http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738677/Britain-spearhead-10-000-strong-Nato-rapid-reaction-force-mission-halt-Putins-Tsarist-expansionism.htmlBritain to spearhead 10,000-strong Nato rapid reaction force with mission to halt Putin's 'Tsarist expansionism'
Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Norway and Netherlands will join bid against Putin
Aims to deter him from what West sees as move to redraw Europe's borders
Lithuanian president warned 'Russia is practically at war against Europe'
Concerns that he intends to impose a New Russia 'statelet' within Ukraine
By Will Stewart For The Mail On Sunday
Published: 16:01 EST, 30 August 2014 | Updated: 16:21 EST, 30 August 2014
Britain is to spearhead a new Nato rapid-reaction force amid warnings that Vladimir Putin is virtually ‘at war against Europe’ and planning ‘Tsarist expansionism’.
EU leaders were scrambling last night to bolster sanctions which have so far failed abysmally to halt the Russian president’s determination – in Western eyes – to bully Ukraine into remaining in his orbit.
Leaders of countries sharing borders with Russia led the way in demanding tougher action against what they see as blatant aggression on their doorstep.
Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite bluntly called for the West to wake up, and appeared to urge Nato to give significant military aid to Kiev.
‘Russia is at war against Ukraine and that is a country which wants to be part of Europe. Russia is practically at war against Europe,’ she said.
She lambasted previous sanctions as ‘a big mistake’ because they were ‘too general’.
Lithuania is one of at least six states believed to have signed up to a new British-led Nato rapid-reaction force, the formation of which is expected to be announced this week by David Cameron as Wales hosts the most important Alliance gathering since the end of the Cold War.
Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Norway and the Netherlands will also join the 10,000-troop bid to deter Putin from what the West sees as an attempt to redraw the frontiers of Europe.
A key concern is that he intends to use his military might to impose a new ‘statelet’ within Ukraine called Novorossiya – or New Russia. What remains of Ukraine could be left with no coastline if the plan goes through.
A diplomat said: ‘Putin is obsessed with Novorossiya, territory won for the Romanovs by Catherine the Great. He wants it back.
continued
