Is the West gearing up to invade Russia once again?

[bryant.coleman]

OK... things seems to have calmed down in Ukraine, after Putin reiterated his support for the May 25 elections. Now unless the CIA-backed extremists of Right Sector does something stupid, everything should be OK.

[Snowfire]

I don't see anyone who matters taking the idea of direct military action against Russia seriously; it has been made pretty clear that that is not on the table, though some awkward times could certainly lie ahead. I would object to the use of obsolete cold-war terminology such as "the West;" no such entity exists any more, and the Iron Curtain and the great ideological divide of  1917-1989 are long gone. The present situation involves Russia, the EU, and the US; at least call the players by their proper names.

[bryant.coleman]

I would object to the use of obsolete cold-war terminology such as "the West;" no such entity exists any more, and the Iron Curtain and the great ideological divide of  1917-1989 are long gone.

I had believed in the past that the cold war was long gone. But now it seems clear that it is very much alive. The USSR was replaced by the Russian Federation and nothing else changes.

[niothor]

I would object to the use of obsolete cold-war terminology such as "the West;" no such entity exists any more, and the Iron Curtain and the great ideological divide of  1917-1989 are long gone.

I had believed in the past that the cold war was long gone. But now it seems clear that it is very much alive. The USSR was replaced by the Russian Federation and nothing else changes.

I really can't believe you've said that . After all the debates we had on the subject ))

[Nemo1024]

You had a bad effect on him, niothor... 

Some related news, now from the Russian side:
Russia holds military drills to repel nuclear strike
http://rt.com/news/157644-putin-drills-rocket-launch/

"We are carrying out tests of the readiness of the Russian armed forces. It was announced last November. The exercises will involve all branches of the armed forces across the country," Putin told reporters at the Defense Ministry.

"At the Priozersk training area (Kazakhstan), a successful interception of a ballistic target by a short-range countermissile was carried out. A massive rocket nuclear strike was repelled by a ballistic missile defense unit of air and missile defense troops," the representative said.

[Fatpony]

Mission uncertain: Canadian planes leave for Eastern Europe to assist NATO

Unless a NATO member is attacked by Russia (such as Latvia or Estonia), these guys are just going to sit around and watch. Putin also knows it. He knows that the NATO can't do anything against him in Ukraine, other than supporting the corrupt oligarchs such as Tymoshenko and Akhmetov.

Well, NATO invaded Yugoslavia without Yugoslavia attacking or even threatening any NATO member first...

They could have successfully defended themselves, JNA (Yugoslav National Army) was almost intact after the NATO bombing finished, but their political leadership was corrupt and incapable. And that was the reason why NATO attacked Yugoslavia in the first place...

Actually people used to live better then they live now. Unemployment was lower, corruption was lower. The only reason why Serbia was attacked was to create a shield on that part of Europe. At one point on Kosovo had one of the largest base on Balkan, Bondsteel and now it is one of the largest drug trafficking countries ( Kosovo ) in the Europe.

[bryant.coleman]

At one point on Kosovo had one of the largest base on Balkan, Bondsteel and now it is one of the largest drug trafficking countries ( Kosovo ) in the Europe.

Some parts of Europe are ruled by criminals rather than democratically elected governments. Kosovo is one of those places. Human trafficking, drug smuggling, arms trafficking.... flourishing under the NATO supervision.

[Nemo1024]

Are NATO completely out of their minds?

Ukraine deploys 15,000 troops to Russian border, NATO beefs up forces in E. Europe – Moscow
http://rt.com/news/157736-ukraine-troops-russia-borders/

Antonov also urged official representatives of NATO and the Pentagon "to quit cynically deluding the international society concerning the real state of affairs on the Russian-Ukrainian border."

He stressed that in the past two months Russia has contributed to about a dozen inspections, including emergency observation flight of Ukraine across the border region with Russia. The most recent flights took part on May, 6 when an American-Norwegian group held its inspection along borders with Kharkov and Lugansk regions, and on May, 7, when the same group flew across the city of Bryansk.

“There was not noticed any undeclared military activities in these regions,” Antonov said. But despite this fact was recorded “in the presence of Russian representatives in the official protocols”, on public “opposite propaganda cliché statements accusing Russia of violating its commitments were broadcast.”

