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This opinion article (link provided below) raises a lot of good points and questions, and mainly asks whether for all intents and purposes we're already at war with Russia. I highly encourage you to read the article in its entirety, but a incomplete summary is as follows.
- The United States has been the orchestrator of numerous, and very effective, sanctions that is driving Moscow away from the west towards allies that do not necessarily share our nations interests.
- Our Secretary of State John Kerry has officially and numerous times accused Russia of funneling hundreds of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other heavy equipment to the separatists in eastern Ukraine without providing much in the way of public evidence. This doesn't sound like much but in the world of diplomacy it's significant to use the type of rhetoric our state department has adopted.
- The United States has already adopted two pieces of legislation that are historically "stepping stone[s] on the path to war." These being H.Res 758 passed on Dec. 4, and The Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 passed by the Senate on Dec. 11. The latter of the two directly arms and otherwise provides aid to Russia's opposition.
I'm not 100% sold on what the author is selling, and we obviously don't have American troops engaging Russian troops, but there's an argument to be made that our economic and political actions are straining the bounds of peaceful diplomacy. IMO there's unreported potential for this to escalate into something greater if relations continue to deteriorate. Thoughts?
- The United States has been the orchestrator of numerous, and very effective, sanctions that is driving Moscow away from the west towards allies that do not necessarily share our nations interests.
- Our Secretary of State John Kerry has officially and numerous times accused Russia of funneling hundreds of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other heavy equipment to the separatists in eastern Ukraine without providing much in the way of public evidence. This doesn't sound like much but in the world of diplomacy it's significant to use the type of rhetoric our state department has adopted.
- The United States has already adopted two pieces of legislation that are historically "stepping stone[s] on the path to war." These being H.Res 758 passed on Dec. 4, and The Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 passed by the Senate on Dec. 11. The latter of the two directly arms and otherwise provides aid to Russia's opposition.
I'm not 100% sold on what the author is selling, and we obviously don't have American troops engaging Russian troops, but there's an argument to be made that our economic and political actions are straining the bounds of peaceful diplomacy. IMO there's unreported potential for this to escalate into something greater if relations continue to deteriorate. Thoughts?
Ukraine
Cold War
International Affairs
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 14
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I believe we're slipping back into a Cold War state. Except this time Russia has a leader that won't back down from using military force to back up his talk. Especially while our military is being dismantled piece by piece back into a pre-war state. Kind of puts me in mind if WWII. While Japan was gearing up for war and doing all they could to incite it we were making refrigerators and cars.
I believe Russia has sat back and watched during the GWOT and seen the people of this nation tire of war and watch our military and its equipment be worn out and they're just waiting.
That's just my $0.02 worth though.
I also called this in a forum on Armchair General several years ago before I joined the military in 2007. Everyone laughed at me then. Can't say I didn't tell them so.
I believe Russia has sat back and watched during the GWOT and seen the people of this nation tire of war and watch our military and its equipment be worn out and they're just waiting.
That's just my $0.02 worth though.
I also called this in a forum on Armchair General several years ago before I joined the military in 2007. Everyone laughed at me then. Can't say I didn't tell them so.
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SGT (Join to see)
Putin has indeed demonstrated his resolve to the west several times lately. Before the 2008 Russo-Georgian War it was pretty widely thought that Russia didn't have the military clout to launch any kind of offensive operation. Russia surprised a lot of people then with their belligerence and they're not showing any signs of backing off from shows of force.
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Yes, we are. Right now it's a Gentlemen's war. We have been supporting the elected Ukraine President since last February. Putin would have moved on Eastern Ukraine and Crimea sooner had the Olympic Games in Sochi not been in (Boycott) financial jeopardy. Like to see one of the Political Cartoons they draw about us?
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SGT (Join to see)
The thing to consider is that we're moving military assets right up against their border. If Russia did the same we'd be throwing a fit.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG (Join to see), I was referring to the material related to The Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014. To quote the article the legislation authorizes the "distribution of both lethal and non-lethal military aid to Kiev, including sniper and assault rifles, mortars and shells, stinger missiles, anti-tank missiles, night vision goggles, radar systems and a host of other hardware items."
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SSG (Join to see)
An "ACT" like a "THREAT" is worthless, until acted on. E.g. I pop you in the nose, then warn you not to bother me again. That's exactly what "Crimea" was, a show to the world that; 'I CAN and WILL' until the bluff is called or raised by NATO - somewhere else on the planet. It must impact Russia with equal *force. One rule to this Game: we never shoot at one another "in mass" directly, and swiftly deny anything that seems provocative.
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