I think it is inevitable. Russia is the largest and only country which stands in the way of USA. And has a lot of resources USA and Europe need.
USA is constantly destabilizing borders of Russia and eventually this will grow into full fledged war.
War will feed USA, like it did during WWII.
A lot of europeans and russians will die, but americans will prosper (if USA will not be nuked).
That's why it is essential to NATO to disarm russian nuclear forces by placing in Ukraine AEGIS missiles, which will intercept russian missiles early on, effectively negating nuclear strike back on USA. Crimea was lost and it is a great strategic failure for NATO countries, but future is still uncertain.

Worry not, american. Europeans should fear - theirs role is cannon fodder in future War.

Hypothetically... I think both sides will collapse economically before we reach full-fledged war, and Russia, having an economy which is a fraction of the size of either the EU or the US, and which depends much more on exports to Europe and the US than vice versa -- and more specifically on energy prices staying at the unusual heights of the last ~decade -- would be likely to collapse first.

Indeed, the interdependence of the post-cold war global economy, adding to the nuclear MAD of the cold war, makes anything beyond low-level proxy warfare practically suicidal (whether that's e.g. Russia invading the Baltics or NATO directly intervening in East Ukraine). Also: "only country which stands in the way of USA." -- China says hi. China, the massive export economy of which is so dependent on Western markets that they have invested astronomic amounts in the last decades propping up those markets. I'm sure they'd appreciate cheap(er) Russian energy as a result of further deterioration of the Russian-Western relationship, but if Western demand for goods were to lessen/disappear they would require less rather than more energy.

That's pretty much only gas and oil. You're making it sound like russia has anything besides that:) Not commenting on anything else cause i'm pretty sure you're just trolling)

That's not really correct. 4000 (active and rotating - the rotation pool is 10000 - the standing size is 4000) troops are the fast response army (High tech, well equipped reaction force). There also some 5000 spread over various bases Nato wants to establish in East European nations.

Putin said he wants diplomatic solution, I don't think he lied. the way I see it, he is waiting for a way not to lose face. If Ukraine becomes federalized east Ukraine can gussy up to Russia all it wants, and Putin has a relatively free access to Crimea.

I have no idea where people see a threat of war here. When one comes you can always link me back to this post and laugh at me, but I don't think Russia is even considering a war against Europe/Nato. What will happen though is cold war 2... which is in a weird sense a good thing. Russia's cheap gas and oil is the main reason Germany and Europe in general have not really pushed for energy independence yet.

I think you live on some other planet really. Europe is in cold war with Russia for a long time now - since the first gas crisis years ago when Timoshenko was still prime minister of Ukraine. I know that you feal safe in Germany but don't forget what Putin is doing also Hitler did first in Sudetenland and then later in Poland. History is repeating itself before our eyes but still west uses the appessement process that did not work with Hitler and does not work with Putin. Yes Putin may stop at some point at some imaginary boarder but his latest speech about new russia shows the same craving as germans had with drang nach osten in times memorial only the sides are changed now everything else is the same. And he know that he can do anything he want's since europe has neither the militray nor economical power to stop him.

The most funny thing is not that he has invaded south east Ukraine with tanks he want's to speek about the new organization of that part of the land with other country leaders - he is insane obviously. And if Europe is stupid it will allow Russia to annex east Ukraine and Crimea and push border further near to Europe. Personally I think Nato should go to war agains Russia and Ukrainian people never would have suffered if Russia did not invade and before that sent Russian agitators there without any reason besides control over Ukraine.

I don't understand really people who defend dictators who weren't even legally elected as it is in Putins case.

Well as I said, if I should misjudge this you can link me back to this post and laugh at me with my full permission. ;)

I won't deny that me being German plays a large part in my "not being worried" but Nato can not start a war, it's a defense treaty.. and Ukraine is not in the Nato. The only way a war will ever happen is if Russia starts it. Yes.. that is of very little calming nature to you .. I understand that, but Nato was never built to defend that close to the Russian border. Nato defense tactics planned around stopping Russian invasion in Germany (With the full might of all Nato allies military) and if that fails, nukes. Nato planning was never about defending a nation directly next to Russia.

Maybe it's changing now, but for that Europe would have to disable it's debt locks and invest billions into the military. And large military costs a lot of money to maintain. That's what broke the Soviet Union apart after all.

