Tue Sep 2, 2014 6:16 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.aco.nato.int/nato-
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
September 2, 2014
PORTUGUESE AND CANADIAN FIGHTERS COMMENCE BALTIC AIR POLICING DUTIES IN LITHUANIA
Pilots and aircrew from Portugal and Canada formally assumed responsibilities for Baltic Air Policing at a ceremony held at Siauliai Airbase, Lithuania on 1 September. They join German crews who recently began patrolling from a base in Estonia and a Dutch team that will begin training with the Polish Air force in a few days.
Several distinguished visitors, together with national and military representatives, attended the official ceremony in Lithuania where Poland and the United Kingdom passed on their Air Policing responsibilities to Portugal and Canada. Last week, Germany replaced Danish fighters in Amari, Estonia and later this week The Netherlands will take over responsibilities from France in Malbork, Poland. A total of 18 fighters under NATO command will be present in Eastern Europe as a part of the Alliance's assurance measures.
"This is the first time the Canadian Air Force is executing this mission in the Baltic States," said Lieutenant Colonel David Pletz, detachment commander of the CF-18 Hornet fighters in Siauliai, Lithuania. "I look forward to working together with our NATO partners for the next four months and thank the host nation for the terrific support," he said.
Canadian CF-18 aircraft were previously conducting training and readiness missions with NATO Allies in Romania and have recently relocated these assets to Lithuania. The Canadian fighters will augment the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission from September to December.
"It is an important mission, not only to protect the integrity of NATO's airspace but also a perfect example of cohesion, reinforcement and solidarity within the Alliance," said Lieutenant General Joao Lopes Da Silva, Portuguese Air Force Commander. "Together with our NATO partners we're fully committed to maintain this high readiness force in the Baltic states. With Portugal as the leading Nation, we will exploit this opportunity as much as possible to work, cooperate, train and support the Baltic Nations and our NATO nations Canada, Germany and The Netherlands to increase interoperability and mission efficiency."
In light of the current situation in Ukraine, NATO Allies have provided additional aircraft to preserve the integrity of sovereign airspace in the Baltic states. These Air capabilities are part of a wide range of military measures that reinforces NATO's collective defence and demonstrates the strength of Allied solidarity. The four NATO Nations will support NATO Reassurance Measures through the provision of military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks.
"This is undoubtedly a team key effort of all NATO members," said Lieutenant General Joachim Wundrak, Commander of the Combined Air Operations Center in Uedem.
Story by: Aircommand Ramstein Public Affairs office
==============================
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
September 2, 2014
PORTUGUESE AND CANADIAN FIGHTERS COMMENCE BALTIC AIR POLICING DUTIES IN LITHUANIA
Pilots and aircrew from Portugal and Canada formally assumed responsibilities for Baltic Air Policing at a ceremony held at Siauliai Airbase, Lithuania on 1 September. They join German crews who recently began patrolling from a base in Estonia and a Dutch team that will begin training with the Polish Air force in a few days.
Several distinguished visitors, together with national and military representatives, attended the official ceremony in Lithuania where Poland and the United Kingdom passed on their Air Policing responsibilities to Portugal and Canada. Last week, Germany replaced Danish fighters in Amari, Estonia and later this week The Netherlands will take over responsibilities from France in Malbork, Poland. A total of 18 fighters under NATO command will be present in Eastern Europe as a part of the Alliance's assurance measures.
"This is the first time the Canadian Air Force is executing this mission in the Baltic States," said Lieutenant Colonel David Pletz, detachment commander of the CF-18 Hornet fighters in Siauliai, Lithuania. "I look forward to working together with our NATO partners for the next four months and thank the host nation for the terrific support," he said.
Canadian CF-18 aircraft were previously conducting training and readiness missions with NATO Allies in Romania and have recently relocated these assets to Lithuania. The Canadian fighters will augment the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission from September to December.
