Will the U.S. and NATO bloviate, ignore the Russian ultimatum, and continue to foment war in Ukraine and Eastern Europe? From Finian Cunningham at strategic-culture.org:
If there are no prompt responses to Russia’s legitimate security concerns, then the next phase entails a more robust military-technical realm
It is quite clear that the clock is ticking on how the United States and its NATO allies respond to Russia’s urgent security proposals.
For Moscow, if the forthcoming talks do not produce firm security guarantees in short order, then the suspicion is that the U.S. and NATO are using the engagement as a cover for continuing a long-term military build-up against Russia.
Russia’s strategic patience has worn out. Years of relentless encroachment by the United States and NATO on Russia’s territory has reached the point where Moscow has peremptorily declared red lines that must be respected. In short, no more eastward expansion by the U.S.-led military bloc and, secondly, the removal of U.S. strike weapons from neighbouring states.
The latest phase in the long post-Cold War game has been the vicarious menacing with Ukraine. Moscow could be criticized for being too complacent about the bad faith and backsliding by NATO since the late-1990s in ripping up assurances to Russia over no eastward expansion. But the NATO-backed Kiev regime threatening Russian people in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s national security is the last straw. Better late than never.
If the U.S. and its NATO sycophants continue to poke the Bear, they will get what they deserve, a sound thrashing!!