Newsweek: Russia’s Naming of Military Units After European Cities Is Provocative, Experts Say
Russia has renamed several of its military units after European places, including the capitals of Germany and Poland.
President Vladimir Putin signed the decrees on Saturday and the new names were made public on Monday. Among others, the 68th Tank Regiment was renamed for Berlin and an army regiment was renamed for Warsaw, Radio Free Europe reported. Other units and regiments were named for cities and places in Romania, Belarus and Ukraine.
At a time when tensions remain heightened between Russia and NATO, the move appears provocative despite Moscow’s claims that the names are only intended to “to preserve glorious military and historic traditions.” However, the “historic traditions” of these places in relation to Russia would come from formerly being part of the Soviet Union, which officially dissolved in 1991. As Radio Free Europe pointed out, the new names are reminiscent of the World War II era, when Josef Stalin held power in the communist state.
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WNU Editor: The naming of Soviet and now Russian military units after European cities is nothing new. What is different now is that Russian President Putin is making a big show of it ..... knowing too well that it is going to make some in the West upset.
