NATO secretary general tells Canada and allies to keep Russia in check

NATOs top official says Canada and the rest of the military alliance should be prepared to keep in place efforts to deter Russian aggression in Europe for years.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, made a brief stop in Canada on Monday to meet Stephen Harper and discuss alliance business.

Its been more than one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula a shock to European security that breathed new life into NATO and its Cold War collective defence pact.

Russias belligerent turn continues unabated, with a shaky ceasefire between Russian-backed rebels and Kiev in eastern Ukraine and military exercises close to Estonia. On Saturday, Moscows Ambassador to Denmark, Mikhail Vanin, threatened to train nuclear missiles on Danish warships if Copenhagen joins a U.S.-led missile defence shield; Denmarks frigates would carry special radar systems as part of the effort.

Mr. Stoltenberg rejected Russias concerns about the program. Its a defensive system and Russians know its not targeted at Russia, he said in an interview Monday.

He said the Russian ambassadors comments are part of a pattern weve seen over time where Moscow has beefed up military spending, dispatched bombers on more training runs in international airspace, demonstrated the willingness to use force and featured talk of its nuclear arsenal prominently in messaging.

NATO has reacted in the past year by overhauling its defence plans and moving troops, airplanes and warships closer to its eastern flank. Canada has joined air patrols along the Baltic states that border Russia, deployed troops to joint NATO exercises in the region and assigned a vessel to allied patrols in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.

The alliance has created a 5,000-troop rapid reaction force that can be deployed in Europe within 48 hours and is more than doubling the size of its existing NATO reaction force to 30,000 soldiers.

Its also creating six command and control centres in the Baltic states and the member countries along its eastern flank, including Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, that could co-ordinate military action should the need arise.

The response is to make sure our deterrence is credible in the future, Mr. Stoltenberg said.

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NATO secretary general tells Canada and allies to keep Russia in check