Europe is distancing itself from Turkey, it looks a reckless action by Turkey in shooting down the Russian plane. It has potential implications because Turkey is a NATO country.
Vladimir Putin is a ruthless dictator, but he is very clever and crafty. That was clear in a Fifth Estate documentary on his career. One can view Putin as a successful dictator.
Putin will push the envelope, on Ukraine for example, but is careful not to go too far. He is cautious. It is hoped that he will be cautious regarding Turkey. It is expected that he be careful and will avoid the outbreak of a wider conflict over this. Recommend this post
I think that Turkey overplayed the situation, LD. According to Aviation Week, the thumb of Turkish territory the Su-24 trespassed would have required a matter of seconds to clear. From that, and the course of the Russian aircraft, it was obvious that the bomber was not on an attack profile, in other words presented no conceivable threat to Turkey. The brevity of the trespass, the course flown and the nature of the flight, taken together, reveal the Turks exploited the intrustion as a pretext for downing the Russian plane. It was a political choice, not a matter of necessity. Once Russia's S-400 missile batteries are in place along Turkey's border I'll bet Putin does something to provoke a fresh reaction.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights as always Mound. Do you think this could mean another Cold War, with heightened tensions between Russia and Turkey, and Turkey being a NATO country? I still think Putin will be careful not to overstep.
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