Category Archives: NATO

As the media and lawmakers debated what classified information Donald Trump reportedly shared with the Russians, America's allies were preparing for their first meeting with the president by putting on their kid gloves.

The 28 member nations of NATO have plenty of reason to be apprehensive over the May 25 session. After all, during the campaign Trump repeatedly criticized the alliance for not paying its fair share, although he has reversed that position recently.

So NATO reportedly has come up with a plan to handle Trump as parents might try to control an easily distracted child.

Here are the special precautions being taken, according to Foreign Policy:

NATO is scrambling to tailor its upcoming meeting to avoid taxing President Donald Trump's notoriously short attention span. The alliance is telling heads of state to limit talks to two to four minutes at a time during the discussion, several sources inside NATO and former senior U.S. officials tell Foreign Policy. And the alliance scrapped plans to publish the traditional full post-meeting statement meant to crystallize NATO's latest strategic stance.

On May 25, NATO will host the heads of state of all 28 member countries in what will be Trump's first face-to-face summit with an alliance he bashed repeatedly while running for president. NATO traditionally organizes a meeting within the first few months of a new U.S. president's term, but Trump has the alliance more on edge than any previous newcomer, forcing organizers to look for ways to make the staid affair more engaging.

A NATO summit meeting can be a dry affair marked by long-winded speeches, but this appears to be the first time the alliance has attempted to insulate an American president from detail-heavy policy discussions.

"Even a brief NATO summit is way too stiff, too formal, and too policy heavy for Trump. Trump is not going to like that," Jorge Benitez, a NATO expert with the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank, told Foreign Policy.

NATO is reportedly worried that its summit meeting will not hold President Donald Trump's interest.

NATO is reportedly worried that its summit meeting will not hold President Donald Trump's interest.

10. "Egotistical," 15 times

10. "Egotistical," 15 times

9. "Ignorant," 16 times

9. "Ignorant," 16 times

8. "Businessman," 18 times

8. "Businessman," 18 times

7. "Strong," 21 times

7. "Strong," 21 times

6. "President," 22 times

6. "President," 22 times

5. "Unqualified," 25 times

5. "Unqualified," 25 times

4. "Leader," 25 times

4. "Leader," 25 times

3. "Liar," 30 times

3. "Liar," 30 times

2. "Incompetent," 31 times

2. "Incompetent," 31 times

1. "Idiot," 39 times

1. "Idiot," 39 times

NATO reportedly adjusts meeting format for Trump's attention span

So the message to other heads of state is, keep it short and upbeat do not bore Trump.

He might get cranky.

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NATO reportedly adjusts meeting format for Trump's attention span - SFGate

How has the role of the world's largest military alliance changed?

WHEN the Second World Warended 12 countries came together to sign the agreement that formed Nato.

But, more than 60 years on what is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, what does it do and is it keeping us safe?

Alamy

Nato, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is an intergovernmental military alliance established in 1949.

Nato was formed with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 by 12 member states Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the US.

It has expanded to 28 member states, with countries including Germany, Spain, Greece and Turkey joining, andrepresents a population of more than 900 million people.

The organisation isconsidered to be the largest and most powerful military alliance in history.

Nato iscommitted to individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law with all decisions taken by consensus.

Thepermanent headquarters of Nato is in Brussels where the Secretary General chairs senior decision making bodies.

The current Secretary General is former Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg.

Heads of government and state have met at 26 Nato summits since 1949 the latest in Poland in July 2016.

Nato aims tosafeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

It was established primarily tokeep Europe safe by deterring any attack.

In 1949 this involved stopping Soviet expansion, preventing a revival of nationalistic militarism in Europe and encouraging European political integration.

But, over time the organisationhas changed and in recent years it has become increasingly focused on peacekeeping.

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Nato is best known for Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty in which members pledge to come to the aid of any member state under attack.

Article 5 has only been invoked once, following the September 11 attacks in America.

Nato isprimarily a deterrent. If a member state is attacked the attacker must go to war with all members, including the US.

The organisation, which is credited with the escalation of theCold War, carries out its own military missions using the troops of member states.

In 1995 ithelped to end the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in 1999 worked to stop mass killings in Kosovo.

Nato has been in Afghanistan on counter-terrorism missions since 2003 and in 2011 moved to protect the people of Libya.

Nato has been providing support as Europe copes with the refugee and migrant crisis.

