Wow. The US Navy is sending warships into waters claimed by Russia as an intentional challenge of their excessive maritime claims:
A U.S. Navy warship sailed in waters claimed by Russia in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday as tensions increase over the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from a decades-old arms control treaty.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet says the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell sailed “in the vicinity of” Peter the Great Bay, a body of water off the Russian port city of Vladivostok, “to challenge Russia’s excessive maritime claims and uphold the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea enjoyed by the United States and other nations.”
Vladivostok, in Russia’s far southeast, is home to the country’s Pacific Fleet. The last time the U.S. Navy sailed in the area was 1987, the same year the U.S. signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. will suspend its obligations under the treaty in 60 days, and he accused Russia of “cheating” on the deal.
The U.S. has shared intelligence evidence with its NATO allies that it says shows that Russia’s new SSC-8 ground-fired cruise missile could give Moscow the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Europe with little or no notice. Russia has denied the accusations.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow would walk away from the treaty if the U.S. did the same.
The U.S. Navy is also preparing to send a warship into the Black Sea for the first time in a month to shore up support to Ukraine after Russian forces seized three Ukrainian vessels and 24 sailors aboard on Nov. 25.
Sending ships into the Black Sea will be a big deal considering it borders on both Ukraine and Russia. I’m not sure how Russia will respond to that, if at all, but I hope we go in with more than one warship when we do.
Pavlo Anatoliyovych Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, made the startling announcement that both Ukraine and the former Soviet client state of Georgia, will become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Both countries border Russia.
According to geo-political experts, this announcement is among the worst possible developments in world affairs. Said one State Department Official who asked to remain anonymous because his remarks run contrary to government position "It puts Russia on-notice that NATO is aggressively surrounding Russia with the obvious goal of either bringing Russia to its knees or outright conquest." He went on to say "Russian President Putin has said publicly, if you know a fight is unavoidable, then you have to punch first. Today's move by NATO might be read by Russia as them having to punch first."
NATO Foreign Ministers met with the Foreign Ministers of Georgia and Ukraine on Tuesday (4 December 2018) to address the security situation in the Black Sea region and the Alliance’s support for both nations.
NATO has substantially increased its presence in the Black Sea region over the past few years, at sea, in the air and on the ground. The Alliance remains committed to strengthening its ties with both Georgia and Ukraine.
Worse: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now saying "In light of Russia’s repeated (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty violations and larger pattern of lawlessness, the U.S. declares it has found Russia in material breach of the treaty and will suspend our obligations as a remedy effective in 60 days, unless returns to full and verifiable compliance."
Russia denies it is violating the Treaty and President Vladimir Putin warned that if the US leaves the INF Treaty and begins building new missiles, Russia will build new missiles too. Russia points out that NATO broke the INF treaty when they installed missile shield in Romania and Poland first. Thus, Russia's new middle range systems is the answer.
Now NATO points to Russia for blame, as if reality is unknown by everyone.
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: "U.S. GIVES NO EVIDENCE OF RUSSIA'S BREACH OF INF TREATY, ALL ALLEGATIONS BASELESS
Russia strongly opposed to INF Treaty deconstruction; ready for dialogue without ultimatums." - Foreign Ministry
In another ominous development, "Donetsk People's Republic" spokesman Novohuilos has now announced that unmarked Ukrainian tanks arrived to Mariupol and will be likely used in false-flag operation against civilians.
Applying usual mirror: Russian proxies are going to attack.
That's a Minsk treaty violation; No heavy armor 40 km from novorussian border.
As these events took place, Ukraine also successfully launched its Neptune cruise missile which hit a sea target 280km away during drills near Odessa. Also, interestingly 8 missiles from the S-125 modernized anti-aircraft system were also fired and successfully hit+sank 8 Sea-based targets.
BREAKING as the story was in-production: Ukrainian army senior official confirms NATO members have internally agreed naval forces will be sent to the Azov Sea. Currently the necessary paperwork is in preparation.
This means that NATO naval vessels will now stand-in for Ukrainian Navy vessels in the contested sea area.
The trouble is that in order for NATO ships to get into the Sea of Azov, they would have to navigate beneath the Kerch Strait Bridge - which is solely and exclusively RUSSIAN TERRITORY. Russia is already saying NATO ships "will not be allowed into the Sea of Asov."
Today Russia began telling its people war is coming:
Kremlin rabidest propaganda barker Solovyov says NATO ships may come but they can't pass the Kerch strait bridge. On both sides of the bridge are Russian territories. If NATO wants war war shall they get. https://t.co/DCDX049Zab
— lennutrajektoor (@lennutrajektoor) December 4, 2018
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