Putin Threatens US Missile Bases In Europe

Melugo writes to let us know that Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned that US plans to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe would force Moscow to target its weapons against Europe. This reader notes: "It feels like the Cold War all over again." "'If the American nuclear potential grows in European territory, we have to give ourselves new targets in Europe,' Putin said... 'It is up to our military to define these targets, in addition to defining the choice between ballistic and cruise missiles.'"

Comments

Where is the EU in all this?

[jotaeleemeese]

Firmly in the US side.

Latinamerica declared itself a zone free of nuclear weapons many decades ago, as a consequence no nuclear weapons are pointed against our countries. If anything, that saved the ass of Argentina when they fought against the UK, a nuclear state. Had Argentina had WMDs, who knows if the war fought for the control of the Malvinas islands in the 80s would have been limited to conventional warfare.

The strategic importance of Latinamerica can't be denied, just remembre the Cuba misile crisis. My point is that Europe, being equally or even more important strategically could also decide to go neutral on the issue of nuclear weapons.

But when countries like the UK and Poland (amongst others) shamefully allow "rendition" of terrorism suspects and beg for the US to deploy missiles on their territories, well, there is little hope for Europe to stop being a board for the global monopoly game between RUssia and the US where European defense interests are decided in Washington and antgonized in Moscow.