4 ms·

What did the US do to prevent Russia "taking out" Crimea that the cowardly rest of the world didn't?

cm2187 6y ago
I am not saying it is obvious that the US would confront China militarily if it was to invade Taiwan. But Europe did let a friendly country at its immediate border get invaded and didn’t even stop buying the main resource the invader relies on (oil and gas). Let alone have any military involvement.
- mschuster91 6y ago
  > and didn’t even stop buying the main resource the invader relies on (oil and gas) The problem is that Europe depends on (cheap) Russian gas for heating.
  - cm2187 6y ago
    Right. And we are realising now how dependant we are on the Chinese supply chain.
- hrktb 6y ago
  The US didn't stop trading with Saudi Arabia even after proven involvement in 9/11/2001. It's all mildly complicated.
- sergeykish 6y ago
  > The memorandum was originally signed by three nuclear powers: the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.... included security assurances against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Securit...
michaelt 6y ago
Nothing - but Crimea is right on the EU's doorstep. Both Ukraine and Russia share borders with EU member states. If we EU member states didn't get involved when we saw a fight right in front of us, the threat of us getting involved in a fight thousands of miles away isn't very credible as a deterrent. More broadly, when I look at Taiwan I don't see the EU or US recognising Taiwan as a nation - let alone any tripwire forces or foreign airbases or nuclear sharing or NATO membership or joint training exercises which signal the fully fledged protection of a great power.
- pmachinery 6y ago
  > Nothing - but Crimea is right on the EU's doorstep. So it's no further from US bases than EU bases. > Both Ukraine and Russia share borders with EU member states. And Russia is a two mile walkable ice bridge from the US in winter. > If we EU member states didn't get involved when we saw a fight right in front of us, the threat of us getting involved in a fight thousands of miles away isn't very credible as a deterrent. Distance isn't the issue. EU countries/NATO will bomb any puny country armed with obsolete weapons, wherever it is. What the US and EU will never do is get into a fight with a nuclear armed superpower.
  - viro 6y ago
    umm Russia isn't a super power. But the US and EU will avoid directly fighting any nuclear armed country... Well yea duh, the nuke doesn't need to hit us to kill the planet.
- qbaqbaqba 6y ago
  Germany is more than happy to trade with Russia breaking sanctions https://www.dw.com/en/siemens-to-hike-russia-investment-despite-crimea-scandal/a-47548791 https://www.dw.com/en/siemens-to-hike-russia-investment-desp... Not to mention NordStreamII

I am not saying it is obvious that the US would confront China militarily if it was to invade Taiwan. But Europe did let a friendly country at its immediate border get invaded and didn’t even stop buying the main resource the invader relies on (oil and gas). Let alone have any military involvement.

mschuster91 6y ago
> and didn’t even stop buying the main resource the invader relies on (oil and gas) The problem is that Europe depends on (cheap) Russian gas for heating.
- cm2187 6y ago
  Right. And we are realising now how dependant we are on the Chinese supply chain.
hrktb 6y ago
The US didn't stop trading with Saudi Arabia even after proven involvement in 9/11/2001. It's all mildly complicated.
sergeykish 6y ago
> The memorandum was originally signed by three nuclear powers: the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.... included security assurances against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Securit...

michaelt 6y ago

Nothing - but Crimea is right on the EU's doorstep. Both Ukraine and Russia share borders with EU member states. If we EU member states didn't get involved when we saw a fight right in front of us, the threat of us getting involved in a fight thousands of miles away isn't very credible as a deterrent. More broadly, when I look at Taiwan I don't see the EU or US recognising Taiwan as a nation - let alone any tripwire forces or foreign airbases or nuclear sharing or NATO membership or joint training exercises which signal the fully fledged protection of a great power.

pmachinery 6y ago
> Nothing - but Crimea is right on the EU's doorstep. So it's no further from US bases than EU bases. > Both Ukraine and Russia share borders with EU member states. And Russia is a two mile walkable ice bridge from the US in winter. > If we EU member states didn't get involved when we saw a fight right in front of us, the threat of us getting involved in a fight thousands of miles away isn't very credible as a deterrent. Distance isn't the issue. EU countries/NATO will bomb any puny country armed with obsolete weapons, wherever it is. What the US and EU will never do is get into a fight with a nuclear armed superpower.
- viro 6y ago
  umm Russia isn't a super power. But the US and EU will avoid directly fighting any nuclear armed country... Well yea duh, the nuke doesn't need to hit us to kill the planet.
qbaqbaqba 6y ago
Germany is more than happy to trade with Russia breaking sanctions https://www.dw.com/en/siemens-to-hike-russia-investment-despite-crimea-scandal/a-47548791 https://www.dw.com/en/siemens-to-hike-russia-investment-desp... Not to mention NordStreamII