NATO News and Discussion

[caltrek]

What Will Be New in the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept?
by Rose Gottemoeller
June 27, 2022

Introduction:

(Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) This week’s NATO Summit in Madrid will launch a new Strategic Concept, NATO’s statement of its strategic goals and objectives, its purpose in life. With Russia threatening to use weapons of mass destruction, NATO’s approach to deterring chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attacks will be in the global spotlight. Will NATO have something new to say on deterrence, or stick to the past?

This summit was meant to be many things that it will not. NATO was going to focus its attention for the first time on China, to think through how best to sustain the defense of Europe while the United States pivots to the Indo-Pacific. The defense of Europe, in this setting, would remain important, but more the purview of the European NATO allies, a kind of strategic rear guard against the main action, countering China’s rising influence.

The NATO Summit was also meant to be the celebratory hand-off between Jens Stoltenberg, who has served skillfully as NATO Secretary General for eight years, to a new Secretary General. Perhaps, for the first time, the person selected would be a woman.

Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine undid both these scenarios. Stoltenberg was extended in office for a year, and the hunt for his successor was suspended. Instead of focusing on China, NATO is helping Ukraine to fight for its life against Russia, defending the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination, and independence. These are the principles that underpin the post-World War II system, designed to render impossible the emergence of another murderous tyrant in Europe. Sadly, they are again under attack in Ukraine.

The stage is thus set for the summit in Madrid, where the allies will issue the new Strategic Concept. It will be the first since 2010, when the Euro-Atlantic area was “at peace and the threat of a conventional attack against NATO territory … low.”

Read more here: https://thebulletin.org/2022/06/weapon ... t-heading

[caltrek]

NATO Allies Sign Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden
July 6, 2022

Entire Article:

(Eurasia Review) NATO Ambassadors signed the Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday (5 July 2022), in the presence of Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “This is truly an historic moment. For Finland, for Sweden, for NATO, and for our shared security.”

Last week at the Madrid Summit, Allied leaders agreed to invite Finland and Sweden to join NATO following the agreement of a trilateral memorandum between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden. Today, the Accession Protocols were signed, marking the start of the ratification process.

The Secretary General said that NATO’s door remains open to European democracies who are ready and willing to contribute to our shared security: “With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger and our people will be even safer, as we face the biggest security crisis in decades.”

Source: https://www.eurasiareview.com/06072022 ... d-sweden/


NATO Ambassadors sign the Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden at NATO Headquarters in the presence of Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Photo Credit: NATO

[caltrek]

British Royal Air Force Fighter Jets Deploy to Sweden and Finland Training Exercises
by Adam Durbin
July 10, 2022

Introduction:

(BBC) Six Royal Air Force fighter jets have flown to Finland and Sweden for joint training exercises, the MoD has said.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the deployment, which came at the request of both nations, underlined the UK's commitment to strengthening collective defence capabilities.

The exercise also follows the countries' applications to join Nato following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Two cutting-edge F-35 jets are among the aircraft taking part.

They are conducting "high-end warfighting training" alongside four RAF Typhoons, Finnish F-18 Hornets and Swedish Gripen aircraft, UK defence officials said.

Read more here: RAF fighter jets deploy to Sweden and ... BC News

[caltrek]

Message to the U.S. Senate Regarding the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden
by President Joseph R. Biden
July 11, 2022

Extract:

(The White House) To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (the “Protocols”). The Protocols were signed in Brussels on July 5, 2022, on behalf of the United States and the other Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty. Also transmitted for the information of the Senate is an overview of the Protocols by the Department of State. Full ratification of the Protocols will allow Finland and Sweden to become Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
…
I ask the Senate to continue working with my Administration in advancing a strong and free Europe by providing its prompt advice and consent to ratification of the Protocols. We are encouraging all Allies to act expeditiously in their own ratification processes as well, given current global considerations. My Administration stands ready to brief and assist you in your deliberations.
-JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
THE WHITE HOUSE

Read more here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-r ... -sweden/

[weatheriscool]

