NATO concerned about increased troop levels on Moldavian border.

[ivanava]

Terrorism happens for a reason, go and educate yourself about why people resort to terrorism and specifically about Islamic terrorism than maybe you will understand better instead of the usual Islamic countries spreading to the west baseless assumption that you have posted.

The Muslim terrorists didn't just wake up one day thinking we will become terrorists did they?

The Irish terrorists didn't wake up one day and decide to be terrorists did they?

It's called thinking outside the box, try it and maybe you will have a better idea about why some people resort to terrorism.

 

Of cause they didn't, war and terrorism have always been part of Islam.

[tzijlstra]

Can we keep the terrorism chatter put? Although not entirely irrelevant as Russia also has dealings with terrorists, it is irrelevant in that it is the same old discussion repeated in every thread by the same people, get a room, I say.

 

Just as information for those claiming Transnistria has always been Russian, Moldova in its current form is considerably smaller than the medieval principality it has as predecessor. In the 19 th century when Russia was expanding its empire considerably it was deprived of almost all its modern day land by Russia, later the rest of the land was claimed by Romania.

 

Currently the majority of the population speaks Romanian, as they also took land, doesn't that mean that when Russia is done, Romania can slide onto the table and take the rest?

[Mr Clowning]

Are you the last person on the planet to think Saddam had WMD? Iraq wasn't an Islamic state either. It was secular.

 

I think both the Gulf wars were wrong, and we were duped into them.

I do though believe that without 911 Bush would have not had an excuse to have the second war or have a reason to go into Afghanistan and take us with him.

 

Mafya was saying the west shouldn't be invading other countries, and I agree with this, but the terrorist gave the excuse for Bush and Blair to do it so they deserve some responsibility for that. It's a perpetual cycle, if you don't like the west then that's ok, if you bomb the wests interests abroad or on the soil then they will use it to get away with murder which they did.

 

Personally I think that even 911 wasn't all the true story and that Bin Larden was a CIA puppet, but that's another topic

[tinfoilhat]

Can we keep the terrorism chatter put? Although not entirely irrelevant as Russia also has dealings with terrorists, it is irrelevant in that it is the same old discussion repeated in every thread by the same people, get a room, I say.

 

Just as information for those claiming Transnistria has always been Russian, Moldova in its current form is considerably smaller than the medieval principality it has as predecessor. In the 19 th century when Russia was expanding its empire considerably it was deprived of almost all its modern day land by Russia, later the rest of the land was claimed by Romania.

 

Currently the majority of the population speaks Romanian, as they also took land, doesn't that mean that when Russia is done, Romania can slide onto the table and take the rest?

 

Again, like the vast majority of Crimea, if the residents want it who cares what the government says? For starters it's largely autonomous as far as I understand it and secondly who is going to stop them? Russia has claimed a nice chunk of real estate and the population don't mind. I'm quite happy for us not commit troops to another craphole we've never heard of.

 

Now if he wants Moldova or the Ukraine in its entirety that's a different argument but as it stands the west just needs to make the right disapproving noises.

[L00b]

Now if he wants Moldova or the Ukraine in its entirety that's a different argument but as it stands the west just needs to make the right disapproving noises.

Unless I am mistaken, that is pretty much all the West is currently doing

 

After all, sizeable chunks of freezable assets were transferred/lifted/shifted by Russia (and associated Russian people in-the-know) well before the West enacted its "sanctions".

[tzijlstra]

Again, like the vast majority of Crimea, if the residents want it who cares what the government says? For starters it's largely autonomous as far as I understand it and secondly who is going to stop them? Russia has claimed a nice chunk of real estate and the population don't mind. I'm quite happy for us not commit troops to another craphole we've never heard of.

 

Now if he wants Moldova or the Ukraine in its entirety that's a different argument but as it stands the west just needs to make the right disapproving noises.

 

It isn't about whether the population wants it or not, it is about legitimacy. Again, this sets a precedent nobody in the world wants, in the last millenium things like this were exactly the reason that entire countries got dragged into senseless wars for decades and decades.

 

You might want to read some history books, they are rather perspective supplying.

