NATO says it will use “any means” necessary to protect itself from Russia as it deploys a significant number of troops and heavy military equipment to Russia’s borders.
American political analysts are concerned that such a move could unleash an all-out war involving NATO, the U.S. and Russia– the kind of war that “would probably spell, if not the end of humanity, the end of any possibility of a comfortable future for humanity,” said Don DeBar, a U.S. political analyst, during an interview with Press TV last week.
But NATO seems unwilling to accept the fact that such a move could provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin into responding with military means. And knowing his unpredictability and a history of attacking neighbors, the move is particularly alarming. The defense leadership of three NATO member states accused Putin of “unprecedented” aggression in Europe and warned that he is ready to risk it all in “a game without rules” against NATO.
With the Baltics being of particular concern for NATO, it recently sent additional troops to the region amid fears that Putin would invade the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And with NATO’s 5th article saying that any attack on one member state means an attack on the entire alliance, the volatile situation in Europe could spiral into World War 3, as many experts have been warning about since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis.
Baltics prepared to use any means to defend their freedom
Juozas Olekas, the Lithuanian minister of defense, thanked the U.K. for deploying troops on the ground in his country. “We would like to live in peace with Russia as our neighbors, but it depends on Russia’s behavior,” Olekas told Daily Star Online.
He stated that Lithuania has significantly stepped up military spending and has already joined British forces in joint operations in the region. Meanwhile the military leadership of another Baltic state, Estonia, claimed they had seen a “constant build up” of Russian soldiers on NATO borders and stated that Putin’s recent actions are “unimaginable.” Even though the Baltic states believe that NATO’s military power is capable of deterring the Russian threat, an Estonian spokesman warned that “Putin may miscalculate the strength of NATO’s bonds.”
“Russia has shown its willingness to use military force against its close neighbors – in 2008 in Georgia and since 2014 in Ukraine,” the spokesman told Daily Star Online. “It’s clear that NATO cannot leave an obvious challenge to its security unattended.”
He also pointed out that Russia’s aggressive behavior is becoming increasingly harder to predict, which is why NATO must be prepared for all possible military scenarios. The spokesman also warned Putin that Estonia is prepared to use “any means to defend its freedom and independence.”
Putin is unpredictable and aggressive
Meanwhile the third Baltic state, Latvia, accuses Russia of undermining stability in the region by constantly violating neighboring countries’ territorial integrity and attempting to muster up support in the Baltics. Latvia is mostly concerned about Putin’s “unpredictability” because “Russia’s assertiveness and military power have grown during the last three to four years,” according to a Latvian government spokesman.
The Latvian government noted the alarming rate at which Russia has modernized its military infrastructure and boosted capabilities along European borders, which goes in line with the large increase in its defense spending. The Latvian spokesman also believes that “Russia is ready to continue the confrontation with the West and is ready to play the game without rules” and that “it applies not only to Ukraine, but also to the relations with the West.”
U.S., NATO vs. Russia war will be the end of humanity
ValueWalk reported on Sunday that the U.S. and its allies are actively preparing to fight a war with Russia, according to American political analyst Don DeBar. The expert believes that the West is not only preparing to fight Russia along the old battle lines but also at Russia’s door.
DeBar’s comments come after the U.S. announced plans to deploy some 4,000 troops close to Russia’s borders while Russia conducts its military operations in Syria, bombing U.S.-backed rebels. In Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, there will be roughly 800 to 1,000 soldiers stationed amid the coldest tensions between Moscow and Washington since the end of the Cold War.
Political experts – both American and Russian – believe that the move has a high chance of escalating the risk of a war in Europe and unleashing a military confrontation between the world’s two largest nuclear powers: the U.S. and Russia.
U.S. officials familiar with the decision to deploy some 4,000 NATO troops close to Russia’s borders say the move is supposed to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a clear message that NATO’s military presence is at his country’s door and that NATO troops are watching his every move, ready to respond.
“The problem is that most people in the country here [the U.S.] have no idea that this is going on,” DeBar said in an interview with Press TV. The analyst also added that the U.S. media intentionally ignores reports that “there is this army deployed to Russia’s borders with material and manpower.”
A possible war involving NATO, the U.S. and Russia “would probably spell, if not the end of humanity, the end of any possibility of a comfortable future for humanity,” DeBar concluded.
Putin: If NATO comes close, we will respond
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, commented on NATO’s move to send troops close to Russia’s borders. Peskov said that Moscow had found out about NATO’s intentions a long time ago, which means the alliance has been discussing the move for a while now. But more alarmingly, Peskov said that the Kremlin “knows how to respond to NATO.” Meanwhile NATO spokesman Jerzy Biziewski recently revealed that NATO’s rapid deployment forces are set on high alert.
“This is NATO approaching our borders. This is not a new phenomenon. This is a phenomenon the danger of which we have been emphasizing for years from the point of view of its consequences,” Peskov said.
This summer, Putin said Moscow will be forced to direct its armed forces at any countries which might threaten Russia.
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