Thank Putin for NATO's 'Second Wind' (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)
"Let us rejoice that NATO has not only caught its second wind, but it has literally recovered a reason to exist. ... Yesterday's landing of Americans from the highly-respected 173rd Airborne Brigade is a sign of the new defensive order in Europe. It was not us who forced that order into being, but it is us who will benefit from it. ... President Putin is due our sincere thanks for returning us to a state of faith in a strong NATO, and in the logic of a strong U.S.-Poland alliance."
There
would be no annexation of Crimea without Maidan.
There would be no Russian aggression in east Ukraine without the annexation of
Crimea. There would be no 173rd
Airborne Brigade in Świdwin without Russian
aggression in east Ukraine.
Kiev's
situation is nightmarish. The Ukrainian state is extremely weak and is
gradually yielding under the pressure of Kremlin's well-oiled military and
propaganda machine. The Russians slowly but relentlessly cut off pieces of eastern
Ukraine. Is it possible to find anything positive in such a difficult moment in
European history?
As
a matter of fact, yes, since every crisis can be the ideal moment to build
something new and better. Let us then rejoice that NATO has not only caught its
second wind, but it has literally recovered a reason to exist. The Alliance has
come out of a deep depression and is preparing and dusting off its plans for
defense. The countries of NATO and others are increasing their weapons
purchases and working on modernizing their armies. Neighbors of the Alliance
are beginning to talk ever louder, if not about joining, then at least about
entering into closer cooperation with NATO.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
Yesterday's
landing [April 23] of Americans from the highly-respected 173rd Airborne Brigade
is a sign of the new defensive order in Europe. It was not us who forced that
order into being, but it is us who will benefit from it.
The
Russians have been reforming their army for years and have shifted their infrastructure
toward the West. Today, modernized Russian units are stationed along our eastern
border from Kaliningrad to Grodno. While they made those changes, we fought the
apathy of Alliance members. Looking from today's perspective, how quaint do the
debates of the last decade look now, which were so eagerly fanned by Moscow, about
the rationale for NATO's existence.
Fortunately,
the Polish army hasn't been asleep. Our soldiers have been baptized by the fire
of Iraq and Afghanistan, our military has much better equipment than it did ten
years ago, and soon it will be even newer. Things aren't ideal of course, but a
lot has changed since 2003.
War
is not looming just yet. But we must remember what President Vladimir Putin said
so openly during his recent press conference to the nation: how for him only
the strong count, and the weak perish.
President
Putin is due our sincere thanks for returning us to a state of faith in a
strong NATO, and in the logic of a strong U.S.-Poland alliance.
