Posts
NATO was expecting to be able to use a supposed victory over the Novorussia militias by Ukrainian forces to dictate terms to Putin. Instead the tables have turned and Ukraine is facing ignominious defeat as well as certain economic and political collapse.
I
am sure there was an atmosphere of shock at the NATO conference.
Wait
for more sanctions early next week
‘Expansionism and destabilization’: Russia lashes out over NATO spearhead force in E. Europe
Moscow
has accused NATO of using the Ukrainian crisis as a “pretext” to
“push its military presence closer to Russia’s borders,” and
says that plans for a new rapid response force will sabotage the
peace process in eastern Ukraine
RT,
5
September, 2014
“The
[expansion] plans have been harbored by NATO for a long time, and
recent events have served as a pretext to put them into action,”
said a statement published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s
website, following the wrapping up of the NATO summit in Wales.
“Together
with the rhetoric at the summit, and the planned military exercises
before the end of the year, this will increase tension,
destabilization the nascent peace process, and further widen the
division in Ukraine,” the ministry’s statement said.
“The
above is also testament to NATO’s unconditional support for the
extremists and neo-fascists in Kiev, including the Right Sector
political movement,” it stressed.
During
the two-day summit, the 28 NATO member states instituted the creation
of a rapid response unit numbering at least 4,000. It could be
deployed in Eastern Europe – where it will be based – in less
than 48 hours.
The
primary stated reason for the initiative is “Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine.”
Russia’s
NATO envoy, Aleksandr Grushko, also denounced NATO’s policy,
suggesting that the alliance was engaged in “Cold War thinking,”
and risked undermining the landmark 1997 treaty in which Moscow and
Brussels officially proclaimed that they were no longer
“adversaries.”
In
a TV interview, Grushko said that NATO was “flexing its muscles,”
and pointed out that an increased presence of NATO vessels in the
Baltic and Black Sea would destroy the recently built-up level of
trust in what were once the potential flashpoints in the standoff.
Grushko
also called the planned NATO-Ukraine exercises a “provocation”
because “foreign troops will appear in a country that is fighting
its own people.”
“NATO
must play no role in the Ukrainian conflict,” the official told
Rossiya-24 network.
He
also accused the US of “trying to unload the financial burden of
maintaining NATO onto its allies.”
Despite
the harsh rhetoric, Moscow left room for potential cooperation with
NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, which the foreign ministry said
is an “efficient mechanism for consultation and developing common
approaches.”
“We
will continue to cooperate with the alliance, providing it takes our
national interests into account,” Grushko stressed.
NATO
cooperation with Russia has been suspended since March, following the
ascension of Crimea to the Russian Federation.
This is Obama at the NATO Conference
This is Obama at the NATO Conference
And war monger #1, Cameron
From the Ministry of Truth
State Dept's Harf accuses AP's Matt Lee of 'buying into Russian propaganda'
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf talked about NATO's decision to create spearhead forces at a daily briefing on Friday. Answering questions from AP journalist Matthew Lee, she expressed her irritation at Matthew's tone and suggested he was buying into Russian propaganda.
NATO
stages massive military drills in Latvia
As
seven-day NATO military exercises continue to take place in Latvia,
the organization says the drills are aimed at showing its commitment
to Baltic member states in the face of an “assertive” Russia.
RT,
5
September, 2014
Exercise
Steadfast Javelin 2, which kicked off on September 2, simulates the
deployment of NATO soldiers and equipment during a crisis situation.
A total of around 2,000 soldiers from nine different countries are
taking part in the maneuvers, which will carry on until Monday.
On
Friday night, around 500 paratroopers landed at Lielvarde airport,
located about 60 km from Latvia’s capital, Riga.
“We
want to assure our people that we are able to protect them. Certainly
on top of this we send a clear message to everyone who wants to
threaten NATO, that it’s not a thing you should do. NATO will
always defend and protect its people,” General Hans-Lothar Domrose,
commander of the NATO military command in Brunssum, Netherlands, told
reporters.
s.
