"Rehearsed Russian Invasion of Sweden Causes Alarm" Topic

"Around 33,000 Russian soldiers rehearsed a military takeover of Swedish territory near the Baltic Sea between March 21st to 25th, said security expert Edward Lucas in a report for the US-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The exercise also simulated the takeover of other areas including the Danish island of Bornholm, Finland's Swedish-speaking Åland islands, and northern Norway.

In his report, titled ‘The Coming Storm', Lucas claims that "if carried out successfully, control of those territories would make it all but impossible for NATO allies to reinforce the Baltic states."

The issue raised concerns in Sweden on Thursday, where a poll earlier this year highlighted that nearly one in three thought the country should join NATO – a shift in public opinion largely credited with the fear of an increasingly aggressive Russia…"
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Amicalement
Armand

NO … the last thing the US needs is a major return to Europe. Or anywhere else for that matter. And the US gov't knows and understands that. The US and Russia are playing an updated version of the Cold War Chess game 2.0. With moving military assets, econmic sanctions, etc., etc. like pieces on the old Cold War Chess board. If anyone is running amok it's Mr. Putin's Russia. Who long for their golden days of the Cold War. Before Russia lost much of it's territory, etc. …

No need worry.

Just ask the Crimeans, or the Poles.

Strawman argument? Not sure what it means.
That is a bit of the feeling about the fr intel community it seems.
History will tell.
Then it also takes two to tango; they (the Russian politics) are also stressing " foreign danger" too much ( for internal purpose), despite the excuses of their past.

As usual what we hear from the media, who, overall have a nice recent history of manipulation/ and been manipulated, ( Us AND Russians) is often diplomatic play. The real story behind the doors we poor voters, do not know.

Agree.

Amicalement
Armand

A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument which was not advanced by that opponent. To be successful, a straw man argument requires that the audience be ignorant or uninformed of the original argument.

The so-called typical "attacking a straw man" argument creates the illusion of having completely refuted or defeated an opponent's proposition by covertly replacing it with a different proposition (i.e., "stand up a straw man") and then to refute or defeat that false argument ("knock down a straw man") instead of the original proposition.

This technique has been used throughout history in polemical debate, particularly in arguments about highly charged emotional issues where a fiery, entertaining "battle" and the defeat of an "enemy" may be more valued than critical thinking or understanding both sides of the issue.

Flexing Its Military Might, Russia Is Pushing Sweden Into NATO's Arms

"Sweden will face military "counter measures" from Russia if it decides to shift from its history of neutrality and join the NATO alliance, according to Russian Ambassador Viktor Tatarintsev. In recent months, Sweden has found itself in the middle of a Russian escalation of force as tensions between the West and Russia have bled into the Baltic Sea.

"I can guarantee that Sweden, which is an alliance-free nation, is not part of any military plans by Russian authorities," the Russian ambassador to Sweden told the Dagens Nyheter, a leading local paper, in an interview Thursday. "Sweden is not a target for our armed troops."

Tatarintsev went on to underline that if Sweden — not to be confused with Switzerland, the chocolate-loving Alpine fortress to the south — abandons its historical position of neutrality, it might find itself in Russia's crosshairs…"
Full article here
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Amicalement
Armand

"…will face military "counter measures" from Russia…" yet "…is not part of any military plans by Russian authorities…?

Surely a case of 'make up your mind'?

Russia is highly unlikely to directly attack Sweden – this is bully boy rhetoric designed to 'threaten' Sweden into not taking closer links to NATO.

Unfortunately, as with most bully actions, these things are likely to backfire as the threats instead encourage Sweden into taking a stronger protective status for fear that they 'might' attack, and the more you wave the threatening stick, the more they will seek mutual assurance of protection.

Yea, and there are no Russian troops in Crimea or Eastern Ukraine, not to mention how well the Ukrainian's giving up their nuclear weapons to Russia were, in exchange for certain guarantees from their "trusted", and benevolent neighbor.

Gotta give the Russian ambassador points for trying though.

I wonder if he was able to keep a straight face while making his pronouncement?