During the Cold War all of Eastern Europe was dominated by the whims of communism. Although Russia has been primarily complacent since the fall of the USSR, since 2008 it has become increasingly willing to make riskier power plays like in the invasion of Crimea and the invasion of Georgia. In recent months the "little green men" that moved into Crimea have been seen crossing the borders of Latvia, a small Baltic state which is a member of NATO and a trade partner to the United States.

In 2014, Russian operatives wearing green body armor flooded across the Ukrainian border. Before any state could rally troops enough to respond, the conflict was over. A pro-Russian government was installed and the area known as Crimea seceded from Ukraine. This was an aggressive new tactic for Russia, one that set the rest of the world it a dangerous message. Russia will strike without warning nearly anywhere. In 2008 Russia attempted to invade Georgia to do the same but was thwarted almost immediately by the international community. By avoiding responsibility and claiming the troops weren't Russian operatives, Vladimir Putin gained the opportunity and time to carry out his objective. Now it appears his sights have turned to Latvia and the Baltic states Russia once controlled.

In Georgia and Crimea there are large Russian minority populations. In the past, Vladimir Putin has used these populations as excuses to invade, seize territory, and install governments that are Pro-Russia claiming he is acting for the benefit of the Russian people who are being oppressed because they are Russian. Most likely Putin is attempting to regain some of the fallen glory of the USSR through conquest. Latvia has set itself on a direct confrontational course with Russia since its independence. Ethnically Russian Latvians were denied citizenship in an attempt to prevent the Russian population from letting Pro-Russian segments of the population too much sway in governance. These practices are still in place, forcing ethnic Russians born in Latvia to apply for citizenship to the country where they were born and raised. If past Russian actions are any precedent, a marginalized Russian population in Latvia is the greatest excuse for Russia to invade. Vladimir Putin is unpredictable and bold, making Eastern European countries worry over their safety and independence.

As a member of NATO, Latvia is entitled to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Article 5 is a collective defense pact which means that if any member of NATO is threatened all members of NATO are threatened and must come to the defense of that member state. Latvia is a relatively small country bordering Russia. Its contributions internationally are modest but its military spending has lagged behind NATO 2% GDP military spending. The Eastern European member states have long sought an increase in NATO military presence and now it appears NATO will be forced to provide more troops. If Latvia invokes Article 5, the United States and the majority of Europe will have to go to war with Russia and that will be a disaster. Current NATO fighting strength in Eastern Europe is being bolstered by tank battalions and aircraft however, it is a paltry amount compared to Russia's fighting strength. If Russia decides to take action in these times of European Union instability and United States historic reluctance to engage in conflict during an election cycle under a lame duck presidency, Eastern Europe will be hard pressed to defend against Russia.

In a startling revelation, Vladimir Putin recently announced in a speech that the United States is probably still the only superpower and that he would be willing to work with whomever became president. Why Vladimir Putin is appearing to step down his military aggression seemingly at a prime opportunity is baffling to say the least. Perhaps the international community will get to see a peaceful few years out of Russia, who has been at war most of the past 30 years.