Demonizing Russia
NATO Finalizes Military Buildup to Take on Russia
By AFP
May 20, 2016 "Information
Clearing House"
- "AFP"
- BRUSSELS: NATO foreign ministers met on Thursday
to finalize the alliance’s biggest military build-up
since the end of the Cold War to counter what they
see as a more aggressive and unpredictable Russia.
At a Warsaw summit in July, NATO leaders will
sign-off on the revamp which puts more troops into
eastern European member states as part of a “deter
and dialogue” strategy, meant to reassure allies
they will not be left in the lurch in any repeat of
the Ukraine crisis.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the two-day meeting
will address “all the important issues” to prepare
for a “landmark” summit in Poland.
“We will discuss how NATO can do more to project
stability ... and at the same time address how NATO
can continue to adapt to a more assertive Russia to
find the right balance between defense and
dialogue,” he told reporters.
Helping struggling countries help themselves rather
than have NATO always take the lead was more
effective, he said, citing growing challenges to the
south, from conflict in Syria and Iraq to
instability across North Africa. The fear is that
terrorist groups such as Daesh can exploit the
turmoil.
In November, Daesh attacks in Paris left 130 dead
and in March militants killed 32 in Brussels, home
to NATO HQ, the European Union and a host of
diplomatic and corporate offices.
The EU meanwhile is grappling with the worst migrant
crisis since the end of WWII, and the bloc wants
increased cooperation with NATO to tackle the
problem, notably in bolstering the UN-backed
government in Libya where Daesh has recently gained
ground.
EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini will join
the NATO ministers on Friday.
Of the 28 NATO member states, 22 also belong to the
EU where Mogherini is overseeing a review of its
global security strategy.
US ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute said Wednesday
foreign ministers would have a “very sober
discussion on dealing with Russia, which essentially
has thrown out the rulebook.”
“This is not the predictable partner we thought we
had,” Lute added.
NATO will sign later Thursday an accession accord
with Montenegro, another bone of contention with
Russia over the future of the Balkans, home to
historic Slav allies and a key strategic interest.
Georgia, which fought a brief 2008 war with Russia,
is also seeking membership but when asked on
Thursday if Tbilisi could expect similar progress,
Stoltenberg notably stopped short of commenting
directly on its accession prospects.
Instead, he stressed NATO would continue to boost
cooperation, including military training, with the
former Soviet republic.
Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and its 2014
annexation of Crimea stung NATO into action after
years of complacency and defense cuts following the
fall of the Soviet Union.
Moscow however says NATO is encroaching on its
borders, while Washington builds a European missile
defense shield which undercuts Russia’s nuclear
deterrent.
Mutual suspicion runs deep, former NATO deputy
supreme commander Richard Shirreff warned Wednesday
the West could find itself at war with Russia next
year unless it boosted its defenses.
Stoltenberg had cautioned Wednesday against a new
arms race, stressing the alliance upgrade was purely
“defensive, proportionate and in line with our
international obligations.”
NATO wanted dialogue with Russia to ease tensions
and avoid potentially dangerous incidents getting
out of control, he said.
NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia
over Ukraine but left a channel of communication
open through what is known as the NATO-Russia
Council (NRC).
Stoltenberg convened the first NRC since June 2014
last month, which he said produced a “frank” but
also “useful” exchange.
NATO diplomatic sources said some member states
wanted another NRC before the Warsaw summit, as at
least a gesture of good faith, but others are
reluctant, seeing no reason to cut Russia any slack.
“I think there will be a meeting, a number of allies
want it quite badly and the rest of us think it is
not worth fighting about,” one source said,
downplaying the NRC’s importance.
See also
Russia lambasts Nato as
Montenegro signs member deal:
Moscow accuses Nato of harming Europe’s security and
casts doubt on proposed talks |