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Don't mess with nuclear Russia, Putin says

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Don't mess with nuclear Russia, Putin says


LAKE SELIGER Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia's armed forces, backed by its nuclear arsenal, were ready to meet any aggression, declaring at a pro-Kremlin youth camp that foreign states should understand: "It's best not to mess with us."

"Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers."

His tone darkened when speaking on Ukraine, blaming the United States and the European Union for the "unconstitutional" removal of Kiev's former Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich and replacement with a pro-European government.


For get about ISIS, I/P, Ebola, Ferguson and worry about slipping into an escalating conflict with a nuclear super power, or not.
 
Don't mess with nuclear Russia, Putin says





For get about ISIS, I/P, Ebola, Ferguson and worry about slipping into an escalating conflict with a nuclear super power, or not.

is putin actually sane? he cannot honestly be suggesting that he would use nuclear weapons to keep ukraine from leaving his sphere of influence
 
is putin actually sane? he cannot honestly be suggesting that he would use nuclear weapons to keep ukraine from leaving his sphere of influence

I don't think he's beyond using the threat, and I sure hope he's sane or the world could be looking at its epitaph.
 
This is what happens when the US is led by a weak President. Voting democrat brings this type of thing about.

Horse Hockey,

Obama is doing more than his predecessor when Georgia was invaded, which was nothing.

What should our president be doing he isn't doing?
 
This is what happens when the US is led by a weak President. Voting democrat brings this type of thing about.

So what you're saying is that a Republican would have already gotten us killed?
 
This is what happens when the US is led by a weak President. Voting democrat brings this type of thing about.
What are you talking about, Putin is talking out his ass. Who was president when Russia was messing with Georgia? Huh?
 
Good grief, making mountains out of a molehill statement made to a youth camp. What do you expect from him in that venue, "gee kids, we're going to show our bellies to whatever nation says they're right and we're wrong". That would make him Obama.
 
Putin,

Kiss my ass!

Let's see how tough he is when his economy tanks and his people start to bulk.

He might just threaten to use nukes before that happens. Who do you think will blink first, Obama or Putin?
 
Good grief, making mountains out of a molehill statement made to a youth camp. What do you expect from him in that venue, "gee kids, we're going to show our bellies to whatever nation says they're right and we're wrong". That would make him Obama.

Right. We've already seen that Obama's threats (toward foreign countries) don't add up to a hill of beans.
 
Horse Hockey,

Obama is doing more than his predecessor when Georgia was invaded, which was nothing.

What should our president be doing he isn't doing?

Attacking Iran directly, whilst Russia, and China are engaged with other priorities. THAT'S what leaders do.. They have contingencies.

Obama.. Not so much. First he hears about world matters from the media, then he sits and waits, and waits, and dithers some more, and then waits, and then waits.. Dithering even more, and then waits... You get the idea. We can't engage Russia directly, but then again, we already knew that, so then what to do? How do we win without engaging Russia and China. Oh I know, we have another problem in Iran, and boy when we look at the operational consequences, we see a whole lot of win in that strategy. It shows Russia, and China, we're not foolin either tough guys, and it will cause them to pause, in the meantime we take care of a nuclear hungry Iran.

You're welcome!

Marv Levy once said that when you start listening to the fans, it won't be too long before you're watching the game from the seats right along with them.

I know we're a war weary nation right now, but people need to understand that the world isn't going to take a Gatorade break just because we need too.


Tim-
 
he cannot honestly be suggesting that he would use nuclear weapons to keep ukraine from leaving his sphere of influence

You are right. He cannot be honestly suggesting that as his comments were about what would happen if someone attacked Russia itself.
 
You are right. He cannot be honestly suggesting that as his comments were about what would happen if someone attacked Russia itself.

Listen to his comments, nobody has threatned to attack Russia. At the end of the day, leaders of truly strong nations rarely - if ever, have to remind their people that they are truly strong. The people already know that.

I am beginning to suspect that the Russian giant, though undoubtably fearsome on the defensive, has feet of clay:

- Russia has already relaxed boycott of some food products (Giant cant feed itself)
- Russia turns to China to finance bridge to Crimea (Giant has limited amounts of extra cash, even for national priorities)

Now, new sanctions are going to make things even harder for the giant- and the west can take the pain longer.

Furthermore, Russian generals have purportedly advised Putin that invading and controlling even two provinces, let alone the rest of Ukraine, would invovle large numbers of conscripts and assosciated difficulties. Bad news is that Putin maybe as unwilling to listen to his generals as Bush was to his.
 
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Almost certainly, Putin was repeating existing nuclear weapons doctrine but in a simplified fashion concerning his audience. He also wanted to remind his audience that Russia is secure from such attack, because its nuclear arsenal is a deterrent. If Russia were invaded and were facing a real prospect of defeat, it would use all weapons in its arsenal to try to stave off that outcome. There is virtually no prospect that a war limited to Ukraine would lead to a nuclear exchange. In short, I don't believe his remarks represent any meaningful changes in Russia's existing foreign policy and security posture or new threats toward NATO.
 
