“NATO meets on Tuesday to drum up much-needed support for Ukraine.
Foreign ministers from countries in the western military alliance will gather in Romania to discuss how they can assist Ukraine after Russian strikes on its power networks ahead of winter.
But the meet-up location — Bucharest — is hugely significant given Russia’s war in Ukraine.
It was here in April 2008 that former US President George W. Bush persuaded NATO allies that Ukraine and Georgia would one day join the military alliance.
Moscow invaded Georgia four months later.
Some experts describe the decision in Bucharest as a massive error that left Russia feeling cornered by a seemingly ever-expanding NATO.
NATO counters that it doesn’t pressgang countries into joining and that some requested membership to seek protection from Russia — as Finland and Sweden are doing now.”
Comment: The decision, largely influenced by the US neocons and the US military to drive NATO’s borders as far to the east as they could has proven to be the disaster that I thought it would be. Russia was pushed by that decision into adopting a self-defensive crouch which deteriorated over the years into a decision to invade and destroy Ukraine as a state. Foolishness, but now we must deal with the situation as it is, and NOT by abandoning the Ukrainians. pl
NATO meets to talk Ukraine at scene of one of its most controversial decisions | Euronews
Empress Van der Leyen today let slip during a speech that over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed so far. Hey, we wouldn’t Vant her Lyin, vood vee?
https://news.yahoo.com/von-der-leyen-statement-death-163600213.html
F&L,
Milley put that number out days ago – it was reported here in by our host in one of his pieces.
Check out yesterday’s (Nov 29th) “American Conservative” article by Douglas MacGregor (Col USA Ret). It could have been written by Putin. It presents a picture 180 deg. different than opinions oft expressed herein and, for that matter, much of the western press. The Biden administration, NATO, and the western press are wrong and worse, they’re outright lying. Summarized, Ukraine isn’t winning, can’t win, is being systematically reduced, and is about to be handed its ass by an enormous buildup of Russian forces about to finish them off. The article is worth a read. T.C., DMac, and gasp, T.G. all shilling for Moscow?
The only weakness in the “Western Alliance” is the fake right, wait until the Chinese fifth column has been uncovered
Col.,
“we must deal with the situation as it is…”
I agree. What commitments are we getting from Ukraine for all this support we are going to provide them in the future years, and what kind of accountability will there by on them for what we have already provided? Additionally, just what are our “NATO allies” going to pony up in the way of actual treasure? I don’t hear of Germany, France, or Belgium transfering billions of euros to Zelinsky’s government.
What, other than reality and don’t abandon Ukraine (even though the neocons screwed us (the USA) with yet another war) are the US national interests in this war? Ukraines border? (which one, pre-invasion, pre-Crimea takeover, something elese?) Do the US citizens get a say or just the Senate (very soon to have a likely firm Democratic majority with major RINO support)? Just Biden by executive order? (Quite a few months and thousands of words have been spent discussing his integrity and his mental stability; and his corruption. I certainly have no faith in his judgement, his integrity, nor his staff’s.)
Col Lang
I agree it is a tone-deaf location
The meeting (Nov 29-30) was at the Palace of the Parliament, the largest administrative building in the world – nice place. It is also located near extreme luxury hotels.
NATO release about location details
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_208576.htm
Palace of the Parliament
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/google_map_Bucharest.htm
Looking at the luxury 5-star hotels near this palace – Palaces, princely residences, and all that bling… nice mini vacation interrupted by meetings?
Kj
“Additionally, just what are our “NATO allies” going to pony up in the way of actual treasure?”
How about paying four times the price of Russian gas for your “freedom gas”? How about being deindustrialized with many industries relocating to the free enterprise paradise named USA to be handsomely subsidized by the free enterpriser USA government? How about replenishing the depleted armories of the EU with very expensive and unproven weaponry such as the F35? You guys are used to the whole world ponying up, but it seems the whole world has other plans, and slowly those plans are coming to fruition, we’ll get to see them, sooner than it seems.
Montagu,
You are paying that to the Ukrainians? Hooray! Europe is de-industrializing? Didn’t they just have an election to support those policies? Well, not the Italians, but those other EU countries? The EU nations are buying F35s? Why, aren’t those Eurofighters any good? Did the French ditch the Rafale already? Why, from what I’ve seen the Russian air force isn’t that good.