Posted on 03/18/2014 9:42:28 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
LONDON - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden began a reassurance tour of east European allies Tuesday, promising that the current diplomatic crisis over Russia would leave NATO “stronger and more unified than ever.”
But some experts say the showdown over Ukraine has exposed the organization as toothless in the face of Vladimir Putin’s triumphant annexation of Crimea.
While Biden was in Warsaw promising to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with Poland, Putin was making a defiant, barnstorming speech at the Kremlin that placed new pressure on the United States to act.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, despite many years of speculation that it is poised to join, and therefore it is not automatically protected under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty – the clause which regards any attack on one member state as an attack on all.
“That’s going to make it very difficult for NATO to do anything of significance,” said Andrew C. Kuchins, a senior fellow and director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. “It’s more likely that any action will be taken by a coalition of the willing.”
Does that mean NATO is essentially toothless? “Yes, I think it does,” said Kuchins.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
We and NATO are out of money.
The same Joe Biden who told people in Delaware that when you go into a 7-11 or Dunkin’ Donuts, you have to have a “slight Indian accent”?
The same Joe Biden who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee from 2001-2003, but claims to have fought as chairman to get Poland into NATO... in 1999?
Damn, we sure screwed the pooch royally in the 2012 election...
The organization has become “toothless” because the formerly primary enemy is now the primary energy supplier.
Biden off to Europe to schmooze folks? Start working on your fallout shelters, guys and gals.
Translation: "Son......you're on your own."
Similarly to how we could not look too closely at Saudi involvement in 9/11.
Well I will give Biden credit, at least he didn’t say he “lusted after the Poles”, like Jimmuh did.
“Stand up, Chuck!”
The UN never has had teeth. All the UN is is a boys club, a place for paid for appointments to party with impunity, allowing anti Americans to party on their enemies soil.
It reinforced that lack of credibility by doing much the same to Libya.
NATO is too big. Blame Bill Clinton and George W. Bush for enlarging it.
As we all know, a large organization can’t react as effectively to a crisis as a small one.
NATO should have been shut down with the end of the Cold War. As long as its seen as anti-Russian alliance, it will never be able to provide for European security.
If the US and NATO was strong, this would never have happened
Getting involved in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s was a mistake. Full stop. I said it then and say it today.
NATO (especially the US) are a bunch of baby killers! I learned this from Obammys and Skerrys friends and voters!
Coming down from sarcastic high....The US as whole is still strong...but Leaderless. There is no one on either side.
Crimea is simply not a critical NATO strategic issue.If Russia were to actually begin a conflict with a NATO member, there would be war and Russia would lose. The next big crisis will come if and when the Ukraine applies for NATO membership. If the West agrees to take Ukraine into NATO, then there will one day be a horrible war.
That’s true.
Shrunken jaws already.
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