Defence spending was revealed to have dropped below the Governments two per cent target last year,respected think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies said.

But Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon insisted 2.1 per cent had been spent, with the new report blaming the shortfall on not keeping up with the growing economy.

The embarrassing dip comes after it was revealed just two countries in Nato met the defence benchmark Estonia and debt-riddled Greece.

A report released by Nato using figures from each member states Ministry of Defence shows the payments by a national governmentfor its armed forces.

The data has been completed for the fiscal year 2015/2016 andIceland hasnt been included as it has no armed forces.

Originally posted here:
What is Nato, what is defence spending by country, what does Nato stand for and how does it keep Europe safe? - The Sun

NATO became obsolete after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the bloc is purposefully representing Russia as a security threat to justify its own existence, Yves Bonnet, former head of French counter-intelligence, told RT.

The Russians are no longer villains, the Soviet threat has vanished primarily because the USSR doesnt exist anymore, Bonnet said.

The claims of Moscows aggressive behavior coming from the US-led military blocs officials are exaggerated, the former head of Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, or DST as its French abbreviation goes, which was dissolved in 2008, added.

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I believe that NATO intentionally fuels the perception of Russia as a threat Like any organization, the North Atlantic Alliance wants to continue existing and the only reason for prolonging its existence is you the Russians, he said.

Picturing Russia as in international menace doesnt work anymore. I can assure you that the French people, fortunately, no longer believe it, Bonnet added.

The former intelligence chief told French-language media outlet RT en Franais that he was very sad that France has again joined NATO.

Paris withdrew from NATO in 1966 due to questioning its ability to resist the Soviet Union and developing its own nuclear deterrent, and only returned to the bloc 30 years later.

READ MORE: NATO returning to historic role as war fighting command to counter Russia top US general

In the current historic moment, NATO isnt a useful organization, but a dangerous one, Bonnet said, adding that the North Atlantic Alliance should be disbanded altogether.

I saw what NATO did in Yugoslavia [in 1999], waging a war there without an international warrant Now NATO is invading Afghanistan, although this country isnt in the North Atlantic, he said.

The intelligence veteran slammed the blocs policies towards Russia, saying that it makes no sense to make the Russians worry. It's completely pointless to make [the Russians] nervous. Dont tease the Russian bear.

He also dismissed claims that Russia tried to meddle with the French presidential elections, voiced shortly before the April 23 vote by the candidate of successful candidate Emmanuel Macron.

READ MORE: NATO may boost its presence & prolong training mission in Afghanistan Stoltenberg

I think that its exactly the opposite. The Russians didnt interfere in the French election. But there was an open influence on the presidential campaign from numerous financial interests, both French and international, in particular Israeli, who supported the presidential campaign of Emmanuel Macron, Bonnet said.

He expressed regret that for political reasons Paris is neglecting cooperation with intelligence services of Russia, Syria and other countries that are directly fighting against terrorism.

Such international cooperation would be more effective in tackling extremism in France than the emergencies law and other measures currently imposed by the countrys authorities, the former intelligence chief said.

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NATO is making up Russian threat to justify its own existence former French intel chief - RT

The U.S.s top military officer is huddling with top NATO commanders this week to discuss the way forward for the war in Afghanistan.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. arrived at the alliances headquarters Tuesday and will spend the next few days assessing the U.S. and NATO military footprint in Afghanistan, and the coalitions ongoing operations in the country.

Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, will also attend this weeks NATO ministerial, providing his assessment of the war, which is heading into its 16th year.

Gen. Nicholson, along with U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel, have called for an increase of U.S. troops into Afghanistan, ahead of this years fighting season in country. President Trump has also reportedly handed authority to determine U.S. troop increases into Afghanistan and elsewhere to Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Pentagon and White House officials are reportedly weighing a troop increase of between 3,000 to 5,000 additional American troops. With NATO members expected to match that increase, as many as 10,000 new coalition forces could be heading into Afghanistan.

Roughly 9,000 U.S. service members are deployed in Afghanistan, conducting training and advising operations with the Afghan National Security Forces under Operation Resolute Support. A smaller number of U.S. special operations units are also executing counterterrorism operations against the Taliban and a resurgent Islamic State as part of Operation Freedoms Sentinel.

Read more:
U.S., NATO defense chiefs discuss war in Afghanistan, mull way forward - Washington Times

Lithuania has accused Russia and Belarus of preparing a simulated attack on NATO with their upcoming mass joint drill, according to Baltic news site Delfi.

