Russia, Ukraine And Saber-Rattling

Russia Invading Ukraine is the New Shiny Object of the Permanent War Party

Larry Johnson

There is a remarkable amount of saber-rattling in Washington, DC and in the mainstream media about defending Ukraine from an “imminent” Russian invasion. 

The U.S. media, for the most part, is obfuscating and misrepresenting what is going on in Ukraine and along Russia’s borders. If you look at a map of Eastern Europe you will see that the following countries border Russia–Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and Ukraine. The United States European Command and/or NATO have conducted at least 9 military exercises in countries that border Russia that are designed to respond to a Russian military operation.

Here is the list:

January 2021: GRIFFIN FORCE I 2021 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland)

An exercise aimed at training the land component of the NATO VJTF (Very 
High Readiness Joint Task Force), the commands involved in its deployment, 
as well as host and receiving nations. The purpose is to train the enablement of 
NATO forces and rapid military mobility.

April 2021: RAMSTEIN ALLOY 1, 2 and 3 (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia)

These live exercises have Article 5 scenarios, with a focus on the Air domain. 
They will promote interoperability, coordination and work with partners 
Finland and Sweden

April 2021: LOCKED SHIELDS 21 (Estonia)

One of the world’s largest and most complex live cyber defence exercises, hosted annually by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. 
NATO cyber defenders participate alongside their colleagues from many Allies 
and partners. The exercise simulates responding to a massive cyber incident, and includes strategic decision-making, legal and communication aspects.

April 2021: THREE SWORDS 2021 (Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania)

Ukraine, the United States, Poland and Lithuania launched joint military exercises on Monday, amid ongoing tensions between Kiev and Moscow.

The drills, dubbed “Three Swords 2021,” will involve more than 1,200 military personnel and over 200 combat vehicles, and will take place at Yavoriv training ground in the western Lviv region until July 30, the military said.

May 2021: SPRING STORM 21 (Estonia)

A large live exercise of the Estonian Defence Forces, with participation from 
NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence battlegroups and other Allied forces. 
Some 14,0

More....

Can you imagine the outrage that would sweep across the United States if Russia’s Army or Navy conducted a military exercise on our border with Cuba, Mexico or Canada? Yet we expect the Russians to ignore our provocations on their borders and then we shriek with faux outrage when Putin and his Generals protest our show of military force on their frontier. The United States has not been invaded by a foreign army since the War of 1812.