Famous qoute of the 1980s when the Cold War battle centered around placement of more intermedeate range missiles SS-20 by the Soviet Union. Today we see NATO expansion into the Ukraine, forcing Russia to take a strong stance against military agression of the US, its lieutenant Britain and compliant European nations. The TIPP treaty may be DOA in Europe as opposition is getting a strong foothold and austerity measures in the southern European states are hurting jobs and ordinary people. See the new opposition in Greece and Spain. Due to the failed western intervention in Libya and Syria, tens of thousands of refugees are crossing the borders into Europe causing a financial and political burden for the European Union. The ultra-right wing and fascists parties are gaining popular votes and will get a stronger voice in EU member states.

The Russians Are Not Coming II
By Reese Schonfeld | Founding CEO of CNN | Huffington Post |

In the interim, Vladimir Putin, has reclaimed the presidency of Russia and has been acting in what he believes to be the best interests of the people of Russia. When the government of Ukraine changed from pro-Russian to pro-NATO and the people of the eastern Ukraine, many of whom are Russians, took up arms to defend their lands, Putin contributed weapons and warplanes to their defense. The result is a continuing scrimmage between a weak Ukrainian army and a Russian-armed resistance force in Donetsk and the surrounding territory which they now hold.

Crimea is a different story. Putin sent Russian forces there to reclaim the region from the Ukrainians. He had a different motive: My friend, Igor Makurin, who had been the New York bureau chief for TASS for many years, and upon his return to Russian had married Nikita Khrushchev’s great granddaughter, Xenia, told me that Khrushchev is now remembered in Russia as the man who gave Crimea to the Ukrainians and that Russians would never forgive him for that. I assume, very certainly I think, that Putin was well aware of Khrushchev’s mistake and decided to reclaim the Crimea for the sake of Russian pride. He has succeeded and seems to have assured his own presidency.

Today, the AP reports that “Romania, US, British Troops Stage NATO-Planned Exercises.” They are taking part in military exercises near the Ukrainian border and will “continue until April 30th at two locations at Eastern Romania: the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near the Black Sea port of Constanta…” In the north, US forces are working with Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian troops near their borderline with Russian cities. A US destroyer is at this moment in the waters of the Black Sea near Constanta and a dozen US Airforce A-10 planes are based farther north.

It seems to me that the West is once more struggling to divide Russia from its eastern neighbors’ putting increasing pressure on Putin as he struggles to retain Russia’s influence in that area. The West is taking advantage of the defeat of a pro-Russian Ukrainian leader to drive the former Soviets away from their previously pro-Russian allies.

Putin is acting as any political leader should, in trying to preserve and protect his country. He may not be a nice man, but he certainly is not the devil that we are making him.

I still remember that more than ten million Russian died battling Hitler who attacked Russia from the east. I can well understand Putin’s desire to guard his western flank. The Russians aren’t in a position to come at anybody right now.

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