Officials Fear Upcoming Russian War Games Are 'Trojan Horse'

Officials Fear Upcoming Russian War Games Are 'Trojan Horse'

Russia is staging war games in Belarus in September, but US officials and US allies in the area are concerned the country's real aim is to bring military equipment into the country and leave it there. "People are worried this is a Trojan horse. They say, 'We're just doing an exercise,' and then all of a sudden they've moved all these people and capabilities somewhere," the head of US Army forces in Europe tells Reuters

Is this more Western news mud slinging? Doom porn? Let's paint the Russians as warmongers?

A senior Russian diplomat says Moscow has no plans to leave military equipment in Belarus, and says the concern from NATO is just "artificial buffoonery" over routine war games that is "aimed at justifying the sharp intensification of the NATO bloc (activities) along the perimeter of Russian territory."

Seems like that's what this guy thinks.

He says NATO officials will be watching the Zapad 2017 exercise closely for that reason. Some allies think the exercise will involve nuclear weapons training and could utilize more than 100,000 troops, which would make it the largest such exercise since 2013

I wish I knew more about war strategies and what the implications are.

I just don't.

peace

a reply to: silo13

Russia is our friend , there's nothing to fear ... nothing at all.


It's probably just a response to recent NATO exercises , got to keep up with the Jones's.

NATO moves troops to the border and then worries Russia might be preparing?
I'd say Russia are preparing for war as they should be.

a reply to: silo13

Russia has pissed Belarus off often and they dont seem to be stopping anytime soon. When the President refused a russian military base Putin set in motion a campaign to remove the Belarusan president. Without Belarus Kaliningrad is vulnerable and controlling Belarus, the Suwalki gap becomes a problem for E. Europe / NATO.

With Lavrov going on MSNBC and lying about meetings between Putin and Trump one can see why NATO is concerned. Occupying Belarus by Russia is not out of the question as Russia has done it in Crimea / E. Ukraine, Transnistria in Moldova, South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia.

When Russian "war games" involve close to 100k troops, concern is prudent.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Prudent perhaps but I doubt Mr Putin wants to go to war with NATO , it makes no sense in the current climate because at the moment he holds many aces.

If he was planning on war it would mean he has the backing of China and again I don't see China wanting a war a the moment.

Boys and their toys I think.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Thank you very much for the education.

It's not often I ask to be spoon fed but now it's becoming a lot clearer.

peace

I can't shake the feeling this is just essentially propaganda. This isn't a new scenario.

Isn't it usually North Korea questioning whether or not something is just an exercise? To which everybody points out how suspicious and horrible North Korea is for not being able to accept that an exercise is just that. And then people point more and laugh.

We shouldn't start acting like what we make fun of North Korea for doing. I can't believe this even needs to be said.

SMH.

a reply to: Xcathdra

NATO, Russian Troops Rattle Swords Along Hundreds of Miles of Borderland

Wow!

Tens of thousands of troops are on the move from the Baltic to the Black Sea, as NATO and Russia open up a series of massive military exercises the size of which the continent hasn’t seen since the Cold War.

Both sides claim the drills, which involve aircraft, warships, tanks and artillery, are purely defensive in nature. But it is clear the exercises are also meant to show off new capabilities and technologies, and display not only the strength of alliances, but how swiftly troops and heavy equipment can move to squash a threat at the frontier.

This must be what you were talking about then?

It's getting clearer...

peace

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Xcathdra

Prudent perhaps but I doubt Mr Putin wants to go to war with NATO , it makes no sense in the current climate because at the moment he holds many aces.

If he was planning on war it would mean he has the backing of China and again I don't see China wanting a war a the moment.

Boys and their toys I think.

At this point the concern is Russia deciding to occupy Belarus and finishing off Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Xcathdra

Prudent perhaps but I doubt Mr Putin wants to go to war with NATO , it makes no sense in the current climate because at the moment he holds many aces.

If he was planning on war it would mean he has the backing of China and again I don't see China wanting a war a the moment.

Boys and their toys I think.

Fully agreed. Nothing more to say.

Putin cannot be that stupid.

Why advertise your actions if your going to use it for a devious purpose. It is artificial buffoonery (awesome word usage)

I am skeptical though. His invasion in Ukraine was very unwarranted. I bet that's why our President gets along with him so well. Their egos cannot be measured by man. Its like an ant trying to describe a boot to other ants.

What better way to get watching eyes off of what you want watched then to give them something to watch. Our attention should be else where.

a reply to: ConscienceZombie

What about the 'let's do it in plain sight'?

I agree with your point of view - and the lovely way you put it - just wondering what you think of the above.

peace

a reply to: ConscienceZombie

Or you can continue to hold snap drills involving hundreds of thousands of troops until your opponent doesnt see them for anything other than just that, snap drills.

Tom Clancy used that very well in Debt of Honor, Executive Orders and the Bear and the Dragon. In all 3 books China was linked into all the wars / turmoil but never openly. China accelerated their combined arms training and drills until it became routine and ignored, at which point they invaded Siberia.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I've got some reading to do - THANK YOU - for listing those books.

Fab author too.

peace

a reply to: silo13

Yup yup.. If you are not familiar with those 3 books its essentially a Trilogy... Debt of Honor, Executive Orders and then Bear and the Dragon. If you read them out of order it becomes a confused mess where references to previous incidents make no sense.

a reply to: ConscienceZombie

Please post some pictures of this Ukraine invasion try CNN's archives O Kool Aid drinker.They dont exist

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: ConscienceZombie

Please post some pictures of this Ukraine invasion try CNN's archives O Kool Aid drinker.They dont exist

Actually they do however the images arent from CNN but RT.

Putin acknowledges Russian military serviceman were in Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Russian troops were present in Crimea before the referendum and argued that was necessary to let Crimeans make the choice on the future of the region.

Putin sent in military units without insignia to seize Crimea before any "election" ever occurred. That would be an invasion. Russian military units stationed in Crimea left their bases, armed, and helped secure Crimea. That would be an invasion. Putin sent in Russian military units not assigned to Crimea to help seize it. That would be an invasion.

It's why no nation that matters recognized what Russia did / Crimea as a part of Russia. Hell, even Belarus, China and the former President of Ukraine, who fled to Russia, dont recognize what Russia did.

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: ConscienceZombie

Please post some pictures of this Ukraine invasion try CNN's archives O Kool Aid drinker.They dont exist

Here's some moving pictures.


There's more than one way to invade a country.

Officials arnt worried at all.

They just want YOU to be worried.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Thanks for the heads up - I'm going to order them today.

Peace