Saturday, August 11, 2018

RT — ‘Ask your grandads’: Russian defense minister warns Germany against ‘strength & unity’ strategy


Sergei Shoigu delivers serious smackdown. 
The Russian defense minister has reminded his German counterpart that approaching Moscow from a “position of unity and strength” is not the wisest idea, citing the bitter history of WWII that should’ve made Berlin more prudent.

“We are open for dialogue. We are ready for a normal cooperation, but not at all from a position of strength,” Sergey Shoigu told Rossiya 24 TV station. “I certainly hope that the time when we could be talked to, as someone once said, as a second- or third-class country has now irretrievably passed.”
Referring to the original question from the host, Yevgeniy Popov, who noted the recent call by the German Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, to engage in dialogue with Moscow only from a “position of unity and strength,” Shoigu reminded his counterpart that, while Russia seeks peace, it will not tolerate being coerced.
“After everything Germany has done to our country, I think, they should not talk on the issue for another two hundred years,” Shoigu said. “Ask your grandparents about their experience of talking to Russia from the position of strength. They will probably be able to tell you.”...
Sounds like the Russian leadership is finally getting fed up.

RT

7 comments:

Tom Hickey said...

As if Merkel's panzer divisons are about to roll east.
Russian nationalists need to calm down.


Uh, NATO, including German troops, are on Russia's borders — as result of a broken promise.

Russian have seen this line up before and are waving red flags indicating danger ahead.

Peter Pan said...

Compare NATO to Operation Barbarossa when the USSR had zero nukes. Pure posturing on the Russian side.

Tom Hickey said...

Compare NATO to Operation Barbarossa when the USSR had zero nukes. Pure posturing on the Russian side.

That is what Shoigu is referring to, actually. But now Russia has nukes.

And that is part of the message.

Russia is signaling to Germany that if there is war in Europe sparked by the US, Germany will be turned in ashes. Russia has said that this war will be fought in Europe, not Russia, and Russia has also signaled that the US homeland will be struck.

So think twice before getting cocky.

Konrad said...

Nuclear war is winnable, as long as we strike now.

Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson tells us so.

“Mister President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million Americans killed. Tops.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuP6KbIsNK4

[Skip to 2:13]

Peter Pan said...

There will be no war in Europe involving Russia. Why waste time on this nonsense?

Tom Hickey said...

There will be no war in Europe involving Russia. Why waste time on this nonsense?

Uh, there already is a war in Europe involving Russia — in Ukraine. People have died and are still dying now. NATO has advisers on the ground there and the US is sending weapons. This is escalating rather than deescalating.

Peter Pan said...

Russia could topple the Ukrainian regime in hours if they wanted to. But what would they gain? They'd be condemned by the West and have to occupy a country where the economy is a mess and the locals are hostile.

That is the legacy of the Soviet Union. It's not a situation that can be resolved within the lifetime of this generation. Russians living in Eastern Europe could find themselves in danger given the rise of nationalist movements, but Putin won't launch an invasion to protect them. He has no intention of rebuilding a 'greater Russia' that would wind up as economically isolated as the old Eastern Bloc.

Canadian soldiers are in Latvia, supposedly to deter Russian aggression. Are they, along with NATO, sending a signal to Putin not to invade? Such actions are more insulting than they are productive.

Insulting Germany is playing into Washington's hands. Expanding economic trade with Europe is key to reducing American interference on that continent. Rattling sabers over a war where everyone dies is nationalist posturing. Has Putin lost a political struggle to these hawks? If so, Washington has scored a victory.