New Seats in European Parliament?

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Replace Russia with Putin there, and you will have it right.

Putin doesn't want NATO there because NATO has accepted several countries that where part of the Soviet Union that Putin wants back. NATO is not set up to attack him, but it is set up to deffend from agresssion in and out of Europe, which stops him from bringing those countries back into Russia. Putin has said as much, his goal is to reunify Russia back to its old size.

That said, there is a reason those old soviet countries wanted to join NATO, they feared what is happening to Ukriane now. And by invading Ukriane, Putin has shown they where right to fear.

If Putin was not so agressive, NATO would have desolved or decrease its alertness. It might have in another decade or two if Putin stayed quiet. Now they are back to high alert and even Germany is spending more on its army.

I don't see any reason to appease Putin. This is all his doing.

It never ceases to amaze me how after their naked aggression against Serbia back in '99, people can still say with a straight face that NATO is a defensive alliance.

NATO has never in its history ever fought a defensive war. Its purpose remains what it has always been - to maintain US hegemony in Europe. The Kremlin has nothing to do with it and never did.

 

[Hans Blaster]

The Baltic countries have a small border with Russia.

The Baltic countries have a small population.

They are unlikely to threaten Russia.

If Russia (incl. Putin) is worried about "NATO aggression" (as their agents would have us believe) then the size of the adjacent nation does not matter, nor does their population since *any* bordering nation could be a staging area for a "NATO invasion."

NATO nations Poland and Lithuania have the entire border of Russian exclave "Kaliningrad Oblast".

(Also, as I've told you before, historically "Russia" [in the guise of the USSR] had plenty of border between it and NATO nations. It was called "The Iron Curtian", ever heard of it?)

 

[Love365]

NATO nations Poland and Lithuania have the entire border of Russian exclave "Kaliningrad Oblast".

If you wanted to copy that system,
two countries would trade two cities with each other.

 

[Hans Blaster]

If you wanted to copy that system,
two countries would trade two cities with each other.

WHAT????

I'm not talking of any "system" and didn't express any desire to "copy" anything.

What I did point out (since I think you might be speaking of Kaliningrad) is that the Kaliningrad Oblast is completely surrounded on land by NATO countries and has been for some time. The "NATO threat" to Kaliningrad has been there for a while and the presence of Ukraine doesn't affect that.

 

[Love365]

Ambassadors can carry messages back and forth.

But to have time and space to negotiate
they may need seats in European Parliament.

 

[helmut]

Russia and Ukraine might need seats in European Parliament.

What do you think?

The European parliament is for members of the European Union.

Do You think it is a good idea to smoothe a conflict in Latin America by giving the fighting countries seats in the US congress? Almost the same suggestion (the main difference is that the USA are more »centralized« than the EU).

 

[helmut]

Russia has shared a border with NATO members for almost 20 years.

Much longer. Russia has a shared border with Norway, and the USSR had a border to Turkey.

 

[helmut]

And for the 100th time:

Russia doesn't want to join the EU.
Russia doesn't want to join NATO.

Vice versa. In Yeltsin's time, Russia suggested it could join the NATO, but the NATO did not want it. And the EU does want democratic members (we have problems enough with members like Hungary that get less democratic over the time). So a membership of Ukraine is still future (even if there were no war), and a membership of Russia out of discussion.

 

[Love365]

The European parliament is for members of the European Union.

Do You think it is a good idea to smoothe a conflict in Latin America by giving the fighting countries seats in the US congress? Almost the same suggestion (the main difference is that the USA are more »centralized« than the EU).

Alaska and Hawaii are far, far, away from the lower 48 states.
They both have seats in US Congress.

Now back to the European Union.

All of Ukraine is in Europe.

Most Russians live on the European side of Russia.
About 77 percent of Russians live in Europe.

 

[helmut]

Alaska and Hawaii are far, far, away from the lower 48 states.
They both have seats in US Congress.

I never heard that Alaska and Hawaii were at war with each other when they got seats in the congress.

Now back to the European Union.

It has some basic values, which exclude a Russian membership, unless there will be a turn toward democracy there.

All of Ukraine is in Europe.

All of Venezuela is in America.

Most Russians live on the European side of Russia.
About 77 percent of Russians live in Europe.

All inhabitants of Brazil live in America.

According to your logic, Brazil and Venezuela should get seats in the US congress as soon as possible!

 

[Love365]

I never heard that Alaska and Hawaii were at war with each other when they got seats in the congress.


It has some basic values, which exclude a Russian membership, unless there will be a turn toward democracy there.


All of Venezuela is in America.


All inhabitants of Brazil live in America.

According to your logic, Brazil and Venezuela should get seats in the US congress as soon as possible!

North America and South America are different continents.

North America has a free trade agreement.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico have a free trade agreement.

Should Russia and the European Union have a free trade agreement?

 

[Desk trauma]

Should Russia and the European Union have a free trade agreement?

After Russia withdraws from Ukraine and disposes of their current leadership, maybe.

 

[Hans Blaster]

After Russia withdraws from Ukraine and disposes of their current leadership, maybe.

Things seem to be moving fast on this front.

 

[helmut]

North America and South America are different continents.

According to this logic, Europe and Asia are the same continent. OK, no objection.

So let's take Mexico and Nicaragua. Should they get seats in the US congress?

Should Russia and the European Union have a free trade agreement?

If there are no reasons left to sanction Russia: Maybe. But I don't like a Trump-like capitulation to Putin's world view.

 

[Love365]

Will we see the Blue Helmets at some point?

United Nations peacekeeping?

 

[Paulos23]

Will we see the Blue Helmets at some point?

United Nations peacekeeping?

I think both sides have to agree with them being there, and I don't think the Russans want them there to witness their crimes.

 

[SimplyMe]

Ambassadors can carry messages back and forth.

But to have time and space to negotiate
they may need seats in European Parliament.

Perhaps we should cut out the middleman -- give the US (and the European) seats in Russia's Parliament (as well as a Russian seat in the US Congress)?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Perhaps we should cut out the middleman -- give the US (and the European) seats in Russia's Parliament (as well as a Russian seat in the US Congress)?

People are saying that Russia is well represented in the Congress by the Republican Party. Case in point, Moscow Mitch.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

People are saying that Russia is well represented in the Congress by the Republican Party. Case in point, Moscow Mitch.

I would say the Ukraine is far better represented…

 

[SimplyMe]

People are saying that Russia is well represented in the Congress by the Republican Party. Case in point, Moscow Mitch.

So when do we get our Representatives in the Russian Congress?