Geopolitics is interesting stuff……but only if one cares to see what the rest of humanity is up to these days…….I will stick with geopolitical stuff because it is a damn site more interesting that the back and forth game of political rhetoric…….let’s see we have a story with NO facts or evidence that has continued for a month…kinda like watching a person with dementia look for their keys in the refrig crisper…….Americans need to expand their experiences beyond Facebook……..
NATO there is a piece of work. It was intended to be a cushion for Europe against the USSR……and after the collapse there should have been a downsizing operation but instead there was a massive expansion…..which brought about a paper issued by the Cato Institute……
NATO’s relevance to the United States declined dramatically with the collapse of the Soviet Union. One cannot legitimately equate today’s Russia, with an aging, declining population, a military with many antiquated components, and merely the world’s eighth-largest economy, to the capabilities the USSR possessed during its heyday. Russia is a conventional, second-tier power that has some regional interests and ambitions, but it is not even remotely a global expansionist threat, much less a totalitarian expansionist threat.
That reality should have impelled the United States to give NATO a retirement party at the end of the Cold War, transferring responsibility for Europe’s defense to the principal European powers and, gradually, to the European Union. Instead, U.S. and NATO leaders scrambled to find an alternative mission to keep the alliance in business. They soon settled on an especially dangerous one—expanding NATO into Central and Eastern Europe, eventually to the borders of the Russian Federation itself. Critics warned that such a move created needless new risks for the United States, and that some of the commitments virtually invited a challenge from Russia once it had regained some strength. That is precisely what has happened, and Biden’s reassurances threaten to make a perilous situation even more so.
Any rational person could see where this could make a nation a bit paranoid…..and some people were telling Washington that it needed to re-evaluate its stand on NATO………diplomat George Kennan, essentially the architect of Washington’s Cold War containment policy, predicted it easily in 1997, when he said, “Expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the post cold-war era. Such a decision may be expected…to impel Russian foreign policy in directions decidedly not to our liking.”
With all that said NATO has issued a statement on the Crimea/Ukraine/Russia thing…….
- We, the Foreign Ministers of NATO, are united in our condemnation of Russia’s illegal military intervention in Ukraine and Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We do not recognize Russia’s illegal and illegitimate attempt to annex Crimea. We urge Russia to take immediate steps, as set out in the statement by the NATO-Ukraine Commission, to return to compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities, and to engage immediately in a genuine dialogue towards a political and diplomatic solution that respects international law and Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. We support the deployment of an OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine.
- Our goal of a Euro-Atlantic region whole, free, and at peace has not changed, but has been fundamentally challenged by Russia. We support the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of all states within their internationally recognised borders. An independent, sovereign, and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and respect for human rights, minorities, and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security.
- In order to demonstrate our commitment to Ukraine, we will intensify our cooperation in the framework of our Distinctive Partnership. Today NATO and Ukraine have agreed, as set out in the statement by the NATO-Ukraine Commission, to implement immediate and longer-term measures in order to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to provide for its own security.
- We have also today agreed a package of measures aimed at deepening our cooperation with other NATO partners in Eastern Europe, in consultation with them and within our existing bilateral programmes.
- Over the past twenty years, NATO has consistently worked for closer cooperation and trust with Russia. However, Russia has violated international law and has acted in contradiction with the principles and commitments in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Basic Document, the NATO-Russia Founding Act, and the Rome Declaration. It has gravely breached the trust upon which our cooperation must be based.
- We have decided to suspend all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia. Our political dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council can continue, as necessary, at the Ambassadorial level and above, to allow us to exchange views, first and foremost on this crisis. We will review NATO’s relations with Russia at our next meeting in June.
- As stated by our Heads of State and Government at the Chicago Summit in 2012, NATO is based on solidarity, Alliance cohesion, and the indivisibility of our security. In the current situation, the Alliance has already taken steps to demonstrate solidarity and strengthen its ability to anticipate and respond quickly to any challenges to Alliance security. We will continue to provide appropriate reinforcement and visible assurance of NATO’s cohesion and commitment to deterrence and collective defence against any threat of aggression to the Alliance.
Looks like this situation is far from over….even if Russia relents….problems will remain…..
Now John McCain the pathetic dupe of the M-IC is calling for military assistance for Ukraine……
Here are McCain’s 11 steps:
- Pass the bipartisan legislation that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved last week, which authorizes $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine, democracy and security assistance for Ukraine, targeted sanctions against Russian officials, and steps to strengthen the IMF’s ability to be a stronger partner to Ukraine.
- “Work with NATO to rush plane-loads of food and other humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine.
- “Work through the OSCE to approve and deploy a large civilian monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine that could help set the record straight about alleged threats to ethnic Russians and reveal Putin’s effort to inflame the situation as a pretext for further aggression.
- “Rush the modest military assistance to the Ukrainian government that its leaders have requested, including some small arms and ammunition, as well as significant non-lethal assistance, such as protective equipment, spare parts, fuel, and sharing of intelligence.
- “Work with NATO and other partners to support the Ukrainian government in designing and resourcing a long-term assistance program to rebuild and reform Ukraine’s military.
- “Enhance NATO’s force presence, security cooperation, and military exercises, especially in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries.
- “Work within NATO to take all necessary steps that can prepare for the expansion of the alliance to include countries such as Georgia and Montenegro as soon as possible.
- “Expand significantly the U.S. and E.U. targeted sanctions against the most corrupt Russian government officials, companies, and financial institutions.
- “Use the Magnitsky Act to sanction additional Russian officials for their gross violations of human rights.
- “Take more assertive steps to isolate Russia internationally, including by repeated votes in the U.N. Security Council and a G-7 boycott of the G-8 Summit in Sochi.
- “Take steps to permit and enhance the exportation of U.S. oil and natural gas, especially to NATO allies and other European partners, in order to decrease Europe’s reliance on Russian supplies of energy.
McCain always has a PLAN if it involves the US getting deep into more adventurism……I would expect better of a man that America almost idolizes for his military service…..so sad that he has NO problem throwing American troops into any buzz saw that will get him some air time…..pathetic is not enough!
