Russia threatening Denmark with a nuclear strike
The Yanks are barely able to invade and win against a third world country due to political constraints. Who the f#$% are people kidding, when they say that the Russians are paranoid about being surrounded.
Don't mistake this as lack of capability in an all out conventional war. In that regard the capabilities of the US Military are undisputed.
Conventionally Russia is a fraction of the US Forces especially in effective capabilities. Russia has some decent Special Forces which it nowadays uses by semi Guerilla tactics to destabilize Neighbours plus a still very powerfull nuclear arsenal.
The problem with Russia wanting buffer states is that when it did have them in the form of the Warsaw Pact it stamped its own authority and philosophy on them with such force (1956 anyone?) that it was hardly surprising that when these countries were free to make their own minds up they did as much as possible to ensure it would never happen again. It's Russia's own fault that their former allies embraced the west with both hands. They surely didn't expect any different?
Former adviser to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, Alexander Nekrassov said on Tuesday that Russia should declare war on the Baltic States and Poland via a tweet.
At least he'll be nice and safe at his home in Islington (for the moment
)
Former Putin Advisor: Declare War on Baltics and Poland
At least he'll be nice and safe at his home in Islington (for the moment
)Former Putin Advisor: Declare War on Baltics and Poland
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
So many different threads with Russia threatening another nation, it gets confusing. Still, thought this was best put here...
Sweden backs Lithuanian protest against Russia's conduct near NordBal
Sweden on Thursday stated support to the Lithuanian protest over the conduct of Russian military vessels in the Baltic Sea, which impeded the laying of a NordBalt power cable between Lithuania and Sweden.
Pezhman Fivrin, spokesman for the Swedish Foreign Ministry, told BNS that Stockholm saw the Russian behavior as violation of international law.
Litgrid, the Lithuanian power transmission system operator in charge of the project, said that the ship guarding the laying of NordBalt cable between Lithuania and Sweden on Thursday was forced out of the zone has not affected the project. However, the company confirmed that this was the third time this year that the ship guarding the cable in the Baltic Sea had to deviate from its route by direction of Russia’s warships.
Russian ambassador gives no answers on hindrances to NordBalt
Russia's ambassador summoned to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Thursday for a protest on hindrances made by military vessels to the laying of NordBalt cable between Lithuania and Sweden did not give any answers.
"He will look into the Russian position. We will be notified of the official position," Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius told journalists on Thursday.
In his words, the orders made by Russian military vessels to ships monitoring the construction work to leave certain areas have been registered, and the information is shared with NATO. "All this is registered in daily reports of specific ships, this is registered in time – what has been received and from where, as well as the content. We are discussing the information with our partners. I would also like to add that one of the notes was made in coordination with Sweden, as the work was carried out by a Swedish-owned ship. Of course, we are sharing the information with our NATO Allies," said the minister.
Linkevičius expressed hope that international organizations would also urge Russia to comply to international commitments of safe navigation. "We will demand that it should abide (by international commitments), we will demand ourselves and I think the demand will be made by the organizations we are members of, because this is safe navigation. It is not a concern for Lithuania alone, as ships of other countries also sail in the economic zone," the minister told journalists.
In his words, the Russian hindrances will not affect the laying or the NordBalt cables, however, the hindrances are unacceptable: "Everything is going as scheduled, and the project will definitely not be affected, however, hindering work is unacceptable." Linkevičius said he could not specify whether the hindrances were specifically aimed against the power link with Sweden. "I cannot think anything, it's hard for me to guess – there is simply a fact that demands a reaction," said the minister.
The official protest was handed to Russian Ambassador Alexander Udaltsov by Lithuania's Foreign Vice-Minister Andrius Krivas.
The ministry said that a Russian Navy's ship had entered Lithuania's exclusive economic zone on Thursday in the framework of a military exercise of the Russian Baltic Fleet and unlawfully ordered an Alcedo ship of the Swedish company ABB to change its course. Similar incidents were reported on March 19, April 10 and April 24.
Russian ships delaying works on NordBalt electricity link between Lithuania and Sweden
Russian ships are consistently interfering with a strategic energy project of Lithuania that is laying down an electricity link under the Baltic Sea to connect its grid with Sweden's.
