© Sputnik/ collage
Wednesday's analysis in major Western newspapers warned that the Turkish Air Force attack on the Russian Su-24 in Syria may lead to a further deterioration of relations between Russia and NATO, already at historic lows, with commentators suggesting that the alliance could now be drawn into a new crisis in the Middle East, and that the situation threatens the fragile diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis in Syria, at the precise moment when agreement seemed more and more probable.
The incident was met with dismay from many Western politicians, who promptly called for restraint and calm following the incident, while nonetheless emphasizing that they "stand behind" their Turkish allies. This included NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said following an emergency meeting of the NATO Council that "what we are calling for now is calm and de-escalation," and measures to ensure "transparency, predictability and various means to reduce risks."
Comment: Though NATO is nominally a 'defender' of the West, in the end NATO has created numerous terrorist breeding grounds, increased terrorism by 6,500%, created a refugee crisis in the process, and has now openly attacked a nuclear power. Will Western leaders really wake up to the consequences of NATO's actions? Only if they realize that their own self-interest is at stake and find an opening to make independent decisions. At this point that seems like quite a stretch.
Check out: