Here are excerpts from the most recent articles published on Stop NATO.
East And South: NATO Chief, Commanders Expand Rapid Strike Forces
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
March 11, 2015
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed security challenges with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, and participated in a conference of senior military commanders during a visit to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe on Wednesday (11 March 2015). The Secretary General thanked the commanders for the remarkable work of Allied forces in the face of a highly complex and uncertain security environment…
The Secretary General warned that Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine have undermined the post-Cold War security order in Europe…
JenPsak: U.S. To Report On Sending Lethal Weapons To Ukraine
Ukrinform
March 11, 2015
Psaki says when U.S. government reports on providing weapons to Ukraine
KYIV: The United States plans to submit a report to Congress on possible providing defense lethal assistance to Ukraine, envisaged by the requirements of Ukraine Freedom Support Act “as soon as possible”.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said this during a daily press briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.
“The reports are currently undergoing an interagency review. We’re committed to delivering these reports to Congress as soon as possible,” she said.
According Psaki, the delay in submitting the report is due to the “extremely volatile” situation in Ukraine, which is discussed on a daily basis. “We want to ensure that Congress has the most complete and up-to-date information,” she assured.
The Speaker added that the U.S. President delegated to the State Department certain reporting requirements in the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, but there are several agencies who weigh in on the content.
As reported, one of the sections of Ukraine Freedom Support Act, adopted in mid-December, provides reporting by the President of the United States on possible deliveries of defensive weapons to Ukraine, conducting exercises and training of military personnel. The deadline set by this law passed on February 15.
Polish Prime Minister On Ukraine War: For First Time Blood Being Shed For European Union
Interfax-Ukraine
March 11, 2015
Kopacz: Europe faces greatest security crisis since Cold War
Eastern Partnership: The West’s Final Assault On the Former Soviet Union
The Prime Minister of Poland Ewa Kopacz has said that the Ukrainian conflict has triggered an unprecedented security crisis in Europe.
”We have the greatest security crisis in Europe since the Cold War,” she said in an interview with Polish media, adding that it would be irresponsible to disregard this threat.
According to Kopacz, for the first time “blood is actually being shed for the European Union, or for an attempt at integration into the European Union.”
”We need to protect our own interests, but at the same time fight for something that Ukraine is fighting for today,” she said, adding that Europe should condemn those who don’t respect Ukraine’s desire for European integration.
On March 11, Warsaw will host the annual conference of Poland’s military leadership. The main topics will include the conflict in Ukraine and preparations for the 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw.
Last night, Polish National Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said that the conference will undoubtedly will be guided by the events in eastern Ukraine…
Former Co-Triumvir: U.S. Blatantly Insults Georgian Sovereignty Over Saakashvili
March 10, 2015
Tbilisi: Nino Burjanadze, ex-parliament speaker and leader of Democratic Movement–United Georgia opposition party, accused the United States of “blatant insult of Georgia’s sovereignty” and criticized the Georgian authorities for not reacting on appearance of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, wanted by Tbilisi, at a hearing in the U.S. Senate’s foreign relations committee.
“This is an insult of our state; this is a continuation of the insulting policy, which was also demonstrated by inviting wanted ex-president as a main guest at [the European Parliament] during ratification of [the Association] Agreement,” she said on March 10.
In his capacity as Ukrainian president’s adviser and chairman of Ukraine’s International Advisory Council on Reforms, Saakashvili testified before Senate foreign relations committee’s subcommittee on Europe and regional security cooperation on March 4, when it held a hearing on “Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.”
“What do declarations by the western states, including by the United States, mean about respecting Georgia’s sovereignty? Respecting Georgia’s sovereignty first and foremost mean that one has to respect the authorities of this country and its decisions and one should not be receiving wanted person,” Burjanadze said…
NATO Land Forces Prepare For New Article 5 Collective War
Stars and Stripes
March 10, 2015
NATO country leaders meet to hone response to future threats
ByJennifer H. Svan
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany: High-level NATO leaders met this week at Ramstein to consider the future of the alliance’s ground forces in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine and events in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization-LANDCOM Corps Commanders’ Conference drew more than 140 participants from nearly every country in the 28-member alliance, including NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove.
He and Army Lt. Gen. John Nicholson Jr., the commander of NATO Allied Land Command, spoke of the broader security environment facing NATO post-Afghanistan and the challenges ground forces, in particular, must address to hone and ready a land component that could respond to an international crisis at a moment’s notice.
“We are adapting to some of the most significant changes to the security environment here in Europe since the Cold War,” Breedlove said, “and I am pleased to say that NATO is adapting as rapidly as its 21st Century challenges are also evolving.”
