Large-scale Russian military exercises in Belarus feared to be set-up for Putin's next conquest - Polidicks

[URL="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/19/fears-grow-russian-military-drills-in-belarus-are-moscows-next-crimea.html"]https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/19/fears-grow-russian-military-drills-in-belarus-are-moscows-next-crimea.html[/URL] [QUOTE]There are growing concerns large-scale war games planned next month by Russia with its neighbor Belarus could be a cover for something very sinister by Vladimir Putin — perhaps another Crimea. There is alarm in Europe that the Russian president could use the military exercises as a sort of Trojan horse or pretext for an annexation of Belarus, a former Soviet republic. Putin has had an increasingly acrimonious relationship with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, particularly since Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. "Russia is billing it as modest exercises under 13,000 troops, but everything points to probably the largest military exercise in post-Soviet history," said Leon Aron, resident scholar and the director of Russian studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. According to Aron, these types of exercises preceded Russia's invasion and later conflict with Georgia, a former Soviet republic that before the war was getting closer to Washington. Similarly, Russia used military exercises as a cover for its assault on the former Soviet republic of Ukraine. Russia insists its quadrennial Zapad (or Russian for west) joint military drills scheduled Sept. 14-20 will include 12,700 troops and are designed to "test military coordination." However, the New York Times reported last month the entire exercise could involve up to 100,000 people when also including "security personnel and civilian officials."[/QUOTE]

Russia has been doing war games with Belarus for ages. Plus a Russian-Belarussian conflict I'm certain would not be anywhere near as supported among Russians as the Ukrainian one as historically Belarussian and Russian people have been very, very close, far more so than with Ukrainians or Poles. Who knows though.

[QUOTE=Araknid;52591489]Russia has been doing war games with Belarus for ages. Plus a Russian-Belarussian conflict I'm certain would not be anywhere near as supported among Russians as the Ukrainian one as historically Belarussian and Russian people have been very, very close, far more so than with Ukrainians or Poles. Who knows though.[/QUOTE] Wont stop cunts like Putin and his goons pulling something retarded as fuck.

[QUOTE=Marbalo;52591553]What's funny is that Russia could actually pull this off and nobody would even do anything because the US is fragmented and headed by Trump and Europe isn't capable of really dishing out any sanctions or condemnations with any weight behind them on its own. Regardless, nothing will happen. [editline]19th August 2017[/editline] It's not even how Russia operates. There aren't any news reports of "growing calls for referendum in Belarus amidst protests", or "Russian minorities face discrimination by Belarussian authorities", or anything of the sort to give this a valid precedent. Guy who wrote it is frankly shortsighted and lacks any knowledge of how Russia operates and has operated in the past. You can tell because he actually thinks that you can compare Belarus to Georgia or Ukraine just because all three had, at some point in time, military exercises with Russia. Which is about the only circumstantial thing that connects all three.[/QUOTE] Fairly sure Europe has more than enough weight behind sanctions. At least significantly more than the US has, economically. Even just the Netherlands has a bigger impact on Russia than the US though. It's Russia's biggest export partner, beating China by $1.1B. It's not about who's punch hits the hardest. It's about whether we will actually do something or not.

Since Ukraine has been a complete failure for Putin, he knows straight up conquest won't work. He's been more of a backroom schemer and puppet master and it seems to be working. He's thrown the US into chaos and is causing all sorts of problems in Europe.

Pretty sure this won't happen, Belarus is in cahoots with Russia right? I mean they're in CSTO.

[QUOTE=Destroyox;52591852]Pretty sure this won't happen, Belarus is in cahoots with Russia right? I mean they're in CSTO.[/QUOTE] Except they have been warming up to the west, which is a big no no in the Russian Mind

[QUOTE=Marbalo;52591553]What's funny is that Russia could actually pull this off and nobody would even do anything because the US is fragmented and headed by Trump and Europe isn't capable of really dishing out any sanctions or condemnations with any weight behind them on its own. Regardless, nothing will happen. [editline]19th August 2017[/editline] It's not even how Russia operates. There aren't any news reports of "growing calls for referendum in Belarus amidst protests", or "Russian minorities face discrimination by Belarussian authorities", or anything of the sort to give this a valid precedent. Guy who wrote it is frankly shortsighted and lacks any knowledge of how Russia operates and has operated in the past. You can tell because he actually thinks that you can compare Belarus to Georgia or Ukraine just because all three had, at some point in time, military exercises with Russia. Which is about the only circumstantial thing that connects all three.[/QUOTE] It's still pretty alarming that this is the largest military exercise in that country since the fall of the USSR. This is right on Poland's doorstep. It may not be a sign of annexing Belarus but it's definitely a show of strength to eastern Europe.