They are trying Russian patience... Russian roulette? 

[bryant.coleman]

They are trying Russian patience... Russian roulette? 

I think Putin is more concerned about securing the earnings of Gazprom,Rosneft and Lukoil, rather than protecting the rights of the people in Donbass. Nothing is going to happen. He will sit idle, and the Right Sector will conquer Donbass.

[deisik]

They are trying Russian patience... Russian roulette? 

I think Putin is more concerned about securing the earnings of Gazprom,Rosneft and Lukoil, rather than protecting the rights of the people in Donbass. Nothing is going to happen. He will sit idle, and the Right Sector will conquer Donbass.

He probably will (sit idle), but this is not to say that the Right Sector has a chance to take over Donetsk or Lugansk. If they had, why didn't they already? Time works against them and Ukraine as a state...

[bryant.coleman]

He probably will (sit idle), but this is not to say that the Right Sector has a chance to take over Donetsk or Lugansk. If they had, why didn't they already? Time works against them and Ukraine as a state...

Right Sector and its allies are having a strength of close to 100,000. And they can easily get extra support from Poland. On the other hand, the militia in Donetsk and Lugansk number less than 10,000. If Putin does not supports them, then it is just a matter of time.

[deisik]

He probably will (sit idle), but this is not to say that the Right Sector has a chance to take over Donetsk or Lugansk. If they had, why didn't they already? Time works against them and Ukraine as a state...

Right Sector and its allies are having a strength of close to 100,000. And they can easily get extra support from Poland. On the other hand, the militia in Donetsk and Lugansk number less than 10,000. If Putin does not supports them, then it is just a matter of time.

And why can't they take Slavyansk yet? Even if troops that are loyal to Kiev outnumber the militia in Donetsk and Lugansk, how many of them are ready to engage in actual fighting? Also, as all the post-Soviet history shows, the insurgent regions are quickly flooded with seasoned volunteers (as it was in Transnistria, Abkhasia and South Ossetia)...

[bryant.coleman]

Also, as all the post-Soviet history shows, the insurgent regions are quickly flooded with seasoned volunteers (as it was in Transnistria, Abkhasia and South Ossetia)...

Talking about the volunteers:

http://lifenews.ru/news/132809

[Nemo1024]

Should have probably started a new thread on this, but...

NATO sailors ‘behave like occupiers’, Latvian mayor complains
http://rt.com/news/158804-latvia-nato-occupiers-mayor/

Crewmembers of NATO warships deployed to the Latvian port city of Ventspils are behaving like occupying forces, who don’t consider local laws apply to them, the mayor of the city charged. This discredits the alliance in the eyes of Latvians, he added.

“NATO sailors in Ventspils were behaving like pigs, ignored Latvian laws and municipal rules,” Aivars Lembergs told LETA news agency. “Drunk, they urinated in public, right on shop windows, vomited, drank in public, which is not allowed. They picked flowers from flowerbeds and gave them to prostitutes.”

Lembergs, a vocal critic of Latvia’s cooperation with NATO, added that the foreign military personnel “behaved like occupiers, who do not recognize Latvia’s sovereignty.”

What were they expecting. This behaviour pattern is known from other places, like Japan, but there such image is heavily suppressed. At least Latvians are not pushing it under the rug.

[bryant.coleman]

^^^ A majority of the Latvians will not realize it until it is too late. They are blinded by extreme Russophobia. Some of them will wake up, once the American marines behave like what they have been doing in Okinawa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Okinawa_rape_incident

[niothor]

Should have probably started a new thread on this, but...

NATO sailors ‘behave like occupiers’, Latvian mayor complains
http://rt.com/news/158804-latvia-nato-occupiers-mayor/

Crewmembers of NATO warships deployed to the Latvian port city of Ventspils are behaving like occupying forces, who don’t consider local laws apply to them, the mayor of the city charged. This discredits the alliance in the eyes of Latvians, he added.

“NATO sailors in Ventspils were behaving like pigs, ignored Latvian laws and municipal rules,” Aivars Lembergs told LETA news agency. “Drunk, they urinated in public, right on shop windows, vomited, drank in public, which is not allowed. They picked flowers from flowerbeds and gave them to prostitutes.”

