Russia is moving columns of armored vehicles and combat troops into east Ukraine, NATO said Wednesday.Interesting.
"We have seen columns of Russian equipment, primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defense systems and Russian combat troops entering into Ukraine," said NATO's supreme allied commander, U.S. Gen. Phillip Breedlove, according to Agence France-Presse.
Major-General Igor Konashenkov, the official spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry denied Breedlove's assertions.
"We've already stopped taking note of the unfounded statements by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe," Konashenkov told reporters Wednesday, according to Russia's state-owned TASS news agency. "We've stressed many a time there are no real facts behind the acts of shaking the air by Brussels officials."
This confirmation comes while Obama is at the meeting in China. Is this meant to humiliate the President? Additionally who is doing the jabbing here? Putin or the NATO Commander?
Gen. Breedlove is an ahole so far his 'confirms' have been way of base most of the time . Am again waiting for some high res satelite picts of a russian incursion.
ReplyDeleteThe little boy cries "Bear! Bear!" again, but the townspeople aren't paying attention anymore.
DeleteChalk it up to desperation in Kiev, I guess. The weather's getting cold now.
Who's pulling Breedlove's strings is the real question.
@SandWrm!
Deleteyou see what i'm getting at! why is he choosing now to confirm this info???
Breedlove has 'confirmed' such things before, so this isn't exactly new. More interesting is the 'why this time'.
DeleteI think it points to some of the hidden-power splits that exist right now. Obama's money-men favor war with Russia (over pipeline routs mostly), and are indifferent to Israel's fate. Another faction wants more attention for Israel's goals (pipelines, water, territory). Notice how every time Ukraine flares up, something suddenly flares up in the middle east? Competition for attention/focus on the part of each faction.
Obama, being a weak puppet faux-leader, can't focus the power pyramid towards a coherent goal. Nor does he have the brains to outsmart Putin, Assad, or Iran's Mullahs. So we get this fractured foreign policy driven by individual agency agendas where the US has it's fingers in everything, but really controls nothing. As if we had 3-4 presidents instead of one.
May be Phillip Breedlove confused Crimea and Ukraine? And the troops are going in Crimea? Bgggg)))))
ReplyDeleteIsn't it an old new news?
ReplyDeleteOld schools may stick with this:
"Talk the talk, now walk the ... ".
When NATO became a media center?
Another proof of the invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine
ReplyDeleteInfrared laser projectors PL-101, They only have the Russian army
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/1441441_789913431065978_2621658217753486922_n.jpg?oh=78df4aa3e90d591d4e4e843ea0ca1457&oe=54E3F1EA&__gda__=1428001167_5bca54683658d94819a13ea3614b4cc0
That could be proof of some small arms and add-on equipment crossing the border, which I don't doubt one bit. But that's no different that what's already happening on both sides of every other war-zone on earth. "Invasion" it is not.
DeleteRussia has the strategically important part of Ukraine (Crimea) already, with enough of a 'democratic' shield to hold onto it. Grabbing the rest by force would be pointless. It's in Russia's best interest to starve them of energy and wait for Ukraine to beg to be reabsorbed into Russia a few years from now. Not to go in and escalate this situation into a formal military clash with NATO.
I have to say I agree with Sandwyrm on what Russia plans to do with Ukraine. Reabsorbtion.
DeleteAs far as Crimea are, now, belong Russia, Ukraine can't lost it's virginity (aka: territorial integrity) over and over again ... it's a value that you can only lost once ... and, as Ukraine won't call spade a spade (war declaration), NATO should just ask RF the living pictures instead of using lots of bad sat prictures ... ergo: pointless, if in a dailly basis
ReplyDeletesome offtopic:
ReplyDeletevid of close fight from Donetsk airport (from 2:45 untill 4:25)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUJvNkX5LAY#t=328
Interesting. Did the BMP's pass catch those soldiers drinking? The way they're stumbling around and firing from the hip they look half drunk.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://ic.pics.livejournal.com/masterok/50816465/479879/479879_1000.jpg
ReplyDeletesome ukrainian propaganda)))
Deletehttp://s020.radikal.ru/i703/1411/32/ae407a8c5bd1.jpg
Sun Tzu, that pic really says it all.
DeleteHonest to daffodil's I don't think Obama, the US or NATO are even on Putin's mind while reining in a former Russian country.
ReplyDeleteUkraine is Russian, Russia owns the Ukraine.
NATO ain't got the lift the fist or the balls to do more than demonstrate impotently against the fact.
Hungary is aligned with Russia, Belarus, is not in play, Romania? Hell Romania is barely able to take care of Romania, that leaves Poland and the other side of the Bosporus Turkey, ya see how Turkey feels about the US Navy don't you?
Now Poland is a force to be seen but would they stick their necks out for NATO and the Ukraine?