I mean, Belarus practically belongs to Russian oligarchs, already. Really, their individual rights may even improve through being acquired.

Not sure what Russia would stand to gain from going to war with Belarus. Belarus is already USSRtown but I suspect if Russia turned on them it'd be a hell of a fight.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;52592377]Not sure what Russia would stand to gain from going to war with Belarus. Belarus is already USSRtown but I suspect if Russia turned on them it'd be a hell of a fight.[/QUOTE] Literally nothing except for an even more fucked economy. Crimea had strategic value, Belarus doesn't.

[QUOTE=Trebgarta;52592698]I don't get this thread. Where are the Russians invading?[/QUOTE] Colorado. Red Dawn is upon us.

I guess every huge-scale army training is "Putin is gonna invade %CountryName% soon" these days.

[QUOTE=DoktorAkcel;52592907]I guess every huge-scale army training is "Putin is gonna invade %CountryName% soon" these days.[/QUOTE] It was for Georgia but I agree, there's no point in them invading anything else, it wouldn't make sense. They got Crimea, they Ukraine has been destabilized, and the black ops are already keeping the Ukrainian Army away from Novorossiya which they probably control behind the scenes anyway. Russia has nothing to gain from invading anywhere else, they would only piss off the world even more.

russia invading more territories will impose costs on them to administer and improve those places crimea is often touted as a massive gain for russia, but the costs of actually running the place and connecting it to mainland russia (since it's an exclave) are massive. the crimean economy is in ruins and the people there are pretty unhappy with russian rule now to say the least due to this. either russia has to subsidise their costly annexation (to keep the loyalty of the populace) or not pay enough and risk the crimeans getting rebellious. either way the only thing russia seems to be getting out of it is a port the more places russia expands into, the less of a gain it gets from it (in future annexations i can see it actually imposing a cost on them with literally no upside at all)

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;52593236]russia invading more territories will impose costs on them to administer and improve those places crimea is often touted as a massive gain for russia, but the costs of actually running the place and connecting it to mainland russia (since it's an exclave) are massive. the crimean economy is in ruins and the people there are pretty unhappy with russian rule now to say the least due to this. either russia has to subsidise their costly annexation (to keep the loyalty of the populace) or not pay enough and risk the crimeans getting rebellious. either way the only thing russia seems to be getting out of it is a port the more places russia expands into, the less of a gain it gets from it (in future annexations i can see it actually imposing a cost on them with literally no upside at all)[/QUOTE] Uhm. Who said they are improving anything ? I doubt they give a rats ass

[QUOTE=Itsjustguy;52593419]Uhm. Who said they are improving anything ? I doubt they give a rats ass[/QUOTE] they're developing infrastructure in crimea (such as building a big bridge to connect it over the sea of azov) to help integrate the area into russia

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;52592747]Colorado. Red Dawn is upon us.[/QUOTE] Sweet I always wanted an AK

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;52592747]Colorado. Red Dawn is upon us.[/QUOTE] Getting around import bans by having them airdropped right to us alright finna get a krink

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52592263]It's still pretty alarming that this is the largest military exercise in that country since the fall of the USSR. This is right on Poland's doorstep. It may not be a sign of annexing Belarus but it's definitely a show of strength to eastern Europe.[/QUOTE] NATO has been conducting large-scale annual excercises in Eastern EU since ages. I mean Saber Guardian just concluded here last month with over 25000 troops, and thats just one of the 18 excercises in the Black Sea region this year, not to mention the rest in Eastern Europe, or the national ones. Anakonda 16 in Poland was even larger last year. Which you could say is on Russia's doorstep. I don't think there is cause for alarm now.

[QUOTE=Kecske;52593819]NATO has been conducting large-scale annual excercises in Eastern EU since ages. I mean Saber Guardian just concluded here last month with over 25000 troops, and thats just one of the 18 excercises in the Black Sea region this year, not to mention the rest in Eastern Europe, or the national ones. Anakonda 16 in Poland was even larger last year. Which you could say is on Russia's doorstep. I don't think there is cause for alarm now.[/QUOTE] Reminds me how everyone in the west thought Zapad 81 was gonna be the start of a new war. Just like how everyone in the eastern bloc thought Able Archer 83 was gonna be the start of a new war.