Spy vs. Spy: Russia, Incensed At NATO War Games, Kicks Out Two Canadian Diplomats

From Christian Science Monitor:

Could this be the end of the brief thaw between Russia and NATO?

MOSCOW – Russia cranked up the temperature in its escalating spat with NATO Wednesday by kicking out two Canadian diplomats.

Why?

Payback, apparently, for the Western alliance’s recent expulsion of two alleged Russian spies.

But the spy spat is part of a bigger issue.

Moscow’s displeasure appears mostly focused on NATO-sponsored war games in Georgia, which opened on Wednesday. The military exercises began despite the defections of four Russia-friendly countries that were to have participated and a major Russian PR offensive aimed at convincing the Western alliance to cancel them.

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My Comment: When I first heard this news, I felt that I was reliving the cold war again. While we are not in a cold war situation .... these expulsions reveal how fragile NATO - Russian relations are.

While we may look and blame ourselves, this situation is more of a reflection of Russian internal politics at play. Russia still sees themselves as a superpower .... that what they will say has to be accepted .... especially in what they perceive are their spheres of influence.

The fact that this is not the case .... is a reality that is very jarring and unacceptable to many in Moscow .... especially when such situations (like NATO exercises in Georgia) have a tendency to creep up and become public.