunited with Russia in 2014, and Ukraine joining NATO and the European Union.
The Bucharest meeting attendees discussed plans for the first summit of the Crimean Platform in August. According to Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister, Emine Dzheppar, “the strategic goal of the Crimean Platform is the de-occupation of Crimea….”
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu confirmed his nation will dispatch a military unit to participate in a military parade in the Ukrainian capital, and he and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated the two countries are prepared to form a strategic partnership.
The main subjects of deliberation of the five foreign ministers were strengthening NATO presence in the region, Ukraine’s and Georgia’s prospects of joining NATO and the European Union and the aforementioned Crimean Platform.
Ukraine’s Kuleba, who was evidently the guest of honor at the meeting, added: “NATO’s key partners Ukraine and Georgia make a significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance’s eastern flank and maintaining stability in the Black Sea region. I am convinced that our unity is the most effective factor in deterring Russia and its deeply destructive actions in the region.”
In particular he called for increased cooperation between the navies of Ukraine and Georgia and those of the three NATO members in the Black Sea: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
While meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Georgia David Zalkaliani, his Ukrainian counterpart also asserted, “The membership of Ukraine and Georgia in the European Union and NATO is only a matter of time.”
The five foreign ministers condemned Russia over Donetsk, Lugansk, Crimea, the Kerch Strait, Abkhazia and South Ossetia (in regard to the latter two, “the borderisation in Georgia”). And they demanded that Crimea, and as a result the western bank of the Kerch Strait, be taken from Russia and given to Ukraine; that Russia betray its largely Russian-speaking allies in Donetsk and Lugansk, at least half a million of whom have Russian citizenship, to Ukraine; and that South Ossetia, which was invaded by Georgia in 2008, and Abkhazia, which narrowly avoided the same fate, be ceded to Georgia. Russia has military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it recognizes as independent nations, and maintains its Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. As there appears no peaceful way of effecting the transitions listed above, what the five NATO members and partners have done is to chart a course for war; several wars.
The Black Sea appears to be the main battleground in NATO’s plans to confront Russia and redraw the political maps on its western and southern borders.
Rick Rozoff is a contributing editor at Antiwar.com. He has been involved in anti-war and anti-interventionist work in various capacities for forty years. He lives in Chicago, Illinois. He is the manager of Stop NATO. This originally appeared at Anti-Bellum.
It won’t happen. Third Stringer, Winken, Blinken and Nod will screw it up. If he tells Z, to attack, Ukraine is finished.
It would end the way Georgia’s attack on Russia ended when Cheney incited them to it.
Some in Ukraine must remember that. The former leader of Georgia was hiding out with them for some years.
So good to have the great Ricky Rozoff here to guide us through this alarming period of NATO becoming an aggressor and talking war!!!! Wanting to drag us toward & INTO hot WAR. Where is the talk of trying to avoid war. Most of these hot heads are non nuclear bomb states. Are they aware that they are dealing with the No. 1 or 2 possessor of these game changers. Maybe these hotheads don’t realize the obvious danger such talk and attitudes create. I’d hate to see people or states stumble into terrible jeopardy from reckless talk, thoughts, or actions. The little guys talking tough has quite a sorry history.. More from me tomorrow
Russia won’t allow this to happen. It would be an extremely serious threat to its security. The countries mentioned in the article may have a bigger population than Russia, but it all depends whether they support their puppet governments. Russia’ s militairy is far superior technologically with cutting edge supersonic weaponry that would simply wipe out all enemy warships in the Black Sea.
Agreed.
Russia already considers the coup government in Ukraine illegitimate and used that logic to support the secession of Crimea and Donbass.
Russia knows one of the main reasons for the coup was for the US to seize the incredibly important military/naval bases in Crimea to then control the Black Sea.
The plan was to also install NATO bases all along the Russia/Ukraine border in preparation for a blitzkrieg style invasion to possibly capture Moscow.
Of course, that is crazy and failed many times but that would never stop the US from trying anyway.