Sources have told DELFI that Russian ships have appeared for the fourth time this month on the site of the cable laying works in the Baltic Sea. The Lithuania side received a notice from the Russian ships on Thursday with instructions to move out of the cable laying zone until 6 PM. The Russians said the place was chosen as a site for military exercise.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius confirmed this. He said Lithuania had sent three protest letters to Moscow since March over similar actions. No response was received. "This is completely unacceptable and in violation of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention," the minister said to DELFI. Linkevičius also told the BNS news agency that he will summon the Russian ambassador to Lithuania over the incident.
The NordBalt link project, worth EUR 550.3m, is managed by Litgrid, Lithuania's state-owned electricity company. The aim of the project is to connect the country's electricity grid to Scandinavia. The cable between Lithuania and Sweden is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this year. The 450-kilometre underwater connection will have a capacity of 700MW.
Sweden backs Lithuanian protest against Russia's conduct near NordBal
Sweden on Thursday stated support to the Lithuanian protest over the conduct of Russian military vessels in the Baltic Sea, which impeded the laying of a NordBalt power cable between Lithuania and Sweden.
Pezhman Fivrin, spokesman for the Swedish Foreign Ministry, told BNS that Stockholm saw the Russian behavior as violation of international law.
"Sweden has been in contact with Russian authorities and have discussed this issue and stated that this is violation of international law. We are supporting Lithuania in this matter. On Monday, the Foreign Ministry will discuss how to follow this issue up," the diplomat told BNS in a telephone interview from Stockholm.
The ministry said that conduct of the Russian Navy were aimed at hindering the laying of the NordBalt cable.Litgrid, the Lithuanian power transmission system operator in charge of the project, said that the ship guarding the laying of NordBalt cable between Lithuania and Sweden on Thursday was forced out of the zone has not affected the project. However, the company confirmed that this was the third time this year that the ship guarding the cable in the Baltic Sea had to deviate from its route by direction of Russia’s warships.
Russian ambassador gives no answers on hindrances to NordBalt
Russia's ambassador summoned to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Thursday for a protest on hindrances made by military vessels to the laying of NordBalt cable between Lithuania and Sweden did not give any answers.
"He will look into the Russian position. We will be notified of the official position," Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius told journalists on Thursday.
In his words, the orders made by Russian military vessels to ships monitoring the construction work to leave certain areas have been registered, and the information is shared with NATO. "All this is registered in daily reports of specific ships, this is registered in time – what has been received and from where, as well as the content. We are discussing the information with our partners. I would also like to add that one of the notes was made in coordination with Sweden, as the work was carried out by a Swedish-owned ship. Of course, we are sharing the information with our NATO Allies," said the minister.
Linkevičius expressed hope that international organizations would also urge Russia to comply to international commitments of safe navigation. "We will demand that it should abide (by international commitments), we will demand ourselves and I think the demand will be made by the organizations we are members of, because this is safe navigation. It is not a concern for Lithuania alone, as ships of other countries also sail in the economic zone," the minister told journalists.
In his words, the Russian hindrances will not affect the laying or the NordBalt cables, however, the hindrances are unacceptable: "Everything is going as scheduled, and the project will definitely not be affected, however, hindering work is unacceptable." Linkevičius said he could not specify whether the hindrances were specifically aimed against the power link with Sweden. "I cannot think anything, it's hard for me to guess – there is simply a fact that demands a reaction," said the minister.
The official protest was handed to Russian Ambassador Alexander Udaltsov by Lithuania's Foreign Vice-Minister Andrius Krivas.
The ministry said that a Russian Navy's ship had entered Lithuania's exclusive economic zone on Thursday in the framework of a military exercise of the Russian Baltic Fleet and unlawfully ordered an Alcedo ship of the Swedish company ABB to change its course. Similar incidents were reported on March 19, April 10 and April 24.
Russian ships delaying works on NordBalt electricity link between Lithuania and Sweden
Russian ships are consistently interfering with a strategic energy project of Lithuania that is laying down an electricity link under the Baltic Sea to connect its grid with Sweden's.