 

You might never have heard of Moldova, or the Krim (education is hard to come by apparently) but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't care. I've given a number of examples before that will affect you here in the UK: Malvinas to Argentina, Gibraltar to Spain, many of the overseas protectorates have native claims on them.

 

If you let this precedent develop it will undoubtedly result in an era of warfare. The only real war that the UK has been involved in in the past three decades was chase-the-terrorist; under whatever pretext and whether right or wrong, that was a war that did not touch the sovereignty of the UK. This type of war that Russia is pushing will.

[tinfoilhat]

It isn't about whether the population wants it or not, it is about legitimacy. Again, this sets a precedent nobody in the world wants, in the last millenium things like this were exactly the reason that entire countries got dragged into senseless wars for decades and decades.

 

You might want to read some history books, they are rather perspective supplying.

 

You might never have heard of Moldova, or the Krim (education is hard to come by apparently) but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't care. I've given a number of examples before that will affect you here in the UK: Malvinas to Argentina, Gibraltar to Spain, many of the overseas protectorates have native claims on them.

 

If you let this precedent develop it will undoubtedly result in an era of warfare. The only real war that the UK has been involved in in the past three decades was chase-the-terrorist; under whatever pretext and whether right or wrong, that was a war that did not touch the sovereignty of the UK. This type of war that Russia is pushing will.

 

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I've heard of Crimea and Moldova I wasn't aware of the tiny strip of it that Russia has designs on. I wasn't aware that Transnistria let alone it was in a state of flux for some time. If you were aware all those months (years?) ago - fair play, your knowledge outstrips mine. I don't agree the Falklands is comparable, we've laid claim to it longer than Argentina has existed, Gibraltar isn't that fair a comparison either unless you are going to ignore the will and opinion of those who live there.

 

Let's say we should do something. What? Russia will start every security council with a veto. Sanctions? Force?

[tzijlstra]

Let's say we should do something. What? Russia will start every security council with a veto. Sanctions? Force?

 

I'm pleased you asked that because it is something that has been on my mind.

 

I think the only conclusion at the moment is that it is time the EU finally realises that lots of splintered interests when it comes to foreign policy is leaving us vulnerable to foreign aggression.

 

I want to see a strong integrated joint-defense policy to be the result of this.

 

I want to see the EU take strong and affirmative steps to secure energy-independence from Russia and in the longer term from all foreign powers.

 

Can we check Russia with force at the moment? No, not unless it is a NATO operation and that is very unlikely to happen as long as Russia targets non NATO members.

 

But the EU in particular really needs to be wary of what is going on and adapt rapidly to cope with this new reality that is facing us.

[tinfoilhat]

I'm pleased you asked that because it is something that has been on my mind.

 

I think the only conclusion at the moment is that it is time the EU finally realises that lots of splintered interests when it comes to foreign policy is leaving us vulnerable to foreign aggression.

 

I want to see a strong integrated joint-defense policy to be the result of this.

 

I want to see the EU take strong and affirmative steps to secure energy-independence from Russia and in the longer term from all foreign powers.

 

Can we check Russia with force at the moment? No, not unless it is a NATO operation and that is very unlikely to happen as long as Russia targets non NATO members.

 

But the EU in particular really needs to be wary of what is going on and adapt rapidly to cope with this new reality that is facing us.

 

But all our interests are wildly different. We can say "shove you gas we don't want it anyway" other countries are far more dependent. Some may well be happy with a bit of appeasement so tanks don't rumble through their cities. But we have a unified approach hammered into tablets of stone. NATO. This, as far I can see anyway, is pretty much why it came to be. We have at least one clear line in the sand. Unfortunately Moldova and Ukraine are on the wrong side of it for their part, and I can't see the west in general getting to bogged down in it all.

 

The Baltic states are a different matter. But it won't be the UN or NATO or really the eu that sorts this out. Germany will broker something and we should let them.

[geared]

What would Russia want with Moldova anyway?

 

How are the troops massing there, it doesn't share a boarder with Russia - have Russian troops really invaded that deep into the Ukraine??