NATO officials told about their expectations from the summit of defense Ministers of the block. In headquarters of NATO in Brussels, they will discuss the situation in Syria and the influence of Russia, a week ago started a military campaign against opposing the government of Bashar al-Assad factions.
The responsibility on Russia
“The meeting takes place in a fateful period for our security,” said on Tuesday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the press conference preceding the summit of defense Ministers of the block, which will be held on Thursday.
The discussion will be two themes: the implementation of the decisions of the summit of the 28 NATO Nations in Wales (passed last fall) and discussion of further adaptation of the Alliance to the changing realities, told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, U.S. permanent representative to NATO Douglas Lute.
The need of the Alliance to change its representatives spoke immediately after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, which the Alliance condemned by breaking the cooperation Council NATO — Russia. At the summit in Wales in response, it was decided to create a rapid reaction force. On Thursday, the defense Ministers will discuss new challenges from Russia is already on the Syrian track.
Since the Crimean events, the level of concern of NATO has not declined, it follows from the statements Stoltenberg on Tuesday.
The Alliance is concerned about the placement of Russia’s contingent in Syria, what the goals of Russian airstrikes HQs have become supposedly not the positions of the “Islamic state” (banned in Russia as a terrorist organization), and anticaduta the Syrian opposition and civilians, the violation of the airspace of Turkey, listed Stoltenberg claims to Moscow. NATO continues to disturb the situation in the Donbass. Although the progress in the execution of prisoners in February the Minsk agreements and is, Moscow still bears a “special responsibility” for what is happening in the region because “Russia continues to support the separatists and destabilize Eastern Ukraine,” said Stoltenberg.
The summit will begin with a meeting of group of nuclear planning, which will discuss changes in the military doctrine of Russia concerning nuclear weapons, said Liu. In December 2014, President Vladimir Putin approved a new version of the military doctrine, which left Russia’s right to respond to the use of military force with nuclear weapons. In the summer of this year, Stoltenberg accused Russia that she began to use nuclear weapons “as a tool in its strategy of intimidation”.
Issues related to Russia, will be raised and at subsequent sessions related to the situation in Libya, Syria, Iraq, the crisis of migrants in Europe.
Russia continues the tradition of using “strategic deception” and “camouflage”, says one of the interlocutors in the structures of NATO, describing Moscow’s actions in Syria.
To a certain extent, the parties returned to the opposition in the spirit of the cold war, he admits: but unlike those times now there is no threat to the existence of Europe, as well as in the arena got a new player — the European Union, which can also influence the situation.
The Syrian issue
NATO is not directly involved in the Syrian conflict, the air strikes on positions of extremists have caused the international coalition (and although it includes many NATO countries), and resolution of crisis with migrants engaged in the EU — on Thursday, the Ministers will meet the EU representative for foreign policy Federica Mogherini.
The strengthening of the Russian presence in Syria is also of concern. Russia’s actions not conducive to addressing the humanitarian and political problems of Syria, Liu reiterated President Barack Obama.
However, NATO’s and Russia’s actions pose a danger, say the interlocutors in the Alliance. At the weekend there were recorded two cases of violations of its airspace by Russian fighter aircraft. On Monday, the Alliance held an emergency debate on this issue. Turkey has the right to retaliatory actions, indicates the source . These violations differ from become already routine incursions by the Russian air force in the space of the Baltic countries — aircraft in Syria are military weapons, underscores the danger of what is happening the source .
The outcome of the summit should support the Ministers of the solutions that will allow the doubling of the number of response forces of the Alliance (NATO Response Force) to 40 thousand soldiers. Ministers must also give the green light to the establishment of two command posts in Hungary and Slovakia, announced Stoltenberg.
From Montenegro to Georgia
The summit will conclude on Thursday a meeting of the NATO — Georgia. At the summit in Wales, Georgia has become a privileged partner of the Alliance, together with Sweden, Finland, Australia and Jordan. Engagement takes place in three areas: joint exercises, the creation of the training center Alliance training which will be held by the military from different countries, and the participation of a team of advisors (20-25 people) in the work of the Ministry of defence of Georgia, the aim of which is to achieve the best military potential of the country, says the source.
In December at the summit of foreign Ministers of NATO the invitation to become a NATO member can get Montenegro. The United States supports the Republic’s membership, however, at execution of two conditions: the continuation of reforms and obtaining broad popular support for joining NATO — so far, the polls don’t show it, said Douglas Lute.