"It is an important mission, not only to protect the integrity of NATO's airspace but also a perfect example of cohesion, reinforcement and solidarity within the Alliance," said Lieutenant General Joao Lopes Da Silva, Portuguese Air Force Commander. "Together with our NATO partners we're fully committed to maintain this high readiness force in the Baltic states. With Portugal as the leading Nation, we will exploit this opportunity as much as possible to work, cooperate, train and support the Baltic Nations and our NATO nations Canada, Germany and The Netherlands to increase interoperability and mission efficiency."
In light of the current situation in Ukraine, NATO Allies have provided additional aircraft to preserve the integrity of sovereign airspace in the Baltic states. These Air capabilities are part of a wide range of military measures that reinforces NATO's collective defence and demonstrates the strength of Allied solidarity. The four NATO Nations will support NATO Reassurance Measures through the provision of military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks.
"This is undoubtedly a team key effort of all NATO members," said Lieutenant General Joachim Wundrak, Commander of the Combined Air Operations Center in Uedem.
Story by: Aircommand Ramstein Public Affairs office
==============================
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Tue Sep 2, 2014 1:13 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Xinhua News Agency
September 2, 2014
Injured Ukrainians flown to Germany for medical treatment
BERLIN: 20 injured Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Germany on Tuesday for medical treatment, the German army Bundeswehr said in a statement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to provide the medical aid during her visit to Kiev on August 23.
The 20 injured Ukrainians were flown to Berlin Tuesday afternoon aboard a Bundeswehr Airbus A310 StratAirMedEvac (Strategic Air Medical Evacuation), said the statement.
They will be taken up by the Bundeswehr hospitals in Berlin, Hamburg, Ulm and Koblenz.
==============================
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Xinhua News Agency
September 2, 2014
Injured Ukrainians flown to Germany for medical treatment
BERLIN: 20 injured Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Germany on Tuesday for medical treatment, the German army Bundeswehr said in a statement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to provide the medical aid during her visit to Kiev on August 23.
The 20 injured Ukrainians were flown to Berlin Tuesday afternoon aboard a Bundeswehr Airbus A310 StratAirMedEvac (Strategic Air Medical Evacuation), said the statement.
They will be taken up by the Bundeswehr hospitals in Berlin, Hamburg, Ulm and Koblenz.
==============================
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Tue Sep 2, 2014 1:13 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"ANTIC.org-SNN" minimaks
Russia set to adjust its military doctrine toward NATO
Tue Sep 2, 2014 11:33AM GMT
Russia will adjust its military doctrine in response to NATO’s plans to boost its presence in Eastern Europe, a senior Russian official says.
The deputy secretary of Russia’s National Security Council, Mikhail Popov, on Tuesday accused the Western military alliance of ratcheting up tensions by boosting its military presence near Russia's borders.
He said the enlargement of NATO is “one of the leading military dangers and external threats to the Russian Federation.”
The official added that the US is planning to deploy heavy weaponry and military hardware, including tanks and armored vehicles, to Estonia and other Baltic states.
The Russian military official noted that the defense move was evidence of the desire of US and NATO leaders to continue their policy of aggravating tensions with Russia.
He termed the US missile system plan in Eastern Europe as another threat to Russia's security.
"I have no doubt that the question of the approach of NATO members' military infrastructure to our border, including by an expansion of the bloc, will remain as one of the foreign military threats to Russia," Popov added.
His remarks came after NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday that the alliance is set to upgrade its military readiness at a summit this week to increase its presence in eastern European member states.
He added that the summit in Wales would specially boost NATO’s rapid response force, creating a spearhead of “several thousand troops” which could be sent within “very few days” to meet any new threat.
Since Kiev launched military operations to silence the pro-Russia protesters in mid-April, Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions in the country’s east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Moscow forces and the Ukrainian army.
Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of fueling the crisis in east Ukraine, but Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and criticized its Western neighbor for the heavy crackdown on the pro-Russia protesters in the region.
SF/SS
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Tue Sep 2, 2014 11:33AM GMT
Russia will adjust its military doctrine in response to NATO’s plans to boost its presence in Eastern Europe, a senior Russian official says.
