Kaliningrad is a top priority for Moscow, since it is the only permanent ice-free harbour of Russia in the Baltic. It also is now armed with latest generation long range SAMs to a degree that it turns most of Poland and major parts of the Baltic into a no-fly area, being able to deny NATO access there for longer time. Already in 1915 NATO commanders have warned of that. Around 10,000 troops are stationed in that tiny little piece of land, with plans for quick relocation of forces via Belarus and through Lithuania in case of a ground war with NATO, which would necessarily lead to a cracking down on the Baltic states like the Germans crushed down on Holland just reach France faster.
This has Russia's "lowest priority?" You live in an alternative reality, ikalugin. Its a strategic top concern in the Kremlin.
We now expect massive Russian interference with the campaign for German elections at the end of this year:
http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/...d_6458005.html
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Wichtigste taktische Aufgabe ist der Sturz Merkels. Ihre kritische Haltung gegenüber Putin ist richtungsweisend für die Russlandpolitik der EU. Ohne Merkel werden die Russland-Sanktionen höchstwahrscheinlich abgeschafft und die EU-Politik gegenüber Moskau wird sich grundlegend ändern. Putin träumt davon, ihm gegenüber loyale Kräfte an die Macht zu bringen. Der Kreml würde dann unausweichlich zur dominierenden Kraft in einem geschwächten Europa. Putin würde dann faktisch der Chef Europas.
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