Seriously?
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that moves by Finland and Sweden toward closer ties with NATO were of "special concern".
The comments were published in relation to an article in the newspaper Aftenposten, where in a joint declaration, the defense ministers of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland said northern Europe must prepare for possible crises or incidents because of Russia.
Yeah, why would Baltic states worry about Russia?
"We have noticed again support for the separatists, with weapons, troops and training. Russia is still sending troops and arms from one side of the open border with Ukraine to the other," a NATO official, who was not named, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
There is that.
Yet despite the threat of Russia and unrest in other parts of the world that threaten our Western world, we also have this:
World military spending was largely unchanged in 2014 as lower spending in the United States and Western Europe was matched by increases elsewhere, prompted by conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa, an arms watchdog said Monday.
European countries closer to Russia are increasing spending, but they are small and the exception for the West in a time of increased danger.
So Russia might be able to take things, despite their paranoid delusions that they are under siege by the West. We'll see if that brings Russians prosperity.
And we'll see who they blame when they answer that question.
UPDATE: Russia is ready to sell anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, dangerously intercepts an American recon aircraft over the Baltic Sea, and lets their little hand-puppet "rebels" ramp up ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine.
You can see why the Russians are upset and confused that people see them as a threat--angels though they are.
UPDATE: Let's talk real "special concern:"
Six servicemen were killed and 12 wounded in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours despite a ceasefire deal, Ukraine's military said on Tuesday, as both sides in the conflict accused the other of increasing attacks and building up weapons on the frontline.
Which is why this is important:
Dutch troops gathered at an air base on Thursday as part of an 11-nation exercise to test NATO's new rapid response targets that have been tightened following concern over new Russian assertiveness.
Given just 48 hours to deploy, around 200 soldiers arrived at the air base near Eindhoven with the vehicles, weapons, equipment, food and water they would need if they had to fly abroad at short notice to confront an emergency.
Yeah, let's justify the adjectives.
UPDATE: Okay, one more display of either lying or complete ignorance of what they are doing:
Recent draft legislation in Romania to authorise the stationing of allied troops and materiel on its territory is stoking a new round of inflamed rhetoric from Russia, which lambasts Bucharest for erecting a US-NATO "bridgehead" and "sacrificing stability" in its corner of Europe.
Allied and Romanian officials reject the accusations out of hand, saying Romania's preparations are purely defensive and directly spurred by Russia's disregard of international law and its obligations under the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997.
So reacting to Russian aggression "sacrifices stability?" Romania should just sit there and avoid eye contact with Putin, hoping he will have no more territorial ambitions by the time he reaches Romania's border?