Nobody wants war NATO vs Russia. There is nothing to gain from it any conflict will happen in Ukraine and maybe Belarus if western world will want to open a second front.

This is just a game played by politicians. Putin wants to show how great he is and how pissed he is that his man was kicked out of the country. EU wants to show that they oppose Russia.

Nobody gives a fuck about Ukraine except Ukrainians. Whether eastern provinces stay with the country or become independent or part of Russia is irrelevant to both side. Only opinions of the other side matters. Putin wants Ukraine so we oppose that. EU wants Ukraine Putin opposes that. Not because Ukraine matters or posses some threat to the country. No. The other side wants something and it must be stopped. Children rivalry. Nothing more

NATO cannot be trusted. They are liars, warmongers.
NATO promised to president of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev not to expand to the East when USSR left Eastern Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik), left all military bases they had in DDR (i have to note: all american military bases are still in Germany, still operating and they are not going anywhere).
The Expandables: How NATO 'conquered' Europe

So is the Russian government and the West would have been insane to be completely unprepared for situations like the shit your fucked up government is doing right now. Try to look at it like a sane person: Eastern European nations still felt threatened by your nation, they wanted to be NATO members - it's not just the NATO trying to expand, it's countries like Poland, that have suffered from Russian oppression and manipulation for literally ages, wanting to feel safe from Russia once and for all. And right now Russia is doing the exact same shit NATO is protecting us from. And do you you really think that the shit that happened in Georgia and the shit happening in Ukraine right now is just retaliation for NATO's expansion?

And how is NATO's presence next to Russia more terrible than Russia's military presence next to all other countries that aren't NATO members?

Trying to get inside the mindset of the Russian posters in this thread is an interesting experience. Time and again (and I believe mainly without any conscious sense of irony) they link to "sources" provided by their own state controlled media, that are contradicted by all other news outlets from around the world.

Now we all have our own human foibles and weaknesses, but as a British guy, if my country was doing something internationally and the ONLY voice raised in support of it's actions was the BBC, I do believe I'd be able to see the writing on the wall.

I guess if you can get people to swallow a mantra of "The rest of the world's against us, we must stand together, what we do is justified. The rest of the world's against us, we must stand together, what we do..." and so on at an early enough age, lots of those people will believe it for the rest of their lives.

Except, as even the article you linked to mentions, such a promise was never even documented, let alone part of any treaty obligations. There have been several smaller issues on treaty compliance with both NATO (plans for US bases in Romania and Bulgaria) and Russia (troop presence in Moldova and Georgia, although it's disputed whether this constituted an actual breach), but the primary treaty between NATO and Russia (the CFE) was nullified by Putin's decision in 2007. My understanding of the reasons for this is that Russia wanted several alterations made to the treaty, and nullifying the treaty was Putin's way of playing hardball to get these alterations accepted, but NATO members weren't willing to give in, so the CFE was suspended.

Been watching some crazy news and combat footage from the Ukraine deal. Wow, those guys are kinda serious about this thing, aren't they?

Here's a link to a clip of the battle for the Donetsk airport back in May. I'm not smelling any napalm yet, but plenty of kevlar and vodka.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtdVVFhjdqA

NATO (which is also what the article suggested western Ukraine to join, I think).

That's the reason why Russian aircraft never dares to enter Baltic or Polish airspace nowadays, but lately they have been constantly breaking Finnish airspace, and even made some simulated attacks against Sweden.

I don't know what Russia hopes to achieve with that though. All it does is to convince more and more Finnish people that yes, we should definitely join NATO after all, and Russia is a bully and a threat that understands only force. (And before someone claims all those recent airspace entries have been mere accidents, bullshit. How come none such accidents to e.g. Baltic countries?).

Historically Finland doesn't believe in joining such pacts and feels we have to clear such aggressions by ourselves (either through diplomacy or force), because the Winter War taught us that the only help we would get from others is some compassionate pats on the head, "hang in there!". Back then there was no option of joining NATO, though.

and why should Poland, Czech, Lithuania etc. respect that promise (which apparently was never made?)

They are independant countries, free to choose whatever pacts and organizations they want to choose. Russia can convince them join not Nato but Russian pact instead like it did with belarus. but that's it. There is zero reasons why eastern europoean countries should respect promise made 30 years ago.

Demanding from independent free countries to abide Russian demands is what makes Russia not trustworthy and why there is so much fear and anger at them right now in Europe.