The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.NATO deems Russia its most significant and direct threat
By JILL LAWLESS, JOSEPH WILSON and SYLVIE CORBET MADRID©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
45 Comments
Login to comment
The Avenger
Wonderful news! I hope both Sweden and Finland accelerate their ratification processes and are declared full NATO members in the next few months.
UChosePoorly
We have even heard this from some of the Pro-Russian posters here. Better to start preparing now.
lincolnman
The scale of Putin's error and miscalculation cannot be measured....
He started an invasion merely to satisfy his ego and desire to be seen as another "Peter the Great"....
An invasion that has killed thousands of innocent Ukrainians, re-energized NATO AND enlarged its membership by over 1 million troops from Sweden and Finland, resulted in economic sanctions that led to Russia this week to default on its debt, and has shown the once feared Russian military to be a complete and utter embarrassment - incapable of defeating a third world nation.
It's failure on a massive scale and will go down in history as one of Russia's greatest defeats...which is how Putin will be remembered...
Yrral
Avenger,if Republicans come to power in the US,do you think they will support the expansion of NATO,by their right to ratify their membership under NATO treaty
Nemo
The Sloucher in Cheif, the bare-chested buffoon, the mini-me of Europe. Yeah, Putie didn't really think this one through.
Eastman
NATO deems Russia its most significant and direct threat.
I may say that Russia can say same abt NATO as well so its mutual.
UChosePoorly
Eastman - I don’t think anyone is denying that. Given that the countries of Europe are individually smaller and less able to fight back a Russian invasion on their own, doesn’t it make sense that they should partner together to provide for and benefit from a mutual defense alliance?
Yrral
U,these countries barely can scrap up two nickel and make a dime,it cost million too base one American soldiers overseas,are you willing to pay more taxes, Google Cost To Base An American Soldiers Overseas
Rodney
buy a newspaper mate. Oh, like internet they are censored. Forgot.
well, son, Russia entered Ukraine to stop the genocide of in Donbass, stop neo-Nazi groups hassling, beating, torturing and in cases murdering Russian speaking Ukrainians, and most importantly, to stop NATO expansion to its borders.
it not his ego buddy, he was democratically voted, and has 85% support, Biden 34%.
Blacklabel
“And the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back,”
OssanAmerica
The US position on both Russia and China is bipartisan.
Andy
NATO is wrong again, the rogue state of the USA has always been the most significant and direct threat.
Tom San
No, NATO is the threat.
Seigi
Russia is an enemy that NATO made!
rainyday
Well, dad, you mean to say that Russia's solution to bad stuff happening to Russian speaking Ukrainians was to do something that has pretty much destroyed most of the Russian speaking part of Ukraine, killed untold thousands of Russian speaking Ukrainians and turned many many more Russian speaking Ukrainians into refugees?
William Bjornson
"NATO deems Russia its most significant and direct threat"
NATO was originally organized by the U.S. TO BE A DIRECT AND SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO RUSSIA, its ONLY raison d'être. And, while U.S. infrastructure rotted, millions of its people went hungry, and the U.S. over and over again all over he world proved that IT was what it claimed Russia to be, trillions of dollars was thrown away, fed to weapons Corporations, in attempting to intimidate the Soviet Union. At certain points, sanity seemed to break out in the U.S. and arms reductions were offered to the USSR and every time the USSR co-operated until another crazed and corrupt U.S. administration would violate the agreements and hostility would rise again and another tsunami of money would wash over U.S. armament makers as is beginning now. In trying to keep up with U.S. threats, the USSR bankrupted itself and failed. THIS time, given Russia's strong economic position, America's failing hegemony, weak import heavy economy, massive debt, and increasing internal dissension and hostility, Ukraine may be the iceburg which rips open the bow plates of the USS America and sends crew and passengers into the icy waters of failure...and there are NO lifeboats. But, in the event of that failure, the country most likely to offer a helping hand to America, as it did in 1863, is Russia.
UChosePoorly
WB - do you even know by how many multiples the US economy is larger than that of Russia’s? Anyway, unless you are some kind of Communist, the Soviet Union was the evil empire. Are you a communist by chance?
UChosePoorly
lol, thanks Russia. We are good.
rainyday
You do realize that its Russia, not America, which currently has its army in Ukraine, where it seems to be misplacing most of its armor, and which is costing it 10s of billions of dollars per month to maintain, many times more than what NATO combined is spending on military aid to Ukraine?
Not really sure how your iceberg metaphor fits with that reality.
stormcrow
Russia has earned that negative distinction.
Another important question to ask is why are some countries continuing normal economic relations with Russia. Also, shouldn’t those countries face similar economic sanctions and consequences?
Sh1mon M4sada
Ahhh to be told 'I told you so....' and BY 'Trump' LOL....
Ego Sum Lux Mundi
The USA is establishing a military base in Poland and NATO is increasing its high-alert troops from 30,000 to 400,000. It’s probably nothing, right? I'm still gonna get to enjoy my Netflix, shopping and sportsball, right? Tick-tock, tick-tock...
The question is: how are these 400,000 troops going to be armed when NATO is already running out of ammunition after sending its existing stocks to the Ukrainian military? Too bad the greater part of the manufacturing capabilities of the 'Arsenal of Democracy' was moved to Mexico and China, while the quality of the labor force and the national IQ has declined precipitously since 1940.
