Russian president Vladimir Putin has been planning for a major war for at least a decade, according to a former high ranking advisor. The Inquisitr reported Sept. 26 that not only has Putin been planning for military operations in Crimea and Ukraine, he has plans for the Baltic region and perhaps other territories as well based on the legal definition of what constitutes persons from Russia. Could this mean that the Russian president is willing to take the world to the brink of World War 3? Former presidential adviser Andrey Illarionov, speaking at a conference in Lithuania, said that his former boss has had designs on the region since 2003. The adviser noted that as far back as 2008, the Russian Journal had published a plan for the takeover of Crimea, followed by a military sweep northwestward toward Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Illarionov, who advised the Russian president on economic policy between 2000-2005, pointed out, according to the Lithuanian Times: “As we see, not only were they preparing, they were publishing it. And, according to the former high ranking official, Putin himself revealed his position about Ukraines status as a nation in 2010 at a NATO summit when he said the state wasnt a real nation but a country that took over territory once occupied by Russia, Romania, Hungary, and Poland. Illarionov said that the idea that there are ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking populations in many of the regions in question, peoples defined by Russian law, will be the pretext used by Vladimir Putin to move aggressively. It will be a position that might actually be embraced by the Russian people themselves. Such a legal base allows the Russian army to protect all the Russians listed in the law. Therefore, for the Russian side, such actions of the Russian army beyond Russian borders might seem completely legitimate, Illarionov maintained. The former Russian presidential advisers words of warning about a possible impending multi-national confrontation, something akin to a precursor for World War 3, come only a few weeks after reports appeared claiming that Putin threatened not only to restart Russias nuclear program but had actually effected a test-firing of Russias extant nuclear arsenal. He also reportedly said he could have his military in the capitals of several European countries -- including the Baltic states -- within a couple hours. For those fearing the onset of World War 3, recent developments seem to point to an eventual confrontation between Russia and the United States, especially in light of Vladimir Putins reported belligerent stances and the Russian armys maneuverings in Crimea and Ukraine. Of particular interest are the threats made against the Baltic states, which are now members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mutual defense league that includes Europe and the U. S. As the taking of Crimea and the encroachment upon Ukraine territory (not to mention the occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2008) show a continued aggressiveness in the region using Russian-speaking peoples as a pretense for military intervention or invasion, Russia seems intent on reuniting the territories once under Moscow rule. Still, that does not necessarily mean President Putin wants to provoke World War 3. It also should be noted that former Putin adviser Andrey Illarionov stated that the plans for conflict originated in 2003, just prior to the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joining NATO in March 2004. With President Barack Obamas assurances to the Baltic states that NATO would honor its agreement of mutual defense with the former Russian/Soviet Union satellites, it is doubtful the Russian president would pursue a course that could lead to a global war.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 15:58:38 +0000