their independence sounds nice and is great, but it's a facade and will be taken away when necessary.
I don't agree with him but he also knows we've overextended with Iraq and Afghanistan on top of our debt situation. We're not in the position to do more than talk.
I didn't mean to suggest you did. My nuke comment was mean to highlight the fact that he isn't playing the traditional deterrent game- no attacks due to nukes. Putin's using it as more of an attack wherever I want & no one will confront me because I have nukes. He's not stupid enough to pick on someone that has the capabilities to defend themsleves. Pick on the weak kid & he knows he won't be confronted by those capable of crushing his conventional forces. But the nukes, that's his trump card in assuring he's not challenged.
The worst rules (threats) are those that you are either unable or unwilling to enforce. I manage my classroom & children using that. Never make a statement (threat) that you're not willing or not able to follow through with.
The Baltic states aren't going back, are part of the EU and would create a shit storm for Russia were they to try and recreate their former glory there. Anything west of Belarus is gone for Putin and the Russians. They just don't have that much pull anymore.
Who's going to defend that when push comes to shove? The baltics? NATO? Europeans? If there is a need, there isn't any means for preventing the take back.
I disagree. While they may be scared, I doubt Putin tries to invade the baltics. While I don't know what we will do about Ukraine, I think invading Latvia, Estonia, or Lithuania results in war.
I do not, for one instant, believe the world will appease Russia a la Nazi Germany and watch them annex lands. Will not happen. edit: "for one instance" ? ugh.
I tend to agree with tvols and Norris. If Putin wants to make a habit of this, eventually NATO and or EU will step up. I do think we'll end up getting involved in the Ukraine if Putin persists.
Who are you calling the world? Annexation would absolutely be prelude to war. If Russia needs it, they'll take it.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-04/putin-says-no-need-yet-for-russia-to-send-troops-to-ukraine.html
think you overestimate the reach of the Russians. They have potential issues all over their fringes and won't, or shouldn't, have much desire to create a number of fires to out. The perception of the Russian strength is too much skewed by a lingering hangover of the Cold War.
This is craziness or extreme wishful thinking. They didn't just shut down the military apparatus. They are the biggest threat to our nation and the free world today and tomorrow.
And this sounds more like paranoid thinking. Who are they are threat to outside their immediate sphere of influence? Hell, they were getting planes shot down by the Georgian military just a few years ago. Where are they a threat?
