Bush pushes for NATO expansion
BUCHAREST, Romania - President Bush renewed urgent calls Wednesday for NATO nations to allow Ukraine and Georgia to start the admission process over Russian objections and to counter Osama bin Laden's latest threats to Europe by stepping up their efforts in Afghanistan.
Hoping to set the stage for a summit of leaders from the trans-Atlantic alliance here this week, Bush also said that he remained committed to building a U.S. missile defense system in Europe fiercely opposed by Moscow and that the United States would not endanger Iraq with precipitous U.S. troop withdrawals.
On the eve of his last NATO summit and anticipating a tense showdown over NATO expansion, Bush lobbied fellow leaders.
He argued that the alliance should be open to all European democracies, for now the former Soviet republics Ukraine and Georgia but also others in the future. Arguing against the misgivings from France and Germany that opening the process to Ukraine and Georgia could overly harm relations with Moscow, a needed energy supplier, Bush said a larger NATO is not a threat to Russia.
"We must make clear that NATO welcomes the aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine for membership in NATO and offers them a clear path forward toward that goal," the president said. "NATO membership must remain open to all of Europe's democracies that seek it, and are ready to share in the responsibilities of NATO membership."
But Russia is vehemently against extending NATO closer to its borders and has threatened to target Ukraine and Georgia with missiles if the plans go ahead. With nine ex-Soviet bloc countries already in the alliance, Moscow is sensitive to any further loss of influence in the former Soviet sphere, especially in places like Ukraine and Georgia that were at the heart of the one-time superpower.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded colorfully to Bush's address, calling the proposed expansion "artificial â?? and completely unnecessary" to today's anti-terror battles.
"What's happening will not (go) unanswered, I assure you," he said before the State Duma in Moscow. But we will respond to this pragmatically, not like a small child in school, who is offended by someone and slams the door and runs crying from the classroom."
Bush pushes for NATO expansion - Yahoo! News
Must be hard for the Russian leader see old pieces of the empire go to NATO. Considering their past relations with the Ukraine....I'd imagine this is VERY tough to swallow.
Have a good one!:s4:
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
Yes, this is going to piss the Russians off quite a bit. Ukraine and Georgia were actually part of the Soviet Union, right? Not just part of the Soviet bloc? When the article menitions other Soviet bloc countries, I think it is talking about countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia that were part of the Soviet bloc, but not IN the USSR. This would be a whole different level I think. Does anyone know if there are any other NATO members who were actually part of the USSR at one time?
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
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Does anyone know if there are any other NATO members who were actually part of the USSR at one time?
yes there are. latvia and estonia
i still wonder how long its goin to be before we finally go to war with russia. i can see it looming on the horizon
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
President for life Putin has reason to be upset and so he should be.As far as a war with Russia whether it be in the distant future i hope would be improbable.But my money would be on Russia ( sorry Americans im not trying to be little you guys)but look at what they did against the Nazi war machine a far superior fighting force and the Russians kicked ass the Russians had the Nazis defeated long before America entered the war.By august 1944 Russia was attacking warsaw.The end was in sight for germany.
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
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Originally Posted by fishman3811
( sorry Americans im not trying to be little you guys)
Our country may be small, at least when compared to Russia, but make no mistake that they don't want a one-on-one war with the U.S. Nobody does, except extremist nutbags. Anyway, I highly doubt it would be much of a ground war, but more like a nuclear pissing contest. The Soviets were afraid of us during the Cold War, and the Russians are afraid now. Remember the old saying "mutually assured destruction"? It still applies today. Honestly, the only way I ever see Russia getting the brass balls to declare war on us is if China, N. Korea, Iran, and a bunch of other Islamic countries all join in with them. Then we'd prepare to find out if WW4 really will eventually be fought with sticks and stones.
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
Quote:
Originally Posted by fishman3811
President for life Putin has reason to be upset and so he should be.As far as a war with Russia whether it be in the distant future i hope would be improbable.But my money would be on Russia ( sorry Americans im not trying to be little you guys)but look at what they did against the Nazi war machine a far superior fighting force and the Russians kicked ass the Russians had the Nazis defeated long before America entered the war.By august 1944 Russia was attacking warsaw.The end was in sight for germany.
You gotta be kidding? Do you actually believe that? Stalin was moving all his war machine to Siberia and sacrificing his people to delay the onslaught of the Nazi's, and a MASS amount of his armor came from USA (tanks, planes, munitions, supplies) It is well. documented that he was teetering on the edge of surrender and it was only the ALLIES that kept him safe.
Do you not know how to read history other than HATE USA?
And dont think for 1 second Canada doesnt lick the liberties and spoils from the United States of America and enjoy its liberties because of our accomplishments.
Sure you can post infowars.com or prisonplanet.com, which seem (to me) do nothing but start out each article with questions and 'what ifs' then dive into the subject with the writers own views, why I can copy/paste TONS of stuff that is equally pro-usa - does that give it validity? NO.
I cant believe what I read here sometimes.
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
What are u dillusional Stalin was moving his factories to Siberia so that they could continue its fight against Germany and Siberia was out of the reach of Nazi bombers.I dont know where you get this mass amount of armor came from the states which is bullshit it wasnt the sherman tank that defeated the germans it was the superior T-34 TANK.Do u even know how many tanks and planes the British and Americans sent to germany?Well i do and it was a fraction of what the Riussians produced for instance in 1942 the Russians produced 12527 T-34 tanks in 1943 they produced 15821 T-34 and in 1944 they produced 14648 T-34 tanks.In comparision the Americans sent 4200 M4A2 TANKS to Russia.Now lets talk about facts 80% of German forces was destroyed fighting the Russians the other 20% that the Allies destroyed consisted mostly of Hitler-Jugend and local militia.If you check the list of German casualties on the western front you wont find any elite corps their.The Africa operation is different but in Africa Hitler used obsolete equipment because he had little abilities to reinforce them.So in conclusion yes the Allies did send equipment and lots of it but it was the Russian soldier and the Russian tank that defeated the best army in the world.By 1943 the Germans were retreating and the Russians where not stopping until they reached Berlin.
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
I dont post things by prison planet or info wars BTW
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
"I would be happy to be proved wrong but I do not expect MAP for Georgia and Ukraine," said NATO spokesman James Appathurai, referring to the Membership Action Plan sought by the two former-Soviet republics.
All 26 allies must agree for the expansion plan to move forward and talks over dinner Wednesday failed to find a breakthrough.
The Associated Press: NATO Divided on Georgia, Ukraine
And a big sigh of relief was heard coming out of Russia.....
Have a good one!:s4:
Bush pushes for NATO expansion
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Originally Posted by Humboldt215
Do you not know how to read history other than HATE USA?
And dont think for 1 second Canada doesnt lick the liberties and spoils from the United States of America and enjoy its liberties because of our accomplishments.
I cant believe what I read here sometimes.
That makes two of us.
First of all...we have our own country, and our own freedoms, and we fought just as hard as any American in BOTH world wars. We don't owe our freedoms to you at all. In fact, if we have our freedoms because of you..how come you lost them and we still adhere to them?
And as for the 'hate America' history...do you ever read anything that isn't pro-America?? Not much, most likely.
There was no need to respond like that, and tell him to check his info, because it would appear you could use a little of your own advice.
