NATO to massively increase reaction forces

[Lonestarblue]

3. And Russia was reported to be shipping nuclear missiles to Belarus in a few weeks or months.

Saber rattling by Putin? NATO should move nuclear submarines and ships with long-range missiles to the the Baltic Sea, perhaps not too far from St. Petersburg. Russia has looted Ukrainian artifacts and art. How would they feel to see St. Petersburg in NATO’s sights.

Then move some of NATO’s long-range and nuclear missiles to Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania—or all three.

After reading a bit about why the NATO ships are not entering the Black Sea, I came across something called the Montreux Convention, which gives states bordering the Black Sea more privileges over it in spite of it being an international waterway. Turkey is one of those states, and it has not been open so far to allowing NATO shops transit through the Bosphorus Strait. The US is not a signatory to the Montreux Convention but has generally respected it. But imagine a US warship sailing right past Istanbul! I think most people there would love to see it! Many Ukrainians have sought refuge in Istanbul.

So the idea of a NATO escort to get Ukrainian cargo ships out of the Black Sea needs Erdogan’s approval, and he has not been eager to help. The next best thing would be for Ukraine to sink a few more Russian ships—a tough order. If nothing changes soon, their grain is likely to rot and any new harvest will have no place to be stored. What a mess.