Category Archives: NATO

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NATO Unveils New Special Livery E-3A AWACS for 35th Anniversary - The Aviationist (blog)

Cuiavian University in Wloclawek, Poland agreed on 7 June 2017 to support NATOs work with partners on defence education through advanced distance learning (ADL).

Defence education is a key agent of transformation and NATO is using it to support institutional reform in partner countries. Through its Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), the Alliance advises partners on how to build, develop and reform educational institutions in the defence and military domain in the form of peer-to-peer conversations. E-learning is becoming a global trend in defence and military domains and DEEP is using it to improve efficient military education in some partner countries.

Cuiavian University is supporting Ukraines DEEP programme in building e-learning capacity for the National Defence University in Kyiv. It is also an active institution within the European Higher Education Area under the Bologna Process which sets the basic framework for the three cycles of higher-education qualifications, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and in the European Union student exchange programme Erasmus.

Cuiavian University is proud that NATO has acknowledged our strong e-learning capacity and we are keen to expand our mutual cooperation from the DEEP Ukraine to other NATO partners, said Prof. Stanislaw Kunikowski, Rector of Cuiavian University.

Being active in both the European Union (EU) and NATO, the university is keen to bolster joint NATO-EU future cooperation in the ADL area by developing common e-learning modules together with the DEEP Programme and the European Security and Defence College.

Your university has proven to be a reliable provider of knowledge and expertise and the Defence Education Enhancement Programme will work with you for the benefits of NATO partners military education institutions that want to reform their educational system and introduce new teaching techniques, said Mariusz Solis, DEEP coordinator at NATO.

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NATO partners with Polish university for e-learning - NATO HQ (press release)

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that early on in his tenure he floated the idea of Russia joining NATO.

In a series of interviews with American film director Oliver Stone, Putin said he inquired about Russia joining the alliance when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Moscow in 2000.

"During the meeting I said: 'Let's consider an option that Russia might join NATO,'" Putin recalled. "Clinton said 'Why not?' But the U.S. delegation got very nervous."

Putin had said in an interview several months before Clinton's June 2000 visit that he wasn't opposed to Russia joining the alliance, but his comment to Stone was the first public indication of his raising the issue.

Stone conducted the interviews in 2015-17. They are to be shown on U.S. cable channel Showtime in four parts beginning Monday. The first two hour-long segments were made available to news media before the showing.

In the segments, Putin portrays Russia under his leadership as seeking to improve ties, but frustrated by Washington's "imperialist mentality."

Despite Putin's onetime interest in joining NATO, in the interviews he criticized the alliance for expanding eastward to Russia's borders.

Putin defended the country's controversial law on banning dissemination to minors of "propaganda" legitimizing homosexuality, saying "the reasoning behind this law is to provide children with the opportunity to grow up without impacting their consciousness." Although there is widespread animosity toward homosexuality in Russia and authorities regularly deny gay rights activists permission to rally, Putin said "our society is liberal-minded to a great extent."

After Putin noted that there is no formal prohibition of gays in the military, Stone asked if Putin would take a shower on a submarine with a gay crewman.

"I prefer not to go to the shower with him. Why provoke him?" Putin said.

He also provided a rare bit of detail about his family, telling Stone that he had grandchildren. Little is known about his two daughters and Putin gave no additional clues, saying only that they were accomplished women.

"You're a very lucky man," Stone told him.

The segments also show Stone praising the film "Doctor Strangelove" as a formative insight into the Cold War, and he then watches it with Putin, who doesn't appear impressed. Stone then presents him with the package for the DVD of the film, forgetting to include the disc itself, and Putin jests: "Typical American gift."

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Putin talks NATO, gay rights in interviews with Oliver Stone - ABC News

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov | Louisa Gouliamaki?AFP via Getty Images

Membership of the alliance has been blocked by a dispute with Greece over the Republic of Macedonias name.

By Harry Cooper

6/12/17, 1:25 PM CET

Updated 6/12/17, 7:11 PM CET

Macedonias new government will make a renewed push to join NATO under a provisional name, in an attempt to unblock an objection from Greece that has prevented the Balkan nation from becoming part of the military alliance for close to a decade.

Greece believes that the countrys name represents a territorial claim over its northern province, also named Macedonia, and vetoedthe countrys membership in 2008.

But the new center-left government, which came to power last week,sees NATO membership as a top priority.It hopes that Greeces veto of its application under the U.N.-recognized name FYROM (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) canbe unlocked bya charm offensive towards Athens.

Once admitted to the club,Macedonia (officially the Republic of Macedonia) then intends to restart discussions with Greece over its name.Many in the 2 million strong Balkan nationobject to the FYROM name because they believe it denies the legitimacy of their nationhood.

[Joining NATO as FYROM] will help create a climate where we can tackle the name itself, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told POLITICO, This blocking [by Greece] does not contribute to a more friendly public opinion in Macedonia towards Greece because they shut the door to NATO, to the EU.

