NATO High-Readiness Forces on Ukraine's Doorstep 'Ready' To Deploy

[Wicked Blue]

Source: Newsweek

NATO's British-led, rapid-response force is "ready" to be deployed if needed, a senior commander has said, after U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signaled he was "ready and willing" to put British troops on the ground to enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine.

-snip-

Sweden has indicated it would consider a similar move, although other European countries quickly ruled out contributing troops. Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the deployment of such peacekeeping forces in Ukraine would be "completely unacceptable."

Brigadier Andy Watson, the commander of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF) Brigade, said on Tuesday that British forces currently training a handful of miles from the Ukrainian border were "absolutely" ready, trained and "well-resourced" for any operations, including heading into Ukraine to police a future ceasefire.

"In terms of preparation, my brigade is ready," Watson said. "It should show to anyone that NATO and the ARF is agile, it's responsive, and it's capable."

https://www.newsweek.com/nato-drills-romania-smardan-steadfast-dart-british-army-russia-ukraine-2032755

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/nato-drills-romania-smardan-steadfast-dart-british-army-russia-ukraine-2032755

[JustAnotherGen]

1. This makes me happy

[yellow dahlia]

23. I had the same feeling.

Slava Ukraini!

Go NATO!

Can they come save us next?

[MadameButterfly]

2. Trump is about to start WW3

and we'll be on the wrong side of it.

[sheshe2]

4. Correct

[JustAnotherGen]

6. My hair is on fire a lot these days

But I think the core message of this? The EU and UK are prepping to back up Ukraine.

[MadameButterfly]

12. Yes, I'm so grateful for that

I hope they can succeed

[sheshe2]

28. We have lost our closest allies.

TSF did this.

[HarryM]

13. When I found out today that Europeans are sending forces to Ukraine

and Don the Con is teaming up with Putin, I said this.
I have been in panic mode since.
I live in Europe, and do not want to see this criminal start WWIII.
I am an American citizen, and I have no place to go back to in the US.
I am very scared of this happening.
I am literally shaking right now.

[yellow dahlia]

24. I hear you.

If you're not shaking right now, you're not paying attention.

[RazorbackExpat]

37. I feel for you

I'm on the other side of Eurasia, and the local news shows have been speculating about what Trump has in store for this part of the world. No hot wars yet, but China has been bullying Taiwan a lot. Kim hasn't been shooting off any missiles lately. but that could change. North Korea supporting Russia has pissed off South Korea, which recently impeached its president. Japan is walking a tightrope between Russia and Trump, and has been happy to embrace Canada and import Canadian products without a tariff. Japan loves Canada.

[LiberalArkie]

14. Maybe not start, but definitely allow to happen. Like GW Bush and the "bin Laden determined to strike" memo

Just ignore it and there will be money to be made.

[MadameButterfly]

15. Putin is out of money and out of weapons

He can only do this with US aid. That is up to Trump. What do you think he will do?

[LiberalArkie]

16. Putin wants Kievan Rus' or Ukraine for historical reasons

Russia used to be part of Kiev.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_Rus%27

Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus', was the first East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty, founded by the Varangian prince Rurik. The name was coined by Russian historians in the 19th century to describe the period when Kiev was at the center. At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, Kievan Rus' stretched from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the East Slavic tribes.

According to the Primary Chronicle, the first ruler to unite East Slavic lands into what would become Kievan Rus' was Varangian prince Oleg the Wise (r. 879–912). He extended his control from Novgorod south along the Dnieper river valley to protect trade from Khazar incursions from the east, and took control of the city of Kiev, laying the foundation of the state and becoming prince of Kiev. Sviatoslav I (r. 943–972) achieved the first major territorial expansion of the state, fighting a war of conquest against the Khazars. Vladimir the Great (r. 980–1015) spread Christianity with his own baptism and, by decree, extended it to all inhabitants of Kiev and beyond. Kievan Rus' reached its greatest extent under Yaroslav the Wise (r. 1019–1054); his sons assembled and issued its first written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda, shortly after his death.

The Ukraine had and probably still has smarter and more highly educated people than Russia.