Senate votes to ratify NATO membership for Sweden and Finland
Source: CNN

(CNN)The Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a resolution to ratify membership for Sweden and Finland in NATO, a historic vote aimed at strengthening the defense bloc amid Russia's war in Ukraine. NATO formalized its invitation to Sweden and Finland to join the alliance at the end of June and the decision must go to the 30 member states' parliaments and legislatures for final ratification. President Joe Biden sent the protocols for ratification to the Senate in July, paving the way for the vote, which needed to be approved by two-thirds of the Senate to succeed.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that the vote to approve the resolution of ratification for Sweden and Finland's application to NATO would take place and said that he had invited the ambassadors from Finland and Sweden to join in the gallery during debate and votes. "Our NATO alliance is the bedrock that has guaranteed democracy in the western world since the end of World War II. This strengthens NATO even further and is particularly needed in light of recent Russian aggression," Schumer said in remarks from the Senate floor.

"When Leader McConnell and I met with the Finnish President and Swedish Prime Minister in May, we committed to do this as fast as we could and certainly before we go home for the August recess," Schumer said. Once the Senate approves Sweden and Finland's NATO accession protocols, "the next step in the ratification process is for the President to sign an instrument of ratification of the treaty," a State Department spokesperson told CNN.

"Once the President has signed an instrument of ratification, that instrument is deposited (in the case of a multilateral treaty) with the treaty's depositary," which in the case of NATO, is the Department, the spokesperson said. These steps will not happen on the same day that the Senate approves, and the final arrangements for depositing the instrument of ratification have not yet been made, the spokesperson told CNN

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/03/politics ... index.html

[caltrek]

First German NATO Brigade Troops Arrive in Lithuania
September 7, 2022

Introduction:

(Eurasia Review) Around a hundred German soldiers arrived in Lithuania on Sunday (4 September 2022), part of NATO’s increased presence on the Alliance’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The German troops make up the command unit of a new brigade, a force usually made up of around 3,000-5,000 soldiers. The soldiers are part of Germany’s 41st tank brigade and arrived in Klaipeda port by ferry from Kiel. The unit consists of about 100 personnel, as well as equipment for command and control, communications and logistics.

“The arrival of the first German troops as part of the NATO brigade represents an important step in strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence at a critical time for our security, and sending a clear message that NATO will defend every inch of Allied territory,” said NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu.
The brigade’s command staff will remain permanently in the Baltic nation, while combat units will join them on rotation for exercises. At the Madrid Summit in June, NATO leaders decided to strengthen NATO’s forward defences, including by enhancing NATO’s battlegroups in the eastern part of the alliance up to brigade level.

Germany, which leads the NATO battlegroup in Lithuania, already has some 1,500 soldiers in the country. The four NATO multinational battlegroups were set up in the Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia in Poland after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. They were enhanced earlier this year in response to Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, and four new battlegroups are being established in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/07092022 ... ithuania/

[Time_Traveller]

Ukraine formally applies for fast-track NATO membership

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Ukraine on Friday formally requested an “accelerated accession” to join NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced — a response to Russia formally annexing four Ukrainian regions.

“We trust each other, we help each other and we protect each other. This is what the Alliance is. De facto. Today, Ukraine is applying to make it de jure,” Zelenskyy said during a video address.

The move was intended to draw attention away from Vladimir Putin’s elaborately staged speech earlier in the day, in which he announced the annexations to an audience seated under gilded chandeliers.

But there wasn’t any indication that Ukraine’s request would advance its membership hopes, which have been in limbo for years. The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO has long fueled frustration for Moscow, which regularly rails against the military alliance’s eastward expansion in recent decades.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday evening reiterated the alliance’s unchanging position that it is open to new members but shied away from directly endorsing Ukraine’s bid.

https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine ... join-nato/

[caltrek]

Sweden’s Top Diplomat: We’ll Fulfill Deal with Turkey on NATO
October 24, 2022

Introduction:

STOCKHOLM (AP via Courthouse News) — Sweden's center-right government will fulfill all requirements under a deal with Turkey to join NATO and will concentrate external relations to its immediate neighborhood while dropping the previous administration's “feminist foreign policy," the country's top diplomat said Monday.

Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said the new government shares Turkey’s concern about the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, Europe and the United States.