If we focus on the problem of the rule of law, I dont think the Balkans will be a theater for geopolitical games Macedonias Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov

We need to reach out to our Greek friends, said the former ambassador, who is in Brussels to discuss the proposals with senior NATO officials. Hewill visit Athens on Wednesday to discuss the name issue with ministers there.The nicer we are, the more difficult it would be to block us, he said.

The new government hopes that worries among NATO members about Russian involvementin the Balkans will provide diplomatic momentum for Macedonia to follow Montenegro as the alliances 30thmember.

We are a veteran of the process, said Dimitrov, who said he believed Macedonia wouldbe ready to join very soon. Doing so would, he said, have a calming effect on the region which is currently slightly shaky.

Joining NATO however, wouldnt necessarily lead to more difficult relations with Russia, Dimitrov said, suggesting he was very eager to improve relations with Russia, provided doing so doesnt contradict Macedonias NATO and EU ambitions.

If we focus on the problem of the rule of law, I dont think the Balkans will be a theater for geopolitical games, headded.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is also in Brussels on his first official visit for talks about EU membership with Council President Donald Tusk, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn. Macedonia has been a candidate country since 2005 but discussions have been blocked by Greece since 2009 over the name dispute.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is welcomed by European Council President Donald Tusk at the European Council in Brussels on June 12 | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images

Yearsof political crisis, triggered in 2015when evidencewas published that former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was wiretappingthousands of Macedonians, culminated last month when a mob entered the parliament and beat up center-left politicians, including the new prime minister.

After resisting for five months, President Gjorge Ivanov allowed Zaev to form a government, under pressure from NATO and the EU, which Dimitrov said, spoke with a single voice in condemning the violence.

While the appetite for new EU member countrieshas waned in recent years, Dimitrov noted an uptick in EU interest in recent months due to concerns about instability in the Balkans. Both Mogherini and Hahn have visited the region in recent months as well as playing host to Balkan leaders in Brussels.

If Europe is interested to help us, that would be great, he added, saying he would be happy for the European Commission to lay out red lines to ensure accession talks remain on track. But we dont want to join for the sake of joining.

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Macedonia renews push to join NATO under provisional name - POLITICO.eu

Getty

Mr Trump pledged the United States support for the mutual defence of NATO members, casting aside concerns that his failure to mention the commitment had weakened the alliance.

He said: I'm committing the United States to Article 5.

"Certainly we are there to protect, and that's one of the reasons that I want people to make sure we have a very, very strong force by paying the kind of money necessary to have that force.

But yes, absolutely, I'd be committed to Article 5."

Mr Trump made his comments while speaking to reporters at a news conference on Friday with visiting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Article 5 states that an attack on one member is an attack on all members and binds the allies to come to that country's defence.

But, during his trip to Europe to meet NATO members, Mr Trump spent more time berating them for their lack of contributions than committing to Article 5.

Getty

It left the heads of European countries deeply concerned at his lack of commitment and the fact that he didnt mention the clause in a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Instead, in that speech, Mr Trump demanded allies live up to a pledge to spend two per cent of their gross domestic product on defence by 2024.

There are rumours he had wanted to demand three per cent instead from member states, but had backtracked on that idea.

Getty

He did not specifically mention Article 5, which has only been invoked once, after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

However, The White House later reaffirmed the commitment for him in a statement announcing that the president would visit Poland next month as part of his second foreign trip.

They billed it as showing America's support of Poland, as well as the president's commitment to strengthening NATO's "collective defence."

Mr Trump's omission in Brussels raised concerns on both sides of the Atlantic.

But White House aides said the president's support was implied even though he deliberately did not utter the words.

Still allies had questions about Trump's belief in the value of NATO, which he had termed "obsolete" during the presidential campaign.

On Friday, Trump noted that only a handful of NATO's 29 members - Montenegro joined just this week - were meeting the two per cent pledge. But he said the US would abide by its treaty obligations.

He said: "We're going to make NATO very strong.

"You need the money to make it strong. You can't just do what we've been doing in the past."

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Trump backs NATO defence pledge but again demands nations pay up - Express.co.uk

NewsBusters (blog)

Morning Joe Bashes Trump for Not Supporting NATO...After Trump Announces Support for NATO NewsBusters (blog) Following President Trump's declaration of support for NATO last Friday the cast of Morning Joe denounced and decried the President on Monday for -- not supporting NATO? Nicolle Wallace bemoaned the current state of foreign relations and how Donald ... and more »

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Morning Joe Bashes Trump for Not Supporting NATO...After Trump Announces Support for NATO - NewsBusters (blog)

NATOs Special Representative for the South Caucasus James Appathurai

YEREVAN (ArmRadio)NATO is grateful for Armenias contributions to operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, NATOs Special Representative for the South Caucasus James Appathurai told a press conference in Yerevan.

He said the issue of increasing the number of troops participating in NATO-led missions will be on the agenda of the Armenian Defense Ministers upcoming visit to Brussels.

