Re: A course change in the offing?

Eugene Holman wrote:
Would you really like to see a return to
a Cold War situation, particularly with the Baltic countries and Finland
in a vulnerable front-line situation?

This question makes sense only if you believe that being in a cold war
like situation, in a vulnerable front-line situation, is not the
current state of affairs for the Baltic countries vis-à-vis Russia.

While the certainly are differences and no comparison between then,
now, and future can result in complete similarity, that phrase -- "cold
war" -- appropriately reflects the informal state of affairs at least
between Latvia and Russia. Baltic states, now being a member of NATO
and EU is nevertheless being regarded as that peculiar zone of Russia's
interests, to quote, say, Pavlovsky:

"Russia will become a world power again, and will have a global area of
interests. Now, however . . . there are certain countries where we have
our interests. Even the admission of some of these countries to the
European Union and NATO does not mean that they fall out of the area of
our interests. The Baltic states are certainly within this area of
interests, particularly on such issues as transit or the status of the
Russian language and Russian community. We will certainly use their
accession to the new organizations in order to intensify monitoring of
what concerns our interests and to influence these countries."

I think "unambiguity" as to the state of mutual contentiousness in
relations between transatlantic partners and Russia would be welcome in
Latvia and Baltic states more than the current state status quo, where
Russia is able to "discriminate"--that is to project existence of
"friendly" to "normal" of relations with one group of NATO member
states and quiet animosity in relations with others. It is of course a
given, that no complete "return" to "Cold War situation" is currently
possible, if only because present day Russia still is far from late
USSR/Warsaw pact in terms of potential to threaten peace and security.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: (OT) Palins "Tough Talk!"
    ... have to fight Russia, ?because NATO nations must stick together! ... "We cannot repeat the Cold War. ... What I think is that smaller democratic countries that are invaded by ...
    (rec.outdoors.rv-travel)
  • Re: Pictures from Estonia
    ... The row over the removal of a statue of a Soviet soldier in Estonia is ... Lithuania and Latvia - are small countries ... and small countries that close to Russia are ... the U.S. should have disbanded NATO. ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
  • Re: Putka is really frothing.
    ... the dollar-denominated foreign reserves held by foreign countries to ... I don't think that you can understand what is going on in Russia without ... desperately wants to be a major power again. ... Whether Ukraine is central or eastern Europe remains to be seen. ...
    (soc.culture.baltics)
  • Russians are coming! NATO is failing.
    ... on Russia as much as Russia depends on West. ... Ties between America and Europe have never been weaker. ... These new Nato ... The White House sees most Nato countries as puny and timid, ...
    (soc.culture.baltics)
  • Re: Russians are coming! NATO is failing.
    ... on Russia as much as Russia depends on West. ... Ties between America and Europe have never been weaker. ... These new Nato ... The White House sees most Nato countries as puny and timid, ...
    (soc.culture.baltics)