Columnist Matt Gurney’s piece in Wednesday’s National Post is republished with permission in the Hungarian Free Press. Mr. Gurney argues that the United States is starting to view Vladimir Putin’s Russia as a real threat to the Baltic states and Eastern Europe more generally. While the West has a major military and economic advantage over Russia, President Putin has been gradually modernizing and investing in the Russian army, making it a force to be reckoned with, as seen most recently in Syria and Ukraine. Mr. Gurney argues that the West must focus more on military readiness, if NATO is to truly defend Eastern Europe.
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Missing the Cold War? You can get a taste of it again in Eastern Europe
I confess to always having had a touch of Cold War envy. As a keen watcher of military and geopolitical affairs, I far prefer the relatively clear and orderly divisions of the superpower rivalry to the gigantic sucking chest wound that is modern international affairs. I’m old enough, barely, to remember the dying days of the…
Unfortunately CEE is not united – the Poles think the Russians are thugs – they are, in interfering in Syria, Ukraine and murdering enemies in London amongst other things.
Orban loves Russia – and Putin – and so do Hungarians – which is amazing when you know how they were treated during WWll and after.
But the Poles love Orban.
The only language Putin understands is a punch on the nose. I know it’s unrealistic but I wish the US and Europe and NATO would form a ‘warning’ army to deliver that punch.
That means the EU forming a defence/attack army.
Get Putin out of Syria; stop his Ukraine interference; stop Putin rattling the sabre in neighbouring countries and render him impotent.
And then tackle North Korea.
Yes – unrealistic – but even more so with Orban’s hero worship of Putin.
“In God’s name – Go!”
Both.
It would be much easier to “get rid” of Orban and his mafia regime to provide a warning to the other would be dictators in Eastern Europe but the EU is not even capable to do that.
Putin is a leader that put Russia back on the stage as a World power. Maybe our next president will have the smarts to create a new detente a la Reagan and not making empty threats like Obama.
I don’t care what my government says, the Russians are not my enemy. I don’t know anyone who has been robbed, raped and murdered by a Russian, but I do know people who have been robbed, raped and murdered by non Europeans. I never hear of Russians rioting, burning, looting and attacking people. I never see Russians in lines to receive so called entitlements. The Russians are not our enemies.
Pingback: The West and the defence of Eastern Europe from potential Russian aggression
Russia was squeezed to the wall. They are fighting for their existence. If we can speak about aggression it will be Turkey’s invasion to Syria. That will either end in the defeat of Turkey or will widen into a global war. If Turkey engages in a direct military confrontation with Russia, then Russia will have no other choice than to respond with a full blown nuclear strike. It’s Turkey the loose cannon and a Turkey vs. Russian armed conflict would mean a Russian NATO war, that Russia will win. Would the NATO allow to drag itself into that war by Turkey solely by providing Turkey with air and intelligence support?
Hopefully the SAA supported by Iran, and Russia will be able to knock out the Turks from Syria. It might end up with a carved up Turkey. Possible will and Erdogan can forget about his great Ottoman empire and being a second Kemal Ataturk.
The NATO and the US is busy arming Poland and the Eastern NATO block asking for a nuclear strike from Russia. They are not defending Eastern Europe from a potential Russian aggression, they are provoking it meanwhile, they are paying good attention to bring Europe down to her knees with the well organized and financed refugee crisis, martial law in France, creating police states in many West European countries and with full cash control in Germany, preparing a technocratic dictatorship.
Putin and the Chinese have already shown tremendous self restrain even when they are being provoked to start WW3 repeatedly. Who knows how long can they will stand the the provocations.
Correction: Possibly will
One should read US Amb. Matlock’s book. (He was amb. when Gorbachev dissolved the S.U.) in his book it is stated that Reagan promised no Nato expansion toward Russia. This promise was not kept by the U.S.
@ Richard
Please take your pill, sit down, wait for 10 minutes and all these whirling trolls and ghosts will go away…
Than watch soccer ..
Observer,
I wonder whether these notorious idiots like you would ever have anything to add to the topic or discuss the point. Cheer up you are not the only one.
Excellent analysis by Matt Gurney. Glad to read him on the pages of the HFP.