US ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith says...

[hippywife]

"if Russia attacks NATO territory, NATO will act"

Link to tweet

[JoanofArgh]

1. Good!

[Irish_Dem]

2. I thought we were afraid to act because of Putin's threats of WWIII?

Why then aren't we afraid of Putin's threats when it come to NATO country defense?

[hippywife]

4. NATO is first and foremost a defense organization...

and Ukraine is not a member nation, so the world is right now taking all the steps they need to try to stop him in his tracks before committing itself to the unthinkable - another tragic and devastating war on European soil that could cause even great destabilization there and around the globe. Should NATO or its allies act now, it will give him reason to claim he's justified for his ridiculous claims that Russia is under threat by NATO, when that's simply not true.

Listening to the ambassadors speaking before the UN and the plenary session of the EU Parliament the other day gives a better perspective

[Irish_Dem]

6. So then we will no longer be afraid of WWIII?

When it comes to defending NATO countries?

Putin won't use nukes at that point?

[PSPS]

7. We're all "afraid" of "WWIII" but we won't be the ones who start it.

[Irish_Dem]

9. So in terms of risk assessment, the threat is still the same.

But we will have no choice and didn't start it.

[Buckeyeblue]

19. I agree with you

Seems to be splitting hairs. Especially when we could end the war in Ukraine in a fairly short period of time.

And to your point, the overall risk is the same. Putin either uses nukes or doesn't. I say he doesn't.

And Russia has started this whole thing.

[Irish_Dem]

20. If the risk is the same, then it sounds like the West thinks Putin is bluffing.

We can't fight in Ukraine because the risk is too great, but we can fight in NATO countries with the same risk.

This is not logical.

Doesn't make sense unless we think Putin is bluffing and we don't want to fight in Ukraine for some reason.

[Buckeyeblue]

23. Yes. Unless the reason is that NATO doesn't make exceptions

Maybe they don't want to set a precedent of military intervention for a non-NATO member. Otherwise, what is the motivation for joining and remaining a NATO member? Maybe this is added motivation for Finland and Sweden.

And it can serve as NATO's line in the sand.

Although, I find it very difficult to say we'll give you weapons, intelligence, money and whatever else, but we won't physically join your fight. And then stand off to the side and let what happens happen.

It's essentially like telling the kid who gets his ass kicked by the bully that you'll give him fighting lessons, medical care, etc but you won't stop the bully from kicking his ass. At that point it becomes some sort of strange parable.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Good point about NATO.

What is the point of joining NATO then.

And I agree with your other point as well.

[hippywife]

13. I think they're approaching this

in the right manner for the time being, and this approach has little to do with Putin's nuclear threat. This is how it would be going had he not gone on high alert, because...this is how it's supposed to work in a case such as this.

[Emrys]

15. Like it or not, it's the ultimate red line.

Without it, there's really no justification for NATO to exist - it's its core principle.

It's not a comfortable situation, right enough.

[CrackityJones75]

18. NATO ! U.S.

[EndlessWire]

11. I don't know where this stupid war is going

but I do understand what this thinking is. I believe that they should admit Sweden and Finland immediately, put a huge, huge buildup of NATO defense forces around all the edges (none of this 350 troops here and there--that's laughable) and start a pushback to protect shipping.)

Who cares what Russia thinks. Their desire to appear righteous in front of the world is irrelevant. They may have to put on airs for their own people to get them to sacrifice their children as soldiers, but the rest of us knows the truth.

We should care only what Russia is doing. He is NOT justified. We should not hesitate to act simply because he is posturing as a world dictator. We have emboldened him to attempt to take out any other nonNATO nation that gets in his way of these bizarre ambitions. We don't care about Ukraine? "Who wants to go to war over Ukraine" is what I am hearing. WE ARE ALL UKRAINE.

This is on Putin. It is all on Putin. Those nations that abstained or voted no at the UN will surely be sorry that they didn't take the opportunity to tell Putin to retreat.

[hippywife]

14. The world is being prudent right now

Last edited Thu Mar 3, 2022, 04:43 PM - Edit history (1)

and NATO is executing in the manner it was set up to function. They're not going to give him any justification in his mind to escalate irrationally. We are all following the rule of international law in this situation, and he is not. We are keeping our word and promises, and he is not. ETA: Finland and Sweden will make their own decisions re: NATO membership.

It's not about not wanting to go to war for Ukraine at all. If you think that is the thinking, I suggest you take some time listen to this, at least up through the speech of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission. President Roberta Metsola, President of the EU Parliament, who opened this session was mincing no words, either. No one is fucking around out of fear.

[Irish_Dem]

21. I am only asking about risk assessment.

Risk of Putin using nuclear weapons if we fight in Ukraine vs if we fight in a NATO country.

[hippywife]

22. At this point, as boxed in as his country has now become,

I don't think it would matter one way or the other. If he's nuts enough to do it in one scenario, he's nuts enough to do it in the other. And I don't think that's a consideration, really, as far as the rest of the world's actions right now.

[gratuitous]

16. I don't think that acting even more unhinged than Putin is currently acting is a good strategy

The NATO alliance is acting the adult here.

[lagomorph777]

17. No, that's only on DU.

[PortTack]

3. Yes indeed we will! Pootie has to be stopped, irregardless of threats

[world wide wally]

8. THIS!

[oasis]

5. Smash Putin. nt

[Victor_c3]

10. If the nukes start to fly, the extraterrestrials will save us

I don’t really believe that, but I do peruse some of the more bizarre UFO and alien theories occasionally and I’ve heard that a few times.

I guess we could start WW3 and see if they’re right?

(Again, I don’t really believe that aliens would save us)

[EndlessWire]

12. Each person has the right to hope

and you are entitled to your beliefs.