NATO’s main task in the coming days will remain to beat every possible pretext for an invasion of Ukraine from Russia. Contrary to what Moscow itself claims, there appears to be no question of a withdrawal of Russian soldiers and equipment. “On the contrary, they have added troops,” said the US Secretary of Defense.
“We think the Russians are looking for an excuse for an invasion,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday after a two-day NATO Defense Council. By closely monitoring the Russians and immediately throwing intelligence (classified information from secret services) about their plans, NATO hopes to thwart invasion plans before they can be carried out. NATO is convinced that it has already been able to prevent Russian actions against Ukraine this week by releasing invasion plans last Friday with unusual speed.
Stoltenberg reiterated early in the afternoon that contrary to what the Russians have been claiming for days now, there is still no question of withdrawal of troops or other forms of de-escalation. “There has to be a meaningful withdrawal. Now there are enough armed forces to occupy Ukraine in no time. This is the largest troop concentration in decades. They’ve been building it up over a series of months since last spring. Sometimes some troops have been removed, sometimes new ones have been sent, but on balance the military build-up has increased. Then it is not enough to put a tank on a train, that is not real de-escalation,” said Stoltenberg, who also pointed to the large number of Russian intelligence officers supporting the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Real withdrawal
A real withdrawal, according to the NATO chief, ‘would be an important first step towards the political solution we want’. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said he did not see any withdrawal. On the contrary, they have also added troops in recent days to the 150,000 they already have around Ukraine. They have also sent new combat and support aircraft, and the Black Sea fleet has been put on increased readiness. They even replenish their blood supplies. As a soldier, until recently, I know you don’t do this if you don’t have to, especially if you’re planning to go home.”
Meanwhile, NATO and its 30 member states are doing everything they can to enable Ukraine to defend itself. Member States are sending military equipment, providing training and strengthening Ukrainian computer networks against cyber-attacks. That kind of support is allowed under the UN charter, Stoltenberg said.
deterrence
NATO itself is increasing its military presence in the Black Sea region – there are also more Russians in parts of Georgia – and on the southeast flank, including with new combat groups in Romania. Defense ministers further reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to Russia for months, if not years: defense and deterrence, but also a standing invitation to resume dialogue. It can be about just about anything except the right of countries to choose their own security regime.
Stoltenberg: ,,Whoever becomes a member of NATO determines the thirty NATO countries, who wants to be a candidate determine the country concerned. No one else has anything to say about that.” Stoltenberg also defended himself against the interrogative accusation that NATO may be accused of disinformation with just as much right as the Russians. The NATO top man: ,,We already received that accusation when we reported on the Russian troop build-up. The secret information that we share can be checked, for example via commercial satellites.”
According to US Secretary Austin, Putin’s aggression has achieved exactly what he does not want: a NATO that has more troops united than ever before along its eastern border.
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