Breedlove said NATO’s land forces headquarters — established in 2012 at Izmir, Turkey, to ensure the interoperability of NATO ground forces — “is focused on matching our readiness to the environment” and working with nations on contingency planning “in support of NATO’s readiness action force,” as outlined at the pivotal NATO Wales Summit last fall. Interoperability has been a constant, if elusive, goal for the alliance since the early 1950s…
U.S. Military Moves To Russian Borders For First Time Ever
United States European Command
March 10, 2015
3rd Infantry Division arrives to support Operation Atlantic Resolve
By Media Operations Division
United States European Command
RIGA, Latvia: Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division offload an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the transportation vessel “Liberty Promise” March 9 at the Riga Universal Terminal docks. More than 100 pieces of equipment, including the tanks, M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and assorted military cargo, will move on to sites in other areas of Latvia as well as Estonia and Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Approximately 750 U.S. Army and military vehicles and equipment, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters from the 3rd Infantry Division arrived in Riga, Latvia, on Monday by ship to support Operation Atlantic Resolve and planned Army-Europe multinational training exercises in that region. This equipment will be used for training of NATO allies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania…
Serbia: NATO Victim In 1999, NATO Military Colony In 2015
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Military Liaison Office Belgrade
March 9, 2015
Admiral Ferguson said that NATO and Serbia are successfully cooperating through various Partnership of Peace mechanisms, and noted that the recently adopted IPAP agreement provides space for deepening relations and practical cooperation. The Serbian officials noted that Serbia appreciates NATO’s assistance in improving capacities for participation of its soldiers in EU and UN peacekeeping missions, and added that the Serbian Armed Force’s cooperation with KFOR is excellent on all levels.
Admiral Ferguson also met with Chief of NATO MLO Belgrade, Brig. Gen. Lucio Batta, to discuss the most recent developments in NATO-Serbia relations and the role of the office in supporting Serbiaćs defense sector reform and future IPAP-related initiatives.
This was Admiral Ferguson’s first visit to Serbia since assuming command of JFC Naples in July 2014. In addition to his NATO responsibilities, Admiral Ferguson is also Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa…
Need EU Army To Aid NATO In Confronting Russia: Official
March 10, 2015
Juncker: NATO is not enough, EU needs an army
The European Union needs its own army to face up to Russia and other threats, as well as to restore the bloc’s standing around the world, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a German newspaper yesterday (8 March).
Arguing that NATO was not enough because not all members of the transatlantic defence alliance are in the EU, Juncker said a common EU army would send important signals to the world.
“A joint EU army would show the world that there would never again be a war between EU countries,” Juncker told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “Such an army would also help us to form common foreign and security policies and allow Europe to take on responsibility in the world.”
Juncker said a common EU army could serve as a deterrent and would have been useful during the Ukraine crisis.
“With its own army, Europe could react more credibly to the threat to peace in a member state or in a neighbouring state,” he said…
U.S. Deploys 3,000 Troops, 750 Military Vehicles To Baltic
Stars and Stripes
March 9, 2015
Troops and hardware from 3rd Infantry Division heading to Eastern Europe
By Jon Harper
WASHINGTON: Thousands of troops and major hardware from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division are heading to the Baltic region to reassure NATO allies…according to the Pentagon.
Approximately 3,000 soldiers from the division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team are bringing approximately 750 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment with them, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters. The gear arrived Monday via ship in Riga, Latvia, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.
The troops and equipment will participate in multinational training exercises with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which will kick off in May. The exercises are part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a U.S.-Army led mission which began last year…
Germany: United States Army NATO Soldiers In European War Games
March 5, 2015
USANATO-1GNC Soldiers Conduct Deployment Exercise in Muenster, Germany
MUENSTER, Germany: United States Army NATO Soldiers assigned to NATO’s 1st German-Netherlands Corps conducted a deployment readiness and alert exercise Mar. 4, as part of a series of exercises making up NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 15, the alliance’s larges exercise this year.
The Soldiers, along with their Dutch, Germany, Romanian and Turkish partners practiced alert and deployment procedures for a would be short-notice deployment, culminating with the air-loading of Soldiers and equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.
1st GNC, headquartered in Muenster, Germany, is one of several NATO headquarters responsible for rapidly deploying to provide command and control to NATO forces during operational deployments. The deployment and alert excercise provided 1st GNC leaders an assessment of how well their organization can do that…
NATO’s Top Political Body Meets With Jordanian King At NATO Headquarters
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
March 9, 2015
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underscored the importance of the Alliance’s partnership with Jordan in talks with His Majesty King Abdullah II at NATO headquarters on Monday (9 March 2015). After meeting the Secretary General, the King discussed regional security challenges with Allied ambassadors at a session of the North Atlantic Council.
