Generational Dynamics Forum - New Site

NATO military commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove wrote:
NATO's top military commander in Europe, drafting ( restrained ) countermoves to the Russian military threat against Ukraine, said Wednesday they could include deployment of American ( ground ) troops to alliance member states in Eastern Europe now feeling at risk.
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"They ( dated commercial satellited pictures from late March ) show there is a mixture of (Russian) light and heavy (military) forces ( on the Eastern border of Ukraine ) and that they could go quickly" if ordered into Ukraine, and that they include forces to provide air mobility, according to Cordesman. "But that's all they show," he said.
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To illustrate his point the general's staff showed (commercial ) satellite photographs (shown to the AP reporters ) showed Russian warplanes, combat helicopters, armor, artillery and a probable airborne or special forces brigade deployed in locations east ( as opposed to North or North East ) of the Ukraine-Russian border,
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Kremlin objectives remain unclear, the NATO commander said. The ( Russian eastern ) force could stand pat and intimidate Ukraine solely by its presence, drive south to create a land bridge with Crimea, push along the Black Sea coast to the Ukrainian port city of Odessa and the largely Russian Trans-Dniester enclave of Moldova, or invade other areas of eastern Ukraine where ethnic Russians are demanding unity with Russia, he said.

However ( the Russians might elect to use their Invasion forces on the Ukraine border ), it's "ready to go essentially at ( Russia's ) command. We talk about inside of 12 hours," Breedlove said.
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"The tougher piece is, how do we do the assurance ( feel good for Eastern European members of Nato ) piece on the land," the general said. "Because these are measures which are more costly (and) if not done correctly, might appear provocative ( to Russia ). And everything we are trying (to plan) to do in the air, on the ground and at sea we ( NATO ) are trying to completely characterize as defensive in nature ( for the purpose of denfeding NATO members Romania, Poland, and the Baltics, and not for the purpose of defending non-Nato members Ukraine Nor Moldova )."


"There is not a shortage of what we can use. It's how do we use this in a measured way that indicates defensive capability ( to reassure Eastern European Nato members NATO will not treat them, the way NATO is treating Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, and also ) so that we don't provoke ( Russia ). And that's what we will be working on," Breedlove said before departing for NATO's military headquarters near Mons, Belgium.