Russia is a formidable military power in its own right. Ally it with China, and you’ve got an alliance with which you don’t want to mess. From Ray McGovern at antiwar.com:
Fourteen years ago today, when then-ambassador to Russia William Burns, in an IMMEDIATE cable titled “Nyet Means Nyet: Russia’s NATO Enlargement Redlines,” reported Moscow’s warning that NATO membership for Ukraine would cross a red line, the Russians could do little more than grouse. Enter from left stage Chinese President Xi Jinping last year with the shot of adrenalin Putin needed to make “Nyet” stick.
Today’s acrimony at the UN Security Council provides the latest sign of Russia’s no-holds-barred chutzpah regarding the U.S. on Ukraine, with the words of Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia. U.S. UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield had accused Russia of “actions [that] strike at the very heart of the UN Charter.”
Nebenzia retorted that the U.S. is “whipping up tensions and provoking escalation.” As for invading Ukraine, Nebenzia addressed the US ambassador with these words: “You are almost pulling for this … You want it to happen. You’re waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality.”
Burns and Lavrov
No one is better placed to discern the significance of this change of tone than ex-ambassador Burns, who is now-CIA Director. In his Feb. 1, 2008 cable citing Lavrov’s admonitions, Burns reported that the NATO membership issue “could potentially split Ukraine in two, leading to violence or even, some claim, civil war, which would force Russia to decide whether to intervene.” Burns added: “NATO enlargement, particularly to Ukraine, remains an emotional and neuralgic issue for Russia, but strategic policy considerations also underlie strong opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine.”
McGovern is an old breed intelligence analyst. Back then a certain number of them had ethics and morals, unlike the scum in Langley today. The David Cohen’s and Victoria Nuland’s, as well as idiots like Blinken, don’t seem to have American interests at heart. Their interests are more about fueling the Industrial Military Complex and pleasing the billionaire Oligarchs who run the hellish mess.