Lembergs, a vocal critic of Latvia’s cooperation with NATO, added that the foreign military personnel “behaved like occupiers, who do not recognize Latvia’s sovereignty.”

What were they expecting. This behaviour pattern is known from other places, like Japan, but there such image is heavily suppressed. At least Latvians are not pushing it under the rug.

You missed the most important part:

The unflattering description comes as the mayor was commenting on an incident in Ventspils, in which several NATO sailors clashed with locals at a night club last weekend. One of the sailors, a 21-year-old Dutch national, sustained serious injuries and had to be taken to hospital with several broken face bones and a concussion.

[Nemo1024]

US missile cruiser to enter Black Sea amid NATO drills in Eastern Europe – military source
http://rt.com/news/159876-us-missile-cruiser-black-sea/

The American missile cruiser Vella Gulf is expected to arrive in the Black Sea on May 23, a military source told the Russian news agency. It comes as part of a wider buildup of NATO forces close to Russian borders in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis.

...

“It is expected that Vella Gulf will pass through the Black Sea straits on May 23. According to available data, the ship will be performing the tasks of US Navy command in the eastern part of the Black Sea,” the source said.

A couple of reader comments:

Mark 19.05.2014 12:36

According ta a New York Times article there are more natural gas deposits in the waters of the Black Sea of Russia's Crimea than in the North Sea! American warship will stay in international waters! This is a show and tell show. This ship entered the Black Sea the 3th time in the last two months! Russia is not impressed.

 
George Knight 19.05.2014 12:35

Provocative? What a load of sh¡t. Having a US missile cruiser in the Black Sea is provocative.

[bryant.coleman]

Seems like the Obama supporters are running scared of Putin.

Russian President Putin builds ties in Moldova, Kazakhstan and Baltics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-president-putin-builds-ties-in-moldova-kazakhstan-and-baltics/2014/05/17/fa1beb22-c45f-4027-9b30-cc45212c785e_story.html

[Nemo1024]

I don't know... It looks like another one of those templated articles, filled with half-truths, where you can almost predict the next paragraph's content before you start on it.

Take this, for example:

From annexing Crimea to collecting separatist petitions in Moldova to handing out passports to compatriots in the Baltics, Putin has spent recent weeks focused on neighboring countries, many of which have substantial ethnic Russian minorities.

The strategy puts Russia on a collision course with the NATO defense alliance, because two of its members — Estonia and Latvia — have significant Russian-speaking minorities that have long complained of discrimination.

Many Russian-speaking people in the Baltics have no passport at all to begin with, as they are denied it.
NATO is expanding, but it puts Russia on a collision course with it.
Complained of discrimination - more like pointed those blatant occurrences time and again.

[Nathonas]

None of the nuclear powers can be invaded. Intervening in Ukraine is one thing and invading Russia is another. If the UK and US send their troops to Ukraine, it will not necessarily start the WW3. On the other hand, if they send their troops to invade Russia, it will definitely signal the start of WW3 and MAD. Russia will definitely use some of its 10,000 nuclear war heads and half the world will turn to radio-active waste land.

I agree, nobody is stupid enough to start world war 3. The proof is in front of our eyes- the Korean War, the Vietnam war, the Soviet Afghan war, and now Ukraine... the West and the East will only fight each other through proxy wars meant to empower each side and/or take advantage of a war-wrecked country.

The reason the West demonizes Russia (as it has for well over a 100 years, as you suggested) is because governments love to create enemies to keep people in fear and away from the real issues. You have Russia doing the exact same thing. Hell, this is like the #1 rule of international relations - every country points the finger at someone else to make themselves out to be the heroes and keep their populations ignorant of the real problems in THEIR OWN country.

The conflict in Ukraine is just another proxy war, as the many we have seen in the Cold War. Nuclear weapons have made large-scale,conventional warfare entirely obsolete, and I hope it will stay that way. Leaders of countries may not always be the brightest and most peaceful individuals, but everyone understands that REAL nuclear war will destroy not just the enemy but also you. MAD keeps the world from another great war, at least for now.