Saturday, September 20, 2014

World War 3 threat? Vladimir Putin says he can take European capitals in 2 days

World War 3 threat? Vladimir Putin says he can take European capitals in 2 days

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In recent negotiations with Ukraine, the potential for World War 3 raised its horrific head as Russian president Vladimir Putin allegedly threatened to not only forcefully take that country but could easily overrun the capitals of several European countries as well. And he said he could do it in two days.
The Inquisitr reported Sept. 19 that the tensions along the Ukraine-Russia border have led to talks that reportedly have degraded to military threats, threats that very well could escalate into an intercontinental conflagration and possible even World War 3. According to the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Vladimir Putin allegedly had a private meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. During the private discussion, Putin essentially threatened to start World War 3.
“If I wanted," he said (translation via The Inquisitr) in two days I could have Russian troops not only in Kiev, but also in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest.”
In effect, the Russian president threatened to overrun the capital cities of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Romania. And since all five nations are allied with the United States and a host of other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the aggressive encroachment would be tantamount to declaring war on those NATO nations. Given the mutual defense nature of the treaty between the nations of NATO, they would have to respond to Russia's belligerence by going to the aid of the attacked member nations. Considering that this would undoubtedly mean a clash between standing military forces, there would then rage a confrontation from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
Earlier in the month, President Barack Obama stated that the United States was committed to honoring the NATO treaty. He loosely paraphrased the mutual defense article of the Treaty, Article V, that basically considers an attack on one member nation as an attack upon them all. He said in a speech in Tallin, Estonia, "If you ever ask again 'Who will come to help?' you'll know the answer: the Nato alliance, including the armed forces of the United States of America. We'll be here for Estonia. We will be here for Latvia. We will be here for Lithuania."
But if the meeting between Putin, Poroshenko and Barroso were private, how certain can the world be of the Putin's alleged threat?
Vladimir Putin has, in the past, done quite a bit of saber-rattling, giving many historians and political experts pause and enough information to think that the Russian president wants to and just might initiate actions to restore the former imperial glory of Mother Russia. If so, taking the eastern European countries of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Romania would work toward that end, because all five nations at one time belonged to the Warsaw Pact, the mutual defense league of nations headed by a hegemonic Soviet Union.
More alarmingly, though, is the fact that the threat of direct military action by Putin was made earlier in the month. The Telegraph reported that Putin told European Commission President Barroso, "If I want to, I can take Kiev in two weeks."
And in the past few weeks, Putin has put on a display of Russia's military might. Russia test-fired its nuclear missiles, a move that was followed by the Russian president promising to rebuild the country's nuclear arsenal, one that had been limited and gradually reduced by several successive reciprocating treaties with the United States. But the rebuilding promise was met with the Ukraine threatening to restart its nuclear program.
Although it could be simple posturing, many foreign policy experts believe that Vladimir Putin is fully capable of carrying out his threat. Some, like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have even compared Putin's annexation of Crimea and the encroachment of Russian soldiers across the Ukraine border to the initial moves made by Adolf Hitler prior to the start of World War II.
But is it the beginning of World War 3? History, unfortunately, is always told in the past tense. And with all the minor wars popping up throughout the Middle East and Europe, the potential for one or more of them escalating into a global conflagration is always there. In fact, World War 3 may have already begun with the Russian incursion into Ukraine.
Because how many nations knew they were involved in a world war in August 1939? Outside of those planning invasions and other acts of aggression, none. Germany invaded Poland, the first nation to suffer the onslaught of the German blitzkrieg, on Sept. 1, 1939. On Sept. 3, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany in support of Poland.
Sadly, it just might be Poland (if it isn't Ukraine) again that sees the first overtly aggressive action by a belligerent force. And it would be Great Britain and France again (and even the U. S.) going to Poland's aid that would touch off World War 3.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

ISIS isn't our only enemy. War comes to America's streets.

WWIII?

http://www.amazon.com/World-War-III-Not-Imagined-ebook/dp/B00K14WUK8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1399685078