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  • First down payment on his pound of flesh!
    F-16's Sure why not.
    I guess Erdogan's arms dealer in the Kremlin already has the dope on those.

    An Alliance is only as strong as its weakest link!
    https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order...tern-vocation/

    When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

    Comment


    • NATO vows to guard 'every inch of territory' as Russia fumes

      MADRID (AP) — An unstable world could get even more dangerous if NATO does not remain strong and united, the head of the alliance said Thursday at the end of a summit where Western leaders labeled Russia “a direct threat” to the security of their nations.

      During their three-day meeting in Madrid, NATO members confronted a geopolitical landscape marked by big-power competition and myriad threats, from cyberattacks to climate change. The leaders cast their sights around the world —- drawing a rebuke after accusing China of posing “serious challenges ” to global stability. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine dominated the summit.

      “We live in a more dangerous world and we live in a more unpredictable world, and we live in a world where we have a hot war going on in Europe," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “At the same time, we also know that this can get worse.”

      That is why the Western military alliance has a “core responsibility” to keep the war in Ukraine from spilling into other countries while making clear to Moscow that it would “protect every inch of NATO territory,” Stoltenberg said.

      That territory is set to grow. At the summit, NATO leaders formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, after striking an agreement to end opposition from Turkey. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could still block the Nordic countries’ membership, if the Nordic pair do not keep their promises.

      If the accession is approved by all 30 member nations, it will give NATO a new 800-mile (1,300 kilometer) border with Russia.

      Russian President Vladimir Putin warned he would respond in kind if Sweden or Finland agreed to host NATO troops and military infrastructure. He said Russia would have to “create the same threats for the territory from which threats against us are created.”

      Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Putin's threats were “nothing new.”

      “Of course, we have to expect some kind of surprises from Putin, but I doubt that he is attacking Sweden or Finland directly,” Kallas said.

      NATO leaders turned their gaze south for a final summit session Thursday focused on Africa’s Sahel region and the Middle East, where political instability — aggravated by climate change and food insecurity sparked by the war in Ukraine — is driving large numbers of migrants toward Europe.

      The U.S. and other Western nations also are seeking to counterbalance the growing influence of China and Russia in the developing world. Stoltenberg said "Moscow and Beijing are using economic leverage, coercion and hybrid approaches to advance their interests in the region.”

      The Beijing government called the alliance a “Cold War remnant” and accused it of “maliciously attacking and smearing” China by including it on NATO’s list of global challenges.

      But Stoltenberg said it was Russia's invasion of Ukraine that had brought “the biggest overhaul of our collective defense since the end of the Cold War.” In response, NATO has poured troops and weapons into Eastern Europe on a scale unseen in decades.

      The NATO leaders agreed at the Madrid summit to dramatically scale up military force along the alliance’s eastern flank, where countries from Romania to the Baltic states worry about Russia’s future plans.

      NATO announced plans to increase almost eightfold the size of the alliance’s rapid reaction force, from 40,000 to 300,000 troops, by next year — though details of specific troop commitments remained vague.

      Most of the troops would be based in their home nations but dedicated to specific countries in the east, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition.


      Member nations have given Ukraine billions in military and civilian aid to strengthen its resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed the summit by video link, asked for more.

      He urged NATO to send modern artillery systems and other weapons — or “face a delayed war between Russia and yourself.”

      “The question is, who’s next? Moldova? Or the Baltics? Or Poland? The answer is: all of them,” he said.

      U.S. President Joe Biden, whose country provides the bulk of NATO’s firepower, announced a hefty boost in America’s military presence in Europe, including a permanent U.S. base in Poland, two more Navy destroyers based in Spain, and two more F35 squadrons in the U.K.

      “Before the war started, I told Putin that if he invaded Ukraine, NATO would not only get stronger, but would get more united,” Biden told reporters. “And we would see democracies in the world stand up and oppose his aggression and defend the rules-based order. That’s exactly what we’re seeing today.”

      Still, strains among NATO allies have emerged as the cost of energy and other essential goods has skyrocketed, partly because of the war and tough Western sanctions on Russia. There also are tensions over how the war will end and what, if any, concessions Ukraine should make.

      Money remains a sensitive issue — just nine of NATO’s 30 members currently meet the organization’s target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense.

