Posted on Jun 24, 2021
HMS Defender: What will be the fallout from Black Sea incident?
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A needless provocation by the Royal Navy or the legitimate exercising of a right of passage at sea?
That depends on your viewpoint.
Britain, strongly supported by Ukraine, insists that HMS Defender was taking the shortest, most direct route across the Black Sea, from Odessa, in Ukraine, to Georgia.
But that route passes just a few miles from the shores of the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move condemned by the West and never internationally recognised.
That is not how Moscow sees it.
Despite a raft of sanctions imposed at the time, it has portrayed its annexation of Crimea, with its significant population of ethnic Russians, as returning the peninsula to its rightful owner: Mother Russia.
The port of Sevastopol, close to Wednesday's incident, is home to a major Russian naval base and its Black Sea fleet.
That depends on your viewpoint.
Britain, strongly supported by Ukraine, insists that HMS Defender was taking the shortest, most direct route across the Black Sea, from Odessa, in Ukraine, to Georgia.
But that route passes just a few miles from the shores of the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move condemned by the West and never internationally recognised.
That is not how Moscow sees it.
Despite a raft of sanctions imposed at the time, it has portrayed its annexation of Crimea, with its significant population of ethnic Russians, as returning the peninsula to its rightful owner: Mother Russia.
The port of Sevastopol, close to Wednesday's incident, is home to a major Russian naval base and its Black Sea fleet.
HMS Defender: What will be the fallout from Black Sea incident?
Posted from bbc.comPosted in these groups: 
United Kingdom
Russia
United Kingdom Russia
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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Russia is the equivalent of a bully in a schoolyard only this schoolyard happens to be the Black Sea.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
I'll be agent provocateur on this one. The US, Britain, the CIA, with the help of several NGO's, staged the overthrow of legally elected Pro Russian government in a Nation that has several areas that are predominately Russian, the Donbas and the Crimea being at the top of that list. Additionally, the Naval Base at Sevastopol is the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and their access to that warm water port. Who is the Bully in this case?
The Crimea voted to annexation to Russia. Since we accepted such votes in the Balkans, votes that displaced a large population, isn't it just a bit more than cynical for NATO to act like it's something unacceptable.
The equivalent would be for the Russians to stage a Coup in Scotland and start patrolling off Scapa Flow.
The Crimea voted to annexation to Russia. Since we accepted such votes in the Balkans, votes that displaced a large population, isn't it just a bit more than cynical for NATO to act like it's something unacceptable.
The equivalent would be for the Russians to stage a Coup in Scotland and start patrolling off Scapa Flow.
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Hard to tell what the real truth is PO1 William "Chip" Nagel ... but the US and all NATO countries need to be standing up to tyrants in the world. Regardless of if they're in Europe or in Asia. We need to defend our allies from aggressor nations & let them know there will be hell to pay if any allied nations are attacked. No more dang red lines or giving people "target lists" not to attack. They've got to be put on notice that we'll defend freedom in the US & abroad from tyranny. It doesn't matter if it's from electronic or actual kinetic attacks. They need to know that they'll receive an equal or greater retaliation if they do. That's the only way to respond to thuggery, is the real threat of force. I'm far less concerned about having people "like" the US than I am of having people fear us. If you have the capability & the will to respond in kind to any attacks- then you'll be far less likely to be attacked. Peace through strength using all elements of US National Power!!
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CPT Lawrence Cable
I have to disagree. The US needs to quit getting involved in areas that are not in our National Interest and the purpose of NATO died during the Reagan Administration. We suck at Nation Building, and in the case of Russia, the US and NATO has promised and reneged on not expanding NATO and interfering with Russian national interest. What did we solve in Syria? Libya? Now we are dealing with the results of US and NATO support of the coup in the Ukraine without considering the fact that a big hunk of the population isn't Ukrainian. The Crimea wasn't part of the Ukraine until the Khrushchev Era and the large majority of the population is of Russian descent. Going to war over the Crimea where the populations doesn't want to be part of the Ukraine is to say the least wrong headed.
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