[An interesting excerpt from my comments posted yesterday: Russia clearly has gained an upper hand in the armed conflict over the last few days and Kiev has virtually conceded that it is just no match by virtually accepting the Russian public claim that it is not a party to the conflict. The NATO is unlikely to go beyond fretting fuming. (Understandably, that's the assessment which has made Kiev effectively bow down instead of soldiering on a while longer.) It's perhaps right now more concerned about the NATO members themselves within easy Russian reach.
Compare this with the following excerpt from the Al Jazeera report below, at sl. no. I: But the crisis in Ukraine has left other former Soviet republics and satellites in NATO on edge; if Russia gets its way in Ukraine, NATO's front-line countries -- particularly those with large ethnic-Russian populations -- fear they could be next. Unlikely though it may be that Putin would stage a similar incursion in a country NATO was obliged to protect, the alliance is feeling pressure to restore its credibility. "We've come to the point, especially here in Poland, where we need a bold response in the East against Russia," said Piotr Buras, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Warsaw office. "But that does not necessarily include military support for Ukraine and certainly not intervention."] I/II. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/9/3/nato-summit-ukraine.html NATO summit could leave Ukraine out in the cold The 28-nation bloc meets this week to address Russian aggression in its backyard, but defending members is the priority September 3, 2014 7:00AM ET by Michael Pizzi <http://america.aljazeera.com/profiles/p/michael-pizzi.html> On a visit to Estonia ahead of Thursday's NATO summit in Cardiff, Wales, U.S. President Barack Obama offered reassurances to a Baltic ally that has grown insecure as Russia's alleged invasion of Ukraine appears to proceed unabated: "We will defend our NATO allies, and that means every ally," he said. "Obviously, what's happened in Ukraine is tragic, but I do think it gives us an opportunity to look with fresh eyes and understand what it is that's necessary to make sure that our NATO commitments are met." But there was no hiding the implication in Obama's words that NATO has effectively ruled out acting against Russia in Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, though its current government is eager to join <http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/8/30/ukraine-nato-russia.html>. That sense of de facto resignation over Ukraine previewed the tone of this week's summit, where analysts expect NATO to signal a reorientation toward its charter of collective defense, leaving Ukraine out in the cold. NATO has suffered from a lack of clarity in its global role since the end of the Cold War, being drawn into expeditionary ventures first in the Balkans and then in Afghanistan and Libya. But amid "the most dangerous European crisis since the Cold War's end," according to Nicholas Burns <http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/26b10182-2f67-11e4-83e4-00144feabdc0.html>, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, the 65-year-old alliance is under intense pressure to shore up its front lines -- Central and Eastern Europe -- from feared Russian encroachment and to prove its mettle after months of anti-Moscow rhetoric were undermined by internal divisions and backed by little action. "Ukraine has really brought the original mission of NATO back to the fore," said Julianne Smith, a former Pentagon official in charge of Europe and NATO policy and a director at the Center for a New American Security. "Now we have an alliance that is focused like a laser on collective defense." Since the early days of the separatist movement in Ukraine's southeast, NATO has offered considerable evidence that Russia continues to arm the pro-Russian rebels -- a policy that Russian President Vladimir Putin has pursued in large part over fears that a country on Russia's doorstep could be incorporated into NATO. Putin, the prevailing narrative holds, wants a radically federalized Ukraine <http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/8/31/putin-statehood-ukraine.html>, in which the Russian-majority eastern part of the country can counter Kiev's current momentum westward and prevent Ukraine from being drawn into a geopolitical camp that is hostile to Russia. NATO leaders have been splintered over how to respond to Putin's aggression, with a group led by Germany unwilling to jeopardize economic ties and others fearing that tit-for-tat measures will only goad Putin to escalate, as they have done for months. That dissonance has made it clear, as Obama implied, that NATO, which makes decisions by consensus, simply isn't willing to bear the costs of direct confrontation with Russia over a country they have no treaty obligation to defend. But the crisis in Ukraine has left other former Soviet republics and satellites in NATO on edge; if Russia gets its way in Ukraine, NATO's front-line countries -- particularly those with large ethnic-Russian populations -- fear they could be next. Unlikely though it may be that Putin would stage a similar incursion in a country NATO was obliged to protect, the alliance is feeling pressure to restore its credibility. "We've come to the point, especially here in Poland, where we need a bold response in the East against Russia," said Piotr Buras, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Warsaw office. "But that does not necessarily include military support for Ukraine and certainly not intervention." II. http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0903/641077-ukraine/ Western leaders to meet Ukraine's president on sidelines of NATO summitWednesday 03 September 2014 23.57 A Ukrainian soldier drives a military vehicle in eastern Ukrainian The leaders of the United States and leading European Union countries will discuss Russia's actions in Ukraine, at a meeting with President Petro Poroshenko, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Wales, a British government source said. "The Alliance must demonstrate clearly that Russia's actions are unacceptable and that we stand by the people of Ukraine and their right to decide the future of their country," the sources aid on condition of anonymity. British Prime Minister David Cameron will join US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to discuss the situation in Ukraine. "The meeting will provide leaders with the opportunity to hear President Poroshenko's assessment of the latest situation on the ground and his discussions with President (Vladimir) Putin," the source said. "It will also send a clear signal of their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and that the onus is on Russia to de-escalate the situation." Mr Poroshenko spoke by telephone with Mr Putin earlier today and his office said they had agreed on a ceasefire. Russia, which says it is not involved in the fighting, denied it had made such an agreement and Mr Putin later outlined his own plan for a ceasefire, which Ukraine's prime minister dismissed. Meanwhile, France has said conditions are "not right" for delivery of the first of two Mistral navy assault ships to Russia. The country has faced fierce pressure from Washington and other allies to halt the sale of the warships. Paris agreed in 2011 to build and sell the two advanced helicopter assault ships to Russia, with the first scheduled for delivery in October or November. France's decision is likely to take the heat off France when NATO leaders meet in Wales tomorrow, for the summit largely focused on the conflict in Ukraine, and growing tensions with Russia. Earlier, the US said it will send about 200 troops to take part in a US-led annual exercise in Ukraine later this month in a show of solidarity with Kiev. The presence of the soldiers will mark the first deployment of US ground troops to Ukraine since the conflict with pro-Russia separatists erupted earlier this year. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. 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