Post by Liz TuddenhamPost by Gerhard HoffmannRemember the Budapest Memorandum of Dec-5-1994 where Ukraine gave
up their nuclear weapons in exchange for safety guarantees from
US, RU and UK?
They had the 3rd largest arsenal on earth.
Foolish in retrospect.
That's where we went wrong, we should have nipped it in the bud. We
still haven't learned. The longer we leave it, the more expensive in
lives and materials it will be to push Putin's Russia back behind its
own borders.
Politicians never want to "solve" problems -- because that is
difficult and means telling people (who put them in power)
things that those people likely won't want to hear.
It's been so much easier for europe NOT to have to build up their
own defenses as that money can, instead, be spent on social programs,
generous "vacations", etc.
Amusingly, The Pastey One will likely find that the "benefits"
he thought he was accruing from his association with/manipulation of
Drumpf will likely bite him in the ass; everyone who cozies up to
Drumpf eventually gets f*cked -- because his "loyalty" only extends
to the most recent transaction.
So, even if NATO is neutered (OR replaced with EUTO) he will now
find himself with MANY inividual powers ON HIS BORDERS -- instead of
effectively "controlled" from the other side of the Atlantic.
His dream of rebuilding "mother russia" just will be fantasy.
He will have signaled to others that seizing territory is
a viable strategy; how many border countries could opt to nibble
away at russia's toes? Lots of chinamen and indians who would
welcome additional real estate on which to live.
Nearly a trillion dollars suggested to be pumped into EU's
defense industry. Russians will be thrilled to be back living in
their drab grey overcoats and hats as more of their production KEEPS
being siphoned off to fund a new cold war.
[Remember, there's no guarantee that Drumpf's approach will
persist -- even through HIS administration! What if another
administration decides that its within reach to break russia
given it's apparent current state as a potemkin power? When
will The Pastey One have to follow through on the nuclear threat?
Does he think such an action wouldn't be reciprocated? And,
that his neighbors wouldn't avail themselves of that "available
real estate"? Poor Vlad, so sad. To preside over the demise of
a nation...]