The deputy secretary of Russia’s National Security Council, Mikhail Popov, on Tuesday accused the Western military alliance of ratcheting up tensions by boosting its military presence near Russia's borders.
He said the enlargement of NATO is “one of the leading military dangers and external threats to the Russian Federation.”
The official added that the US is planning to deploy heavy weaponry and military hardware, including tanks and armored vehicles, to Estonia and other Baltic states.
The Russian military official noted that the defense move was evidence of the desire of US and NATO leaders to continue their policy of aggravating tensions with Russia.
He termed the US missile system plan in Eastern Europe as another threat to Russia's security.
"I have no doubt that the question of the approach of NATO members' military infrastructure to our border, including by an expansion of the bloc, will remain as one of the foreign military threats to Russia," Popov added.
His remarks came after NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday that the alliance is set to upgrade its military readiness at a summit this week to increase its presence in eastern European member states.
He added that the summit in Wales would specially boost NATO’s rapid response force, creating a spearhead of “several thousand troops” which could be sent within “very few days” to meet any new threat.
Since Kiev launched military operations to silence the pro-Russia protesters in mid-April, Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions in the country’s east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Moscow forces and the Ukrainian army.
Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of fueling the crisis in east Ukraine, but Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and criticized its Western neighbor for the heavy crackdown on the pro-Russia protesters in the region.
SF/SS
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Tue Sep 2, 2014 1:32 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"ANTIC.org-SNN" minimaks
Western hypocrisy sinks <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Ukrainian troops are seen at their position during fighting with pro-Russian fighters in the eastern Ukrainian town of Ilovaysk.
Tue Sep 2, 2014 1:12PM GMT
By Luke Eastwood
Related Interviews:
* 'US poking nose into Russia interests' <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
* 'EU, West after Russian resources' <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
While the western mainstream media <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
The USA, Canada and EU are happy to impose sanctions on Russia and provide military assistance, loans <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
What is worse again is that while they condemn the Russians for not making the separatists lie down and accept an unelected and prejudiced government they also turn a blind eye to the constant bombing of unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, in Gaza the same thing is happening to the Palestinian people – they are being bombed consistently and it is again mostly unarmed civilians who are being injured or killed.
Much as the western powers pay lip-service to the disgust of such terrible acts in Gaza, they do nothing to prevent it continuing – Israel is not censured, placed under sanctions or threatened in any way, while Russia is constantly pressured for speaking up on behalf of the Russian-speaking Eastern Ukrainians. Little is said about the daily death toll in Eastern Ukraine, where like in Gaza the infrastructure is destroyed and there is little food <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Not one EU country or North American country is willing to condemn Israel for indiscriminate killing of civilians or condemn the Ukraine government for doing the same to its own people. These same countries are happy though to condemn Russia for standing up for and helping their close neighbours, despite the fact that it was USA that precipitated the Ukraine civil war in the first place.
The attitude of the western powers, and USA in particular, smacks of total hypocrisy given that they have done nothing to end either humanitarian crisis and in fact have been enablers of the (heavily armed) aggressors in both instances.
It is well known that USA has a hegemonic agenda to reduce both Russia and China to a state of incapacitation, so it’s no real surprise that they have acted duplicitously. What is really incredible is that Canada and the EU, that have no real interest in a proxy or direct war, have continually allowed themselves to be manipulated by the hawks in Washington.
After all, Russia withdrew quickly from Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which precipitated good relations with the Reagan government <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
The western governments are too scared to stand up to the USA, a country which should have withdrawn its troops from Europe and Japan two decades ago. It is the USA that has intervened in countless countries since WWII, none of which border the USA. Whereas Russia has mostly intervened in countries that have a land border with itself in circumstances where there could (possibly) be justification in its own domestic interest. China has a similar record and in fact has much less involvement in conflict in recent decades. Despite a much better record than the USA, in recent decades, both Russia and China are vilified as potentially dangerous, aggressive and possible rogue nations.
