I think this much is obvious.
NATO is not frightened of Russia.
It is not cowering in the corner with covered head.
It IS responding to the threat posed by russia's destructiveness inside Ukraine.
Not by a show of force, for a more subtle approach is needed?
It is treating the russian leadership rather like a bolting horse with the bit between its teeth?
Unpredicable, and potentially dangerous.
That is the assessment?
So the response is cautious and measured.
No sudden movement to cause alarm.
Tighten the screws gradually.
Do things like the tortoise, not like the hare.
Slow the bolting horse by introducing small obstacles in to its path.
This will allow time to make changes to the way trade is realised with russia.
Reliance on certain russian technology and goods can be reduced significantly?
Some don't agree with this approach?
They would prefer the conflict to be dynamic and overt?
Armchair critics do like something to get their teeth in to.

Their is also the hope that those close to the leadership will notice their plush existence crumbling about them.
Those same persons might see the writing on the wall?
They would then move to change leadership and stop the aggression?
We should note that the present leadership discreetly encourages Mr T. to weaken and destroy the US of A?
So they are familiar with remote manipulation.

! maji chini ya daraja daima ni muhimu ! :-)

History is a great tool, and too often ingloriously repeats itself!

How dumb to ban Russian literature and music at this time. We again shoot ourselves in the foot!

Dan

Interesting take Hasbeen, but the brutality of the Russian army is well established. No surprise to see people forcibly expatriated to Russia, nor is the plight of this young girl:

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/03/25/ukraine-childrens-hospital-lead-watson-pkg-vpx.cnn

You condemn the Balkans by its history and would seem to deny them the opportunity to change. The resistance of the Ukranians, determined to keep their liberal democracy, enabled with western assistance and sanctions, might yet lead to some positive changes. Putin is a fool to leave his army there as it is being both destroyed and shown up as being not the sharp weapon of terror it once was. How stable will his cleptocratic autocracy and puppet regimes be if the tragedy continues? Plenty on the Russian gravy train are very annoyed by the unnecessary curtailment of their lifestyles. Putin should watch his back.

The debacle that the Russian invasion has become shows that, ultimately, Russia is no threat to any NATO country. The Russian forces have been shown to be incompetently lead with low moral and equipment that is poorly maintained and outdated. They might eventually defeat a much smaller force with overwhelming numbers, but we can now see that they are not in any position to take on any NATO nation.

The longer term implications of this is that it may well accelerate the withdrawal of the US from Europe as it is now clear that if the Europeans themselves indeed spend their 2% of GDP on their military they won't need US help to withstand any Russian assault.

For the US, they have no geopolitical reason to involve themselves in the conflict. Sure they can supply the Ukrainians just to make life even more difficult for the Russian aggressors. but the final outcome of conflict doesn't concern US national interests.

Therefore there is no reason why a kid from Ohio ought to be asked to risk his life to save the life or liberty of a kid from Odessa.

"You condemn the Balkans by its history and would seem to deny them the opportunity to change". Fester.

No Fester I deny them nothing, but it is up to the people of the Balkans to start treating each other a little more kindly, & sort their problems themselves. Democracy can not enforced, it must be sort, proven a number of times recently. Hundreds of years of hatred between groups, is a pretty poor base to start from, but they have no other choice, it is start to work together, or continue killing each other. That is one thing they have become very good at. It would take real effort, hard to raise when distrust is the first thought.

We are on the slippery slope already to a similar problem.

Many of us no longer trust the medical profession with good cause after Covid bulldust.

Many no longer trust scientists or academics, after the global warming scam, & covid bulldust. Of course none of us trust politicians or used car salesmen, also all with good cause.

There are many suburbs in our larger cities where it is unsafe for various ethnics to venture, particularly after sun set. Mix & match may be a great idea for womens fashion, but is a bad idea when it comes to populations.

You’ve made some solid and valid points the last couple of posts Hasbeen .

Mayhem is an inherited trait instilled by a long history: Effectively it’s called historic trauma.
If there were a nut house big enough to house the Russians and Ukrainians it’d be problem solved.

Unfortunately, your right again. If there is a wrong way to go about this issue, our moronic dumb collective of Politicians will leave no stone unturned to discover it.
But it’s not them that will pay the price is it.

I’ve got a huge sinking feeling “ Here we go again”!

Dan