Who cares what Venezuela on the Don thinks?

BrothersJudd Blog: THE BEAR IS DEAD:

Well, not quite dead yet, watch as the pip squeaks! It's a carnival show, come and see the show, it's a dynamo . . . 

Puty Put will be so mad!

"The Georgian army began two weeks of military exercises with the United States and Britain on Wednesday, drawing an angry response from former Soviet master Russia which called the war games "a provocative step".

About 650 soldiers from the United States, 150 from Britain and 500 from Georgia were taking part in the maneuvers, with Washington dispatching an entire mechanized company including eight Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and, for the first time, eight M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks.

Georgia's Defence Minister Tina Khidasheli said the drills were an important event for the South Caucasus republic.

"This is one of the biggest exercises that our country has ever hosted, this is the biggest number of troops on the ground, and the largest concentration of military equipment," Khidasheli told Reuters.

But the exercises went down badly in Moscow where the Russian Foreign Ministry last week warned they could destabilize the region, a charge denied by Georgian officials."

Georgia begins U.S.-led military exercise, angering Russia

Of course, this went down badly in Russia. Putin can barely project power a few miles into Georgia, while the US, at the drop of a hat can plunk down 8 Bradley fighting vehicles, and 8 Abrams tanks. This make Russia look like a wimp. 

​"The United States' European missile defense shield goes live on Thursday almost a decade after Washington proposed protecting NATO from Iranian rockets and despite Russian warnings that the West is threatening the peace in central Europe.

Amid high Russia-West tension, U.S. and NATO officials will declare operational the shield at a remote air base in Deveselu, Romania, after years of planning, billions of dollars in investment and failed attempts to assuage Russian concerns that the shield could be used against Moscow.

"We now have the capability to protect NATO in Europe," said Robert Bell, a NATO-based envoy of U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. "The Iranians are increasing their capabilities and we have to be ahead of that. The system is not aimed against Russia," he told reporters, adding that the system will soon be handed over to NATO command."

Not only can the US project power, it can all but completely cut off the Russian ability to project phantom power through missile threats. 

Roll over Puty Put, common roll over! Heh! Show us your muscles, big guy . . . Piker.