Baltics, in Russia's Shadow, Demand Tougher Stance From West

[bluewater]

Last edited Mon Mar 7, 2022, 08:44 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: NY Times

VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Demanding assurances that the Baltic States will not become Russia's next battleground, Lithuania's president firmly told America's top diplomat on Monday that warnings to deter Moscow from further aggressions are "no longer enough."
Hours later, Latvia's foreign minister dismally predicted that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would shatter any belief that the region could ever let down its guard against President Vladimir V. Putin. "We have no illusions about Putin's Russia anymore," Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said. "I don't see any good reason to assume Russia might change its policy."

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is likely to get a similar earful on Tuesday in Estonia as he tries to convince Baltic leaders, who are also part of NATO, that the United States is doing all it can to stop Russia's assault on Ukraine from spreading across Europe -- while remaining careful not to set off a wider war.
...
But Baltic leaders appear unsatisfied with the level of military support the United States is providing to help deter Russian advances, either to Ukraine directly or to its allies in Europe. Mr. Rinkevics also said international sanctions against Mr. Putin's allies could be toughened, and he called on European states to stop the oil and gas imports from Russia that have become Moscow's economic lifeline.

Russia provides 10 percent of the world's oil and more than a third of the European Union's natural gas. Western sanctions are largely engineered to allow companies in Europe to continue to buy Russian energy, and the White House has resisted more aggressive penalties for fear that they would drive up the price of gasoline and other energy costs for Americans.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/world/europe/baltics-russia-ukraine-war-blinken.html

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In light of events in Ukraine, the Baltic states apparently no longer feel simply being in NATO is a strong enough deterrent against Russian aggression.

[Mr. Evil]

1. During times like this,

sacrifices have to be made.

[Sapient Donkey]

2. Anyone who had a goal of getting rid of or weakening NATO must be pissed at Putin

[COL Mustard]

3. Who would have such opinions????

Who, I ask?

[Cha]

4. "NATO BAD RUSSIA GOOD" & DSA..

Link to tweet

The Democratic Socialists of America reaffirms its call for the US to withdraw from NATO,

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100216451539

[Happy Hoosier]

5. Simply put, the U.S. is NOT doing "all it can."

We are doing "all we are willing to do."

At least for now.

[Igel]

6. That's far more than before.

But there's still, "But it'll mean I'm inconvenienced." And for some, "It means I'll be hurting."

Sure. But the alternative is, "If we don't, then more will be dead."

[Ray Bruns]

7. The Baltic States leaders (who I imagine have seen this all before)

know what Vlad is planning after he takes apart Ukraine.