This is not a defensive [simulation], Lithuanias Defense Minister, Raimundas Karoblis told Lithuanian TV channel LRT on Sunday. This is visibly a simulation of an offensive character against NATO and specifically against the Baltic countries and evidently Poland.

Read more: Why does Russia assemble a mass military rally on May 9?

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During the drill, Zapad (West) 2017, Belarus and Russia will practice their joint abilities in combat at their western borders, which span much of NATOs eastern flank. For Russia, Zapad is defensive drill targeting a hypothetical threat in its west. Belaruss Minister of Defense Andrey Ravkov has said the drill, due to take place in September, will not consist of more than 13,000 peoplethe Cold War limit for a drill that can go ahead without international inspection.

Russias last mass drill, Caucasus 2016, in Russias south, effectively nullified this rule as Moscow pledged it would only consist of 12,000 troops beforehand, but afterward, the Ministry of Defense announced that a total of 120,000 troops had taken part in simultaneous drills across Russia. Moscow claimed this did not violate limits on mass or snap drills because only a tenth of that massive force was deployed in the south.

The main problem today is the fact that these military exercises really are massive, but their transparency is really weak, Karoblis said. To put it mildly, it is unpleasant to simulate attacks against so-called high-potential countries, and this is the NATO alliance.

Four years ago, when the previous instalment of Zapad took place, Russia claimed 10,000 troops took place in the practice, when western analysts estimated some 70,000 took part in simultaneous military drills nationwide, according to CBS.

Baltic states have therefore expressed little confidence that the upcoming drill will not be disruptive, believing that the practice is designed to simulate an attack on NATO.

Such is the intelligence data, both our own and our alliesabove all we are speaking about a drill, not any prelude to a full on or partial conflict, Karoblis said, but also added that a large and unpredictable exercise meant mistakes could happen.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last year that Russia would never attack a NATO ally in a bid to decrease concern around Russias noticeable rearmament strategy, particularly in the wake of its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trust between Moscow and the West on military matters is very low, however. Russia continues to argue that it plays no official part in supporting anti-government rebels in eastern Ukrainian regions bordering only Russia, where fighters have been able to hold off Ukraines large military for three years.

NATO has pledged to rotate 4,000 allied troops through Poland and the Baltics as part of a wider reinforcement strategy on its eastern flank, bordering Russia.

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Lithuania Accuses Russia of 'Simulating Attack' on NATO With Drill - Newsweek

A group of about50 combat engineers based at Canadian Forces BaseGagetownweredeployedto Latvia on April 29 as part of Operation Reassurance. The mission is to build a town for 500 soldiers. According to commanding officer Lt.-Col. Chris Cotton, the installation will have everything you would expect in a small town, from its kitchen to its quarters, its electrical distribution system, waterdistribution system, internet, gym facilities that would allow people to survive over the long term in Latvia. Obviously, this is an element of vast infrastructure to provide for a long-term commitment.

In early April, a US-led battle group of 1,350 soldiers for NATOs Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe arrived at its base near Orzysz in northeastern Poland. It took place just a few days after a NATO-Russia Council meeting took place on March 30. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the talks with Moscow frank and constructive. Then the usual song and dance followed under the slogan of Russian threat.

British RAF fighters are scheduled to be stationed to Romania this May. In March the first of 800 UK troops arrived in Estonia supported by around 300 armed vehicles. Along with French and Danish forces theyll be stationed there on what NATO leadership calls rotational basis. In January, German and Belgian forces arrived in Lithuania near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

The UK leadsthe Estonia Battlegroupwhile other NATO members are deploying forces to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of the blocs Enhanced Forward Presence battalion.All in all, 4,000 NATO troops with tanks, armored vehicles, air support, and high-tech intelligence centers deployed to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

In accordance with the fiscal year 2017 European Reassurance Initiativebudget proposal, the US Army is reopening or creating five equipment-storage sites in the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and two locations in Germany.

Last September, the service began to assemble more Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) for permanent storage in Europe. Those stocks will be sufficient for another armored brigade to fall in on. The rotating brigade will bring its own equipment. The move will add hundreds of the Armys most advanced weapons systems to beef up the US European Commands combat capability. It will also free up an entire brigades worth of weapons currently being used by US forces training on the continent to enable more American troops to be rushed in on short notice.

