<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The build-up of Russian forces
\nalong Ukrainians borders has been extremely carefully monitored as of late,
\namid fears that Moscow could prepare a sweeping attack, to be launched in January
\nnext year, most likely. Russia has already strengthened its presence in the
\nregion with tanks and almost 100,000 military. The military deployment is ongoing,
\nand tension is mounting. What we failed to carry through in 2014, we’re now prepared
\nto achieve, the White House leader warned his counterpart in Kremlin. The US
\npresident pointed to the likelihood of Russia invading Ukraine yet again, which
\nis quite similar to the invasion that resulted in Russia illegally annexing
\nCrimea. As part of a secured video conversation Joe Biden had with Vladimir
\nPutin, the US President cautioned that, should Russia invade Ukraine for a second
\ntime around, the US and the European allies will respond with strong economic
\nsanctions. Washington is set to supply Ukraine with more defensive equipment, while the allies’
\nposition along NATO ‘s eastern flank will be strengthened. On the other side,
\nVladimir Putin stated his army threatened nobody. Putin has also called for guarantees
\nto be offered, whereby NATO would not expand to the East, that is to Ukraine. Moscow
\nhas accused NATO of the swift destruction of Europe’s security architecture, that
\nincluding the anti-missile shield in Romania and Poland. Moscow also accused NATO
\nof having deployed its military infrastructure as far as the Russian borders. As
\na guest on a Radio Romania International programme, Professor Alba Popescu of the
\nNational Defense University gave details on the geo-political context in the
\nregion.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr Alba Popescu:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In fact,
<\/p>\n In Moscow’s terms, if the
<\/p>\n Dr Alba Popescu: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The security ring is made of
<\/p>\n The
(Translation by Eugen Nasta)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Russia’s sabre-rattling on the border with Ukraine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":90486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43939],"tags":[36552,34131,30320,31123,34652,36547],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-156636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-future-starts-today","tag-build-up","tag-conflict","tag-military","tag-missile","tag-shield","tag-tension"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nthe underlying cause is the localization of this region from a geographical
\nperspective, the so-called Ponto-Baltic isthmus some of geography specialists
\nsay it is Europe’s real border. A strip of land between the Baltic Sea’s southern
\ncoast and the northern coast of the Black Sea, between the Moravian gate-way
\nand the Caucasus Mountains, which, from a geopolitical perspective, make a buffer
\narea lying between the power which for centuries has been controlling Eurasia’s
\ncentrality area and which now bears the name of the Russian Federation, and, on
\nthe other side, the dominant powers of Atlantic Europe. A space which,
\ngeographically, is dominated by the flatlands which make the Russian
\nFederation’s western frontier. Hence the problem, since it is the federation’s
\nmost vulnerable frontier. Furthermore, it is a space of a tremendous
\ngeo-strategic value because it is a territory that can turn into a barrier or
\ninto a gateway capable of facilitating or, on the contrary, stemming the flows
\nbetween Europe and Asia, between the northern and the southern part of the
\ncontinent. So it is a space, which, in geopolitical and geostrategic terms, is
\ncalled a pivotal space, a hub and a nexus, geoeconomically and geopolitically,
\nso it is Eurasia’s most valuable space from a geostrategic perspective.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nconfrontational drift is to be prevented, the imperious condition is that
\nof the long-term security guarantees with a mandatory legal value, whereby, for
\nthe future, any expansion of NATO towards the east is ruled out, as well as the
\ndeployment along the Russian borders of weaponry capable of threatening Russia’s
\nsecurity. Moscow’s stance to that end is closely linked to Russia’s security
\nring. Here is Professor Alba Popescu once again, explaining all that. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nthose state and aquatic massifs surrounding Russia, that terrestrial colossus which
\nis ring-shaped, so to speak. The Russians believes that security ring to be a
\nspace where their influence is exerted by default, it is a space of a vital and
\nstrategic importance for them. So everything getting
\ncloser to their frontier is viewed as a direct threat. Therefore, that security
\nring is the red line. The states of the security ring include Ukraine, then
\nthere are also the trans-Caucasian states, Moldova, Belarus. All those states are part of the security ring. Consequently,
\nwhenever Russia detects an advancement or an attempt from those states to stray
\naway from the Russian influence and place themselves under the Western influence,
\nRussia would take action under such circumstances. And, as we have seen it
\nbefore, it was quick to take action to that effect in the 1990s. After the empire
\nwas dismantled, it orchestrated all those conflicts, which are frozen and
\nreactivated periodically, as we could see. We’ve seen that happening in Ukraine
\nas well, we also saw it happening in Georgia, in Nagorno-Karabakh…So things are
\ndeveloping on a large scale in the region. And all that has to do with Russia’s
\nimpending objective, a strategic objective, with a by now historical tradition,
\nthat of dominance in the region, which, as early as Tsar Peter
\nthe 1st’s reign, has been one of the eastern power’s set targets and which
\ntoday are materialized in the hybrid action the Russian Federation takes in the
\nPonto-Baltic region. In the Pontic region, where we are, and, of course, in the
\nBaltic region, where the targets are different, the Baltic States, then there
\nare also Poland and Sweden. So that’s what that type of behaviour is about, a
\ntype of behaviour which has become increasingly aggressive, actually.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nconflict in Ukraine won’t be sorted out, as far as I’m concerned, says Alba
\nPopescu. Russia does not have any interest whatsoever, neither to rekindle it, in
\nthe coming period, or to sort it out, one way or another, with Ukraine having
\nto remain in that grey area, alongside the other states. According to NATO, the
\nvery idea is unacceptable, whereby Russia can have its own sphere of influence,
\nsays NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The very idea of bringing up such an issue
\nprompts us to enhance our vigilance, such an idea is unacceptable, the idea
\nwhereby Russia could have its spheres of influence there. That might mean we must
\neffectively admit that Russia can control what its neighbouring states can do, despite the fact that those states are sovereign states, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg went on to say.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n