Clearly, Europe does not intend to defend itself, it's members, or it's neighbors against Russia, no. It is telling that this is coming from the US state department. Makes you wonder, in Brussels, are they so incompetent they don't know ? Or are they cowards, unwilling to even point out the obvious ?

I mean, it's not like we really need these pictures to tell us Putin is behind the destabilization of eastern Ukraine.

It is perfectly well known how Putin will respond to a show of weakness. It is equally clear that the military alliance known as NATO isn't worth the paper it's charter is written on.