An armored brigade combat team comprises about 4,200 troops and includes approximately 250 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin self-propelled howitzers, plus 1,750 wheeled vehicles. The proposed budget increase includes a $1.8bn outlay on 45,000 GPS-guided smart bombs and laser-guided rockets to boost the precision strike capability.

Also last month, more than 1,200 troops from 12 countries, including the non-bloc participant Sweden, took part in two-week NATO military drills in Latvia dubbed Summer Shield.

This deployment is, of course, a threat to us, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkovsaid, arguing that the large-scale drills at Russias doorstep are bound to gravely increase the risk of incidents.

He vowed a proportionate response.

They always have one thing on their mind: the Russian threat myth, Russian aggression slander and endless mantras about the need to confront it collectively, the Russian Foreign Ministrysaidin March following a NATO foreign ministers meeting.

The Baltic States and Poland will have to shoulder the financial burden of maintaining the military facilities. The Baltic States incurred significant expenses in rebuilding mari and Zokniai airbases. For instance,Estonia has spent 70 million euros in three years to modernize and maintainmari airbase. The new base in Latvia built by Canadian engineers is also not a free lunch.

The buildup is viewed by Russia as a provocation and a threat to the entire regions security and peace. The alliance is trying to whip up tensions in Europe to reinforce its relevance in the ever changing world. It needs a fictional enemy to keep it together.

The deployment breaches theRussia-NATO Founding Act(1997). By signing the document NATO pledged not to seek additional permanent stationing of substantial ground combat forces in the nations closer to Russia in the current and foreseeable security environment. The argument that the forces are being deployed on temporary basis doesnt stand up to scrutiny. Each army combat unit has an operational cycle, including training events. It will inevitably hold exercises somewhere. The forces are training nowhere else but in the proximity of Russias borders.

The Canadian engineers are constructing nothing else but a town. The official used the term town in his statement. Towns are not built to enable army units to hold exercises and then go. A town for the military is an element of permanent infrastructure. Once the expenditure is approved, it means the living quarters and facilities are to remain in Latvia for many years.

The announced plans are nothing else but a permanent military presence of substantial forces. With the Founding Act invalid, the Russia-NATO military relationship will be left without a legal basis to go upon.

The document has played a very important role in the relationship for 20 years. Now this fundamental document appears to be dead as a result of NATOs provocative activities near the Russias territory. The war preparations greatly reduce European security and the chances for revival of constructive dialogue between Russia and NATO. It leads to the conclusion that the alliance is preparing for a new Cold War with unpredictable results.

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War Preparations against Russia: NATO Builds Infrastructure for Permanent Military Presence Near Russia's Borders - Center for Research on...

White House response: "While the President has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the President has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation."

Stay tuned: The NYT highlights two key facts: (1) Comey wrote a memo after every interaction with the president, including some that remain classified, so there might be more shoes yet to drop and (2) an FBI agent's notes are widely held up as admissible in court proceedings.

Comey intends to "go public" with the memos from his interactions with Trump, according to NBC's Ken Dilanian.

Why it matters: It's the biggest bombshell yet regarding Trump's flouting of presidential norms in this case, allegedly attempting to use the power of the presidency to interfere with an ongoing FBI investigation.

Outlets confirming the NYT report: NBC, WaPo, CNN, CBS, ABC, Politico, FT, AP.

Continue reading here:
Report: NATO altering meeting to fit Trump attention span - Axios

US joins forces with Nato allies as Putin's tanks are seen falling from the sky amid heightening tensions in Europe

NATO commanders put on a show of strength during a tank competing exercise in Germany, as Russia flexed its muscles by parachuting tanks on to a battlefield.

Six Nato allies competed in the Strong Europe Tank Challenge in the town ofGrafenwoehr yesterday, with Austria coming first to beat France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and the USA.

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The competition, held for its second time, tested soldiers on vehicle identification, battle damage assessment and precision manoeuvres.

Lt Gen, Ben Hodges, the commander of US Army Europe, has said the competition was designed to help build a team spirit between the six nations.

Nato, increasingly at odds with Russia over their perceived ambitions in Europe, held the event across five days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops were seen practising dropping tanks on to a battlefield on the same day.

A BMD-4M tank was dropped from the back of a Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane from 800m.