Knowing all this, Russia will NEVER let the illegitimate coup puppet government in Kiev turn over all of Ukraine to NATO and create such a massive national security threat and will be forced to march on Kiev before that happens.
Agree 100%
Hypersonic too. These backwaters could be leveled by Russia in 24 hours. But whý the kabuki…??? Does the murky language mean that there is no consensus to let Ukraine into NATO, but dangle as a “partner”…????? I do not see Biden throwing down a nuclear h-bomb gauntlet for Putin to contemplate. Just one more “fine mess” Madams Clinton and Nuland made there. It’s done. Russia got back Ukraine! It should never have been handed over to Ukraine. What reason was given at the time of the handover?
Population size dosen`t matter the will to fight does , if you want to know about the Russian peoples will to fight read anything about the battle for Stalingrad , when they run out of bombs and bullets they use sticks and stones when they run out of sticks and stones they use their hands and teeth , even the US Marines couldn`t help but be impressed by the Red Army.
It’s all a lot of mouthy, ***primarily provocative*** BS. Ukraine is desperate to provoke some kind of Russian “kinetic” action in order to stop NS2. But Putin won’t be provoked. He will be patient, NS2 will be completed, and Ukraine will be f*cked, ie forced to STFU and be compliant or it will get no cheap Russian gas and no transit fees.
These are just performances. No Black Sea country wants war. Period. US may want war, UK may want war. But their NATO members living there have zero interest in war. And even genuflecting vassals they may have in governments know better.
The key country they are trying to rope in — Turkey, will not be roped in. It has survived a number of hits in its economy and currency curtesy of NATO “friends”, and knows friend from foe.
Turkey has become Russia-China sponsored country. For all those that listen to government mainstream, it is easy to assume that Turkey and Russia are “on opposite sides” of conflicts. That is the official explanation. But the reality is the opposite. Russia and Turkey manage opposite sides and lead them to solution. Or at least, neutralize their destructive potential. From Syria to Libya to Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, same pattern.
Turkey can talk all day long about territorial integrity with Zelensky, as it wants support against secession-minded (Western armed and supported) Kurds. Just as Turkey disapproved of military takeover of Egypt, as Turkey used to be managed by NATO sponsored military coups. That does not mean bad relationship with Egypt. Just like Egypt’s moves with Greece to stop Turkey-Libya maritime deal is a pure theater. Watch Turkey and Egypt coming up with the deal. The problem here is simple — Israel’s gas from its EEZ was to flow by pipeline to Greece, and then in to Europe. Thus, vicious attack on Nord Stream. But Turkey will have a say in any such schema, and since Israel is NOT likely to partner with anyone, least of all Turkey.
Turkey and Iran are partners in number of fields. US cannot punish Turkey for buying Iranian oil and gas, as that would mean even more Russian gas for Turkey.
Both Turkey and Russia are managing Syria. Russia managing Kurds, Turkey assorted Islamists in border regions. Both controlling HTS, UK/US project with White Helmets special ops. Now, hemmed in between Syrian, Russian and Turkish managed forces, they are incapable of motivating their associated militants.
Russia and Turkey work long term. Once they key US inspired enmity between Riyadh and Teheran is addressed, there will be no need for US forces in Iraq. The objective is to move massive gas reserves from Qatar-Iran fields both ways, to Asia via Iran, and through Iraq and Syria, via Turkey to Europe.
Armenian-Azerbaijan frozen conflict was solved due to US blunder. By sponsoring color revolution in Armenia in 2018, ties to Russia frayed, and Yerevan was encouraged to provoke Azerbaijan in order to anger Baku and disrupt relationship with Moscow. Did not go to plan. Turkey and Russia maneuvered both parties into situation where Yerevan was caught unprepared. Azerbaijan recovered all the territories it lost in the nineties, but Nagorno-Karabakh was protected by the deal cut by Russia. Snd the final arrangement, with Russian-Turkish peace center, as well as Russian forces protecting corridor from NK to Armenia, and corridor through Armenia from Azerbaijan to its exclave. Yerevan was left to ponder why were US and France missing in action.
