U.S. general says allies worry Russian war game may be 'Trojan horse'

[Doug the Dem]

Source: Reuters

July 20, 2017 / 5:38 PM

BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. allies in eastern Europe and Ukraine are worried that Russia's planned war games in September could be a "Trojan horse" aimed at leaving behind military equipment brought into Belarus, the U.S. Army's top general in Europe said on Thursday.

Russia has sought to reassure NATO that the military exercises will respect international limits on size, but NATO and U.S. official remain wary about their scale and scope.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, who heads U.S. Army forces in Europe, told Reuters in an interview that allied officials would keep a close eye on military equipment brought in to Belarus for the Zapad 2017 exercise, and whether it was removed later.

"People are worried, this is a Trojan horse. They say, 'We're just doing an exercise,' and then all of a sudden they've moved all these people and capabilities somewhere," he said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-nato-usa-idUSKBN1A52WO

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Can't say I blame them. Hell, with President Trumputin in the White House, I'm worried!

[Achilleaze]

1. "Don't worry, they're our friends." - Republicans

[Sunlei]

2. Russia will cut up Ukraine like a piece of pie. Destablise Poland next. NATO better move.

Toss out thousands more IS fighters from their Russian backwoods & stir-up trouble in other middle east countries to keep USA busy on several fronts. Bleed Americas federal funds dry.

[Igel]

5. Putin and Lukashenka aren't best buddies.

When Belorus' tried to make Belorusian de facto co-equal with Russian and a required subject, there was hell to pay. Lukashenko, last I checked, still said few positive things about Russian involvement in Ukraine from 2014-2016.

Under the wonderful Soviet Union's language policy, Belorusian is near threatened status and Ukrainian was losing ground fairly consistently. Nothing changed when the Soviets took over from the tsars except that they were told that they were having their language protected even as they were stripped of their language.

[Zoonart]

3. 45 ...

Is the Trojan horse.

[jaysunb]

4. +1 n/t

[Igel]

6. It's what they did near the Ukr border.

Even as the media here were trumpeting how Russia pulled back, they hadn't.

They were afraid. Period.

[GoCubsGo]

7. They should be worried.

Terrified, actually. Because, they are right.

[displacedtexan]

8. Just one more thread in this vast Trumpian tapestry of corruption.

Truly heavy sigh.