The Baltics: should Britain be rushing to their defence?

Recent articles on the BBC website indicate fears in the Baltics about the (renewed) threat from Russia next door.

Crimea crisis sharpens Latvia ethnic tensions
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26720549

Lithuania pleads for US gas exports to counter Russia
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26724081

Poland and Baltics feel heat from Crimea
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26526053


Should Britain be doing more to defend the territory and interests of the Baltics? Or, should Britain leave bad alone?

Discuss.

 

If they are NATO members, then really yes we should, from a moral point of view.

 

Wouldn't we be bound by the terms of the North Atlantic treaty to come to the defence of a fellow member state anyway in the event of invasion/ aggressive military action along with the other members?

 

After the recent deployments, does the britsh army have enough extreme-cold-weather kit to deploy a sizeable force there ?
I´ve heard it can be positively baltic in those locations.

 

If NATO means anything at all, or is worth anything at all, every NATO member has to be protected from aggression.

Putin is a predator but not a loony - he'll size up the herd and pick off the weak, the lame and the stragglers. He won't pick a fight with the alpha males. There's nothing in it for him. The only time he might be really dangerous is if his political survival depended on making a rash decision.

 

Not just NO! But Hell NO!

 

I'm doing a house move right now. Just found my DMS boots, puttees and a mint chinese fighting suit. I'll be ok.

 

Yes! They are NATO members,they also helped us out in Afghanistan so we have a moral duty

 

I sympathise to an extent with that point of view. But the world is too small for isolationism - which is what this would amount to. Better to face the Russians down now and stand by the Baltic states; or sell them some nukes.

 

Ahh, some poor sods will be doing 2 week field exercises in the Baltic states in winter, digging into rock hard ground for 24 hours at a time and shivering on stag in minus horrible degrees. I feel a substantial gloat coming on........

 

Dear Mr Putin,

I can understand your unease at having the EU (and all that it represents) on your doorstep. I can understand it because I have equal unease about having several hundred thousand Russians on mine... literally. I understand that root vegetables don't pick themselves, but is there an agenda? I think we should be told.

Regards, BF
King's Lynn

 

Ok, so its very US-centric as a video but a valid message - if nothing in life is worth dying for, what's the point of living? I imagine there is a better way of saying that, but i know what i mean anyway

 

Absolutely not. Mr Dave and Mr Willy Vague are babbling idiots in thinking that Old Blighty should be "volunteering" our redcoats and muskets for further deployments to Foreign Climes yet again. Tw*TS (spelled with an "a")!

 

It's only US centric because we simply no longer have politicians with the convictions or stones of Ronald Reagan.