Posted on 12/23/2014 8:39:40 AM PST by KOZ.
Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine took a historic step toward NATO on Tuesday in a parliamentary vote that stoked Russia's anger ahead of talks on ending the ex-Soviet state's separatist war.
Lawmakers in the government-controlled chamber overwhelmingly adopted a bill dropping Ukraine's non-aligned status -- a classification given to states such as Switzerland that refuse to join military alliances and thus play no part in wars.
President Petro Poroshenko had vowed to put Ukraine under Western military protection after winning an election called in the wake of the February ouster in Kiev of a Moscow-backed president.
"Ukraine's fight for its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty has turned into a decisive factor in our relations with the world," Poroshenko told foreign ambassadors in Kiev on Monday night.
"European and Euro-Atlantic integrations -- that is Ukraine's XX course," Poroshenko tweeted moments after the 303-8 vote.
Ukraine assumed neutrality under strong Russian pressure in 2010. It had sought NATO membership in the early post-Soviet era but -- its once-mighty army in ruins and riven by corruption -- was never viewed as a serious candidate.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
To sign a "Existential War" treaty with a nation which is under occupation by an equal Nuclear Power would be lunacy of the highest order.
Anyone who does such a thing is not smart enough to survive as a country or civil society.
Well said!
So NATO might expand again. Eventually NATO will face the reality behind Frederick the Great’s famous saying: “He who defends everything defends nothing.”
Hopefully not. This is just a yellow-bellied way for Ukraine to get others to fight the fight it picked.
Ukraine’s non-aligned status lead to invasion and occupation by Russia, so getting rid of this nonsense is a natural reaction. Weather they join NATO or seek other arrangements, it’s better than fighting the Mordor alone.
Brilliant idea. Bring NATO right to the border of the USSR, er, Russia.
You know, right next door to the justifiably paranoid sorta-fascist Russians?
...The legislation authorizes the president to provide $350 million over the next three years in military assistance to Ukraine, including defense equipment, services and training aimed at helping the country re-establish its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
...In an interview with De Standaard newspaper, Van Rompuy speaks about his “dreams” that all the Balkan states will join the EU. He calls it an “inspiring thought” that in the long term “the whole of European territory outside Russia” will be tied in some way to the EU. He admits he does not know if there is public support for such a move, “But we do it anyway.”
Such attitudes can get millions killed.
From Ukraine’s point of view there’s no downside to this. The Russians have already invaded Ukraine and the best thing Ukraine can hope to do is to provoke the Russians into doing something even more stupid so the world isolates Russia even further.
The end game is the toppling of the Putin regime and a return to a more civilized Russian leadership.
Forgive me but in what universe did Ukraine pick a war with Russia?
There is one downside—if Ukraine were to be granted NATO membership, that would further provoke Russian aggression as a perception of Western expansion into their historic sphere of influence. That could get ugly.
Screw Russia. They don’t get to dictate to their former slave states just because they used to be their slave master.
I recall Lech Walensa (sp?) being quoted in response to a Russian demand that Poland stay out of NATO that, “Poland no longer answers to Moscow.”
Nor should they.
The whole notion of ‘spheres of influence’ is antiquated and has no place in the modern world.
Well said.
Anything that pisses off Putin, or his followers in this country, is a Good Thing.
Amazing the bootlicking on both FR and DU; the same people who would probably have praised Hitler and Mussolini back in the day.
That's not going to happen. Even if Putin is removed, what replaces him is likely to be even more fascistic.
Then we’ll deal with that when it comes. In the meantime sitting on our hands while Russia re-ignites the Cold War and tries to rebuild the Iron Curtain is a cowardly act of appeasement.
And if Russia does slide into fascism then having it surrounded with our allies and friends is a good way to keep their imperialism isolated.
WWIII coming to an open air theater near you.
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