Over Poetin, Polen en Roemenië

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Romania and Poland they could find themselves in the sights of Russian rockets because they are hosting elements of a U.S. missile shield that Moscow considers a threat to its security. Moscow had stated repeatedly it would take retaliatory steps, but Washington and its allies ignored the warnings. Earlier this month, the U.S. military — which says the shield is needed to protect from Iran, not threaten Russia — switched on the Romanian part of the shield. Work is going ahead on another part of the shield, in Poland.

Putin did not specify what actions Russia would take, but he insisted that it was not making the first step, only responding to moves by Washington. “We won’t take any action until we see rockets in areas that neighbor us.” He said the argument that the project was needed to defend against Iran made no sense because an international deal had been reached to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. The missiles that will form the shield can easily reach Russian cities, he said.

Mijn eerste reactie was er een van verbazing. In 2014 werd de Krim geannexeerd door Rusland onder Vladimir Poetin. In 2016 nieuwe dreigementen uitten richting Polen en Roemenië lijkt me zeer agressief. En dat omdat deze landen deel uitmaken van het NATO raketschild.

Langs de andere kant kan ik me verplaatsen in de visie van Rusland. De voorbije eeuwen werd Rusland meermaals aangevallen langs de corridor van Europese vlakte; denk bijvoorbeeld aan Adolf Hitler of Napoleon Bonaparte. Neutraliteit bewaren in dit gebied is dus van strategisch belang voor Rusland. Poetin’s reactie is nogal patserig, wat niet ongewoon is voor een autocratie als Rusland.

Gelezen bij Reuters als Putin says Romania, Poland may now be in Russia’s cross-hairs.