      Britain, one of the nine, announced a further 1 billion pounds ($1.21 billion) in military support to Ukraine on Thursday. Prime MInister Boris Johnson said the U.K. it would increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade. Host country Spain, one of the lowest spenders in the alliance, aims to hit the 2% target by 2029, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.


      The summit also produced a new Strategic Concept, NATO's once-a-decade set of priorities and goals.

      The last such document, in 2010, called Russia a “strategic partner.” Now, NATO accuses Russia of using “coercion, subversion, aggression and annexation” to extend its reach.

      The 2010 document made no mention of China, but the new one flagged Beijing’s growing economic and military reach as a a challenge to NATO's members.

      NATO said that China “strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains” and warned of its close ties with Moscow.

      China shot back that NATO was "creating problems around the world.”

      “Since NATO positions China as a ‘systemic challenge,’ we have to pay close attention and respond in a coordinated way. When it comes to acts that undermine China’s interests, we will make firm and strong responses,” a statement from Beijing's mission to the European Union said.

      ___
      “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

      Comment


      • Done and done!
        The Accession Protocols that will permit Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance has been finalized;
        and may Putin the Putz choke on it!
        All that remains is for the member countries parliaments to ratify it, something that’s should be simply pro forma,
        and yet there’s a fly in that ointment called Turkey!
        Yes Erdogan has signed off on it, but that said he is still demanding the extradition of Kurds resident in the two countries!
        He can still have his rubber-stamp parliament vote down ratification.
        Then you’d have this Autocrat crying crocodile tears, waving his hands in the air,
        decrying that he is forced to obey the “democratic” wishes of his people!
        Essentially having his cake and eating it too!


        https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_197763.htm
        When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

        Comment


        • House approves resolution supporting Finland, Sweden joining NATO; 18 Republicans vote ‘no’

          The House approved a resolution on Monday that expressed support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO, exactly two months after the Nordic countries submitted applications to become part of the military alliance amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

          The resolution cleared the House in a 394-18 vote, with only Republicans voting in opposition. Two Democrats and 17 Republicans did not vote.

          The GOP lawmakers who voted “no” were Reps.
          • Andy Biggs (Ariz.)
          • Dan Bishop (N.C.)
          • Lauren Boebert (Colo.)
          • Madison Cawthorn (N.C.)
          • Ben Cline (Va.)
          • Michael Cloud (Texas)
          • Warren Davidson (Ohio)
          • Matt Gaetz (Fla.)
          • Bob Good (Va.)
          • Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.)
          • Morgan Griffith (Va.)
          • Thomas Massie (Ky.)
          • Tom McClintock (Calif.)
          • Mary Miller (Ill.)
          • Ralph Norman (S.C.)
          • Matt Rosendale (Mont.)
          • Chip Roy (Texas)
          • Jefferson Van Drew (N.J.)

          The measure, which has bipartisan sponsorship, expresses support for Finland and Sweden’s “historic decision” to apply to NATO and calls on member states to formally support them joining the military alliance.

          It also opposes any efforts by the Russian Federation to adversely respond to Finland and Sweden’s decision to join the alliance and urges NATO members to satisfy the two percent defense spending pledge that countries signed on to at the 2014 Wales Summit. That declaration said that NATO allies currently spending at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense would try to continue to do so.

          The House passed the resolution exactly two months after Finland and Sweden submitted their applications to become members of NATO. On June 29, the military alliance officially invited the two Nordic countries to join the group.

          Even before then, however, on June 9, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution by voice vote that called on NATO to quickly grant membership to Finland and Sweden.

          The push for Finland and Sweden to join NATO gained steam this year, particularly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, which is still ongoing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said the war could come to an end by the conclusion of this year.

          House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) expressed support for the resolution during debate on the House floor Monday, saying that “two extraordinary new members” will be added to the European community and underscoring the value the countries will bring to the alliance.

          “Together, Finland and Sweden will add substantial capabilities to NATO’s collective defense and make the Baltic region much more secure against Russian aggression. But much more than that, they will add value because of their values to our alliance,” Hoyer said.

          Hoyer also called for Russia’s “strategic defeat” in the war, emphasizing the international signfiicance of a victory for Kyiv.

          “Vladimir Putin must not win this war. Not only for the sake of the Ukrainians and their extraordinary bravery, and the bravery and leadership of Mr. Zelensky, their president, but because the free world needs to send a very strong and clear and unmistakable message that tyranny will not prevail,” he said.