Looking at the evidence without prejudice one would have to say that it is USA government (and its pathetic, sycophantic allies) that is aggressive, expansionist and most likely to cause conflict. Unfortunately, the obvious decline of American power makes the USA government even more dangerous as it becomes more desperate to vainly retain its position, not unlike Britain at the beginning of the 20th century.
If the other western governments had any sense (which they obviously don’t) they would abandon NATO and their alliance with the dying USA empire and make friends with the BRICS nations. BRICS nations (and many others besides) realise that a multi-polar world is the way forward, but the American leadership wishes to maintain a uni-polar world at all costs – even if that means constant war.
This way of thinking is not what the world needs. Instead of sinking further into hypocrisy and grovelling to warmongering demands perhaps the Western powers should man up and accept that they are no-longer the only game in town.
If another world war were to begin it would most likely be an unprecedented disaster for humanity and the planet. Surely it’s better for western governments to suck up a bit of humble pie than to allow a fatally crippled empire to plunge the world into an unnecessary and possibly terminal conflict?
LE/HMV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Ukrainian troops are seen at their position during fighting with pro-Russian fighters in the eastern Ukrainian town of Ilovaysk.
Tue Sep 2, 2014 1:12PM GMT
By Luke Eastwood
Related Interviews:
* 'US poking nose into Russia interests' <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
* 'EU, West after Russian resources' <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
While the western mainstream media <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
The USA, Canada and EU are happy to impose sanctions on Russia and provide military assistance, loans <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
What is worse again is that while they condemn the Russians for not making the separatists lie down and accept an unelected and prejudiced government they also turn a blind eye to the constant bombing of unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, in Gaza the same thing is happening to the Palestinian people – they are being bombed consistently and it is again mostly unarmed civilians who are being injured or killed.
Much as the western powers pay lip-service to the disgust of such terrible acts in Gaza, they do nothing to prevent it continuing – Israel is not censured, placed under sanctions or threatened in any way, while Russia is constantly pressured for speaking up on behalf of the Russian-speaking Eastern Ukrainians. Little is said about the daily death toll in Eastern Ukraine, where like in Gaza the infrastructure is destroyed and there is little food <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Not one EU country or North American country is willing to condemn Israel for indiscriminate killing of civilians or condemn the Ukraine government for doing the same to its own people. These same countries are happy though to condemn Russia for standing up for and helping their close neighbours, despite the fact that it was USA that precipitated the Ukraine civil war in the first place.
The attitude of the western powers, and USA in particular, smacks of total hypocrisy given that they have done nothing to end either humanitarian crisis and in fact have been enablers of the (heavily armed) aggressors in both instances.
It is well known that USA has a hegemonic agenda to reduce both Russia and China to a state of incapacitation, so it’s no real surprise that they have acted duplicitously. What is really incredible is that Canada and the EU, that have no real interest in a proxy or direct war, have continually allowed themselves to be manipulated by the hawks in Washington.
After all, Russia withdrew quickly from Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which precipitated good relations with the Reagan government <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
The western governments are too scared to stand up to the USA, a country which should have withdrawn its troops from Europe and Japan two decades ago. It is the USA that has intervened in countless countries since WWII, none of which border the USA. Whereas Russia has mostly intervened in countries that have a land border with itself in circumstances where there could (possibly) be justification in its own domestic interest. China has a similar record and in fact has much less involvement in conflict in recent decades. Despite a much better record than the USA, in recent decades, both Russia and China are vilified as potentially dangerous, aggressive and possible rogue nations.
Looking at the evidence without prejudice one would have to say that it is USA government (and its pathetic, sycophantic allies) that is aggressive, expansionist and most likely to cause conflict. Unfortunately, the obvious decline of American power makes the USA government even more dangerous as it becomes more desperate to vainly retain its position, not unlike Britain at the beginning of the 20th century.
If the other western governments had any sense (which they obviously don’t) they would abandon NATO and their alliance with the dying USA empire and make friends with the BRICS nations. BRICS nations (and many others besides) realise that a multi-polar world is the way forward, but the American leadership wishes to maintain a uni-polar world at all costs – even if that means constant war.
