Should we in the west be scared of Russia? ( Archived) (52)

I think we need input from our Russian CS members. This really isn't fair...

That's true and the base set-up in Poland isn't helping matters any...that would be like the Russians coming here to set up a base....

Not to mention recruiting the 2 independent states into Nato...

I know Bush Senior was in power when Gulf War 1 started...... but I did say 'apparently' (maybe I misheard a tv programme tonight about Russia or the person got his facts wrong......... the tv Programme a 'Panorama' BBC tv production definitely said President Bush promised not to expand NATO - maybe it was said in the context of 'after the wall came down'. I do know that Reagan was responsible (with Maggie T in tow) for a huge diplomatic effort to help improve relations with the then USSR and was credited with helping end the cold war.

I both respect and fear Russia; as a kid I had the choice of learning German or Russian and chose Russian as I was scared the former USSR might expand into Western Europe........ only learnt Russian for one term in the UK though(semester to you) before leaving the UK and going to an American Highschool in the Congo.

I kinda respect and fear Germany too - when Chancellor Kohl first visited East Berlin when the wall came down he called East Germany 'Mitte Deutscheland' (Middle Germany) - he was obviously thinking that a fully reunited Germany would include parts of what is now Poland with quite a few ethnic Germans there!

Respect and fear are good things for survival - Russia never embraced Democracy like its former Eastern European Warsaw Pact 'members' that are now in the EU..... maybe Russia never will.

I do not like the power Russia now wields over energy supplies and how it has already cut off supplies a few times to some eastern european countries (Ukraine and Georgia, I think but please tell me if I am wrong).

The EU is very foolish not to insist on a common energy policy with Russia - Russia can exploit us by 'divide and rule' using our own individual national interests to suck up to them.

We shall wait and see what develops......... at least Russia is economically better off now and that makes Russia less dangerous in some ways - though more potentially dangerous in others.

Isn't Poland a sovereign state?

Russia isn't the problem, NATO and the EU and its policy of expansionism and all the eastern european countries trying to join the EU.

A condition of joining the EU amoungst other conditions is rearming, to use common equipment, which frankly some countries can barely afford.

The club has its problems, but belonging is expensive......and if your on Russias border and are being "groomed" to apply for Indepandance then as Russia pointed out with Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia that if you encourage indepandance and breaking up countries then you are opening a hornets nest.

And what happened in Georgia.....well, exactly as Russia warned...trouble......that was encouraged from the west.

Then the reaction from the west spouting Russian aggression was frankly a bloody a joke, and to say hippocracy was incredible.

Yes and Canada is a sovereign country...How would the U.S. react if the Russians came here to set up a base?????

I'm with you there, but Ukrainian Vodka is better IMO

Hmmm
Fear is a scary thing...
I am terrified any time the American government and poeple "fear" anyone. It´s bad news and good excuses for trampling over wherever they want and taking whatever they want.
UN who?