Sources have told DELFI that Russian ships have appeared for the fourth time this month on the site of the cable laying works in the Baltic Sea. The Lithuania side received a notice from the Russian ships on Thursday with instructions to move out of the cable laying zone until 6 PM. The Russians said the place was chosen as a site for military exercise.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius confirmed this. He said Lithuania had sent three protest letters to Moscow since March over similar actions. No response was received. "This is completely unacceptable and in violation of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention," the minister said to DELFI. Linkevičius also told the BNS news agency that he will summon the Russian ambassador to Lithuania over the incident.
The NordBalt link project, worth EUR 550.3m, is managed by Litgrid, Lithuania's state-owned electricity company. The aim of the project is to connect the country's electricity grid to Scandinavia. The cable between Lithuania and Sweden is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this year. The 450-kilometre underwater connection will have a capacity of 700MW.
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The cable between Lithuania and Sweden is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this year. The 450-kilometre underwater connection will have a capacity of 700MW.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Stumbling towards war...
Section IIX to IX are perturbing.....
How World War III became possible
........There is a growing chorus of political analysts, arms control experts, and government officials who are sounding the alarm, trying to call the world's attention to its drift toward disaster. The prospect of a major war, even a nuclear war, in Europe has become thinkable, they warn, even plausible. What they describe is a threat that combines many of the hair-trigger dangers and world-ending stakes of the Cold War with the volatility and false calm that preceded World War I — a comparison I heard with disturbing frequency........
Lukyanov, pointing to the US and Russian military buildups along Eastern Europe, also worried that an accident or provocation could be misconstrued as a deliberate attack and lead to war. In the Cold War, he pointed out, both sides had understood this risk and installed political and physical infrastructure — think of the "emergency red phone" — to manage tensions and prevent them from spiraling out of control. That infrastructure is now gone. "All those mechanisms were disrupted or eroded," he said. "That [infrastructure] has been degraded since the end of the Cold War because the common perception is that we don’t need it anymore."
That the world does not see the risk of war hanging over it, in other words, makes that risk all the likelier. For most Americans, such predictions sound improbable, even silly. But the dangers are growing every week, as are the warnings.
"One can hear eerie echoes of the events a century ago that produced the catastrophe known as World War I," Harvard professor and longtime Pentagon adviser Graham Allison — one of the graybeards of American foreign policy — wrote in a May cover story for the National Interest, co-authored with Russia analyst Dimitri Simes. Their article, "Russia and America: Stumbling to War," warned that an unwanted, full-scale conflict between the US and Russia was increasingly plausible.
In Washington, the threat feels remote. It does not in Eastern Europe. Baltic nations, fearing war, have already begun preparing for it. So has Sweden: "We see Russian intelligence operations in Sweden — we can't interpret this in any other way — as preparation for military operations against Sweden," a Swedish security official announced in March.
In May, Finland's defense ministry sent letters to 900,000 citizens — one-sixth of the population — telling them to prepare for conscription in case of a "crisis situation." Lithuania has reinstituted military conscription. Poland, in June, appointed a general who would take over as military commander in case of war.
Though Western publics remain blissfully unaware, and Western leaders divided, many of the people tasked with securing Europe are treating conflict as more likely. In late April, NATO and other Western officials gathered in Estonia, a former Soviet republic and NATO member on Russia's border that Western analysts most worry could become ground zero for a major war with Russia.
At the conference, Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow spoke so openly about NATO's efforts to prepare for the possibility of Russia launching a limited nuclear strike in Europe that, according to the journalist Ahmed Rashid, who was in attendance, he had to be repeatedly reminded he was speaking on the record........
How World War III became possible
........There is a growing chorus of political analysts, arms control experts, and government officials who are sounding the alarm, trying to call the world's attention to its drift toward disaster. The prospect of a major war, even a nuclear war, in Europe has become thinkable, they warn, even plausible. What they describe is a threat that combines many of the hair-trigger dangers and world-ending stakes of the Cold War with the volatility and false calm that preceded World War I — a comparison I heard with disturbing frequency........
