FINANCIAL TIMES: Europe thinks it has a Ukraine problem. In truth, it has a Russia, or more precisely, a Vladimir Putin problem. Moscow’s war against Kiev is a fragment of a bigger picture. The Russian president’s revanchism reaches well beyond Ukraine. The bigger goal is to tear up the continent’s post-communist settlement.
European hesitation about confronting Russia is readily explained. Economic self-interest, history, cultural affinity, and latent anti-Americanism have persuaded many Europeans to look at Mr Putin as the leader they hoped for rather than the one who saw the fall of the Soviet Union as the geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century…
The annexation of Crimea and the march into Ukraine’s Donbass region should have dispelled the doubts. In the case of Angela Merkel this is what seems to have happened. Not a politician to prefer confrontation over negotiation, the German chancellor has been offered too many lies and broken promises… (more)
EDITOR: It is a good thing that our troops are no longer tied up in the Mid-East. The time has come for NATO to decide whether it is a paper tiger. But this must not be the USA fighting and Europe holding our jacket. How very sad.
U.S. foreign military posturing is one of: “never invade a country that can defend itself; never defend one that can’t.”
If you don’t like that premise review please all the way back to WWII and just why the U.S. let Russia do most of the fighting against the Germans, why the A bombs were dropped. The Korean debacle, the Vietnamization of the Viet Nam conflict, invasions of Grenada, Panama, Haiti etc. Even the invasions of Iraq which involved more friendly fire casualties than actual combat with real forces.
So if you really think U.S. troops, depleted and debauched from their illegal and immoral occupations of recent years, are going to take on Russian armor and infantry (still the best in the world) you’d be wrong. Just remember McCain and how “We are all Georgians now.” Ha Ha.