In a real live war?
I don't think so.
Russia owns Ukraine, Ukraine is Russia.
End of story.
Ukraine happens to be the faultline between two civilizations: A Western-oriented, Catholic, capitalist one and a Russian, Orthodox, collectivist one Parts of Ukraine were what was called Russia, other parts were called the 'Austro-Hungarian empire".
DeleteWestern Parts of Ukraine speak Ukrainian, other Eastern parts speak Russian.
Some worship in Catholic churches, some worship in Orthodox Churches.
As for NATO, they still think what's written on paper means something, that's how deluded they are. NATO is a paper tiger populated with toy armies that are incapable of intervening in Ukraine much less fulfilling their Article 5 obligations.
I think Poland would be willing to intervene in Ukraine considering parts of Ukraine used to be Poland, but only if they new they had someone to watch their back. Otherwise, it couldn't afford to intervene.
It's not even the eastern part of Ukraine... it's more like east part of eastern part of Eastern Ukraine. The majority of Russian speaking people (but not that only there, as Russian language is pretty common in Ukraine, more or less most of Ukrainians know how to communicate in it) are concentrated in those two small regions that are under RF occupation now. Not to mention Crimea as it was a special autonomy. Also the Catholic church have rather small influence in Ukraine, it's dominant religion is Orthodox one and is present in every region.
DeletePoland is in the same bad situation as Baltic States, we have Russians in our border. And that's why the direct military intervention is out of question. We also will not jump before the NATO line. Not to mention the rising question of south NATO members, with Orban strong pro-Kremlin politics there are worries that Hungary will not be a reliable partner or even an danger for other NATO members. Baltic States start to fell really threat by aggressive Kreml politics (huge increase of military spending in those nations, pity not in all) and we have to chose. And Poland clearly chose support of other NATO members at first place.
Ukraine is alone... even if we want to help them more then now, we can't.
Hilary's reset button strikes again.
ReplyDelete"...said NATO's supreme allied commander, U.S. Gen. Phillip Breedlove, according to Agence France-Presse."
ReplyDeleteAgence France-Presse? The Pentagon website has nothing on it. Perhaps Breedlove is better in French than English?
I do not know the exact chronological order but did Russian hyper-activity in europe as regards Ukraine start the moment Obama publicized his Pivot to the Pacific opening East Europe to the Russians with lesser US scrutiny ?
ReplyDeleteRussia has always been upto something regarding Ukraine, but till the "Pivot to the Pacific" time it was mostly cloak and dagger and political stuff. Never Military on this scale. Even during the US and EU war on terror and Iraq, Afghanistan Mid-East fiasco the Russians never attempted anything this ambitious militarily. But the moment it became clear to the Russians that the US are preparing and heading for a clash with Chinese and NOT with Russia itself, all their strategic calculations changed. Fighting a 2 front war may be achievable for the US but a 3 front war with the mid-east front having even more sub-heads? The only silver lining here is that China itself is desperately short of allies so they cannot create a Hydra headed front in the Pacific.
Just a theory. Facts come later.
Russia became involved after the US spent $5 billion to instigate a fascist-allied coup in Kiev, overthrowing an elected government allied with the EU. This move forecast a NATO takeover of Crimea, where Russia has a large naval base, and of course that was unacceptable to Russia. Events proceeded from there.
DeleteRegarding China, it has plenty of allies in several continents, and the Pacific is of little interest compared to Africa, Central Asia, Russia and Europe. China is active in all those.
If India wants help, China is willing to offer that also. India certainly needs help in economic advancement and China is good at that.
should say ..AND allied with the EU. (the new government)
DeleteWhile there might be some nationalist and even neo-fascist elements of the movement that overthrew Yanukovych's gov't, to portray the entire new gov't as fascist or even fascist-allied is misleading.
DeleteAnd really, it just plays into the Russian propaganda when in practice Russia is probably more fascist-leaning in behavior at the moment than the Ukrainians are e.g. The control of the press, jailing of oligarchs, persecution of minorities, destabilization of neighboring countries, armed interventions (covert or otherwise) against foreign countries.
@to portray the entire new gov't as fascist or even fascist-allied is misleading@
DeleteMay be, but nazi ideas are very popular among common Ukrainians.
Don I call most of your words pure bullshit, even better The BULLSHIT.
DeleteRussia long before Majdan involve in the Ukrainian politics, it was the most active from times of so called Orange Revolution and active support of Janukowicz and his party rule. But even before Ukraine was treated as country under direct influence of Russia. But I understand that you have no idea about that as look's like you have a very poorly understand of anything in Central and Eastern Europe.
And fascism... you don't even know what fascism is. You just wash your mouth with it every time like.
