U.S. soldiers attend welcoming ceremony for NATO troops near Orzysz, Poland, in 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
Jerry Hendrix, National Review: Is the U.S. Ready for a Russian Invasion of Eastern Europe?
Logistical challenges, NATO underinvestment, and more should make Ukraine and its neighbors very nervous.
The Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, along with Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, are all watching Vladimir Putin’s military buildup in eastern Europe with great unease. Each of them was controlled by Russia during its previous incarnation as the Soviet Union, and none of them wishes to return to that subjugation.
That’s why they originally sought membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and have increased their own defense spending to meet, and in some cases surpass, the 2-percent-of-GDP goal that the alliance first agreed upon in 2014. NATO membership brings with it the guarantee of security that the U.S. has provided to Europe for 70 years, and with an aggressive Russia looming to the East, security is very much a concern.
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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 25, 2022
Putin’s Likely Course of Action in Ukraine -- AEI
Russia’s Vietnam: Why an Invasion of Ukraine Would Be a Disaster for Putin -- Robert Kelly, 19FortyFive
Has the west fallen for Putin’s tricks in Ukraine? -- Keir Giles, The Guardian
Would Putin Really Invade Ukraine for This? -- Fred Kaplan, Spectator
Putin’s Risky Options in Ukraine -- Tim Willasey-Wilsey, The Cipher Brief
What would a Russian invasion of Ukraine trigger for the EU? -- Jack Parrock & Bernd Riegert, DW
Biden’s Ukraine Scramble -- Conrad Black, American Greatness
The Russia Sanctions That Could Actually Stop Putin -- Politico
Biden must act now to better arm Ukraine. Here’s what that should look like - By Bradley Bowman, John Hardie and Jack Sullivan, Military Times
American deterrence's missing half -- Raphael S. Cohen, The Hill
Out of Cash, Iran Puts Dream Of Shia Empire On Pause -- Ahmad Ra'fat, World Crunch
Why Effort to Help Afghanistan Is Falling Short -- Ben Fox, AP How China Spies on the West -- Ian Williams, Spectator
What’s China Up to in Central America? -- David Engel, The Strategist
Why North Korea’s Threat to Test ICBMs and Nuclear Weapons Is Serious -- Ankit Panda, 19FortyFive