US military ‘antagonistic spectacles’ put ordinary Europeans’ lives on the line

Increased US military posturing, troop buildup in Eastern Europe and a continued effort to show strength destabilizes the region and creates a scenario where one wrong move could spark a global conflict, journalist Marcus Papadopoulos told RT.

READ MORE: Romania will host NATO heavy arms if asked, as they support ‘every venture’ – bloc chief

RT:Does Europe really need this huge show of American strong armed bravado?

Marcus Papadopoulos: Let’s say it as it is. That American military parade was dangerous, provocative and foul-hearted, and it is aimed at Russia. And it is hardly conducive to ensuring peace and stability in Europe, in regard to the European sentiment. Have the people of Europe been asked whether they want an American military parade going through their countries? No they have not. And it is all very well for policy makers in Washington to come up with these antagonistic spectacles because they don’t live in Europe, because they don’t live near to the Russian border. And of course Russia is going to interpret that American military parade, quite correctly, as being very, very aggressive. And the European people don't want to get caught up in a potential conflict between America and Russia. Because that of course could mean potentially devastation for them.

RT:What is the public opinion in the areas of Eastern Europe where all these personnel carriers are rolling through?

MP: Well it is certainly the case in Germany, in the Czech Republic, that thousands of people object not just the American military parade but to the American military presence in their countries. Because, once again, they are extremely fearful of getting caught up in a potential war between Russia and America. And until policy makers in Washington understand that it is ordinary peoples’ lives potentially on the line here, then we will keep on seeing these parades.

RT:The military here is saying this show is needed as a show of strength for Russia, because of inherent danger from Russia. What inherent danger is there from Russia to these countries?

MP: Well the notion being put forward by Washington that Russia is a threat to European security and stability, quite frankly is just preposterous nonsense. Everyone watching this interview should take out a map of modern day Europe, look at the Western borders of the Russian Federation from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, with the exception of Ukraine, they are littered with EU and most importantly NATO member states.

Let me emphasize that – NATO member states. That means that the Western military alliance is on Russia’s border. Now who is being the provocative one? Who is being the aggressive one? How would America react if a Russian-led Western military alliance was in Canada and in Mexico. The Americans did not like it when Khrushchev put the ICBMs in Cuba. We saw their response. Why shouldn’t Russia not be allowed to have national security?

RT:That is a very good point. But the average person on the street looking at this are wondering where is it going to go next?

MP: Well that’s the $64,000 question. Personally I don’t believe that there will be a WWIII between Russia and America, because both countries have been in this situation before. And after the Cuban missile crisis, this hotline was installed in the White House and in the Kremlin. However all it takes is one wrong interpretation, all it takes is one accident and of course the world could be engulfed by WWIII. Who would be responsible for that? Well once again – have a look who is on Russia’s Western borders.

RT:At the moment the relations between Russia and the West are at the lowest they have been since the end of the Cold War, is it going to get better any time soon? And who needs to make the first move?

MP: Well I think everything at the moment is stemming from Ukraine and Russia quite simply cannot countenance Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. Because if that happened that would mean that the West has succeeded in placing a sanitary cordon on Russia’s Western borders. And if that happened Russia's influence in Europe would be drastically decreased and thereby in the world would drastically decrease. But Americans on the other hand seemed determined to...

RT:The Americans don’t seem to have any respect for that...

MP: Absolutely, ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union the Americans have been very clear that in order to safeguard their global dominance, they must make [sure] that Russia remains a weakened country. They achieved that in the 1990s but of course since President Putin came to power things have changed. And that is what they are not happy about.