Plenty of allies of China... in what artificial universe you live? China don't have a SINGLE defense deal or pact with ANYONE! China have businesses partners but not a single ally.
And China willing to help India, his largest adversary in Asia region? From what tree you fall?!
Jesus Christ...
@info I must say that I meet and know pretty large group of Ukrainians from all over the Ukraine, true the largest one is from around Lviv but still... I never meet that "common" ideas you said. I would be happy if you specif about what ideas you write. In % I meet more Russians with very racist and xenophobic stands then Ukrainias... but I don't call Russia a nazi state.
India does not help econimically but the way the Chinese provide help is not we are looking for. If you are an poor country with sanctions then Chinese style of help is welcome but not us. The first thing the chinese do is develop your telecom sector. Which is to say that every handset, modem, router, switchgear and chipset in your country will be manufactured by a chinese govt. controlled country whose CEO will be an ex-chinese intelligence chap. Next they will "develop" your Thermal power sector by providing you with power generation and transmission/distribution equipment wired in with back door chinese trojans followed by a pledge to "develop" your Hydel Power sector. Airports and railway sectors are next in line. All these are sectors which India itself wants to develop and in which Indian Private and Govt. enterprises have invested billions of dollars. No way do we want that kind of Chinese help.
DeleteShas, the chinese do not want to help anybody except themselves just like any country. But they also do not want to be left out of the multi-trillion dollar growth which is/will happen here and which the Japanese and South Koreans are already taking full benefit off. I think thats what Don was talking about there. That Chinese money and industrial goods will make a presence in India is for granted. Its for us to decide what sectors they are allowed to compete in.
On a seperate note, not one single Govt. funded organization in India uses Huawei and ZTE communication gear.
Oh this is the normal deal China do with everyone. China presence can bee seen everywhere, just open your rig and start to count parts with Made in PRC sign. But that's not mean that everyone is China ally. Dragon is dominant economical power on the globe in terms of efficient production of... well everything. Maybe not the best quality but cheap.
DeleteBut they don't have allies and they are not ally to anyone. It's just business.
Gotta side with Shas on the bullshit call. The western meddling in the governments of the former Soviet republics goes back at least to the early 2000's.
DeleteThen there's the set-aside of the ABM treaty, and the deployment of ABM systems to Poland and other european locations that only make sense if you're trying to shoot down Russian missiles instead of 'terrorist' ones.
Whether you like them or not, Russia is clearly a target, and has been for some time. Nobody should be surprised when they take steps to defend themselves from hard and soft power aimed at them.
You know Sand' I never get that, ABM systems are purely defense ones. Nobody will attack with "missile shield" it work only when someone want to attack you. It's not also a perfect system as it can be counter by cruise missiles attack or jut a tac nukes. It give some level of protection against ICBM's.
DeleteAlso the systems in Europe can be used to intercept ICBM's... but not from Russia. As the main target of potential nuke strikes would be the US and that is the other way that Russians missiles would go. Not to mention the Russian boomers that can shoot from every point of the planet (well, where is ocean or sea of course). There is an ABM on Alaska... one system only. This one will protect against Russian strike from land as this is the trajectory of missiles that would fly towards US mainland.
The ABM in Europe will not protect US against Russian missiles... they will protect first the Europe, not that efficient as they are too close to Russian missile bases and in range of cruise missiles. But the main reason they are or will be in Poland and Romania to intercept missiles from Middle East that would go towards US.
Russia was that "big" target that US resign from ABM system in Europe if you remember. They put them again just some time ago after some more aggressive moves from FR and because NATO push them.
The reason why Russian react so hysterical about ABM system is first: they don't have for now anything of that type in arsenal. Second: the nuke arsenal is the only thing they left... it is for now the only stick they have.
I hope that one day EVERY nation on the planet will have reliable ABM system, then no idiot will threaten anyone that he will erase it from map with ICBM strike.
@info I must say that I meet and know pretty large group of Ukrainians from all over the Ukraine, true the largest one is from around Lviv but still... I never meet that "common" ideas you said. I would be happy if you specif about what ideas you write. In % I meet more Russians with very racist and xenophobic stands then Ukrainias... but I don't call Russia a nazi state. @
DeleteJust keep in mind, that you are a Polish, close to a demigod to some of them, I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears that aspiration of Ukrainians when they spoke about Poland. And in my own experience I read and hear from Ukrainian that all Russians are genetic scrap and slaves – too often.
Of course current Ukrainian state is not Nazi – they just use Nazis like Mao used Red guards.
With good deal they will end like Red Guard.
DeleteDon't worry, I meet some Ukrainians that say also not very nice things about Poles. Had couple of clashes with those morons from Svoboda. End one time with broken nose... not my. ;)
@Shas
DeleteIf I can attack you, but you can't attack me back, then an ABM system can be seen in the proper light.