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Russia is the Soviet Union's continuation, and it still has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and is currently fighting in and occupying a European country. The

Russia is the Soviet Union's continuation, and it still has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and is currently fighting in and occupying a European country. The threat isn't gone at all.

RobertoG 10y ago
So, what should happen so "the threat" is gone?
- JumpCrisscross 10y ago
  Short of world dominion, you're never going to eliminate threats. The best one can manage is to manage them.
- Scarblac 10y ago
  When Russia becomes a normal country, with a government that doesn't feel the need to threaten its neighbours all the time.
- bad_user 10y ago
  Russia is a hegemony. China is a hegemony too. Both will always be threats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony And yes, the US is also a threat to Europe and vice versa, except that historically the US culture, business interests and political climate has been aligned with that of Western Europe, hence it makes a lot of sense to have alliances. IMO the threat of these hegemonies is precisely why EU makes a lot of sense. Divided we'll inevitably fail.
  - aaron-lebo 10y ago
    I don't think Russia or China fit the traditional label for hegemon. They are regional or great powers that have a lot of influence over certain countries near them, but even that is limited. Russia dominates Belarus but not Poland. China has clout throughout Southeast Asia but SK and Japan are rivals. The only hegemon is the US like the British Empire before it.
tiatia 10y ago
"is currently fighting in and occupying a European country." If Russia were fighting Ukraine, the war would be over in 1 week.
- tiatia 10y ago
  Why is this getting downvoted? Use your brains. Ok, I was wrong. Two weeks. Mea culpa https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/ukraine-crisis.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/ukraine-cris...
  - seppin 10y ago
    B/c they can't invade fully, they need some pretext. Also even if they wanted to, they don't have the forces to occupy Kiev.
    - tiatia 10y ago
      "they need some pretext." Russian law would give this pretext. Putin would be obligated by the constitution to protect "Russians" abroad. Ukraine has a huge Russian minority. " Also even if they wanted to, they don't have the forces to occupy Kiev." Ukraine is currently on the level of a 3rd world country. Russia would have air superiority within 24 hours. And the Russian military is still a formidable opponent, even for the US. I think the argument that Russia can't occupy Ukraine, if she wanted, is absurd.
      - seppin 10y ago
        > Russian law would give this pretext. Putin would be obligated by the constitution to protect "Russians" abroad. Ukraine has a huge Russian minority. Russian law is not recognized outside of Russia. Besides, that logic would give him legal authority to conquer half of Eastern Europe. > Ukraine is currently on the level of a 3rd world country. Russia would have air superiority within 24 hours Do you have any idea what occupation means? It's soldiers, hundreds of thousands of them, and money/supplies to remain for years. Russia's economy is in decline, their armed forces are already deployed and stretched around the world. This isn't a video game.

Russia is the Soviet Union's continuation, and it still has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and is currently fighting in and occupying a European country. The threat isn't gone at all.

RobertoG 10y ago

So, what should happen so "the threat" is gone?

JumpCrisscross 10y ago
Short of world dominion, you're never going to eliminate threats. The best one can manage is to manage them.
Scarblac 10y ago
When Russia becomes a normal country, with a government that doesn't feel the need to threaten its neighbours all the time.
bad_user 10y ago
Russia is a hegemony. China is a hegemony too. Both will always be threats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony And yes, the US is also a threat to Europe and vice versa, except that historically the US culture, business interests and political climate has been aligned with that of Western Europe, hence it makes a lot of sense to have alliances. IMO the threat of these hegemonies is precisely why EU makes a lot of sense. Divided we'll inevitably fail.
- aaron-lebo 10y ago
  I don't think Russia or China fit the traditional label for hegemon. They are regional or great powers that have a lot of influence over certain countries near them, but even that is limited. Russia dominates Belarus but not Poland. China has clout throughout Southeast Asia but SK and Japan are rivals. The only hegemon is the US like the British Empire before it.

tiatia 10y ago

"is currently fighting in and occupying a European country." If Russia were fighting Ukraine, the war would be over in 1 week.

tiatia 10y ago
Why is this getting downvoted? Use your brains. Ok, I was wrong. Two weeks. Mea culpa https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/ukraine-crisis.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/ukraine-cris...
- seppin 10y ago
  B/c they can't invade fully, they need some pretext. Also even if they wanted to, they don't have the forces to occupy Kiev.
  - tiatia 10y ago
    "they need some pretext." Russian law would give this pretext. Putin would be obligated by the constitution to protect "Russians" abroad. Ukraine has a huge Russian minority. " Also even if they wanted to, they don't have the forces to occupy Kiev." Ukraine is currently on the level of a 3rd world country. Russia would have air superiority within 24 hours. And the Russian military is still a formidable opponent, even for the US. I think the argument that Russia can't occupy Ukraine, if she wanted, is absurd.
    - seppin 10y ago
      > Russian law would give this pretext. Putin would be obligated by the constitution to protect "Russians" abroad. Ukraine has a huge Russian minority. Russian law is not recognized outside of Russia. Besides, that logic would give him legal authority to conquer half of Eastern Europe. > Ukraine is currently on the level of a 3rd world country. Russia would have air superiority within 24 hours Do you have any idea what occupation means? It's soldiers, hundreds of thousands of them, and money/supplies to remain for years. Russia's economy is in decline, their armed forces are already deployed and stretched around the world. This isn't a video game.