Mr. Stoltenberg underlined that NATO Allies and Jordan face the same security challenges and threats, including terrorism and extremism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the consequences of failing states.
The Secretary General expressed his sympathy to the people of Jordan for the recent barbaric killing of a Jordanian pilot by ISIL, and stressed that the terrible acts conducted by extremists underlined the need for us to work even closer together.
Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed Jordan’s key role in promoting regional security, calling the country a force for moderation and a special partner for NATO. Jordan has participated in NATO-led missions in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Libya. Jordan is the first Mediterranean Dialogue country to join the NATO Response Force. NATO is also working with Jordan to build its defence capacity and support training for other partners in the region…
U.S. Adds Black Hawks To NATO’s Anti-Russian Operation
Stars and Stripes
March 6, 2015
Operation Atlantic Resolve expands with Black Hawks
By Michael S. Darnell
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany: An additional 450 soldiers and 25 Black Hawk helicopters will join the expanding roster of units converging on eastern Europe in March as part of a longer-term effort to reassure allies worried about Russia’s intentions.
Pilots, flight and ground crews from the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade out of Hunter Army Air Field, Ga., will be deploying to Illesheim, Germany, later this month.
From the staging ground there, they will then deploy in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a multinational training mission to reassure Poland and the Baltic countries of NATO’s commitment in the face of Russia’s aggressive moves in Ukraine.
The unit will remain deployed for about nine months, U.S. Army Europe said in a March 3 news release…
CIA To Restructure To “Cover Entire Universe”: Director
Xinhua News Agency
March 7, 2015
CIA to be restructured to “cover entire universe”: Director
WASHINGTON: The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is planning to create new units in a series of reorganizations, aiming to “cover the entire universe” amid modern threats and crises, CIA Director John Brennan said Friday.
Announcing the restructuring to the 67-years-old agency Friday, Brennan said the move comes after nine outside experts spent three months analyzing the agency’s management structure, including what CIA deputy director David Cohen called “pain points”, organizational areas where the CIA’s bureaucracy does not work efficiently.
Briefing reporters at CIA headquarters earlier this week, Brennan said officers will be reassigned to 10 newly created ” mission centers,” a move to concentrate the agency’s focus on specific challenges or geographic areas, such as weapons proliferation or Africa…
Poland: U.S. To Deploy Interceptor Missiles For NATO War Games
Trend News Agency
March 7, 2015
A battery of US Patriot missile systems will arrive in Poland at the end of March to take part in NATO military exercises, Polish Ministry of National Defense said Friday.
“This time the deployment of a Patriot battery [in Poland] will be a part of operation Atlantic Resolve aimed at increasing military presence at NATO’s Eastern flank,” the Ministry spokesman Janusz Walczak said.
According to Walczak, the military exercises with participation of about 100 US troops and some 30 vehicles will last for several days. The battery to be deployed in Poland belongs to the US military contingent stationed in Germany.
US Patriot batteries participate in military exercises in Poland under the 2008 bilateral missile defense agreement…
Britain, U.S. Make Military “Gifts” To Ukrainian Belligerent
Ukrinform
March 7, 2015
London plans to ship consignment of non-lethal weapons to Kyiv
KYIV: The UK intends to ship a consignment of non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine.
Deutsche Welle German news agency reported the news citing the UK Minister of Defense Michael Fallon.
“Non-lethal equipment that is to be shipped as a gift is meant to prevent further Ukrainian losses and improve its spatial awareness,” the German news agency quoted the head of the British Ministry of Defense as saying.
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Ukrinform
March 7, 2015
PM Yatseniuk discusses American technical assistance with US Deputy State Secretary
KYIV: Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk discussed with US Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is visiting Kyiv, the issue of a security situation in eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 6.
The news was reported on Ukraine’s Government portal website.
“The Prime Minister of Ukraine discussed with the US official the issue of security situation in eastern Ukraine, focusing on the need for a common decisive opposition by the international community to the aggressive policy conducted by the Russian Federation,” said the statement.
It is noted that an important element of these efforts is to stabilize the economic situation in Ukraine through the government’s efforts to implement systemic reforms with the support provided by its international partners.
Moreover, Yatseniuk and Blinken discussed priority areas for obtaining the expert and technical assistance from the United States, including, in particular, to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities, reform of law enforcement agencies, and assistance in the financial sector.
