Bloody Ruby of Trisirtick

Bush pushes for Ukraine MAPs…

Normally, I would be pleased that a US president would be pushing so hard for Ukraine to be brought into NATO. But as with all things Cheney – and his marionette, Bush – I doubt very much that the reasons for such “freedom marching” will in any way ultimately benefit Ukraine. I have two words for you: Black Sea. Seems to me that the energy industry will be pleased, as will those who favor a new Cold War. Now, here is the news on Bush’s visit to Ukraine:

“KIEV, Ukraine, April 1 — President Bush championed expansion of NATO further into the former Soviet Union on Tuesday and declared that Russia “will not have a veto” over the alliance’s decision this week about whether to put Ukraine and Georgia on a path to membership.

Appearing alongside President Viktor Yushchenko, Bush portrayed NATO membership for the two former Soviet republics as part of a new security architecture for Europe and not a threat to Moscow, which has threatened to target missiles against its former territories if they join. Bush rejected Russian suggestions that he soft-pedal the issue in exchange for a deal on missile defense or Afghanistan.

“I strongly believe that Ukraine and Georgia should be given MAPs,” he said, referring to “membership action plans,” a process for NATO candidates. “And there’s no tradeoffs. Period. And I told that to President Putin.” Recounting a recent telephone conversation, Bush said he told Vladimir Putin: “You shouldn’t fear that, Mr. President. After all, NATO is an organization that is peaceful.”‘

Um, NATO is peaceful? So how does he explain (does he even know?) Gladio, for example?

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“But the issue is highly sensitive for the Kremlin, which over the past decade has watched with increasing irritation as a Western alliance formed to oppose it during the Cold War has reached closer and closer to its borders. Over the past decade, NATO first admitted several Eastern European nations that were once satellites of Moscow and then, six years ago, gave membership to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the three Baltic states that were part of the Soviet Union until its breakup in 1991.

Ukraine, in particular, has historically been a much more central part of the Russian sense of empire, which is why both nations consider this a critical moment in their mutual history. Yushchenko, the Western-oriented banker who was elected president after leading the Orange Revolution that toppled a pro-Russian government in late 2004, stressed that Ukraine needs NATO to ensure its final break from Moscow.”

Now all of you by now know that I am no fan of Putin. The problem is that I am also not a fan of a new Cold War, especially in this reality – one in which Cheney-Bush are at the helm of our sinking ship. The Bush administration is playing with fire.

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