Lukyanov, pointing to the US and Russian military buildups along Eastern Europe, also worried that an accident or provocation could be misconstrued as a deliberate attack and lead to war. In the Cold War, he pointed out, both sides had understood this risk and installed political and physical infrastructure — think of the "emergency red phone" — to manage tensions and prevent them from spiraling out of control. That infrastructure is now gone. "All those mechanisms were disrupted or eroded," he said. "That [infrastructure] has been degraded since the end of the Cold War because the common perception is that we don’t need it anymore."
That the world does not see the risk of war hanging over it, in other words, makes that risk all the likelier. For most Americans, such predictions sound improbable, even silly. But the dangers are growing every week, as are the warnings.
"One can hear eerie echoes of the events a century ago that produced the catastrophe known as World War I," Harvard professor and longtime Pentagon adviser Graham Allison — one of the graybeards of American foreign policy — wrote in a May cover story for the National Interest, co-authored with Russia analyst Dimitri Simes. Their article, "Russia and America: Stumbling to War," warned that an unwanted, full-scale conflict between the US and Russia was increasingly plausible.
In Washington, the threat feels remote. It does not in Eastern Europe. Baltic nations, fearing war, have already begun preparing for it. So has Sweden: "We see Russian intelligence operations in Sweden — we can't interpret this in any other way — as preparation for military operations against Sweden," a Swedish security official announced in March.
In May, Finland's defense ministry sent letters to 900,000 citizens — one-sixth of the population — telling them to prepare for conscription in case of a "crisis situation." Lithuania has reinstituted military conscription. Poland, in June, appointed a general who would take over as military commander in case of war.
Though Western publics remain blissfully unaware, and Western leaders divided, many of the people tasked with securing Europe are treating conflict as more likely. In late April, NATO and other Western officials gathered in Estonia, a former Soviet republic and NATO member on Russia's border that Western analysts most worry could become ground zero for a major war with Russia.
At the conference, Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow spoke so openly about NATO's efforts to prepare for the possibility of Russia launching a limited nuclear strike in Europe that, according to the journalist Ahmed Rashid, who was in attendance, he had to be repeatedly reminded he was speaking on the record........
In a Western world, the people in Russia who are now rich and powerful would end up in jail
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The difference between now and before is significant. Yes paranoia and lack of strategic intelligence meant there was the real percieved possability of attack against the Soviets.
Nobody even remotely believes the west would attack Russia or China first, never going to happen in the foreseable future. Everyone at the top knows that. The Russian people don't though, and that makes them ripe for propaganda.
The best thing Sweden and Finland could do is sign up to NATO and place the reasons directly at Russia's doorstep.
Nobody even remotely believes the west would attack Russia or China first, never going to happen in the foreseable future. Everyone at the top knows that. The Russian people don't though, and that makes them ripe for propaganda.
The best thing Sweden and Finland could do is sign up to NATO and place the reasons directly at Russia's doorstep.
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That's the thing, there is no chance of a mistaking something for an attack precipitating WWIII, the Russians know the west would never under ANY circumstances launch a preemptive strike, and even if the Russians were to fully invade the old soviet countries, again the west wouldn't do anything other than talk them to death
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Maybe time to take the economic wind out of the sails of the Russian rich (including Nekrassov). Freezing and seizure of bank accounts and assets as well as deportation in the event of overtly belligerent statements. Full isolation and them let them eat their f#ck#ng cabbage soup and play with their nuclear penis substitutes !!
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Playing Devil's Advocate..... one wonders the outcome should Russia have the cash to bail out a left wing government in financial crisis on the condition that they pull out of NATO. Only hypothetical of course - it could never happen......
re: Would anyone miss them if Greece pulled out??
Yes. The strategic importance of Greece to the freedom of commerce, shipping, air travel alone. Not to speak of the military significance - why do you suppose Churchill and the west did all they could to save the country from communism 70 years ago. The "Bear" is salivating, I'm sure.
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India get foreign aid why not Greece??
In India's case its progressing, nobody has seen anything from the Greek side to idicate if its prepared to change its spots.
Hence why bother.