Pentagon
confirms military buildup along Russian borders for ‘peace and
stability’
The Pentagon
has confirmed the military buildup along Russia’s borders to ensure
long-term “peace and stability” in the region. Earlier Moscow
accused NATO of a sharp increase in air activity and intelligence
flights in the border zone.
:
RT,
17
December, 2014
Replying
to RIA Novosti’s query
on the increased number of NATO flights around Russia's borders, a
Pentagon representative told the news agency that the military
presence of the alliance has increased, but all operations are
carried out under utmost “transparency.”
The
current efforts of the US European Command, the Pentagon official
said, are in line with Operation Atlantic Resolve and demonstrate
American “commitment to the collective security of NATO,
the long-term peace and stability in the region”,
particularly in the light of Russian “interference” in Ukraine.
The
official added that this includes among other measures, an increase
in “air, and land, sea presence,”
as well as holding military drills.
US
Operation
Atlantic Resolve comprises all US efforts to support their NATO
allies and partners in Europe, which translates to persistent
presence of land forces in Poland and the Baltic region as well as
holding naval drills in the Black Sea.
Portuguese
Air Force fighter F-16 (R) and Canadian Air Force fighter CF-18
Hornet patrol over Baltics air space, from the Zokniai air base near
Siauliai. Lithuania. (Reuters / Ints Kalnins)
Russia’s
relations with NATO deteriorated dramatically after the alliance
accused Moscow of destabilizing the situation in conflict-torn
Ukraine and condemned Crimea’s reunification with Russia in March.
The
Pentagon’s comments came after Lieutenant-General Mikhail
Mizintsev, head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s joint military
command center told Bloomberg news that NATO's presence in Eastern
Europe is becoming a concern for Moscow.
“The
Russian Defense Ministry leadership has repeatedly expressed its
concerns over the significant increase of NATO military activity near
the Russian borders,”
Mizintsev said.
The
General was quick to point out that NATO’s flights have doubled to
about 3,000 this year. Mizintsev told Bloomberg that foreign jets
were flying in “dangerous proximity”
to Russian long-range military aircraft at least on 55 occasions at a
distance of less than 100 meters, in 2013-14.
Russia’s
missions were “as risky as NATO aircraft flights near the
Russian border can be considered risky,”
Mizintsev said.
Lt.
General Michail Mizintsev. Image by Defence Ministry
Furthermore
the lack of “any mutual exchange of information,”
has ruined the trust between the alliance and Russian military
command as Russian fighters flew more than 300 missions in response
to NATO planes approaching the country’s borders.
“All
achievements in the field of trust-building and voluntary
transparency that NATO and Russia have formed over the years have
ceased,” the general warned,
as he challenged NATO’s claims on the number of Russian intercept
missions.
Mizintsev
said that NATO jets escorted Russian planes 140 times in 2014, a 70
percent increase on the previous year, but not 400 as the alliance
claims. All Russian fighter missions, Mizintsev stressed were “in
strict compliance with international rules.”
The
Russian general also warned of a growing concern of NATO ships in the
Black Sea.
On
the diplomatic front, earlier in the day, in an interview with the
French media, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, explained what
role the alliance plays in Russia’s military doctrine.
“What
[Russia’s military doctrine] says is that the security risks for
Russia, among other things, are NATO expansion to the East and the
movement of military infrastructure of NATO closer to the Russian
borders – not NATO itself, but its militarized movement to the East
is considered by the Russian military doctrine as a security risk and
threat for Russia,” he said.
Tuesday's
NATO-Moscow exchanges follow Russia’s recent massive surprise drill
in the Kaliningrad region conducted to test the combat readiness of
some 9,000 troops and 642 vehicles, including tactical Iskander-M
ballistic missile systems deployed from the mainland.
American tanks travel through Latvia
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.