Anyhow, this puts the ball squarely in the Sino-Russian court. Even though time is on their side, it might make more sense to get things rolling before NATO actually finishes its mobilization. My guess is that Russia would prefer to let China make the next move and open up the second front before it strikes NATO directly, and it’s not in China’s interest to let Russia get too weakened before it gets involved.
When you hear the air-attack sirens, don't say you weren't warned.
WA4TKG
Ya' THINK ?
rainyday
(checks label on bottom of Russia)
"Made in China."
mz16
Again?? We've heard this from our politians for ages now. Next.
rainyday
Yeah, its not like Russia has ever invaded its neighbors, right?
itsonlyrocknroll
President Putin instigated this war in Ukraine, the barbarism, the daily atrocities in the name of his people.
Putin has left NATO will little choice.
Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech—March 5, 1946
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/winston-churchills-iron-curtain-speech-march-5-1946#:~:text=Then%2C%20on%20March%205%2C%201946,for%20the%20next%2050%20years.
It is clear now that the Governments of China and Russia are a stain, a blight on any form of Freedom of speech, expression, and the press. Freedom of religion. Freedom of assembly and association. Rights to equal protection of the law. In fact any basic form of human rights
It is long overdue, stand up to the world bully's. Politically, economically and finally military.
NATO must act now.
Eastman
NATO is equal for world agressor and initiator of wars,list is endless...Yugoslavia,Afganistan,Libya,Syria just to name a few...its nothing about some protection but all about agression attacks violence and wars in name of "western values" and US interests.
correct me if i am wrong.
Greetings from Serbia.
UChosePoorly
ESL Mundi - aren’t you the one who predicted back in February that Russia was going to drive through Europe and wouldn’t stop until they got to Portugal? Are you doubling down on this prediction?
Raw Beer
It's not that Russia is a threat to NATO. The US is using NATO and Ukraine to go after Russia. After many warnings, Russia has finally had enough and decided to fight back.
UChosePoorly
So Russia only attacks non-aligned countries. Got it.
itsonlyrocknroll
Russia is not gonna attack Poland or Baltic states unless pushed since they are in NATO. Putin is not crazy to self destruct like that.
Well lets take a closer look at that
Russia tells BBC “we did not invade Ukraine” and there is “no war” there - BBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZtV0HsYzmg
Unless the free world stands up Russian Government aggression the freedoms that our forefathers gave there lives to protect will be betrayed.
rainyday
That's probably true, but for countries like Moldova and Georgia which aren't NATO members they'd be crazy to not consider Putin a threat.
Seth M
NATO is an organization that plot against Russia. Otherwise why it still exists after the collapse of the USSR?
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
That is the worst possible comment that Zelenskyy could make at this time !
1glenn
The world, and Russia, have a Putin problem.
gcbel
Geez. These Putin propaganda fictional pretexts again. They’ve been so thoroughly debunked. There was no genocide in the Donbas. No repression of Russian-speaking Ukrainians. And certainly was not to stop NATO expansion or put down “neo-Nazis”.
Putin’s been quite clear about why he’s actually invaded Ukraine; every iota of this human tragedy lies with Russia. mots doing all the raping, murdering, kidnapping, spoliation, destruction of all Ukrainians.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
And why would NATO not have an open door policy for Ukraine or not invite Ukraine to join NATO ?
Lord Dartmouth
Shallow thinking, swayed by images on the TV every night. The real threat is China, and all intelligent people know it.
Nemo
Only in the fact-free fever dreams of Putin’s sycophants.
For Russians, screaming “Nazis” is like Trump supporters saying “Antifa!” It means nothing, is not backed by much and is designed to give them an excuse.
NATO was not threatening Russia, is not threatening Russia, and wasn’t going to admit Ukraine anytime soon.
NOW? Ukraine will get top-flight weaponry and training on a budget that Russia cannot hope to match.
AND NATO has 2 new members, both on Russia’s northern flank.
So again, the rationale for this “special military cluster-duck” is as Barr would say “BS.”
And Putin looks like the incompetent autocratic moron he has historically proven himself to be.
AND, NATO is unified, energized and the EU has finally recognized what those of us watching have known fir years: The Russians are not reliable energy suppliers. Another source is needed.
Wonder what the “Gas stand pretending to be a country” (as the late Senator McCain used to call it) will do when it cannot engage in fuel racketeering anymore?
Yrral
Nemo,the US always have top flight training,you seen results lately, Ukrainian are been killed by the 100s sitting in trenches,as cannon fodder
theFu
NATO needs a new name, so that that other democracies around the world are free to join to fight aggression in their region using all means possible, including force with like-minded partners. East Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America, Oceania and small islands everywhere all need a defense group to hold evil at bay.
NATO membership doesn't work that way. The country has to ask to join, not the other way around. They need to join BEFORE there is a direct need and they need a stable economy, proven handover of power at regular intervals, and the most common rights afforded their citizens. Little things, like freedom of speech, a free press to report the truth, and not assassinating political opponents, running clean elections without massive fraud - that would be nice too.
This isn't Russia where you invade and claim land that isn't yours, killing whoever disagrees on the way. Or you fund thugs from your land to relocate 20 miles across the border and start a little revolution, all while being paid by the Russian Govt.