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Nato tanks battle it out in training exercise as Russia practises ... - The Sun

Media gather in Downing Street, London, ahead of a statement by Prime Minister Theresa May

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Theresa May exits 10 Downing Street to announce snap election

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British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for an early general election

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Prime Minister Theresa May walks back into 10 Downing Street after making a statement to the nation

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Broadcast journalists set up on the green outside the Houses of Parliament after the prime minister announced that she will seek an early general election

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A newspaper stand shows a copy of today's Evening Standard, with the front page story relating to British Prime Minister Theresa May's call for a snap general election on June 8

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Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn talks to carers during a visit to Birmingham Carers Hub to launch Labour's proposed Carer's Allowance increase

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Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech in Walmsley Parish Hall, Bolton, as she asked voters for the mandate to lead post-Brexit Britain ahead of the looming election campaign

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Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon walks with deputy leader and member of parliament Angus Robertson during a media facility outside the Houses of Parliament

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech to Conservative Party members to launch their election campaign in Walmsley Parish Hall in Bolton, England

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Prime Minister Theresa May during a visit to radar manufacturer Kelvin Hughes Limited in Enfield, north Londo

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Prime Minster Theresa May gives a short speech and at GSK in Maidenhead, England

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol, during Labour's election campaign

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A tactical voting website in support of Labour. The use of digital marketing and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to play and important role in the snap general election to be held on June 8

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the STUC conference in Aviemore.

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Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron addresses supporters at a campaign event in Vauxhall, London

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Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer makes a speech outlining Labour's approach to Brexit

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UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall knocks on the door of a resident during a visit to Hartlepool

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UK Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall leaves a pub after meeting with television media in Hartlepool

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A UK Independence Party supporter (L) scuffles with a pro-europe supporter ahead of a visit by UKIP leader Paul Nuttall to Hartlepool

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Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally in Banchory, Scotland

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British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign rally on April 29, 2017 in Banchory, Scotland

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Jeremy Corbyn delivers a campaign speech on leadership in London

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Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at an election campaign rally in East London

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Jeremy Corbyn speaks to supporters as he arrives for a conference for head teachers in Telford

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Green MEP Molly Scott Cato speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy watched by Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas and Green London Assembly member Sin Rebecca Berry at the Space Studio in London

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Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London

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Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, Sin Rebecca Berry, London Assembly Green Party member and the Bristol West candidate, Molly Scott Cato make an announcement of the party's new Brexit policy in London

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Scottish Conservative party leader Ruth Davidson gave a speech at the G&V Royal Mile Hotel in Edinburgh ahead of the local government election

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Ukip leader Paul Nuttall during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate, while on the election campaign trail

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Ukip leader Paul Nuttall eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge and Pete Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, campaigns in Southampton

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a campaign stop at a company in St Yves, Cornwall, England. The Prime Minister is campaigning in South-West England, a former Liberal Democrat stronghold, as she urges West Country voters to stick with her party ahead of the polls on June 8

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Prime Minister Theresa May having some chips while on a walkabout during a election campaign stop in Mevagissey, Cornwall

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Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon gestures during her tour of the Inveralmond Brewery as she campaigns for the upcoming general election, in Perth

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Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and the party's local candidate Tessa Munt on board a hovercraft during a visit to the Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB), a charity that operates two life-saving rescue hovercrafts and an inshore rescue boat, at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset

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Jeremy Corbyn has 'been on a journey' since suggesting Nato was a 'danger to the world' says Emily Thornberry - The Independent

The reason behindthe NATO hysteria is that the drills are set totake place not far fromthe so-called "Suwalki Corridor" or "Suwalki Gap", which NATO and the Pentagon consider "the most vulnerable spot" ofthe Alliance and which they think Russia will seize first inits war withthe block.

The so-called "Suwalki Corridor" or "Suwalki Gap"

The Suwalki Gap, or SK Gap inAmerican military parlance, named afternearby Polish town ofSuwaki, is a 64 mile (102 km) land corridor betweenPoland and Lithuania, which is also wedged betweenRussian ally Belarus and the Russian exclave ofKaliningrad. This particular fact has turned this stretch ofland intoa core concern ofall the NATO member states.

The NATO commanders consider that "should Vladimir Putin decide toinvade, the corridor would be perfect foradvancing Russian tanks" ina scenario where Russia approaches both fromKaliningrad and Belarus, seizing the corridor and completely cutting offthe Baltic States.

