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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. military vehicles paraded 300 yards from the Russian border
MOSCOW U.S. military combat vehicles paraded Wednesday through an Estonian city that juts into Russia, a symbolic act that highlighted the stakes for both sides amid the worst tensions between the West and Russia since the Cold War.
The armored personnel carriers and other U.S. Army vehicles that rolled through the streets of Narva, a border city separated by a narrow frontier from Russia, were a dramatic reminder of the new military confrontation in eastern Europe.
The soldiers from the U.S. Armys Second Cavalry Regiment were taking part in a military parade to mark Estonias Independence Day. Narva is a vulnerable border city separated by a river from Russia. It has often been cited as a potential target for the Kremlin if it wanted to escalate its conflict with the West onto NATO territory.
Russia has long complained bitterly about NATO expansion, saying that the Cold War defense alliance was a major security threat as it drew closer to Russias borders. The anger grew especially passionate after the Baltic states joined in 2004, and Russian President Vladimir Putin cited fears that Ukraine would join NATO when he annexed the Crimean Peninsula in March last year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/24/u-s-military-vehicles-paraded-300-yards-from-the-russian-border/?tid=trending_strip_1
A little late for the 12-hour rule so posted here
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)partners coasts without transponders causing civilian aircraft to have to avoid them. What is more dangerous, a parade?
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)disputes as to who it actually belongs to & how much is in dispute. Russia's claim is significant larger than countries such as even Canada, smaller Nordic countries have staked claims. The only reason why any of these countries care is because of how much oil sits up there which is the only reason why the US cares about anything going on in Eastern Ukraine.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)miss aircraft incidents with it's combat and nuclear capable aircraft? That is fine with you, but a parade with unarmed APC's is wrong?
The reason the US cares about Ukraine is Putin and Russia broke it's signed agreements and invaded and annexed a portion of a sovereign nation and is now supplying weapons and troops to an insurrection in part of that country.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)The Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet was a treaty signed between Russia and Ukraine on 28 May 1997 whereby the two countries established two independent national fleets, and divided armaments and bases between them.[2][3] Under the treaty, the Black Sea Fleet that was located in the Crimean peninsula at the time, was partitioned between Russia (81.7%) and Ukraine (18.3%), with Russia maintaining the right to use the Port of Sevastopol in Ukraine for 20 years until 2017.[4] The treaty also allowed Russia to maintain up to 25,000 troops, 24 artillery systems, 132 armored vehicles, and 22 military planes on the Crimean peninsula.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Crimean_crisis
The person who extended the treaty was thrown out by Russian isolationists so no wonder a "dispute" occurred. In any case, the US only cares because of the natural gas. I'm sure there is a broken signed agreement somewhere you can find (probably within Ukraine given how corrupt it is) that doesn't sit on oil that the US has no interest in. US cared a lot about the rebels in Sudan in 2009, they stopped carrying at all. They don't have no concerns about genocide in Central African Republic. We seem to care more about IS than the #1 human rights violator of 2014 -- Assad -- who also happens to be Russia's ally. Why does anyone care about Syria? Oil.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)they also broke the Budapest agreement to respect Ukraine's borders. They also broke international law by blockading the Ukrainian navy in port so they could storm and seize the naval vessels.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)prompting a sharp interest in Sweden to join NATO soon.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)I can't remember the details well since it came from John Oliver and not sure which specific episode but thinking it might be Russia but gave up trying to figure out what it was for about a week which led to a joke ripping Sweden over the commitment shown to locating "Loch ness" monster based probably in some mysterious sighting in a water body.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)Also at least two Russian military planes, unannounced and uninvited, over Sweden.
Jokes aside, it's being taken seriously. The push to join NATO is pretty popular in Sweden all of a sudden.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)Over the top bullshit!
We need to stop this FREKING war mongering!
If the opposite was done to America I'm pretty sure there would have been hell to pay.
The MIC has gone insane!
Historic NY
(37,453 posts)British fighter jets have been scrambled more than 40 times to deter Russian military planes encroaching UK airspace since David Cameron took office, the Telegraph can reveal.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11426692/RAF-jets-scrambled-more-than-40-times-to-intercept-Russian-bombers.html
Those TU-35 bombers are loaded with nuclear warheads....Putin wants to return to the good old Cold War Days, it can be the wedge he needs.
Sources within the Ministry of Defence last night revealed that one of the two long-range bombers was carrying at least one air-dropped seek and find"d nuclear warhead-carrtying missile, designed to seek and destroy a Vanguard submarine.
Both Prime Minister David Cameron and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon were alerted after cockpit conservations confirming the bombers nuclear payload were intercepted by a Norwegian military listening post, and shared with the Ministry of Defence.
The missile was not armed, and the aircraft's crew would have required a direct order from President Putin before making it live.
The other bomber was said to have been acting in the role of mothership, overseeing the military exercise.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/555454/Intercepted-Russian-bomber-was-carrying-a-nuclear-missile-over-the-Channel