NATO Plans Biggest Build-Up Against Russia Since The Cold War

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS – Backed by an increase in U.S. military spending, NATO is planning its biggest build-up in Eastern Europe since the Cold War to deter Russia, but it will reject Polish demands for permanent bases.

Worried since Russia’s seizure of Crimea that Moscow could rapidly invade Poland or the Baltic states, the Western military alliance wants to bolster defenses on its eastern flank without provoking the Kremlin by stationing large forces permanently.

NATO defense ministers will this week begin outlining plans for a complex web of small eastern outposts and warehoused equipment ready for a rapid response force, with troops on rotation and war games held regularly. The rapid response force includes air, maritime and special operations units of up to 40,000 personnel.

The allies are also expected to offer Moscow a renewed dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council, which has not met since 2014, about improved military transparency to avoid surprise events and misunderstandings, a senior NATO diplomat said.

Read more: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/02/07/world/nato-plans-biggest-build-russia-since-cold-war/#.VrcW9dBI4pl

[atreides1]

1. When it says NATO

It means the United States foots most of the cost....

[Monk06]

4. Only fair since NATO is the US pretext to manipulate Europe's foreign policy. I mean NATO in Libya

and Syria Both well known North Atlantic military powers

Russia actually on the Atlantic and former ally during WWII when Murmansk was the largest port for the supply of military equipment in historyr

Now Russia is once again the a NATO target because the neo Cons at PNAC were determined that no nation would ever again be able to challenge US authority in the world

Now we have the Sukoi Flanker 35S in Syria and the good chance of a war between Turkey and Russia

Quoting Full Metal Jacket, "It's a huge shit sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite"

[nyabingi]

8. Yep (nt)

[MillennialDem]

16. Because it has nothing to do with the US trying to maintain its interests, while Europe is

free to play their own game.

US doesn't pay? Then they can butt out of Europe, who can then either align with Russia, or build up their own military.

[kristopher]

2. Has anyone checked into whether Putin owns stock in our weapons contractors?

[elias49]

9. Heh. The worm ouroborus!

Pretty amusing!

[Feeling the Bern]

3. Cold War version 2.0 here we come

[7962]

5. What a difference when a country WANTS bases, instead of them being forced.

Because Poland KNOWS what living under the boot of Russia is like. And Russia today under Putin is just like Russia of old, only smaller.
Russia is just like other antagonistic countries; they only understand and respect power.

[elias49]

12. Putin isn't the only one who wants to emulate the US!

What a cluster.

[Monk06]

14. Meanwhile Justin Trudeau says, " Thanks Harper for sending all our limited supply of forty year old

F18s into this this clusterfuck"

Hopefully Trudeau will pull out of the middle east and cancel the Lockheed F35 in favour of the Boeing Super Hornet

I would prefer the Sukoi Flanker S but that will never happen due to politics and the hidden costs of anti aircraft support

[uhnope]

19. Central & Eastern Europe are dying (literally sometimes) to join the West & escape Putin

that's what the Putin shills on DU will never admit

[awoke_in_2003]

26. Putting bases in Poland

may mean war. Yeah, sucks for Poland, but we would be stupid to do this.

[bvar22]

6. What ever happened to "The Sequester"?

Doesn't any new spending have to be met with an increase in revenue, or equal cuts in other areas?
What spending has the military cut?

Why are necessary Social Programs being cut and military spending increased?

"The Sequester", first proposed by the Obama White House has been a SCAM from the Get-Go.
It is actually a brilliant political ploy, though blatantly dishonest.
NOW, not a single politician, Republican or Democrat, has to go home and tell his constituents that he voted for a reduction in the social programs they depend upon because...
[font size=3]I didn't cut your social programs, The Sequester cut those programs.[/font]

Meanwhile, there always seems to be more money for the War Machine, Sequester or No Sequester.

[bemildred]

11. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ..... nt

[left-of-center2012]

7. "Russia could overrun the Baltic states ... within three days"

"A study by the RAND Corp., a U.S. defense think tank, found that Russia could overrun the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania within three days, leaving NATO and the United States no good options to respond."

[nyabingi]

10. The NATO countries know

good and damn well that Russia has no intention of invading Poland or any of the Baltic states.

This is all about geostrategic advantage, keeping Europe and Russia from integrating more fully, and maintaining US dominance of the globe, not about Russian aggression.

I'm hoping the future President Sanders really takes a look at our levels of defense spending and cuts it to rational levels (like 50% of what it is now). After all, what are we getting for spending over half of this nation's discretionary money on military hardware? Cheaply-made shit that doesn't work as advertised. Lockheed Martin's newest F35 is a piece of shit compared to Russia's newest fighter jet (kinda like racing a Yugo against a Mazerati) and there's no telling what other overpriced weaponry are in the hands of our soldiers that don't quite do what they're supposed to do.

[elias49]

13. It's criminal, seriously.

[MillennialDem]

17. Yep, it is not China we need to fear as overtaking us, it is a German-Russian alliance.

[hack89]

21. Because we know Putin's ambition ends at the borders of Crimea and Ukraine

and that the thought of intimidating Eastern Europe would never cross his mind.

[Igel]

22. We were also told that Russia had no designs on Crimea.

Those weren't Russia soldiers or mercenaries on the streets. They were just protecting Russian-speakers' rights.