          “We must send a message to dictators around the world that this action is unacceptable and will be opposed to victory by the free world. We must defend the hard-won principle in international laws and norms that a nation cannot simply invade and seek to conquer territory from a neighbor by force,” he added.

          Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee and a sponsor of the resolution, said Finland and Sweden will be “significant security providers for NATO.”

          “Finland and Sweden’s strategic location in northern Europe, advanced militaries, and decades of fighting alongside the U.S. and NATO mean that their accession will immediately strengthen the transatlantic security,” he said during debate on the House floor.

          “Finland and Sweden have well-trained armed forces, sophisticated modern weapon systems and have committed to allocating two percent of their gross domestic product to defense spending. Both militaries are highly interoperable with NATO forces, having participated in numerous NATO-led operations from Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina to Kosovo,” he added.
          ________

          The usual Trump-worshiping, Putin-loving traitors, what a shock.
          “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

          Comment


          • Any idea at what was the consensus among the "no voters", as to why they opposed the measure?
            Or was it simply that any bill put forward by the Dems had to be voted against!
            When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

            Comment


            • Erdogan must feel right at home with these two!
              https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-teh...a-cooperation/
              When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

              Comment


              • Well it seems that Erdogan is going to go right down to the wire, with his “extortionist” gambit.
                18 NATO members have signed off on Sweden’s and Finland’s membership.
                11others are as good as certain, that leaves just Erdogan in the catbird seat!
                He’s got to know that his demand for the extradition of the 85 Kurds to Turkey is not going to happen.
                So you have to wonder what his game is!
                Maybe he is pissed off that these two Democratic nations were able to buy 2-3 dozen F-35’s, and he had to settle for F-16’s.


                https://www.thenationalnews.com/worl...ish-militants/
                When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

                Comment


                • Hawley vows to vote ‘no’ on adding Sweden and Finland to NATO

                  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Monday said he would vote against Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, a move that would go against most of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle.

                  In an op-ed published by The National Interest, Hawley says the United States shouldn’t expand its security commitments in Europe due to a more pressing threat from China.

                  “Finland and Sweden want to join the Atlantic Alliance to head off further Russian aggression in Europe. That is entirely understandable given their location and security needs,” Hawley wrote.

                  “But America’s greatest foreign adversary doesn’t loom over Europe. It looms in Asia. I am talking of course about the People’s Republic of China. And when it comes to Chinese imperialism, the American people should know the truth: the United States is not ready to resist it. Expanding American security commitments in Europe now would only make that problem worse—and America, less safe.”

                  Finland and Sweden in May announced their intentions to join NATO following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The governments of 19 NATO countries have since ratified the two Nordic nations joining the alliance. Eleven, including the United States, have yet to do so. All 30 member states must approve the additions.

                  Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants senators to vote on enlarging the alliance before the lawmakers leave Washington, D.C., for a monthlong break set to start Aug. 8.

                  Finland’s and Sweden’s requests have received widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans. But Hawley — who was one of the 11 conservatives who opposed the $40 billion Ukraine aid package Congress passed in May — insists the United States isn’t prepared to go against both Moscow and Beijing.

                  “As the 2018 and 2022 U.S. National Defense Strategies both acknowledge, the United States cannot defeat China and Russia in two major wars at the same time. And we are not where we need to be in Asia,” Hawley wrote.

                  Citing distractions from “nation-building activities in the Middle East and legacy commitments in Europe,” Hawley says the U.S. is not prepared to fend off Chinese military aggression in the Pacific should it happen.

                  “In the face of this stark reality, we must choose. We must do less in Europe (and elsewhere) in order to prioritize China and Asia.”

                  While Hawley says the U.S. government shouldn’t abandon NATO, he suggests European allies could take on more responsibility in defending Europe by investing more in their own militaries.

                  Hawley’s stance goes against that of the majority of his fellow Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who last week said the United States “would be fortunate to have two new treaty allies as impressive and capable as Finland and Sweden.”

                  Eighteen House Republicans last month voted against a symbolic resolution to support Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
                  ___________

                  You little chickenshit mf'er....
                  “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

                  Comment


                  • Senate votes 95-1 to add Sweden, Finland to NATO

                    The Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution ratifying Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to the NATO, sending another signal that Congress remains unified in opposing Russian aggression toward Ukraine and Europe.

