War fever is in the air. Fifty thousand Russian troops and armor are massed on Ukraine’s eastern border. Europe and Washington worry that the reborn Red Army may sweep west across Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltics – even into Poland. The West is suffering from a bad case of Cold War chills.

Not only are the Western powers worried, they are discovering that they likely lack the means to stop possible Russian incursions into what was the former Soviet Empire. They should not be at all surprised that Russia is again showing signs of life. Frederick the Great, the renowned Prussian warrior- king, warned: “he who tries to defend everything, defends
nothing.” Every young officer should have Great Fredrick’s words tattooed on his right hand. Soon after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, a small number of strategists (this analyst included) warned NATO, “do not move east; it’s a bridge too far.” Soviet chairman Mikhail Gorbachev had agreed to let rebellious East Germany escape Soviet control – but in exchange for NATO’s vow not to push east in previously Soviet dominated areas of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The US and NATO agreed, then quickly broke their pledge. NATO’s advance into Eastern Europe, the Baltic and the Caucasus – not to mention former Soviet Central Asia – brought the US-led alliance right up to Russia’s borders. US anti- missile systems were scheduled to go into Poland, close to Russian territory. New US bases were also set up in Bulgaria, Rumania and Central Asia. Unsubtle US efforts to bring ex-Russian Ukraine and the vital Sevastopol naval base in Crimea under NATO control – no doubt to punish Russia for supporting Syria and Iran – proved the last straw for the Kremlin. Talking tough is easy. Defending Eastern Europe from a possible Russian invasion will not be. The main problem is that while US/ NATO guarantees have been advanced to Russia’s sensitive borders, their military capabilities have not. In short, the US policy demonstrates commitment without capability. Russia’s military could take over the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in an afternoon. Sizeable portions of their populations are ethnic Russians. NATO is not deployed or equipped to go to war over Ukraine; its troops are far to the west, without supply systems or air cover. Aside from the little Nazis in Denmark and Ukraine’s nationalists, European powers want no part of war with Russia; that’s left to the war hawks safely at home in Washington. The barrage of trade sanctions Washington has imposed on Russia is an act of pre-war. We
should remember that US sanctions imposed on Japan in 1941 that led Tokyo to attack the Western powers. During the Cold War, the US had some 400,000 troops in Europe, 800 warplanes and potent naval forces. Today, the US has only 43,000 troops left in Europe: two combat brigades and the rest air force and logistics personnel. The old
days when the Soviet Union had 50,000 tanks pointed at Western Europe are long gone,
but Russia’s modernized armed forces still pack punch. Meanwhile, the US has scattered forces all over the globe in what Frederick the Great would call an effort to defend everything. Most notably, US troops have gone to Afghanistan, Iraq, then Kuwait, and many have been brought home. America’s strongest divisions are now guarding Kansas and Texas instead of German’s Fulda Gap and Hanover. America’s military power has been dissipated in little colonial wars, just as Britain’s were in the 19th century. When British imperial troops had to face real German soldiers, they were slaughtered. Similarly, the US military, reconfigured after Vietnam to wage guerilla wars, is in no shape today to face the grandsons of the once mighty Red Army. Cautious, patient Vlad Putin is not about to invade Poland. The real danger is what would happen if the ethnic Russian inhabitants of the Baltic states,
Ukraine and Moldova rise up and demand reunification with Mother Russia? Would Russia go to their aid? Would Europe and the US be ready to risk nuclear war for obscure places like Luhansk, Kharkov, Chisinau or Kaunus? In Ukraine and Crimea we are now seeing the results of overly aggressive Western geopolitics in which Russia was woefully underestimated. A crisis between nuclear-armed powers should never have been allowed to occur. It’s sheer madness. Like nuclear- armed children fighting over a toy

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/03/29/356491/war-fever-in-the-air/

some comments

Americunts Yankeestan Jul 16, 2014 3:4 PM 1st Russia owns more than 50[[]%] of all the nukes there is on globe.Rest 50[[]%] are divided between china,usa etc.Therefore,usa owns 15[[]%] at most.2nd Russia is larger than 3/4 continents and only slightly smaller than 4th continent.Russia is larger than planet Pluto.Amount of nukes usa owns(which is at most 15[[]%] from total amount)is not enough to destroy country of the size of whole planet,where as russia can nuke usa several times over.3rd Russia is almost completely self sustainable.When russia needs something for military production,it trades its enormous natural resources for stuff it needs.USA is forced
to have huge military budget because it does not have anything to trade with.4th This huge military budget is nothing more than loan from china.Without chinas loans usa would fail to sustain its military(or even civil infrastructures for that matter).Were china to stop giving loans to USA,americans would be forced to cut its military by 50-70[[]%].

Toni in reply to Americunts Yankeestan 7/24/2014 8:51:14 PM Russia has about 1600 active nuclear warheads and the US has about 1900. And ur an idiot.

Bub Apr 30, 2014 4:28 PM Russia doesn't need a war to flush the USG. If they dump the US dollar as reserve currency (possibly teaming up with China) it would most likely sink the US economy. The USG is lashing out at Russia
for publicly spanking it...over Syria. Aren't there any diplomats left here in the USA? War/threats always seems to be the first and only option.

Vladimir Putin Apr 24, 2014 3:15 AM Down with the scum bankers, corrupt Western politicians, hack lobbyists, corporate welfarists and bourgeois globalists.Go Russia Go!!!

nikola Apr 19, 2014 4:58 PM the military power between US and Russia is probably similar, the biggest difference is man power, in Russia national question is well define many centurys ago, same with the Serbs, it is a big difference to fight for your doorstep which has been yours for 1000 years, history seams to repeat itself, Russia never lost in any conflict since Nepolion and Ottoman empire time, the only reason is national identity Russians have

Truth Mar 31, 2014 9:46 PM Russia and China won WW11. Russia lost 8.7 million & China lost 3 million military men. USA lost 416,800 and UK lost 383,300 military men. Russia and China don't start unfair ways. But, watch out EU/ USA/NATO, Russia and China will fight to the end if attacked.

commander1 in reply to Truth 4/5/2014 5:56:15 AM All RUSSIA has to fire is one shot and the biggest half of the whole world would be under water. My advice for the united nations would be to use common sense and leave mother Russia alone before they bite off more than they can chew on for the next 5 or 6 hundred years because that is what it would take to freeze the poles back it might even take a million years. Please use caution when
dealing with a country that could hold the fate of the whole world i. n their hands with only one shot were will we live the white house will be under water right along with the Pentagon. Leave Russia alone and to each their own good luck and good BYE!

I think you have a point!