This way of thinking is not what the world needs. Instead of sinking further into hypocrisy and grovelling to warmongering demands perhaps the Western powers should man up and accept that they are no-longer the only game in town.
If another world war were to begin it would most likely be an unprecedented disaster for humanity and the planet. Surely it’s better for western governments to suck up a bit of humble pie than to allow a fatally crippled empire to plunge the world into an unnecessary and possibly terminal conflict?
LE/HMV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/
Tue Sep 2, 2014 3:08 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.stripes.com/news/
Stars and Stripes
September 1, 2014
Rasmussen: NATO to establish quick-response ‘spearhead force’
By John Vandiver
NATO will establish a new “spearhead force” in answer to Russian aggression in Europe that is capable of conducting crisis-response missions in a matter of days, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday.
Leaders from NATO will meet on Thursday in Wales, where much attention will be devoted to adapting the 28-member alliance to counter an increasingly aggressive Russia.
“We will develop what I would call a spearhead within our response force – a very high readiness force able to deploy at very short notice,” Rasmussen said at a news conference in Brussels. “This spearhead would be provided by allies in rotation, and could include several thousand troops, ready to respond where needed with air, sea and special forces support.”
Such a force will require “reception facilities” on NATO territory and pre-positioned equipment and supplies, along with command and control elements and logistics experts, Rasmussen said.
“So this force can travel light, but strike hard if needed,” he said. “We will also look at possible upgrades to national infrastructure. That could include airfields and ports to support reinforcements, if the need arises.”
Rasmussen said it was too early to say how many NATO troops would be on the ground in eastern Europe at a given time or how many bases they would operate out of. Those details would be hammered out after the conference, he said.
While NATO already has a formal Response Force, the multinational unit has been criticized for not being structured to conduct real-world rapid-response operations. The force has mainly been used for conducting training exercises and peacekeeping missions.
After Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove said the alliance must take steps to improve the readiness of its reaction force. The new spearhead force is the result, Rasmussen said.
“It will be (deployable on) very, very short notice,” he said. “We are speaking about a very few days.”
==============================
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==============================
Stars and Stripes
September 1, 2014
Rasmussen: NATO to establish quick-response ‘spearhead force’
By John Vandiver
NATO will establish a new “spearhead force” in answer to Russian aggression in Europe that is capable of conducting crisis-response missions in a matter of days, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday.
Leaders from NATO will meet on Thursday in Wales, where much attention will be devoted to adapting the 28-member alliance to counter an increasingly aggressive Russia.
“We will develop what I would call a spearhead within our response force – a very high readiness force able to deploy at very short notice,” Rasmussen said at a news conference in Brussels. “This spearhead would be provided by allies in rotation, and could include several thousand troops, ready to respond where needed with air, sea and special forces support.”
Such a force will require “reception facilities” on NATO territory and pre-positioned equipment and supplies, along with command and control elements and logistics experts, Rasmussen said.
“So this force can travel light, but strike hard if needed,” he said. “We will also look at possible upgrades to national infrastructure. That could include airfields and ports to support reinforcements, if the need arises.”
Rasmussen said it was too early to say how many NATO troops would be on the ground in eastern Europe at a given time or how many bases they would operate out of. Those details would be hammered out after the conference, he said.
While NATO already has a formal Response Force, the multinational unit has been criticized for not being structured to conduct real-world rapid-response operations. The force has mainly been used for conducting training exercises and peacekeeping missions.
After Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove said the alliance must take steps to improve the readiness of its reaction force. The new spearhead force is the result, Rasmussen said.
“It will be (deployable on) very, very short notice,” he said. “We are speaking about a very few days.”
==============================
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.
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==============================
Tue Sep 2, 2014 3:08 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
September 2, 2014
NATO and Russia: a new strategic reality
Remarks by NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow at the conference on “NATO after the Wales Summit”, Cardiff University
[Edited by RR]
Thank you, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, for that kind introduction. I’m grateful for the invitation to be here on the eve of the NATO Summit. We’ve been preparing for it for a long time, so it’s great to finally be here in Wales.
