The cool bloggers haven't noticed yet, but there's a region in Europe called Trans-Dniester sandwiched between Ukraine and the EU-friendly state of Moldova, which due to Russian agitation has refused to be under the control of Moldova even though by the way the post-war borders were drawn, that's where it should be.
So let's review. On one side, we have Russia, which in true Bismarck style eventually finds an excuse to occupy every scattered territory that has some Russian speakers in it. On the other, we have such an enclave, but adjacent to a country now being carved up by Russia to the east (Ukraine), but properly part of a country -- Moldova -- that has played by all the rules, to the west. And which in turn is historically linked to Romania, which is in the EU and NATO.
What's the reason why we don't wake up in the morning to find NATO troops in Trans-Dniester to prevent its forcible and illegal incorporation into Russian control?
So let's review. On one side, we have Russia, which in true Bismarck style eventually finds an excuse to occupy every scattered territory that has some Russian speakers in it. On the other, we have such an enclave, but adjacent to a country now being carved up by Russia to the east (Ukraine), but properly part of a country -- Moldova -- that has played by all the rules, to the west. And which in turn is historically linked to Romania, which is in the EU and NATO.
What's the reason why we don't wake up in the morning to find NATO troops in Trans-Dniester to prevent its forcible and illegal incorporation into Russian control?