Mistral Misfire/Backfire

      With NATO members meeting this week(today), French premier Francois Hollande announced that the two Mistral helicopter assault ships will not be delivered to Russia pending developments in Ukraine.   Soviet defense minister Yuri Borisov said that," it's no big deal, but somewhat unpleasant and creates tension with french partners." Right on, Yuri.
     How about giving some Pepto-Bismal to Mad Vlad; he might need a cup or two.  Now we expect Obama to take them off the French and write down some of the BNP Paribas fine to cover the cost.  Isn't high finance great?
     Then we'll see US Marines climbing aboard the ships and making themselves at home, handing up Playboy centerfolds, draping NFL team banners over their bunks, and finding locations for their game consoles so they can practice virtual assaults on the Baltics.
      In a sharply worded critique of current European Union foreign policy, a former german defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, raked the leaders of union countries over the coals for their collective inaction over events in the Ukraine and the Middle East.  He called events there reminiscent of 1914 when European leaders failed to recognize the importance of disparate events that cascaded into the World War that left the continent crushed for decades.  He noted that European member states have failed to provide adequate funding for their collective defense, relying on Big Momma across the Atlantic.   Even Germany, which only recently sent arms to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.   What is Mr. Putin to think of European leadership?  Same old, same old.  In July, Hungarian premier Orban praised Mr. Putin as a leader.  Sad, really.   How soon they forget.