                    The Senate voted 95 to 1 to approve the resolution, with every member of the Democratic caucus and most Republicans voting in support. It ratifies protocols of accession that NATO allies signed on July 5.

                    Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who argued in a recent op-ed that the United States should focus on containing China instead of expanding NATO, was the only Republican to vote “no.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted “present” on the resolution.

                    “We cannot strengthen our deterrent posture in the Pacific if we’re sending more forces and resources to Europe to defend new allies. That’s the bottom line,” Hawley said on the floor before the vote.

                    The resolution was a top priority of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who visited Sweden and Finland in May as part of a congressional delegation that also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

                    McConnell insisted the Senate ratify Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO membership before leaving for the monthlong August recess.

                    “There is just no question that admitting these robust democratic countries with modern economies and capable, interoperable militaries will only strengthen the most successful military alliance in human history,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

                    McConnell noted that Sweden and Finland already participate in NATO- and American-led missions and that Finland already meets NATO’s target that members spend at least 2 percent of their national gross domestic product on defense.

                    He suggested that Republican colleagues who voted against expanding NATO made a mistake, arguing that standing up to Russian aggression will send a strong message to Chinese leaders.

                    “Even closer cooperation with these partners will help us counter Russia and China. Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure,” he said.

                    “If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote ‘no,’ I wish them good luck. This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support,” he added.

                    The Senate resolution supports Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to join NATO and calls on all NATO members to move quickly to complete the ratification process.

                    The U.S. would be the 20th of 30 NATO countries to ratify the two nations’ entries.

                    Lawmakers say the Senate vote is the latest example of how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has strengthened the resolve of NATO members. They say that Putin wrongly thought he would divide Western allies.

                    “Enlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine. Indeed, he may have been trying to test the resolve of the alliance, and I am pleased that we have passed that test with overwhelming unity of vision and purpose,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

                    The House voted 394 to 18 last month for a companion resolution to express support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The 18 “no” votes were all Republicans.

                    Finland shares an 800-mile border with Russia. Sweden doesn’t share a border with Russia but shares a strategic interest with Russia in the Baltic Sea, which gives Russia’s naval fleet access to the Atlantic.

                    Russia in June threatened to deploy nuclear weapons along its northwestern border if Finland and Sweden joined NATO.
                    ____________

                    <Insert tremendous fist-pump here>

                    And Josh Hawley and Rand Paul, after you pick up this month's paycheck from the Kremlin, you may feel free to fornicate yourselves with an iron rod.

                    Speaking of useful idiots....
                    “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

                    Comment


                    • Look on the bright side Joe, You only got two high ranking politicians living in the Putz's pocket!
                      When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

                      Comment


                      • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-nuclear-plant

                        "...and now Erdogan is off for another visit to his paymaster!"
                        You really have to wonder what the Ukrainians are thinking in respect to Turkey?

                        When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

                        Comment


                        • Especially with news stories like this floating around!
                          https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/t...putin-proposed
                          When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

                          Comment


                          • “Playing both ends against the middle”, can be very profitable, but at some point the huckster will have to choose sides!
                            You have to wonder when the other NATO members have given their affirmation on Sweden and Finland joining the Alliance,
                            what the repercussions would be if Turkey hold steadfast in their ultimatums?


                            https://www.ft.com/content/00badf9e-...c-9ac1c2207835

                            When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

                            Comment


                            • Well, Russia isn't the USSR anymore, so to what end is Turkey a key component? As far as Turkey is concerned, they're just as interested in Greece as they are Russia. Historically speaking playing Huckster hasn't turned out particularly great for them. Erdo isn't a Muburak, at the same time it isn't really the safe play that it used to be.

                              Either there's some back channel diplomacy and all front, or like you say, ultimatums may just be laid down.
                              Ego Numquam

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Chunder View Post
                                Well, Russia isn't the USSR anymore, so to what end is Turkey a key component? As far as Turkey is concerned, they're just as interested in Greece as they are Russia. Historically speaking playing Huckster hasn't turned out particularly great for them. Erdo isn't a Muburak, at the same time it isn't really the safe play that it used to be.

                                Either there's some back channel diplomacy and all front, or like you say, ultimatums may just be laid down.
                                Turkey is still a large and militarily powerful country that controls access to the Black Sea.

                                And while Russia isn't the Soviet Union, they're still a major nuclear power and, until recently at least, a major conventional military and economic power....and could very well be one again.
                                “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

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