...
Yes, we will still be discussing Afghanistan, defense capabilities, partnerships, and the Transatlantic bond, as originally planned. But our Heads of State and Government will gather on Thursday and Friday at a time of unprecedented turmoil on the European continent and beyond. Compared to a year ago, no one is asking whether this 65-year-old Alliance is still needed to ensure our security. But people are asking whether NATO is up to today’s challenges and whether it has the means – and the political will – to meet them.
The main reason, of course, is Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, which has called into question many of our assumptions about the post-Cold War order. Russia’s actions...pose a real threat to an open, rules-based international system...Russia’s actions leave us no alternative but to make some fundamental choices of our own.
...
Geopolitics and domestic politics came together in Ukraine. Putin’s pressure on Viktor Yanukovych to reject Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU backfired, provoking the Euro-Maidan rebellion, the flight of Yanukovych to Russia, and Moscow’s aggressive response, which has now caused the worst security crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
...
What Russia has been doing is sometimes called hybrid warfare, or non-linear warfare, or ambiguous warfare. But whatever you call it, it is warfare, plain and simple. ...
And in waging an undeclared war in Ukraine, President Putin has torn up the international rule book and undone the good work both Russia and the NATO Allies have achieved since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Russia has returned to the politics of a previous time – not to Soviet-era, Cold War politics so much as to the politics of spheres of influence and to ethnic-nationalist doctrines of centuries past...
...
One must wonder how long Putin can ride the populist wave as his cronies, and Russian society, begin to experience the very real consequences of his adventurism and as Russia’s international political and economic stock continues to decline.
For NATO’s part, we will do whatever is needed to defend our Allies. At this week’s Summit, we will adopt a Readiness Action Plan to reinforce our ability to deal with any threat. As part of the RAP, we will launch plans to increase the readiness of the NATO Response Force, so it has the capacity to respond in days rather than weeks to a threat of aggression.
We will lay out a plan for the forward presence of command and control and key enablers so that we have the capability to rapidly reinforce our eastern flank, together with plans to regularly exercise that capability.
We will work with Allies, as well as other like-minded organizations, to develop a range of measures, political as well as military, to deal with hybrid attacks.
We are also reviewing our defense plans, threat assessments, intelligence-sharing arrangements and early-warning procedures.
All these measures will not only reassure NATO members, but bolster deterrence in the face of the new strategic challenge posed by Russia.
We must also reverse the decline in defense spending that began after the fall of the Berlin Wall and accelerated during the financial crisis. Over the past five years, total defense spending by NATO nations has fallen by 20%, while Russia’s defense spending has increased by 50%. To the Kremlin, which measures its global standing in military might, NATO appears weak. And it sees an opportunity to act.
Our job now is to correct that perception – to be united in word and deed, and to increase spending on defense.
...
When it comes to deterrence, it’s not enough for us just to say it. We have to mean it. And President Putin – and potential adversaries elsewhere – have to believe it.
...Clearly, collective defense in the face of a resurgent and revanchist Russia is paramount. But in today’s world, NATO needs to be a strong multi-tasker and a consummate networker...By making sure that our militaries are compatible, we can be far more effective when we need to deploy together...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is no doubt that the security landscape here in Europe changed this year, and not for the better. How it will look in a year or two is impossible to predict. But I can confidently predict that whatever the future does hold, NATO will be prepared. From its early days, NATO has had to bend and flex to meet any challenge, from any foe: from the military might of the Soviet Union to the Taliban in the deserts of Afghanistan, from bringing stability to the Balkans to preventing piracy off the Horn of Africa, the strength of NATO has always been its endless ability to adapt, and to rise to each new challenge that comes along. I am confident that this week’s Summit, here in Wales, will be no exception.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
September 2, 2014
NATO and Russia: a new strategic reality
Remarks by NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow at the conference on “NATO after the Wales Summit”, Cardiff University
[Edited by RR]
Thank you, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, for that kind introduction. I’m grateful for the invitation to be here on the eve of the NATO Summit. We’ve been preparing for it for a long time, so it’s great to finally be here in Wales.
