"Time to Erase the Line Between Old and New NATO Members" Topic

"It is time to call a spade a spade. By annexing Crimea, supplying separatists with weapons and personnel, and now directly intervening in Ukraine, Russia has broken the rules-based system in Eastern Europe and has undermined international laws and norms. This has profoundly changed the security situation for Europe as a whole, but especially for the eastern-most NATO members. Western leaders meeting in Newport, Wales, for the NATO Summit have to meet this challenge head on.

When visiting Poland in June, U.S. President Barack Obama talked about his country's unwavering commitment to Eastern Europe's security. During her recent visit to Riga, Chancellor Angela Markel also reconfirmed Germany's commitment to NATO's Article 5, which sanctions collective defense. But the Alliance must not only be willing but also able to defend all of its members. While some allies – such as Poland, with its fast-growing defense budget and large military modernization program – are doing their part, NATO as a whole is not currently well-prepared to defend against the threat posed by Russia.

The lack of preparedness relates to the divide between old and new NATO allies enshrined in the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act. Through that agreement, which codified relations between NATO and Russia in the post-Cold War era, NATO committed to not having a significant presence in countries that joined the Alliance after 1999. But the Act was premised on the notion that Russia would be a partner of the West, and that Moscow would not undermine the security of Europe. Russia's recent actions mean that both of these assumptions are now clearly obsolete. The document itself needs not to be thrown out. But European leaders, particularly in Germany, need to stop referring to it as a basis for NATO's restraint. Poland and the Baltic states see such references as undermining NATO unity, by respecting obligations to Russia over those to treaty allies. It is time, then, to erase the line between new and old NATO member states. The Wales Summit presents a perfect opportunity to do so…"
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Amicalement
Armand

So instead of hiding behind the U.S. , Canada and Great Britain's troops sent to the continent, NATO countries cower behind Poland now. Anyone not willing to defend their freedoms, does not deserve them.

Good thing they're not meeting in Munich.

True doug … but as I mentioned on another thread here. When it comes to deploying combat units, say to Poland. Those should be better trained, maybe have some recent combat experience, etc. NATO units from say Greece, etc., would only need to nursemaided … they can stay home, at this time …

I'm happy to see the Poles bare the brunt as well as the newer members the want to belong to a club pay the membership, others already have.
But as in previous threads I see that numbers wise that NATO members (not talking about training or readiness) are much greater than the Russian Federation.

Looks like all the eastern members are waving paper swords but looking over their shoulders for help.
Time for a bit of verbal parlay and less verbosity.
M2C worth. Cheers