This is what happens when the US is led by a weak President. Voting democrat brings this type of thing about.

It is just comical that they actually believe this.
 
Putin is an idiot if he thinks he's going to light off a nuke, and live.

That's not what he's thinking. He believes that Obama won't play the game of 'chicken' very well and will back down from a threat first. The problem with that is once they start militarily daring each other, they've put themselves in situations where it's very difficult to back down.



Almost certainly, Putin was repeating existing nuclear weapons doctrine but in a simplified fashion concerning his audience. He also wanted to remind his audience that Russia is secure from such attack, because its nuclear arsenal is a deterrent. If Russia were invaded and were facing a real prospect of defeat, it would use all weapons in its arsenal to try to stave off that outcome. There is virtually no prospect that a war limited to Ukraine would lead to a nuclear exchange. In short, I don't believe his remarks represent any meaningful changes in Russia's existing foreign policy and security posture or new threats toward NATO.

But Putin is also saying don't tank my economy with threats of trade wars and sanctions. That's why he threatening to cut off gas to Europe this winter, even though it would severely hurt the Russian economy. Those sanctions Russian Ruble Sinks to Record Low are almost as much a threat to his power as all out war. The Russian Oligarchs will most likely remove their support of him, allowing for a massive downturn in popular opinion and civilian revolt.

He's boxed himself in with his Ukraine aggression, and if NATO and the US sincerely believe he'll get the Ukraine and move to other former blocks, they'll keep up the pressure.
 
But Putin is also saying don't tank my economy with threats of trade wars and sanctions. That's why he threatening to cut off gas to Europe this winter, even though it would severely hurt the Russian economy. Those sanctions Russian Ruble Sinks to Record Low are almost as much a threat to his power as all out war. The Russian Oligarchs will most likely remove their support of him, allowing for a massive downturn in popular opinion and civilian revolt.

He's boxed himself in with his Ukraine aggression, and if NATO and the US sincerely believe he'll get the Ukraine and move to other former blocks, they'll keep up the pressure.

There's little doubt that Putin will retaliate on a tit-for-tat basis economically. If Russia is hit by sector-wide sanctions, I have little doubt that Russia would cut off natural gas deliveries to Europe. He views economics as part of a larger national interest where the national interest takes precedence. The Western thesis is that economics trumps all other factors and the calculation was that sanctions would curb Russian aggression. That hasn't happened, because Putin sees things differently. Moreover, Russia still is not a fully democratic state where the population can bring about a change in government. Putin has tools that more resemble authoritarian governments that he can and would likely deploy should such a situation arise.

IMO, the U.S. and NATO need to maintain pressure so long as Russia acts in a counterproductive fashion. If or when Russia takes a more constructive course, then opportunities for easing should be available. Right now, there's no real indication that Russia will take a more constructive approach in the near-term.
 
Right. We've already seen that Obama's threats (toward foreign countries) don't add up to a hill of beans.

You mean like Libya? And don't forget this president actually whacked Bin Laden unlike the last one that said he didn't care.
 
There's little doubt that Putin will retaliate on a tit-for-tat basis economically. If Russia is hit by sector-wide sanctions, I have little doubt that Russia would cut off natural gas deliveries to Europe. He views economics as part of a larger national interest where the national interest takes precedence. The Western thesis is that economics trumps all other factors and the calculation was that sanctions would curb Russian aggression. That hasn't happened, because Putin sees things differently. Moreover, Russia still is not a fully democratic state where the population can bring about a change in government. Putin has tools that more resemble authoritarian governments that he can and would likely deploy should such a situation arise.

IMO, the U.S. and NATO need to maintain pressure so long as Russia acts in a counterproductive fashion. If or when Russia takes a more constructive course, then opportunities for easing should be available. Right now, there's no real indication that Russia will take a more constructive approach in the near-term.

Well, it's counter productive for Europe and the US. Especially when he raised the gas prices and cut off the Ukraine a few winters ago. Putin likes the monopoly of natural gas for winter heating that Russia currently enjoys, and is why he supported Assad for blocking the southern and western NLG pipelines to Europe.

Yes, we have too much faith in that the Russians will back down because of financial realities, but they have historically been able to weather economical hardships. I agree that the US and NATO will keep up the sanctions and countering military aggression, where and when possible without escalating into something more direct.

We've actually been playing these geopolitical strategies with Russia since shortly after WWII. But something feels very different with the new world order. Kissinger recently wrote an op-ed piece describing the focus and priorities, as a much different diplomatic situation than in previous decades due to changing attitudes, technologies and global trading.
 
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