The last U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine are a response to years of hostility from the United States, including the eastward expansion of NATO, the bombing of Serbia and the expansion of American military bases in eastern Europe.Thanks to neocons controlling US foreign policy.
Truthdig
Former Ambassador: Russia Responding to Years of U.S. Hostility
Alexander Reed Kelly — Democracy Now!
The ambassador appears to be fond of just-so stories. Putin's response could be viewed as specific to the issue at hand, as it was in Georgia with Ossetia.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to refrain from comment on this whole issue on MNE but seriously, What was the USA supposed to do?
ReplyDeleteTell Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary and Romania that they were not allowed to join NATO? Come on, some of this stuff isn't neocon related. These countries were begging to join because they knew, Russia would be back in a few years and without NATO, they could never resist the Russians.
Does it make sense for the US and its allies to bring all these countries under the nuclear umbrella, as it has not only the NATO countries but also Israel and Japan?
ReplyDeleteBasically these countries including the US have given up sovereignty in going to war. Anyone can start are war and the others are obliged by treaty to engage whether it is in their interests or not.
Crazy.
Especially when the US has announced a right of preemptive strike.
YOu can bet that Russia and China are beefing up their nuclear capacity to destroy the US, and the PLA have already told the Pentagon that China will survive a nuclear attack by the US owing to its size and population dispersion, while the US will not.
Correction: Israel and Japan and S. Korea.
ReplyDeleteGeo-strategically, the US encircling Russia and China and tightening the circle. The question in between the two sides in the US is how fast the circle should be tightened and at what risk of nuclear war breaking out. The neo-cons want quick tightening "while there is still time," other slower and more careful.
ReplyDeleteEncircling. <== It is like free hugs for countries feeling adversarial instead of cooperative.
ReplyDeleteNobody cares for Crimea except Crimeans until this point ... so why the Johnny come lately?
ReplyDeleteUkrainians care because they need something to clamor for given their substandard lot and condition.
When someone steals their chicken hay ( I.e. crimea ) and not even any chickens ... the Ukrained get peeved.
They should known this would happen.
Russia probably didnt want to lose their only warm water port which was at the tip of Crimea... and now they have secured it big deal their Navy is still second rate. Let them keep their port it doesnt really change anything.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile down the coast at Sochi they built brand new infrastructure for 10s of $B equivalent where you cannot flush the toilet paper you have to throw it in the waste basket... its so unsanitary we saw Bob Costas get double conjunctivitis probably from touching feces that was spread all over his bathroom at the hotel and them putting his contact lenses in.
The place is still a barbarian haven..
ReplyDeleteGood video from SCG News on US & EU culpability for instigating the Ukrainian putsch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWkfpGCAAuw&feature=youtu.be