News from Ukraine Conflict

[Centurion40]

Dawn is about to break on the Russian-Ukrainian boarder. I wonder what the day will bring?

[LongBlade]

An ill wind blows from the east.

[Gusington]

Orks?

[Staggerwing]

How do you guys feel about this? What should NATO do if Putin goes all-in? What should the USA do?

[LongBlade]

How do you guys feel about this? What should NATO do if Putin goes all-in? What should the USA do?

What I think matters not a whit.

The US will do nothing.

[Gusington]

I agree and that will be a mistake.

[Staggerwing]

For the rice-wine of argument though: What say ye?

[Gusington]

Nothing. And we will pay for that 3, 5, 10 years from now.

[Con]

How do you guys feel about this? What should NATO do if Putin goes all-in? What should the USA do?

What I think matters not a whit.

The US will do nothing.

I think people make a mistake if they think using military force is the only option here

As with all things it should be the option of last resort.  Unfortunately its been pulled out too often and too early in the last decade by the US and see where that has got us.

I also wonder what people think we can do?  Ukraine is not a NATO member there are no political agreements, prepositioned military supplies, long term cross training and even a stable local government.  Is that what you want to go and send your troops into?  Because if we do go in against Russia on their doorstep at the tail end of a logistical nightmare we will have thousands of US troops killed.  Russia is not some third rate military and we are in their backyard.

What we need to do is probably what we are doing as much as can be done behind closed doors.  Give the Ukranians the best intel they can get, provide drones and other military assets and work to see if there are diplomatic levers that can be pulled to wean the west off Russian gas.

Con

[LongBlade]

For the rice-wine of argument though: What say ye?

Send them small arms and ammo. Send them ATGMs. Send them Manpads. Some mines.

That's a good start. I think they'll fight. They just need some equipment to match the effort.

[LongBlade]

A non-kinetic response might be to offer Ukraine membership in NATO.

However, that window has probably closed. At least for now.

Also, I'm not really up to speed on the pros and cons of said idea. Sitting here making what amounts to a snap decision without any kind of serious reflection is, well, indulging your curiosity for an answer 

[Staggerwing]

A snap decision is pretty safe to make since neither the legislative nor executive branch of gov't listens to you or me anyway....   ::)

Well, they might be listening after all . They are simply not hearing us.

[BanzaiCat]

Reuters reported that the conflict hasn't widened from the initial skirmishes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/16/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0GF13120140816

Not sure if that's an indication of calming down, or of the Russians building up for a hammer blow.

[Staggerwing]

I'm thinking that the 'Russian armored column' the Ukrainians wasted was actually the vanguard of the supposed 1200 newly trained separatist and their 'gifted' armor that the Separatist leader promised was coming to his rescue from across the Russian border.

[eyebiter]

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