“There will be no nonsense from the Swedish government when it comes to the PKK,” Billström told The Associated Press in an interview. “We are fully behind a policy which means that terrorist organizations don’t have a right to function on Swedish territory.”

Turkey stalled Sweden and Finland’s historic bid to join NATO over concerns that the two countries - Sweden in particular - had become a safe haven for members of the PKK and affiliated groups.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/swedens ... -on-nato/

[caltrek]

The Military-Industrial Media Complex Strikes Again
by Eve Ottenberg
October 28, 2022

Introduction:

(Counterpunch) Tens of thousands protested against the skyrocketing cost of living and against Macron in France October 16, led by left-wing politician Jean Luc Melenchon, but there were few front page or top-of-the hour headlines in the U.S. Huge protests occurred in Rome the same day to demand an end to Italy’s involvement in NATO, but no coverage on the west side of the Atlantic. Thousands protesting in Paris October 22 against NATO, but little notice in North America. Massive protests against NATO and inflation due to sanctions on Russian energy in France, Germany and Austria in September, but little news of it here in the heart of the empire. German police beat citizens protesting energy shortages and record-high inflation, both due to Russia sanctions, the week of October 17, but that was not covered in the USA. Seventy thousand Czechs protested in Prague September 3 against NATO involvement in Ukraine, demanding gas from Russia (before some mysterious imperial somebody with means and motive blew up Nordstream 1 and 2, probably to nip the political effects of those protests in the bud) and ending the war, but that got little coverage in U.S. corporate media.

Ever get the sense there are things our media hides from us? Hmm. Ever wonder why enormous protests against the policies of the Exceptional Empire and its attack dog, NATO, seem, um, to be downplayed? Ever think our corporate news outlets behave more like the propaganda arm of our neoconservative state department and military than a free press? Well, if so, you may be onto something.

Lots of Europeans are unhappy about NATO, the Ukraine war, sanctions on Russia and the wild inflation and deindustrialization – which will result in gargantuan unemployment – those sanctions caused. As their living standards sink like stones, Europeans know who is to blame, namely their supposedly great ally across the Atlantic, and many have soured on their so-called alliance with the hegemon. But Washington doesn’t seem to care. Let the Europeans go broke and protest. The important thing is not reporting this news to the American people...

Read more here: https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/10/2 ... es-again/

caltrek’s comment: While I don't necessarily agree with all of the criticisms leveled against U.S> policy in the article below, I think it is important to note the existence of some opposition to NATO at the grass roots level.

There might also be a response that the author engages in another round of what-aboutism. I think there is a difference here in that criticisms are linked to how current coverage is being carried out. So, it is not just a distraction or a matter of false equivalency

[caltrek]

What Is NATO, And Why Is Everyone Saying We're About To Enter WWIII?
by Katie Spalding
November 18, 2022

Extract:

(IFL Science) What is NATO?

NATO (OTAN if you’re French or looking in a mirror) stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and that’s a pretty perfect description of what it is. It’s a group of countries spanning the North Atlantic – that is, the USA and Canada to the West of the ocean, and 28 European nations to its East – all of whom have signed a treaty promising to provide military and political aid to each other in the case of an attack.

The Organization, in its own words, “promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.”

However, unlike other international groups dedicated to “problem solving” and “cooperation”, NATO has an ace up its sleeve. “NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes,” the organization explains – but “if diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.”
…
Well, let’s not get carried away too quickly. Before you get to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, you have to get through Article 4: “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”

In other words, all-out war is not a given. Article 4 has actually been invoked seven times, with none of those resulting in World War 3. In fact, the most recent time Article 4 was invoked was just this year, when Russia first invaded Ukraine – as you may recall, the world has not been plunged into a nuclear apocalypse.

Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/what-is-nat ... iii-66266

[weatheriscool]

I doubt Russia wants to die and be blown off the face of the earth. I don't think wwIII will happen because of Russia. China on the other hand is very possible.

Russia honestly prove themselves as too weak to win militaryly against a nat fly and that isn't what wwIII is going to be about if it ever happens. China on the other hand could easily be the germany or japan of wwII that fires off such a war.

No one is going to start launching nukes and such a thing is something Putin won't be doing. I think he values his life too much.

