NATO starts biggest ever drill in Poland amid security fears

[sofa king]

105. Technically, this is on the Russian border.

Kaliningrad Oblast, on the Baltic Coast between Poland and Lithuania, is a chunk of East Prussia shaved off by the Soviets in World War II. Though not contiguously connected with Russia, it remains a subject state of Russia and is considered Russian territory by the Russians, exactly as Alaska is considered American territory by Americans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad_Oblast

If the Russians started maneuvering a corps around in the Yukon, we'd probably get a little skeevy about it, too.

I don't know why the press never mentions this when they speak of Russian security concerns in Europe, as if Russia has no concerns in mainland Europe. They have a naval base in Syria which is why they're stuck there now and they have a non-contiguous state-let on the border of Poland, which is why they get bent out of shape over NATO maneuvering there.

It's obvious and ignoring the obvious only exacerbates the ill feelings between the two sides, which do not have to be enemies of one another.

And no, I'm not a shill for the Russians. I'm pointing out that we'll never understand what they're doing unless we take the time to figure out why they're doing it.