And Now Russia Is Threatening Bosnia and Herzegovina Over NATO, Too

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Daily Beast

Russia is now threatening to repeat the aggression it unleashed against Ukraine in Bosnia and Herzegovina if the country joins NATO. In comments made to the broadcaster FTV on Thursday, Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Kalbukhov claimed the country could do as it wishes in regards to the alliance—but warned that Moscow would respond. “If [Bosnia and Herzegovina] decides to be a member of any alliance, that is an internal matter. Our response is a different matter. Ukraine’s example shows what we expect. Should there be any threat, we will respond,” he said in comments carried by Euractiv. ...

-snip-

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/russia-is-now-threatening-bosnia-and-herzegovina-over-nato-too

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Euractiv story and an excerpt from it:

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/russian-ambassador-says-bih-can-join-nato-but-moscow-will-react/

According to Kalabukhov, the West is posing a threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s security by claiming that Russia “is allegedly preparing a plan.”

“We do not have any plans. We will respond having analysed the strategic and geopolitical situation,” the ambassador said. NATO membership is not a reality for BiH given the current lack of consensus on the matter in the country, he added.

[ffr]

1. Loan them a squadron of A-10 Warthogs for a few months.

That should put an end to that.

[godfree2]

6. think about that

what about ground support, mechanics, spare parts
what about weapons they'd carry
what about direct invlvement of USA into war with Russia.
air power does not win wars

thinking of that, you're suggestion is lacking

[ffr]

8. And you're taking a leap that Bosnia and Herzegovina are at war, when they are not.

The A-10 squadron was there for an air show. They just so happened to show up armed.

[EndlessWire]

29. I disagree.

While in general the maxim is that ground troops win wars, air power is most certainly an integral component toward winning.

The Ukrainians apparently can fly Wart Hogs. All the other points you make can be overcome logistically. It need be no more than "Wart Hogs R Uz." Give them the Wart Hogs, and private contractors, and problems solved.

What's this about direct involvement? Well, got news, we are already directly involved. The whole world is threatened by nukes. As soon as he opened his mouth, Putin made ALL of us directly involved. This "hands off" approach is an illusion.

Those comments made by the person only illustrates that Putin is pretty confident that he has cowed NATO, and can count on them staying out of those affairs. He might be in for a shock. All the rules are semantics, and clever people can always find ways around. Who the eff does Putin think he is?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. As we can easily understand, if Putin is not stopped COLD in Ukraine, he'll crush other places too.n

[FM123]

5. Exactly.

[Jetheels]

11. Putin and his rethuglicons.

[Tetrachloride]

3. Nato is going to grow.

[Firestorm49]

4. I don't think that anybody believes what any politician from Russia says.

[BigmanPigman]

32. Ditto

[PatSeg]

7. Wow, Putin really is losing it

Things didn't go as he'd expected so now he's going to threaten everyone in the neighborhood and even beyond.

[colorado_ufo]

13. This is why the defense ministers of NATO met.

They are beefing up defenses in NATO countries and won't be caught pants-down.

[PatSeg]

18. I don't think Putin bargained for such unity

He's gotten away with so much crap for so long, he thought this would be a cakewalk. His adversaries are far more organized and focused than he is.

[sarisataka]

16. Russia isn't going to "march" to Bosnia Herzegovina

Unless the want a World War. Swim maybe...

[PatSeg]

20. I'm concerned that if Putin feels like

he's losing, he might decide to go out with a bang. I think his ego could overshadow his desire to live. I think there is a chance that he would start World War III even if he knows he can't win. "If I'm going down, I'll take a lot of people with me" attitude.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. I've been saying for weeks if Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine, he will march on.

[speak easy]

14. "if Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine"

I firmly believe he chose the wrong country, and the wrong people to start with.

[ck4829]

12. Terrorist threats

[sarisataka]

15. Check a map

To see how ridiculous this threat is

[Igel]

22. Devil's advocate here.

Joint Russia-Serbia military exercises.

Srbija is in Putin's camp; it had the same kind of "you belong to *us* mentality when Jugoslavija broke up about the same time the USSR did, and harbors similar animosity towards Bosnia. Srbija fought for Kosovo polje, which has the same kind of historico-ethnic resonance as Kievan Rus' does for a certain kind of Russian.

[Ace Rothstein]

27. Serbia is on track to join the EU in a few years.

It has been ongoing for over a decade. That will go right out the window if they participate in any sort of invasion of Bosnia.

[5X]

17. And what army?

[roamer65]

19. I highly doubt Serbia wants that can of worms opened again.

It will force them toward the EU and NATO.

We are just seeing propoganda from Putler meant for domestic consumption.

[IronLionZion]

21. Or more countries might feel inspired to join NATO

[Ray Bruns]

23. That is a winning strategy. Don't join NATO or I will make you regret joining NATO.

[tavernier]

24. He equipped his army with excellent provisions...

Bags of potatoes and onions and dried up packaged army surplus food. Wonder what he will feed the new recruits? Pictures of pork chops and prime rib?

[LudwigPastorius]

25. "Should there be any threat, we will respond"

Yeah, that country 1,500 miles away from your nearest border is a potential fucking threat.

Those shrimp-dicked assholes in the Kremlin need a reality check.

[BlueIdaho]

26. Yeah, what they definitely need to do

Is open a war on two additional fronts. Someone in Russia really needs to think about erasing Putin before Russia is divided up and given to other nearby countries.

[EndlessWire]

30. I think not.

Oh, the part about fighting on two fronts is good for our side. As many fronts as he wants. Like, a cluster f***. But, except for Kaliningrad, Russia should not be parceled out. No need to scare the Russian readers here.

We never wanted Russian territory, anyway. This is all on Putin's balding head. Ukraine was never, ever a threat to Russia, and had no plans to invade Russia. I think they had plans to conform to NATO standards. That's what they were doing, trying to invade NATO.

[sarcasmo]

28. Dictator Vlad will Not stop with Ukraine.

[EndlessWire]

31. I suppose psychologically

the world had to reassure stupid Vlad that NATO is not a threat unless provoked by aggression on their territories. But, now he is confident that he can do what he wants to anybody not in NATO. And, he fights in the dirtiest, lowliest sort of way that results in war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

I think we are past the point of diplomacy here. But, perhaps they should at least lodge a complaint against Putin, getting everything on record.