Russia's Overt Threat

Folks, the United States and her allies are on the cusp of having to make some monumental decisions very shortly, decisions that will have a direct influence on charting the future course of freedom or oppression on the planet.

On Wednesday, a deal was signed between the United States and Poland guaranteeing a US missile defense base to be constructed in Poland, 115 miles from the most western portion of the border with Russia (see map). The ten involved missiles are not nuclear tipped but are instead designed to shoot down other incoming missiles.

Note this paragraph:

After Warsaw and Washington announced the agreement on the deal last week, top Russian Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn warned that Poland is risking attack, and possibly a nuclear one, by deploying the American missile defense system, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

And further, from AP:

The long-range interceptor missiles to be deployed in Poland do not have, and in the foreseeable future will not have, any target other than Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles," a ministry statement said.

"It is clear to us — and the U.S. leadership does not deny this — that the ... U.S. anti-missile defense in Europe will be broadened and modernized. In this case Russia will be forced to react, and not only through diplomatic demarches," the statement said.

It is clear to me that Russia by way of President (and former Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin is longing for its former power and glory days. I put little past Putin these days. I wouldn't be stunned to discover his plan to re-introduce nuclear missiles back to Cuba.

President Putin knows the United States military is essentially at its maximum capacity now. It knows the UN is meaningless, as is NATO. With regard to NATO:

The foreign ministers of all 26 Nato countries met in Brussels to reaffirm their support for Georgia.

In a joint statement, the Nato foreign ministers said: "The Alliance is considering seriously the implications of Russia's actions for the Nato-Russia relationship.

"We have determined that we cannot continue with business as usual."

Also:

Russian authorities informed the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday that officials in Moscow were immediately halting, canceling or postponing all planned military cooperation with NATO's members, the Norwegian daily Aftenposten quoted government sources as saying.

In my mind, this is a Power Play on a couple of fronts. It is an attempt to restore Russia to its eminence as a world power and player. It is an attempt to showcase Putin as the center of power. And it is peripherally an attempt to control world energy supplies. Whoever controls energy -- at a time when the United States cannot seem to determine its own energy future -- controls the true power in the world, literally and figuratively.

This is a very dangerous situation and should be foremost on everyone's current Threat Board.

BZ