Posted on 05/15/2014 3:21:14 AM PDT by PaulCruz2016
The Czech defense minister says his country does not want to host foreign NATO troops on its soil, as part of plans to beef up the alliance’s eastern wing in light of the Ukraine crisis in contrast to some other eastern European countries like Poland.
Martin Stropinsky, the Czech defense minister, has said his country is not in favor of any foreign troops being based in his country, even though they would only come at Prague’s invitation, Reuters reports.
“We know well how any permanent stationing (of troops) is still a problem. I belong to a generation that experienced the 80,000 Soviet troops based here during the period of (post 1968) ‘normalization’ and it is still a bit of a psychological problem,” Stropinsky told Reuters in an interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at rt.com ...
A decision they may someday regret.
“A decision they may someday regret.”
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Having lived a number of years in Slovakia, I understand their reluctance. Nobody wants to relive the Communist days, and having NATO troops would bring back old memories.
I do not think that Putin wants it. He is basking in the glow of poking his finger in Obumbo’s eye.
It wasn’t NATO troops in the past, it was Russian troops. The Czechs shouldn’t fear troops, not even foreign troops. What they should fear is RUSSIAN troops.
Their inability to keep that straight leads them to a decision they will possibly come to regret.
If I were them I would take any steps necessary to be as certain as possible that RUSSIAN troops don’t return.
Ok. Less money that I have to spend/taken away on frivolous adventures. I’m already paying for obammys frivolous schit now.
“Martin Stropnicky, whose country joined NATO along with Poland and Hungary in 1999, also accused Russia in an interview of waging a “disinformation campaign” in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe over its policies and goals in Ukraine.”
“Stropnicky said Russia was manipulating facts over Ukraine.
“Total deliberate manipulation of facts, data, circumstances, important details - that is one of the basic means the Russian side is working with,” he said.
“We are witnessing a quite intensive disinformation campaign
on our territory, and not only on ours but also on some other European countries, including the large ones,” he said.”
“What they should fear is RUSSIAN troops.”
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Yes, of course. if Putin wants to reestablish a fully Communist central to east Europe.
I do not think he wants that. I think he wants only a strong Russia, and he is taking advantage of a rudderless America.
Personally, I'd prefer no foreign troops. Even during WWII, the British populace had issues with the large number of foreign troops on their soil, who through off their societal norms. Remember, “over-paid, over-sexed, and over-here”?
I would prefer that the Eastern Europeans, like the Czechs and the Poles, concentrate on building a force that would hold the Russians until the rest of NATO could move up. The role of the United States and Canada in a European war, God forbid, should be to arrive in force, 6 weeks from the onset. There is no reason that European NATO nations shouldn't be able to field a combined army substantially larger than the 150 million Russians can. Remember, pre-1991 NATO was facing all of the Warsaw pact countries as well, now those same countries are in NATO.
Good points.
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