12 signs of imminent war between the West and Russia

In May, many people in Russia and other countries honor the memory of those who were killed in World War Two. Since the end of the bloodiest war in the history of mankind, a lot has been made to enhance security systems and prevent armed conflicts in the world. However, those systems were not perfect, but the balance was working. Today, however, it is collapsing rapidly.

Presently, there are several international agreements that prevent worst-case scenarios, although it seems that they have been completely forgotten. Nevertheless, no one would have thought that May 2018 would be the time, when the world was standing on the brink of World War Three. This is terrible, of course, but this is the time that we're living in. I would say that this is the most intense time since the end of the Cold War.

Here are the signs of the impending war

On 2 May, NATO launched its military drills in Estonia and Latvia. The drills were the largest that NATO has held since 1991: as many as 3,000 troops from 16 countries took part in the event that closed on May 14. Estonia and Latvia share a border with the Russian Federation. In May and June, five military exercises will be held in Latvia. This activity is quite intense, and it gives Moscow every reason to believe that NATO is preparing for war right at Russia's doorstep.

In June, the Baltic States will hold BALTOPS and Saber Strike 2018 drills. A US Armored Brigade will be deployed in Europe for the purpose - no less than 4,000 soldiers, nearly 90 Abrams tanks, Bradley combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled Paladin howitzers and other vehicles.

This summer, Poland will host the largest event in the history of NATO - Anaconda 2018. This is going to be the largest exercise that the alliance is going to hold since the end of the Cold War:100,000 troops, 5,000 vehicles, 150 aircraft and helicopters and 45 warships are said to take part. Such an army so near will, of course, make Russia wary. This year, the alliance will hold 80 joint exercises in Europe, mainly to train its preparations for war with Russia.

Meanwhile, the conflict in the Donbass is getting hotter. Tensions escalate continuously, and the United States adds more fuel to the fire by deliberately supplying Javelin anti-tank systems for the  Ukrainian army. This is the first incident, when the transfer of deadly weapons took place.

On May 1, the US State Department released a statement saying that the US military was moving to a new stage of operations in Syria. The US-led coalition includes the Syrian Democratic Forces and their mysterious "local partners." Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon ere also mentioned.

The Islamic State* was not a big problem for Beirut, but now Lebanon is likely to become a battlefield that will be used by many countries, especially Israel and Iran.

Officially, the mission is to destroy the remnants of the Islamic State*, but one should take this reason with a grain of salt. The terrorist group has been practically destroyed, and one does not require a major international coalition to counter the problem that has been practically solved by someone else.

The situation in Syria is explosive, and the conflict may spark again after the recent missile attack on Syria.

The above-mentioned military preparations take place at the time when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accuses Tehran of alleged fraud in the nuclear deal. The United States immediately stated that the evidence was "convincing." The Israeli parliament voted to give the prime minister the powers to declare war and launch a major military operation without the prior approval of his security cabinet.

Donald Trump decided to pull out from the nuclear deal with Iran. The USA is to announce new sanctions that it is going to impose on Iran - the country that cooperates closely with Russia and Syria.

All events taking place in Europe and Syria directly affect the security of Russia. A small spark is enough today to start an unstoppable flame of war. Such sparks have already appeared here and there. The so-called "Skripal case" is one of them.

If you think you can add up to our list of signs of imminent war, you are welcome to speak your mind in the comments section below. Unlike in WWII, when the USSR was not the first country that Hitler attacked, today's Russia shares common border with NATO countries and those who dream of becoming its member.

Pyotr Yermilin
Pravda.Ru

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