This Poland deal seems pretty important, especially to Moscow:

“Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent,” [Col.-Gen. Anatoly] Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.

100 percent? Significantly, as mentioed upthread, the mutual protection deal isn’t with NATO, but with the US. We’re saying in simple language: “Touch Poland and it’s war with us.” Whoa. Is a non-NATO deal with Ukraine next?

Considering that many of them pitched in during the Iraq war, unlike most of our NATO allies, we seem to be implementing a longer-term strategy of developing our own set of alliances with the former Soviet republics, ouside of the auspices of NATO. Is there any way Obama would have the balls to see that through?

But the Poland thing is a done deal. That being the case, what’s the point for Russia to threaten them after the fact?