Biden’s “recognition” of Armenian pogrom is like a bad joke. Everybody agrees to what happened — including Turkey. The argument is — was it genocide or not. Were Armenians targeted as people, or was it a nasty outcome of an imploding Ottoman Empire. But only Armenian diaspora in US was happy. To somewhat erase the blot on their pushing for pro-American color revolution, and the failure of their team in Yerevan in recognizing the limits of American support.
Be that Libya, Syria, Iraq PKK, Qatar gas, Iran relationship, security of Caspian states, etc. — Turkey has all the interests in common with Russia, Iran and China. Economy and infrastructure are key ingredients tying Turkey to Russia-China region.
Now that Saudis are talking to Iran and Qatar, Turkey is right there to support all parties.
And to imagine Turkey being interested in Black Sea war! Te only country that will raise the noise level is Ukraine — and only to get goodies. Arms, money.
But here is my advice to Ukraine. Just take Turkey as your friend in countering Russia, and watch Turkey and Russia come up with the deal you could not refuse. Do not count on US to bail you out!
The US could do anything to kick start a war with Russia they did it with Vietnam , again in Iraq and many other countries they could careless about the countries that border Russia as long as it furthers US interests..
Even if they join NATO whats the betting one of them starts a war with Russia because they have NATO at their back NATO wants to be carefull what it wishes for Georgia thought it had NATO support and look what happened therewhen NATO realized it was on the Brink of war with Russia , as for Ukraine it was a US / EU backed coup that caused the crisis otherwise Crimea would still be part of Ukraine which the Western MSM conveinintly forgets .
Fairly recent history makes one wonder how soon we forget. Remember the refugee crisis, the tens of thousands trying to escape the wars in the Middle East that we were/are responsible for, flooding into Europe and other places. The US and NATO were taking the heat big time. We needed to change the subject fast, we need a bad guy, a scape goat, so how to. We support the overthrow of the elected government in Ukraine, we know Russia has to defend the Russian population, we enlist the media to start the demonization process all over again, it’s our way, it never changes. And now there are those that support and want to be a part of our diabolical deeds, even if it means more people dying in our wars, hard to figure.
“As there appears no peaceful way of effecting the transitions listed above, what the five NATO members and partners have done is to chart a course for war; several wars.”
While these moves appear military in nature, ultimately NATO’s interests are economic, as in sanctions.
Whether multiple conflicts or war become reality, Mr. Putin’s vaguely articulated red lines and Russia’s missile supremacy and electronic countermeasures suggest these wars won’t be prolonged. Russia’s infantry and tank battalions will be largely unscathed.
In my opinion, Brussels and Washington, D.C. will be among the first targets. The remaining NATO member sovereigns might develop a sudden fondness for Russian hospitality and a good native vodka.
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/russia/articles/top-5-vodka-brands-you-must-try-in-russia/
Don’t ask me when. Joe Biden and NATO pinhead Jens Stoltenberg are running this operation.
Ukraine wishes it were so. Ukraine’s minister claimed it was so.
It is not so. Turkey is getting along with Russia better than with NATO right now, and the real powers in NATO like Germany and France are flatly unwilling to be drawn into the Ukraine fiasco — remember its origin in Victoria Nuland’s “F*ck the EU” comment. That is still how the EU views US efforts to foment trouble in Ukraine.
https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2586542/us-coast-guard-cutter-enters-the-black-sea/
Until I read this article, I never fully appreciated how militarized the US Coast Guard had become. The USCGS Hamilton’s wiki page describes how it’s integrated into the US Navy’s various communications and weapons systems.
Are US Navy personnel operating this ship?
Most Americans would think they’re a bit far from home. So goes the sentiment with the US Navy.
Is biden (hunter) about to lose his seat at Berisma?