NATO says
NATO:
- condemns in the strongest possible terms the plan to hold so-called “referenda”;
- says Russia bears full responsibility for the war, the immense suffering its aggression is bringing upon the Ukrainian people, as well as the cost of its war including for the Russian people now being mobilised;
- reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity;
- will continue to strive for peace, security, and stability for every inch of Allied territory.
I like NATO.
NATO does not
- say referenda are a bad idea - these ones are, but not referenda as a whole;
- say Russians dodging the draft should be prevented from doing so by being stopped from entering other countries;
- deny the peaceful, negotiated secession of part of a sovereign country;
- shirk from condemning war as a means to such purpose;
- include Ukraine as Allied territory, nor does it say Ukraine may never become Allied territory.
I don't like NATO, I love NATO.
So why:
- should we rule out referenda in Donbas for all time?
- should we stop draft-dodgers dodging the draft if we find they are suffering? We let Ukrainians leave when they suffered.
- should Donbas be prevented seceding, ever? And,
- would NATO welcome Ukraine into its fold if Russia is thought a danger to security from Kharkiv to Los Angeles?
Answers, in order:
- NATO doesn't rule out referenda for all time.
- NATO says nothing about draft-dodgers.
- NATO says secession is a question for legal and legitimate separation.
- Because NATO believes in standing up to bullies, defensively.
I don't love NATO, I adore NATO, even though it hesitated before at welcoming Ukraine.
NATO makes bold statements, but doesn't make bold statements it doesn't mean.
And NATO's bold statements aren't as bold as some from LinkedIn's contributors.
- NATO says Russia has it in its hands to end the conflict by withdrawing from Ukraine.
- That's what NATO wants.
- But it's starting to not be what everyone else wants. They want the war taken to Moscow. Not by NATO, of course. And not by them. Russia is to do that.
That's not the saying, though, is it? "If you scratch my back, I'll urge you on. And if you try to dodge doing that, I'll block your path."
Ukraine has fought for the west to repel Russia, admittedly with our funding.
And now Russia is to finish that job by finishing Russia off - without our funding.
When is the west going to do something?
Besides funding other people's arguments,
not funding other people's arguments,
and looking for alternative gas supplies?
That was bold. But bold is in right now. Must change washing powder
.