Mar 12, 2024
THIERRY MONASSE
The European Union (EU) should send troops to Ukraine while Kyiv continues its fight against invading Russian forces as NATO remains idle, according to retired U.S. Army Colonel Alexander Crowther.
Crowther, who previously served as special assistant to NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, said during an interview published by U.S. government-funded media outlet Radio Free Europe on Sunday that NATO was currently “stuck” and prevented from making any moves to aid Ukraine at least until the alliance’s summit takes place in Washington, D.C., in July.
French President Emmanuel Macron suggested sending Western troops to Ukraine last month, unleashing a torrent of concerns about expanding the scope of the Ukraine war with the potential involvement of NATO member states. The founding treaty of the alliance mandates that military action against one member is treated as action against the entire organization.
In an opinion article published one day after Macron’s suggestion by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), where Crowther serves as senior fellow, the retired colonel argued in favor of the EU providing “passive support” to Ukraine, so long as a deployment includes “clear messaging to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that EU operations would not be escalatory.”
Crowther argued in the interview published by Radio Free Europe on Sunday that sending EU troops would not pose any serious risk of NATO involvement in the war, despite all but four EU members also being members of NATO.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the European Union to step up and do this stuff,” Crowther said. “If you look at who’s responsible for security in Europe, writ large: You have internal, you have external, you have soft power, you have market power, and then you have information power.”
“NATO is responsible for external hard power for Europe,” he continued. ” Internal hard power … all of that belongs to the European Union, not to NATO. NATO is a one-trick pony, as we say … It’s vital. But we’ve got to remember that the European Union is responsible for all these other [aspects]. Security is bigger than just external hard power.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the EU late Monday night.
While the EU has not announced plans to send troops to Ukraine, the European nations have recently stepped up to increase military aid to Ukraine in the absence of assistance from the U.S., where President Joe Biden‘s requested $60 billion aid package remains held up amid partisan disputes in Congress.
Last week, EU officials announced a plan to further boost Ukraine aid by significantly increasing the production of weapons in Europe, which would reduce the continent’s reliance on U.S.-made arms.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s commissioner for competition, said that the plan would help Europe “take more responsibility for our own security, while, of course, remaining fully committed to our NATO alliance.”
Vestager also argued that the plan would serve as a safeguard against the possibility of former President Donald Trump forcing the U.S. to abandon Ukraine and NATO if he returns to the White House by winning this year’s presidential election.
https://www.newsweek.com/eu-should-send-troops-ukraine-while-nato-stalls-ret-us-officer-1878168
It can’t be said often enough; that Ukraine is the vanguard of Europe.
The discussion about troops in Ukraine is moot if Ukraine gets what it needs and in sufficient numbers. But, if not, then EU/NATO troops on the ground will be essential. Some Europeans have already understood this truth, like Macron, but many others are still in Lala Land, like Scholz.
As long as Ukraine is fighting, their countries are safe. Once Ukraine is defeated, they must dig their own trenches. Then the realization that they had committed the biggest mistake of the 21st century by not doing what was necessary to help Ukraine won’t help them much anymore. Then the mafia army will force the Ukrainians to fight for them, including taking over every weapon and ammo that is left over from Ukraine.
Fighting a country that doesn’t value human lives and is willing to commit every crime you can think of is bad enough, but with excellent Ukrainians on their side, things will get nasty in Europe.
A special thank you for increasing this chance to Donald Trump and his magagmoron gang, who is making America great again by throwing away the friendship of our closest allies so that he can go to bed with the likes of putin and orban.
The Trump strategy was made clear by Orban: starve Ukraine of aid; already happening now and “he won’t give them a penny.”
All hopes of a big breakthrough for Ukraine in 2024 have been almost extinguished. Instead they must focus on holding what they have.
US-Ukraine Aid is dead. Can anyone revive it before the magaputler turds get power?
Those expecting cabinet positions: RamAssWhamMe, JDV, Bannnon, Macgregor, DT Jr, Rand Paul, MTG, Tuberville and every Ukraine-hating asshole you can imagine.
The full Crowther interview can be seen here:
I commented thus:
“He has no threats left. His basket is empty. He can’t threaten, like he did with Georgia, a military intervention, because he’s just got no military left.”
Don’t know where he gets that optimistic idea. Half a million fucking orcs inside Ukraine and more mobilization to come. It’s a massive threat and that’s where I agree with him : Ukraine has a chronic troop shortage and European troops can provide a huge morale boost and actual boost.
Nato members are safe. The most vulnerable to putler attacks are Georgia, Armenia and Moldova. In that order.
Moldova and Romania share the same language, culture and traditions. It is time for Romania to make Moldova a Romanian protectorate; independent of Nato. They can easily do it.
That leaves Armenia and Georgia: both small and surrounded by hostiles. They are the two oldest Christian countries in the world and MUST be protected. What to do? The Budapest signatories don’t even honour their obligations to Ukraine, let alone these two defenceless nations.
And:
“Crowther: I could name half a dozen countries right now that would be willing to send people to Ukraine.
RFE/RL: Be my guest, that’s going to make a brilliant headline.
Crowther: I’m not going to do that in an interview. You know who they are. You could name some countries. What I don’t want to do is to spoil things for the political leadership in these countries. I’m not going to put them on the spot — that’s not my job. I’m an analyst and an adviser.”
As I keep saying, it’s going to take one brave country to send combat troops. And that hopefully will shame others into joining in.
We are talking about actual, planned, systematic genocide here. The total annihilation of a sovereign nation by one of the most evil murder regimes in history.
Thanks, scradge.