NATO: Russia is now an adversary
The Associated Press reports that at least one NATO official thinks that we should consider Russia an adversary on the world stage due to their recent annexation of the Crimea;
“Clearly the Russians have declared NATO as an adversary, so we have to begin to view Russia no longer as a partner but as more of an adversary than a partner,” said Alexander Vershbow, the deputy secretary-general of NATO.
In a question-and-answer session with a small group of reporters, Vershbow said Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its apparent manipulation of unrest in eastern Ukraine have fundamentally changed the NATO-Russia relationship.
“In central Europe, clearly we have two different visions of what European security should be like,” Vershbow, a former U.S. diplomat and onetime Pentagon official, said. “We still would defend the sovereignty and freedom of choice of Russia’s neighbors, and Russia clearly is trying to re-impose hegemony and limit their sovereignty under the guise of a defense of the Russian world.”
Seem hyperbolic to you? Well consider that today, the Detroit Free Press reports that Russia resurrected the Soviet-age May Day parade through Red Square, something that disappeared along with the Soviet Union back in 1991;
“For the first time, stages will be filled, and 5,000 (labor) veterans will stand on the tribunes of Red Square,” Sergei Chernov, chairman of the Moscow Labor Union Federation, was quoted by ITAR-Tass as saying, ahead of the march, which is being seen as part of President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to stoke patriotic feelings following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
As many as 2 million people were expected to be on hand for the event organized by Russian labor unions, which are mostly loyal to the Kremlin. In the end, about 100,000 people participated in the celebration, some holding signs saying: “Let’s go to Crimea for vacation” and “Putin is right.” Russian flags fluttered through the crowd.
Odd that they chose to resurrect the traditional celebration of Communism, isn’t it?
Category: Foreign Policy
Ah, God.
Well, welcome back to the Cold War, guys. And here I was thinking that I just had to deal with Jihadists.
However, if that means that we get an 80s-part-two, I suppose I could see some silver linings.
Farflung Wanderer…I agree. It does give me a facepalm and a big sigh to think of the Cold War again. However, My big concern is the way European leaders of NATO talk really big when they know it means America shouldering the lion’s share of the fight. If we told them, you start it, you fight it. They would have very different speeches to make to the press. Basically, no comment.
TEAM AMERICA!!! ./^ here to save the mother f***ing day, yeah! ./^
“…plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”
LebbenB…I got it but you made me use Google translate. I speak English, Pig Latin and enough American Sign Language to really insult someone if I’m not careful. That’s it for me.
Like I always tell my in-laws, I only speak two languages: English and bad English.
I’m not denying what Putin is doing, but doesn’t it seem a little too much of a coincidence that the Europeans are hand-wringing now, after we have determined to withdraw our troops from Europe to move them elsewhere?
I think this is more about the loss of American rent money (our bases) than anything else.
Is anyone surprised? The bear sees and smells weakness in this administration.
NOW?????
Europe and much of thinking America has always known that Russia is an adversary.
Duh.
Well, they need to do something before they implode due to a declining birthrate and Chinese expansionism.
Red Square? May Day/Workers’ Day?
Oh, wait – Slick Willie sold NAS Glenview to real estate developers, so there’s no inland training base or stopover for pilots.
So does this one of mean those local airports might get bought up by the Feds and turned into a Naval Air Station? They can all accomodate jet aircraft. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Rockford, for instance – big enough to land the Concorde in its day. Saw the videos on the news. Is Lincoln, Nebraska, going to get its SAC USAF airbase back, with the Minuteman missiles in a ring around the city? Will Corpus Christi, TX be ramped up again? Is the red phone to the Kremlin still connected?
Stay tuned for further lack of information on the part of the idiot in charge of things.
Fuck those Euro trash shitdicks. If something does go down I hope we only send a couple of hundred troops as non combatants. It’s only fitting since that is the same worthless contribution they’ve given us over the decade.
Anyone who has taken the time to study the last 1000 years of Russian history should have seen this coming with their eyes shut. They never ceased being an adversary, they played nice when they had to. And because of the rose colored glasses crowd, Russia controls our ability to shuttle astronauts to and from space.
In other news water is wet…
Do you really believe the “Evil Empire” just simply went away? They just took a nap and are awakening. The “1st Team” is a worthy foe and with today’s socially engineered military we need real serious changes (leadership and common sense).
I think I missed the part where Russian became a trustworthy free trade partner, but I also think a great many Americans are of the impression that China is a great friend and free trade partner.
Enemies can do business with each other, but it is always important to remember that your enemy never becomes your friend, just maybe a less dangerous enemy and semi-reliable business associate.
Democracies always want to believe the best in those they do business with regularly, as if business was the precursor to trustworthiness. There is no evidence to support that concept, not now and not ever in the history of mankind. Business and friendship can go hand in hand under the right circumstances, but it’s best to never confuse the reality of the underlying relationship.