Nato chief in warning over Russian wargames

David Cameron and Jens Stoltenberg meet at 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex

Natos secretary general has warned that increasing numbers of Russian wargames, with no prior warning, combined with the withering of regular military communications channels between the alliance and Moscow raises the danger of misunderstandings between the two sides escalating rapidly.

Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, voiced his concern a few days after Russia pulled out of a joint forum with Nato countries for discussing conventional arms control in Europe.

Since the Russian intervention in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, dialogue through the Nato Russia council, set up after the cold war, has been severely reduced, at a time of high tension and a faster tempo of military exercises by each side near to mutual borders.

There are more and more snap exercises with no prior notification, Stoltenberg told the Guardian during a visit to London. It is important we keep the channels for military communication open to have as much transparency as possible to avoid misunderstandings and to make sure that incidents dont spiral and get out of control.

Every nation has the right to conduct exercises, as long as they do it within their international obligations, the secretary general said. But the recent Russian practice of calling snap exercises is of serious concern. Sudden, unpredictable and surprise military maneuvers contribute to instability.

Russia has conducted about a dozen snap exercises over the past two years. Russias takeover of Crimea was done under the guise of a snap exercise. Nato has not conducted snap exercises since the end of the cold war.

Russia has dramatically increased the number of military flights over the Baltic region, leading to Natos stepping up air patrols over the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. On Thursday, it was reported that Russia had launched a new live fire wargame involving the Baltic fleet and paratroopers.

The increased number of snap exercises by the Russians, the increased military presence of Russian troops along Nato borders underlines the importance of having contact and transparency and predictability.

Stoltenberg said: We are doing what we can to make sure thats the case, but their withdrawal from the (conventional forces in Europe) is part of a broader picture. Part of the message we convey in our political dialogue is we would like to have more transparency and more predictability.

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Nato chief in warning over Russian wargames