Nato?

[Gunny]

So I get up at 5AM to go run and turn on the news for some background noise while I suck down some coffee, meds and get my shoes tied correctly :) Instead of the local news/weather, I hear this blather from Trump about NATO. Now, this is NOT specifically a slam on Trump before the defensive-minded get worked up. I'm more curious about NATO itself.

Trump's big bitch has been no one's paying their fair share, if at all. Okay. Valid complaint, IMO. Supposedly, a bunch of countries anted up for which Trump expressed gratitude while it was noted he would NOT address specifically Syria or Ukraine.

Okay. I can see Syria. Sort of. As long as Syria remains an internal issue. Isn't Ukraine a NATO member though? So, if I'm a NATO member, and NATO wants my $, what exactly is it I'm supposed to get in return? Sanctions against the country that invades mine? Thanks :rolleyes: What good is a promise of defense against Russia if no one has or will confront Putin and his aggression in both Syria and Ukraine? And I'm not talking about calling Putin a bad boy. This is supposed to be about military defense.

[Kathianne]

So I get up at 5AM to go run and turn on the news for some background noise while I suck down some coffee, meds and get my shoes tied correctly :) Instead of the local news/weather, I hear this blather from Trump about NATO. Now, this is NOT specifically a slam on Trump before the defensive-minded get worked up. I'm more curious about NATO itself.

Trump's big bitch has been no one's paying their fair share, if at all. Okay. Valid complaint, IMO. Supposedly, a bunch of countries anted up for which Trump expressed gratitude while it was noted he would NOT address specifically Syria or Ukraine.

Okay. I can see Syria. Sort of. As long as Syria remains an internal issue. Isn't Ukraine a NATO member though? So, if I'm a NATO member, and NATO wants my $, what exactly is it I'm supposed to get in return? Sanctions against the country that invades mine? Thanks :rolleyes: What good is a promise of defense against Russia if no one has or will confront Putin and his aggression in both Syria and Ukraine? And I'm not talking about calling Putin a bad boy. This is supposed to be about military defense.

I thought I missed something. Ukraine would like to be in NATO, but not yet:


https://www.nato.int/cps/ua/natohq/topics_37768.htm

September 2006: During a visit to NATO, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych reassures Allies of Ukraine'scommitment to ongoing cooperation with NATO. However, he says the Ukrainian people are not yet ready to consider possible NATO membership.Jun 14, 2018

[Gunny]

I thought I missed something. Ukraine would like to be in NATO, but not yet:


https://www.nato.int/cps/ua/natohq/topics_37768.htm
I wasn't sure. I recall the topic being an issue at one time. I find it amusing in my cynical little way that all these countries are bound together by a mutual defense treaty and STILL scared to death of the Soviet Union :) I can see being wary of Putin. I wouldn't want to have anything he decided he wanted. He seems to be getting his way at every turn.

I just question a mutual defense organization with about as much teeth as the UN.

I'm still wondering how the US got stuck with North Korea, a UN action.

[FakeNewsSux]

This might be what you were thinking about Gunny:

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/12/04/the-budapest-memorandum-and-u-s-obligations/