Then we were told that Russia was satisfied with annexing Crimea. There was no design on E. Ukraine, the Donbas, and that area would be left in peace because Russia was good and kind.

Then it was all about protecting rights. So when the "wrong" orthodox church is raided and its contents ransacked and destroyed, that's about protecting rights. When a gay nightspot is destroyed by pro-Russian forces, it's protecting rights. When the right Russian Orthodoxy is made part of the school curriculum, it's protecting rights. When it's decreed that Ukrainians were never part of the Donbas, back long before Slavs moved in there were genetically pure Russians there, it's considered protecting rights. When it's decreed that Russian culture has to be protected and foreigners controlled for the good of the otechestvo or fatherland, it's protecting rights.

Russia doesn't want integration with Europe. The idea of Eurasia is antithetical to that, going back to Berdyaev (widely cited by Putin) and later versions of the Russian Idea. (Remember: Russian Idea, good. "National Idea" in Ukraine, the epitome of evil.)

We can discuss the wisdom of responding to a buildup of Russian troops, the quality of the materiel, and the repositioning of Russian nukes and soldiers in their far west at some other time.

[nyabingi]

31. If the Russians wanted to

invade Ukraine and take it over, why haven't they? Militarily they could, but that hasn't happened. What happened was the US-backed, anti-Russian segment of Ukraine (you know, the ones who think Hitler was a great man because he hated Russians too) launched a hot war against its own people and if the Russians hadn't stepped in, it would have been genocide on a massive scale.

The Russians don't want to be integrated with Europe as far as joining the EU, but in areas of trade and cooperation in areas of mutual benefit. The US wants to keep this from happening - such a development would present more of a challenge to our domination than we want.

[Leontius]

32. You would have gladly stood in line at Jonestown I believe.

[uhnope]

23. yeah right. Russia had no intention of invading Ukraine until they did.

you're pushing a fantasy world where Russia isn't becoming fascist, where Putin doesn't use the word "New Russia" the same way Hitler talked about "Greater Germany", and with the same excuse of "protecting" ethnic Russians in those countries.

We're supposed to take his word--or yours--that he won't invade? Uh, thanks for the promise, but we'll shore up our defenses just in case.

[nyabingi]

29. The United States has always

been a right-wing, damn-near fascist state from day one to the present so people like you need to look in the American mirror before tossing that label around so freely. We provided sanctuary and sheltered Nazis after WWII because we admired Nazi Germany (at least the leadership of this country did) and their policies - the same kind of people we are aiding in Ukraine right now.

You need to learn a little history so you can put these things into context. Get to Wikipedia, Google, something, just do it fast.

[uhnope]

33. so on the topic of Russia, yr response is...USA Bad!

you seem unable to discuss a subject in any clearminded way. "Whataboutery" is the latest term for your post's style of fallacious arguing. In this case, when presented with a good example of how wrong your assertion about Russia was, you just start ranting about the USA.

On top of it, yr claims are based on ignorance, extremism, and the most clear-cut case of silly hatred for the US that I've ever seen ("the US has been right-wing, damn-near fascist state from day one...we admired Nazi Germany&quot & then you tell others that they need to learn more.

Why your vehement support for fascism in Europe is welcomed on DU I don't know, but like most DUers I'm putting you on ignore now. Have fun.

for posterity, in case of hidden posts & banning, here's...."nyabingi" :

The United States has always

been a right-wing, damn-near fascist state from day one to the present so people like you need to look in the American mirror before tossing that label around so freely. We provided sanctuary and sheltered Nazis after WWII because we admired Nazi Germany (at least the leadership of this country did) and their policies - the same kind of people we are aiding in Ukraine right now.

You need to learn a little history so you can put these things into context. Get to Wikipedia, Google, something, just do it fast.

[nyabingi]

34. Well why don't you just do yourself a favor

and hit the "alert" button...that's what ignorant people who can't defend themselves do, so be my guest.

My response about the US being right-wing throughout its history is because you're ranting on about Russia being this evil fascist state, when if anyone looked at history, you'd clearly see they've been the favorite of target of fascist states. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's the truth and you can't deny it.

So go sit in the corner, stick your fingers in your ears, and ignore me. The truth will be waiting for you when you're done with your tantrum...

[Oneironaut]

24. Putin would invade all of those states if he could.

He already feels that they're Russian territory. The only thing stopping him is NATO. That doesn't mean that we need to get all paranoid, but those states need to be protected from bullying and aggression.

[nyabingi]

30. Do you see the United States

as a bully and aggressor?

[tazkcmo]

15. And We lose again.

Always money for bombs and guns never any for social programs. Yay MIC!

[uhnope]

18. Godspeed

[polly7]

20. Fucking sick. nt.

[Floridanow]

25. Poland want military bases for economic

Reasons as well as defense reasons. If the USA based the 4th Army in Poland and the 1st Marine Division in the Balkans, the economic impact will be enormous for those countries, and those countries know that.

[LongTomH]

27. For an old guy with memories of Cold War I, much of the rhetoric in this thread.......

.....is all too familiar! Duck and cover, anyone?

[robertgodardfromnj]

28. Great, more money for wars, while the poor starve

When will we ever learn?