...
Yes, we will still be discussing Afghanistan, defense capabilities, partnerships, and the Transatlantic bond, as originally planned. But our Heads of State and Government will gather on Thursday and Friday at a time of unprecedented turmoil on the European continent and beyond. Compared to a year ago, no one is asking whether this 65-year-old Alliance is still needed to ensure our security. But people are asking whether NATO is up to today’s challenges and whether it has the means – and the political will – to meet them.
The main reason, of course, is Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, which has called into question many of our assumptions about the post-Cold War order. Russia’s actions...pose a real threat to an open, rules-based international system...Russia’s actions leave us no alternative but to make some fundamental choices of our own.
...
Geopolitics and domestic politics came together in Ukraine. Putin’s pressure on Viktor Yanukovych to reject Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU backfired, provoking the Euro-Maidan rebellion, the flight of Yanukovych to Russia, and Moscow’s aggressive response, which has now caused the worst security crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
...
What Russia has been doing is sometimes called hybrid warfare, or non-linear warfare, or ambiguous warfare. But whatever you call it, it is warfare, plain and simple. ...
And in waging an undeclared war in Ukraine, President Putin has torn up the international rule book and undone the good work both Russia and the NATO Allies have achieved since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Russia has returned to the politics of a previous time – not to Soviet-era, Cold War politics so much as to the politics of spheres of influence and to ethnic-nationalist doctrines of centuries past...
...
One must wonder how long Putin can ride the populist wave as his cronies, and Russian society, begin to experience the very real consequences of his adventurism and as Russia’s international political and economic stock continues to decline.
For NATO’s part, we will do whatever is needed to defend our Allies. At this week’s Summit, we will adopt a Readiness Action Plan to reinforce our ability to deal with any threat. As part of the RAP, we will launch plans to increase the readiness of the NATO Response Force, so it has the capacity to respond in days rather than weeks to a threat of aggression.
We will lay out a plan for the forward presence of command and control and key enablers so that we have the capability to rapidly reinforce our eastern flank, together with plans to regularly exercise that capability.
We will work with Allies, as well as other like-minded organizations, to develop a range of measures, political as well as military, to deal with hybrid attacks.
We are also reviewing our defense plans, threat assessments, intelligence-sharing arrangements and early-warning procedures.
All these measures will not only reassure NATO members, but bolster deterrence in the face of the new strategic challenge posed by Russia.
We must also reverse the decline in defense spending that began after the fall of the Berlin Wall and accelerated during the financial crisis. Over the past five years, total defense spending by NATO nations has fallen by 20%, while Russia’s defense spending has increased by 50%. To the Kremlin, which measures its global standing in military might, NATO appears weak. And it sees an opportunity to act.
Our job now is to correct that perception – to be united in word and deed, and to increase spending on defense.
...
When it comes to deterrence, it’s not enough for us just to say it. We have to mean it. And President Putin – and potential adversaries elsewhere – have to believe it.
...Clearly, collective defense in the face of a resurgent and revanchist Russia is paramount. But in today’s world, NATO needs to be a strong multi-tasker and a consummate networker...By making sure that our militaries are compatible, we can be far more effective when we need to deploy together...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is no doubt that the security landscape here in Europe changed this year, and not for the better. How it will look in a year or two is impossible to predict. But I can confidently predict that whatever the future does hold, NATO will be prepared. From its early days, NATO has had to bend and flex to meet any challenge, from any foe: from the military might of the Soviet Union to the Taliban in the deserts of Afghanistan, from bringing stability to the Balkans to preventing piracy off the Horn of Africa, the strength of NATO has always been its endless ability to adapt, and to rise to each new challenge that comes along. I am confident that this week’s Summit, here in Wales, will be no exception.