[ººº]

^ I don't think they will be that successful launching an offensive but they will be unconquerable (Iran but 3 times larger).

[caltrek]

If Finland Joins NATO, It Needs a New Nuclear Weapons Policy
by Robin Forsberg, Aku Kähkönen, Jason Moyer
December 8, 2022

Introduction:

(Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) As an aspiring NATO member, Finland must update its nuclear weapons policy. Nuclear weapons are an important pillar of the defensive alliance, which has the official position that for as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will inherently be a nuclear alliance.

In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons, saying “In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us. This is not a bluff.” Putin’s statement—and others—triggered a heated debate about nuclear weapons in Europe not seen since the darkest days of the Cold War. Even though Russia’s military doctrine prescribes nuclear weapons for self-defense, the doctrine is opaque and Putin is largely considered in the West as an unpredictable actor. As the invasion of Ukraine escalates and Russian losses multiply, there are widespread concerns that Russia might rely on its nuclear arsenal as a last-ditch method of coercion. These concerns happen as Finland contemplates its views toward nuclear weapons as a future member of the alliance.

After filing its membership application in May 2022, Finland is now in the midst of its NATO accession process, with only Turkey and Hungary’s approval remaining. In its application, Finland is not seeking any exemptions to its membership and is committing to the alliance fully. This has initiated discussions about its upcoming policy on nuclear weapons. On November 7, President Sauli Niinistö stressed the Finnish position: “Let me make it clear: even if we do not impose any restrictions on our membership of NATO in advance, Finland has no intention whatsoever of bringing nuclear weapons onto its soil. Nor have I seen any indication that anyone is offering them to us.” NATO’s two other Nordic members—Norway and Denmark—have prohibited NATO bases or nuclear weapons within their borders in peacetime. By applying for full NATO membership without any explicit restrictions, Finland allows itself the opportunity to chart its own decisions on nuclear weapons. But there is one caveat: Under Finland’s current national legislation nuclear weapons are illegal.

Read more here: https://thebulletin.org/2022/12/if-fin ... t-heading

[erowind]

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[caltrek]

Finland becomes a nuclear target by virtue of being in NATO. Joining either NATO or the CTSO is some of the most suicidal policy a country could engage in. Ukraine is in the unfortunate position of both sides forcing their influence upon it, but Finland isn't. Sweden and Switzerland were some of the only places in Europe not devastated during WWII, there's a reason for that.

Problem is that without nuclear weapons it remains a target for conventional warfare. The combination with a nuclear armed alliance gives it the benefit of an all for one and one for all defense posture, which results in the costs of attacking it being much too high. It is a target only if the attacking power is suicidal. That is the essence of the Mutually Assured Destruction doctrine.

Not a perfect solution, but Finland lives in an imperfect world.

Switzerland also had the advantage of mountainous borders and being an integral part of an essential part of an international banking system. Its roll in banking meant it was better not to attack it as the disruption would harm the attackers, or at least elites within the attacking country.

[Vector]

[Vector]

[weatheriscool]

Turkey's president says no support for Sweden's NATO bid
Source: ABC News

ISTANBUL -- Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on NATO's expansion Monday after warning Sweden not to expect support for its bid for membership into the military alliance following weekend protests in Stockholm by an anti-Islam activist and pro-Kurdish groups.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Rasmus Paludan’s Quran-burning protest on Saturday, saying it was an insult to everyone, especially to Muslims. He was particularly incensed at Swedish authorities for allowing the demonstration to take place outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm under “the protection” of security forces.

“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” Erdogan said in his first comments regarding the weekend protests, saying Sweden must have calculated the consequences of permitting Paludan's demonstration.

The burning of Islam's holy book angered people across the political spectrum in Turkey, just as Sweden and Finland appeared on the cusp of NATO membership after dropping their longstanding policies of military nonalignment following Russia's war on Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin now stands to benefit as the potential enlargement of the world’s most powerful military alliance appears to be stymied.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wi ... d-96610783

[TanishaTanTan]

[spam deleted]

[andmar74]

Putin go crazy? He has enough to handle in Ukraine, now that even modern tanks will start to roll there.