General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: NATO attacks! [View all]reorg
(3,317 posts)some time before Georgia invaded. The main instigator of this action, BTW, is currently in pre-trial detention (in absentia, protected in the US where he has some posh university job).
The Russians had taken note of the referendum in South Ossetia in favor of indepence from Georgia, but stopped short of supporting it. They said their reaction depends on what stance the world community will take with respect to the recognition of Kosovo.
What Putin had laid out in the speech, the extension of NATO despite promises made, the increasing disregard of the UN, disrespect for the sovereignty of states and unilateral military actions on behalf of the US and its puppets had been pointed out and criticised by Russia for a long time. He said it openly and directly to the faces of the politicians present there, in the video you can see McCain, Lieberman and others. It was the final warning.
When the US and consorts finally recognized Kosovo in early 2008, the Russians took the consequences. The Georgian invasion, again with full and vocal support of the US, took place in August, the Russians had no longer any qualms to directly support South Ossetia, not only with their peace troop contingent, but with additional troops to defend against an open and violent attack, and a short while later by recognizing South Ossetia as an independent state.
There is nothing hypocritcial about these actions, they are well explained and logical.
Whether or not I liked Putin's speech in Munich, he told the truth, a truth that is now apparently even on Democratic message boards being denied and not only by the likes of McCain and other neocon warmongering arsonists. I like it when the truth is being told, Escobar seemed to like it, most of DU at the time did so in any case.
You are still mum about what you think or may have thought at the time about the speech, other than making unrelated, evasive comments.