Final Word from Tuesday, September 16, 2014

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As we wrote last week, PM Bohuslav Sobotka declared in Právo recently that "any Nato military support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia would lead to World War III." Ten days after he said this, Nato countries launched the Rapid Trident military exercises in western Ukraine yesterday. By almost any definition, this qualifies as "military support for Ukraine," because the stated intention of the exercises is to "support interoperability among Ukraine, U.S., Nato and Partnership for Peace member nations," and it comes "at the explicit request of the Ukrainian government and military." Just prior to the opening of the event, Ukraine's defense minister, Valeriy Heletey, also declared that weapons are on the way to Ukraine from Western countries to help in the fight against Russian-backed rebels. The shipments were agreed in secret at the Nato summit in Wales, he said. Has World War III already begun? Has Sobotka the analyst been proven right? If so, Sobotka the PM should tell his subjects what he is doing to prepare the country for war. [Czech Republic WWIII Three]