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Guys - all of you should understand one thing here: Putin is very very popular in Russia with more than 70% approval rating.
also please note that
1 It is an election Year in Russia - so Putin using saber rattling tactics to get more support for his future plans
2 Western Europe is not a fighter by any means. I don't want to offend anyone - but there are no people in Germany, France, Italy and Spain who will stand up and say something against this natural gas manipulation. So America is a knight who is going to battle all alone and also drags a dead horse behind him. Please guess - who is a dead horse.
3 Russia will do anything possible to make Western Europe "addicted" to Russian gas and oil - it is the only leverage left to Russia in the world.
4 Russian people have certain mentality: they prefer to stay hungry but see the mighty rockets fly into space. So Putin is using it to his advantage. His very "feisty" stand against the west - brings him a Lot of support.
Honestly I think it is time for our government to say something more direct and tough about this whole situation. Russia knows that we are in vulnerable position in Iraq, so they use it as a warning for us to stay out of their business. My own idea is following. Western Europe has to show some guts and be much more accommodating to-wards USA than I see lately (except UK). If these preconditions will be fulfilled and if the situation will not improve than European governments should specifically ask for our help (involvement) - than and only than we should interfere. For now we should monitor the situation, but stay out of it.
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"We Shall Never Surrender" Winston Churchill
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