[MadameButterfly]

19. Great history. And this matters to Putin but also

its lithium and other resources which is why he went for Donbass. Oligarchies don't make good economies so they need to steal resources from someone else. Crimea has strategic importance. And if it weren't for these things and the history, he'd find another reason. Dictators tend to expand their territories. It's part of their mindset. That's why Trump has already got his eyes on Canada, Greenland, Panama, and Mexico. He's not interested in being a president who makes peoples lives better, he wants to aquire and loot.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

29. Thanks for posting that...

... I have often contemplated, "filling in the blanks", in my posts.

[LiberalArkie]

35. Putin is fond of saying that Ukraine has always been part of Russia - Not..

[in2herbs]

17. Only if our current military members follow blindly F45s orders. nt

[MadameButterfly]

20. I'm hoping they won't

but how does a military refuse orders, practically speaking. What would that look like? Aren't most of them conservative? And the rest just don't want to be court-martialled?

And even if we don't send soldiers, what's to stop him from sending arms?

I'm not trying to be pessimistic here. Someone convince me our soldiers won't go along with all this. The foreign wars, the dictator stuff at home.

[mwooldri]

21. As a British American....

... I hate to pick sides. I guess I can ask George Takei for advice. Would be complicated as my sons obviously have dual nationality but my wife does not.

[LymphocyteLover]

32. Sure seems that way

this piece is terrifying
https://www.mind-war.com/p/riyadh-muskotov-ribbentrop

[MadameButterfly]

38. Thanks for the link

[maxsolomon]

3. NATO is not deploying to Ukraine before there's some sort of agreement.

This is European positioning. They're pushing into the negotiations because MFer is shutting them (and Ukraine) out.

What's being negotiated now is how far under the bus we'll throw Ukraine.

[cadoman]

26. ++ NATO would have already deployed long ago if they were willing to play that card

There was no purpose to letting Ukraine fritter away their men if they had any serious intention of fighting.

Ukraine always needed other countries to deploy alongside them if they wanted to have a shot at winning.

[SergeStorms]

30. This is to help enforce a ceasefire.....

not to repel the Russian invasion. Of course Putin would have no qualms about "accidentally" killing NATO forces sent to keep the peace. That's squarely within his modus operandi.

[LymphocyteLover]

33. at least some in NATO are willing to try to stop Ukraine from being completely overrun

[orangecrush]

5. We may find ourselves at war

With our former allies.

[Wuddles440]

8. If it comes to that,...

I'll be joining them.

[steelyboo]

11. Yep, Creamsicle Caligula better be ready for one hell of a Fifth Column

[LymphocyteLover]

34. that seems horribly likely... from the guy who promised he would bring peace

[IronLionZion]

7. I hope Starmer knows what he's doing

because I'm not confident which side the US will be on with Trump.

[C0RI0LANUS]

9. Meanwhile, the Dotard-in-Chief is playing golf and slandering President Zelensky as a "dictator."

Click here for infographic on the NRF: https://www.graphicnews.com/media/GN/33191/W/jpg/EN

The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces (SOF) components that the Alliance can deploy quickly, wherever needed.

Source:

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49755.htm

[blue-wave]

10. I read that

France and New Zealand also indicated their willingness to send troops.

[dchill]

18. Too bad Putin was allowed to buy our government.

I mean, really.

[58Sunliner]

22. This is what is necessary for Russia and the sos in charge here, to realize who they will go up against.

US needs a reality check now. Make it difficult and messy for us to intervene.

[Baitball Blogger]

25. Fucking people who voted for Trump.

You are all assholes!

[Bread and Circuses]

27. NATO show of Force

NATO does need to bulk of their military as it is clear that the USA is a more dangerous and imminent threat than Russia.

I am rooting for NATO to annihilate the War Criminal Putin and reclaiming eastern Russia into the European continent.
NATO , your job is the nullify the USA Military in Europe!

[SalamanderSleeps]

31. I took an oath in 1983 to "Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States."

My question is:

"Why has not some nice Secret Service Agent done the right thing?"

[Torchlight]

36. Mr. trump is adamant on a Vichy-Washington regime

under the auspices of Moscow.