The
exercises in Latvia will be followed by other drills in Germany,
Norway, Ukraine, and Poland later this autumn.
Steadfast
Javelin 2 was reinforced by a NATO summit in Wales, where the bloc
officially announced it was creating a new rapid reaction force. The
spearhead of any such force would consist of 4,000-5,000 troops who
would be able to deploy to any NATO member country within 48 hours.
“It
needs to be a relatively light force. It needs to be a force that
succeeds, builds upon intelligence and agility, and precision as
opposed to weight of military force. It is an agile, precise,
intelligence-led rapidly deployable force,” Lieutenant General Ed
Davis, NATO deputy land commander, told Reuters.
After
10 years of placing emphasis on military activity in Afghanistan, the
alliance is now refocusing on what it refers to as the defense of its
members.
U.S.173
airborne brigade soldiers arrive in armoured personal carrier
"Stryker" for the "Steadfast Javelin II" military
exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6, 2014. (Reuters /
Ints Kalnins)U.S.173 airborne brigade soldiers arrive in armoured
personal carrier "Stryker" for the "Steadfast Javelin
II" military exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6,
2014. (Reuters / Ints Kalnins)
The
UK has agreed to provide up to 1,000 personnel in the multi-national
force, which will be based in Eastern Europe. There are already 1,500
British troops involved in exercises in Baltic countries and an extra
2,000 will be deployed over the next two years.
Baltic
states have been seeking backup from NATO, claiming they fear that
Russia could use the same rationale as it did in Crimea to justify an
attack on them. Large Russian speaking minorities live in Baltic the
region – in Latvia, for instance, they account for some 26 percent
(over 520,000 people) of the total population.
U.S.
second cavalry regiment soldiers stand with armoured personal
carriers during the "Steadfast Javelin II" military
exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6, 2014. (Reuters /
Ints Kalnins)U.S. second cavalry regiment soldiers stand with
armoured personal carriers during the "Steadfast Javelin II"
military exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6, 2014.
(Reuters / Ints Kalnins)
The
announcement was met with dismay in Moscow, which said that NATO was
using the crisis in Ukraine to push its military presence closer to
Russia's borders.
The
Russian Foreign Ministry said the new force would sabotage the
fragile peace process in eastern Ukraine.
“Together
with the rhetoric at the summit, and the planned military exercises
before the end of the year, this will increase tension,
destabilization the nascent peace process, and further widen the
division in Ukraine,” the ministry’s statement said.
As
tensions remain high in Ukraine, a US Navy destroyer, a Canadian
fregate and, reportedly, a French frigate have entered the Black Sea.
A Spanish warship is reportedly on its way there as well.
The UK has agreed to provide up to 1,000 personnel in the multi-national force, which will be based in Eastern Europe. There are already 1,500 British troops involved in exercises in Baltic countries and an extra 2,000 will be deployed over the next two years.
Baltic states have been seeking backup from NATO, claiming they fear that Russia could use the same rationale as it did in Crimea to justify an attack on them. Large Russian speaking minorities live in Baltic the region – in Latvia, for instance, they account for some 26 percent (over 520,000 people) of the total population.
U.S. second cavalry regiment soldiers stand with armoured personal carriers during the "Steadfast Javelin II" military exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6, 2014. (Reuters / Ints Kalnins)U.S. second cavalry regiment soldiers stand with armoured personal carriers during the "Steadfast Javelin II" military exercise in the Lielvarde air base, September 6, 2014. (Reuters / Ints Kalnins)
The announcement was met with dismay in Moscow, which said that NATO was using the crisis in Ukraine to push its military presence closer to Russia's borders.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the new force would sabotage the fragile peace process in eastern Ukraine.
“Together with the rhetoric at the summit, and the planned military exercises before the end of the year, this will increase tension, destabilization the nascent peace process, and further widen the division in Ukraine,” the ministry’s statement said.
As tensions remain high in Ukraine, a US Navy destroyer, a Canadian fregate and, reportedly, a French frigate have entered the Black Sea. A Spanish warship is reportedly on its way there as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.