All NATO allies are concerned by the increasing level of armaments in the region also because its increasing the level of hostilities and political tension. Two of the members of the OSCE Minsk Group France and US are NATO allies. We can all see from the activities and statements of the Minsk Group like all NATO allies they are committed to a peaceful resolution. Overall, NATOs position is to seek a reduction in tension, a reduction in hostilities and a peaceful resolution, Appathurai said.

We do follow very closely the security situation in the region, receive regular updates, and there is a higher level of concern among the allies with regard to the situation. As you know over the past year we have seen more military activity, higher level of military rhetoric, casualties and military exchanges, he added.

NATO is not directly engaged in the Karabakh issue. Our position is to support the OSCE Minsk Group. We would support any steps by the two countries or the Minsk Group that would help decrease tensions.

We fully welcome the balanced foreign policy that Armenia has. It causes us no complication that Armenia is in the CSTO or the Eurasian Economic Union. From NATO point of view Armenia is and has been a reliable partner, Appathuirai said, adding that he sees no drastic slips forward, because Armenia does not have such intensions, either.

Well continue the static cooperation and the practical improvements where it makes sense for both parties, he stated.

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Armenia is a Reliable Partner to NATO, Says Official - Asbarez Armenian News

National Security Desk Jun. 12, 2017

In May, Donald Trump boldly warned, NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defense. This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. The natural response from the fake media was to float fake speculation over Trumps devotion to Article 5. As defined on NATOs website, Article 5 provides that if a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked.

Well, any speculation that Trump would hypothetically ignore Article 5 was put to rest late last week when he stated: Im committing the United States to Article 5 and certainly we are there to protect. And thats one of the reasons that I want people to make sure we have a very, very strong force by paying the kind of money necessary to have that force. Just like that, yet another leftist narrative goes down in flames. Weve explained before why concern over Article 5 was pointless given Trumps vocal support of it at a 9/11 memorial event. Unsurprisingly, the media failed to connect the dots. What Trump advocates is a NATO course correction, but that doesnt mean he has any intention of letting thugs bully our allies. Just another example of the media generating news instead of reporting it.

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Trump Shoots Down NATO Article 5 Fears - Patriot Post

President Trump shocked NATO leaders at a private dinner in Brussels with strong-arm tactics and off-script gripes that they arent spending enough to support the alliance.

Behind closed doors at the May 25 meal, Trump told the heads of state that their agreement to eventually spend 2 percent of GDP on defense is not enough, sources who had been briefed on the meeting told Foreign Policy magazine.

Trump insisted they should aim for 3 percent.

The president also pushed the European allies to cough up back pay after years of under-spending pressuring them with the prospect of US defense cuts if they refused to fall in line.

It was a train wreck. It was awful, said a former US government official.

Trump pressed his point with sweet talk Friday by heaping praise on Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for the nations decision to surpass the 2-percent target for military spending.

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Trump said NATO isn't spending enough to support the alliance - New York Post

The Canucks are on the ground in Latvia.

Canadian Army soldiers deployed near the Latvian capitol of Riga began arriving Saturday as the first part of an enhanced NATO role in the country, CBC News reports. Its a prominent mission as tensions continue to remain high with neighboring Russia, which controlled the Baltic nation throughout the Cold War.

The Canadian contingents commander says it wont be difficult to assesss whether or not NATO is successful in keeping the Russian bear at bay.

Its a funny mission success criteria, that if nothing happens, well all go home happy, but thats it, said Lt. Col. Wade Rutland.

The Canadians are the first of 450 soldiers that are expected to land in Latvia over the next week to maintain a stronger NATO presence near the capitol in a tactical position called the enhanced forward presence in military parlance.

They will lead a battle group composed of a multinational force of troops and heavy equipment from several European countries including Italy, Spain, Poland, Slovenia and Albania. The mission is expected to cost $348.5 million over the next three years.

Maj. John Hagemeyer, a company commander, jumped off the plane carrying his kit bag and exclaimed to CBC, Its good to finally be here. We want to be here. Latvia wants us here.

Latvia fears Russian aggression because of the past and the present. It was targeted by the Soviet Union when Stalin was allied with Nazi Germany from 1939-41 and was again occupied by Soviet soldiers in 1945. Today, after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, many Latvians wonder if the Russian arm wont reach further north in an attempt to retake land that many Russians view as part of their historic empire.

Though Canadians have been in Latvia before as part of NATO, the current mission has no expiration date. They will be staying at a Soviet-era base less than an hours drive from Riga. The military facility had fallen into disrepair of late and the Latvians have had to initiate some serious renovations.

But the Canadians are bringing it up to NATO standard. Lt. Col. Hugo Delisle is in charge of the 185 personnel who are preparing the site for operational readiness.

The soldiers right now have only had two days off in the last 45 days. Theyre working 10 hours a day to arrive at this point, said Delisle.

Though NATO will soon have over 4,000 combat troops in the Baltic region, that number is dwarfed by the size of the Soviet force that is facing them believed to be up to 70,000.

Hagemeyer isnt worried about Russias superiority in numbers.

Thats not our concern, he said. We are fully prepared for the highest levels of threat.

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Canadians First On The Ground With NATO Mission To Latvia - The Daily Caller