"Military officers worry that inthe event ofa conflict withMoscow, the Russian military could use its forces inKaliningrad, home tonumerous military bases and bristling withadvanced missiles, toeffectively cut offthe Suwalki Gap and sever the Baltic states fromthe rest ofthe alliance, they said," The Wall Street Journal reported onthe issue.

"Russia could take overthe Baltic states faster thanwe would be able todefend them," the commander ofUS ground forces inEurope, General Ben Hodges, admitted earlier inthe year.

AFP 2017/ ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

"It would not be necessary forRussian forces tocomprehensively occupy the Sulwalki Gap area. Rather, even a thin and discontinuous line ofRussian forces strung outalong the Gap would present a barrier tothe land reinforcement ofthe Baltics, unless NATO forces were prepared toforce a passage and escalate the crisis," other US media speculated onthe issue.

Commenting onthe joint Russia-Belarus military drills, called West 2017, which are scheduled forSeptember 14-20, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite added fuel tothe fire bystating the exercise "demonstrates the preparation ofBelarus and Russia towage war withthe West."

Even Ukraine which has no apparent relation tothe territory, has recently tried tocapitalize onthe issue. The country's Secretary ofthe National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov recently said that "the objective ofthe Russian military exercise is tocheck the readiness oftroops toconduct large-scale operations withstrict time restrictions ontheir preparation. During the exercises, Russia is also planning towork outa plan tocreate a corridor toKaliningrad, which inreality is impossible withoutengaging Lithuania and Poland militarily."

Sputnik/ Grigoriy Sisoev

In his analytical article foronline newspaper Vzglyad, Russian political analyst Yevgeny Krutikov explains why all these fears are "openly stupid."

The "West" (Zapad) military drills, he notes, are held ona regular basis, once every two years inrotation onboth territories ofthe Union State ofRussia and Belarus.

"There is nothing extraordinary aboutthem buteach time some western neighbor gets demonstratively scared," he writes, adding that last time it was Poland which "had an episode," now it's Lithuania's turn.

For the first time inhistory, he says, Belarus has invited NATO observers tomonitor the drills, which has caused a certain "voyeuristic thrill."

Mainstream media interpreted it asan attempt bythe Belorussian president Lukashenko to "make assurances" against "Russian invasion."

AFP 2017/ Armin Weigel / dpa

Commenting onthe Suwalki Gap area, the political analyst says that the vast majority ofthe terrain consists ofwild woods, lakes and swamps. It is the most deserted area ofPoland withundeveloped infrastructure and neglected Polish-Lithuanian settlements. The Wigry Polish National Park is also located inthe area and is often shown onthe English language National Geographic, which contains bison, wild boars and deer.

There are no roads, especially direct routes fromBelarus toKaliningrad.

"It does not even cross anyone's mind that tanks cant pass throughthe Suwalki woods. It is easier, faster and more reliable totake Warsaw if we think interms offronts and armies, asthey do inthe Pentagon inthe 21st century. Or we could drive our Armata fromthe Belorussian territory throughthe Lithuanian checkpoint ofMedininkai further tothe capital Vilnius, central Lithuanian city ofKaiiadorys, then Kaunas and upto Marijampol onthe border withRussias Kaliningrad oblast. This route will be a lot more preferable, withoutany need tocross the Neman river," Krutikov suggests.

The current mindset inNATO and the Pentagon is pitiful, he suggests.

Russias Defense Ministry has invited and will continue toinvite reporters tocover Russian military drills, so the country has no need foroutside advice, Russian Defense Ministrys Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov responded onSaturday.

"It is highly improbable tofind either a motivated journalist or a media outlet inRussia that the Defense Ministry has not invited tocover its military exercises overthe last five years," Konashenkov said ina comment.

"General Hodges has never dreamt ofthe level oftransparency that the media has been given tocover military operations ofthe Russian air force and navy inSyria. Otherwise, major US channels would not have broadcast by mistake the Russian Defense Ministrys video footage taken inSyria asillustrations ofthe US Air Forces war onterror inthe Middle East."

Since the Russian Aerospace Force started carrying outstrikes inSyria, the Defense Ministry has organized more thanten press tours forforeign journalists, when they were able tocommunicate withlocal civilians and servicemen.

"Instead ofurging us tobe transparent, General Hodges should recall whether Russian journalists have ever been invited tocover the US Armys exercises inEurope," he concluded.

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NATO's Most Vulnerable Spot: Why the Fear of a 'Russian Threat' is Openly Stupid - Sputnik International