Pages

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Russian Diplomacy

Will the Russians please explain why it is so important for them to nuke Europe without wasting a few missiles that might fall to a thin missile defense screen not designed to defeat the Russians?

Russia's ambassador to Denmark said Saturday that the NATO country's navy could be targeted by nuclear missiles if it joins the Western alliance's anti-missile shield.

It isn't enough to sink a warship with a barrage of conventional anti-ship missiles. No, Russia threatens to make a temporary crater in the ocean to do the job.

#whyrussiacanthavenicethings

UPDATE: Some reaction:

"Neither Romania nor Britain will be intimidated by threats to its alliance or its members," [British] Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Monday during a one-day visit.

And ponder the Russian logic as expressed by the Russian ambassador to Denmark:

"I do not think Danes fully understand the consequences of what happens if Denmark joins the U.S.-led missile defense. If this happens, Danish warships become targets for Russian nuclear missiles," Vanin was quoted as saying by the newspaper Jyllands-Posten on Saturday.

Should Danes join "we risk considering each other as enemies," he added.

Consider the logic: Denmark and any other country in NATO that is not part of the missile defense system are not now a target for Russian nuclear missiles.

But if a country joins the missile defense system (and remember that NATO nations that don't host the system are still defended by it), then and only then does Russia consider them a target for Russian nuclear missiles.

And these guys are good at chess?

Their insanity is just effing amazing. And dangerous, of course.

UPDATE: To be fair, it isn't just Denmark. Russia wants the ability to nuke everybody:

Russia on Tuesday warned the United States against sending a ballistic missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could threaten regional security.

Of course, the appeasing Russians might have little choice but to ask how high when the Chinese tell them to jump and complain about the THAAD missiles China is upset about.

UPDATE: Related:

Russia increased tension over NATO nuclear missiles Tuesday with a demand that the United States remove all non-strategic nuclear weapons from Europe.

The proper response is a physical impossibility, of course.

Sadly, that response seems restricted to our allies:

President Barack Obama reportedly will not meet with NATO's new secretary general when he is in Washington this week, despite requests from the alliance chief's staff for a get-together.

I just thank God that President Obama is restoring our relations with the rest of the world each and every day.