This is absolutely correct! I've been watching Putin's public briefings for over 10 years and have to say that when he expressed his concern over NATO Allies invoking Article 5 to the reporters, he was out of his normal character (calm, collected, and thoughtful)...meaning that he was NOT KIDDING about using his hypersonic nuclear arsenal on anyone that wanted to interfere!
I can’t imagine why you’re confused by this. The redline is aggression against a NATO member. Hint: it’s why the potential for Ukraine joining NATO was such a contentious issue. (It’s why troops and fighters are, one hopes only symbolically, moving in to reinforce those NATO states with their presence right now)
There's a very good reason the parent may be confused about it. The NATO red line is fraudulent, a lie.
Russia goes into Sweden and Finland and it's not a red line? Yeah right.
The case is actually that people are deciding Ukraine isn't as valuable - that the lives are not as valuable - as Finland and Sweden and they're too great of cowards to say it outright.
> Russia goes into Sweden and Finland and it's not a red line? Yeah right.
This was a confusing comment but I don’t think the US would fight WWIII for Finland if they weren’t a NATO member (and they’re not). Do you?
> The case is actually that people are deciding Ukraine isn't as valuable - that the lives are not as valuable - as Finland and Sweden and they're too great of cowards to say it outright.
I guess that’s possible, but you’re entirely confused about its import. The NATO countries denying membership to Ukraine because they do not want to defend Ukrainians is an indication that NATO member countries take the “red line” associated with NATO membership seriously.
I'm not a politician and my red-line will always be no war, only peace! However, I also realize that we do not live in a fantasy and humans are not perfect.
Lets put a pin in this conversation which we can pick up when Baltics are invaded and I fully expect to hear explanations how while it’s a very regretful turn of events, they are materially different from, let’s say if it was Germany or France that was attacked.
