Stephen Cohen on NATO war games

Anakonda 16 on the Russian Frontier

Stephen F. Cohen. NYU, Princeton, EastWestAccord.com

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Anakonda 16 on the Russian Frontier

Stephen F. Cohen. NYU, Princeton, EastWestAccord.com

Anakonda 16 on the Russian Frontier. Stephen F. Cohen. NYU, Princeton, EastWestAccord.com.

"...The general said Russia was needed in the international community; however, this was impossible at the moment due to the country's "sole respect for power."

"He emphasised that about 7,000 Russian troops were stationed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two territories viewed by the international community as Georgian regions occupied by Russia.

"In Hodges' words, about 20,000 Russian troops are currently present in the Crimea peninsula occupied by Russia, and about 20 Ukrainian soldiers were last week killed during clashes with Moscow-supported separatists in Eastern Ukraine regardless of ceasefire agreements.

"This is a serious challenge; this is not an academic exercise and the only way we keep it from becoming a real crisis is if we stick together, the Alliance stick together and demonstrate that we are committed," the US general noted

.

"He added that Lithuania had been precisely meeting the commitments assumed during the last NATO Summit in Wales by not only boosting defense spending but also by organising exercises and developing its Armed Forces.

"Ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the three Baltic States seek deployment of an international Allied battalion of about 1,000 soldiers in each of their territories. NATO's Military Committee has given a green light to stationing of the units in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland....

"

http://www.baltictimes.com/us_general_in_vilnius__central__eastern_europe_needs_actual__not_symbolic_deterrence/#

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/upcoming-events/detail/sustaining-natos-strength-and-deterrence

http://www.eur.army.mil/anakonda/

“NATO shows Putin who’s boss” - lol

Just have a look at the following from the Daily Mail in the light of what Stephen Cohen and Stephen Batchelor have to say.

NATO shows Putin who's boss: 31,000 troops, tanks and jets from 24 countries begin the largest war game exercise in eastern Europe since the Cold War in response to Russian aggression

• Two-week long Anaconda manoeuvres are aimed at 'checking the alliance's ability to defend its eastern flank'
• Britain has 1,000 troops involved with 12,000 from Poland and 14,000 from U.S while 3,000 vehicles will be used
• Move comes month ahead of NATO summit set to ensure more troop rotations in Eastern Europe member states
• Kremlin said it would set up three new divisions in the west and south by the end of the year to counter NATO forces

Some 1,000 British troops will be joined by 14,000 from the U.S and 12,000 from Poland for the exercises and pictured, U.S troops from the Pennsylvania National Guard arrive at Vilnius airport in Lithuania

U.S Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley explained the American presence 'demonstrates that we are shoulder to shoulder with the Polish people' and that the exercises would 'improve our collective readiness'. Pictured, U.S Pennsylvania National Guard troops land in Lithuania

Pictured, a Polish honour guard march during the opening ceremony of the the Anaconda exercises in the Warsaw district of Rembertow

Pictured, Polish soldiers march holding the flags those countries taking part in the Anaconda exercises during the opening ceremony

Pictured, Soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the U.S Army, taking part in the NATO exercise, prepare to continue their journey in Subate, Latvia

NATO allies launch huge military exercise in Poland

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Formal opening of ceremonies in Warsaw, Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said the games are aimed at 'checking the alliance's ability to defend its eastern flank.'

While U.S Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley explained the American presence 'demonstrates that we are shoulder to shoulder with the Polish people' and that the exercises would 'improve our collective readiness.'

The war games come a month ahead of a 'landmark' NATO summit in Warsaw, which is set to seal the organisation's largest revamp since the Cold War by deploying more troop rotations in eastern European members - who have been spooked by Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Russia is fiercely opposed to the move, billed by NATO as its 'deter and dialogue' strategy.

While NATO cut all practical cooperation with Moscow following Russia's Ukraine intervention, the U.S-led alliance has said it will hold formal talks with the Kremlin before the July 8-9 summit.

However, just last month Moscow and Washington accused each other of mounting an aggressive military presence in northern Europe as the United States broke ground on a missile shield in NATO allies Poland and Romania.

Russia has vowed to 'end threats' posed by the system, despite U.S assurances that it is intended to ward of potential attacks by so-called 'rogue states' in the Middle East.

Pictured, a U.S army armoured vehicle makes its way across the tarmac after thousands of American troops land in Vilnius in Lithuania

The two-week long Anaconda manoeuvres, involving soldiers from NATO and former-Soviet 'Partnership for Peace' states including Ukraine, have been held biannually across Poland since 2006. Pictured, US troops carry machine guns after landing in Lithuania

At a formal opening of ceremonies in Warsaw, Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz (pictured) said the games are aimed at 'checking the alliance's ability to defend its eastern flank.'

Pictured, U.S. Army soldiers representing units participating in the the Anaconda-16 military exercise, attend the opening ceremony

The Kremlin said it would set up three new divisions in the west and south of the country by the end of the year to counter NATO forces close to its border.

On Monday Mr Macierewicz said that Polish paramilitary forces will take part in the Anaconda exercises for the first time, as part of Warsaw's strategy to counter 'hybrid warfare'.

According to NATO strategists the tactic is based on deception rather than a formal declaration of war and they suggest Russia has already used it to annex Crimea by covertly deploying unidentified troops.

They also say the same tactic was used to engineer the pro-Moscow revolt in eastern Ukraine that followed.

Around 3,000 vehicles, 105 planes and 12 naval vessels will be used in the exercise involving the 24 NATO states. Pictured, US troops unload their gear at Vilnius airport in Lithuania

Pictured, members of the U.S. Army of the Pennsylvania National Guard wait for their orders as they stand at Vilnius airport in Lithuania

Pictured, a U.S. soldier shows a machine gun to local children during a tactical road march Dragoon Ride II display in Daugavpils in Latvia

Pictured, U.S. troops drive armoured vehicles and tanks during a tactical road march Dragoon Ride II in Daugavpils, Latvia

Mr Macierewicz said last week that Poland will soon enroll the first volunteers in a 35,000-member paramilitary force aimed at parrying a perceived hybrid threat from Russia.

Warsaw will use these new 'territorial defence forces' to expand its armed forces next year to 150,000 men from the current 100,000.

Russia has long objected to NATO's expansion in its Soviet-era back yard and in 1997 NATO formally agreed not to install permanent bases in former Warsaw Pact states.

In line with the agreement, the Pentagon said in March it would deploy an additional armoured brigade of about 4,200 troops in eastern Europe from early 2017 on a rotational basis - not a permanent base.

NATO has been careful to reassure Moscow ahead of the July summit, with its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisting 'the Cold War is history and we want it to stay that way.'