Category Archives: NATO

An "unusual" build-up of Russian troops in and around Ukraine, the use of migrants by Kremlin-ally Belarus to destabilise the European Union, and Moscow's firing of an anti-satellite weapon in space - all actions below the threshold of war.

But combined, could they be part of a deliberate and dangerous test of western unity endorsed or even masterminded by Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Some analysts certainly think so, noting that the timing of a ratcheting up of tensions between Moscow and NATO is perhaps no surprise, coming just weeks after the United States, the United Kingdom and other allies were found seriously wanting over their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Observers also point to the political weakness of many western democracies - including the UK and the EU - falling out with each other or focusing on short-term, domestic election cycles rather than prioritising how to work together strategically in the face of an increasingly complex set of challenges posed by authoritarian rivals.

They see Russia as posing the most immediate threat, accusing Moscow of even using energy as a weapon - or at least its ability to withhold energy supplies to its European customers as a way to gain leverage.

Anyone in any doubt about the seriousness of this multi-dimensional crisis should only listen to the words of Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, on Monday during a briefing with reporters alongside Ukraine's foreign minister.

Mr Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, is typically conservative when he speaks, choosing his words carefully and never over-sensationalising.

So when he does talk about the potential for worry - it means things really could turn nasty.

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"In recent weeks, we have seen large and unusual concentrations of Russian forces close to Ukraine's borders," he said.

"Any further provocation or aggressive actions by Russia would be of serious concern."

Then there was this observation from General Sir Nick Carter, the outgoing head of the UK's armed forces, when asked by Sky News's Trevor Phillips on Sunday whether he agreed with an assessment by former MI6 officer, Christopher Steele, that Russian leaders believe they are at war with the UK and its allies.

He said: "I think that Russia probably regards the global strategic context as a continuous struggle in which I think they would apply all of the instruments of national power to achieve their objectives, but in so doing don't want to bring on a hot war.

"So yes, I think that in a way he's right."

The Chief of the Defence Staff added: "But the question is, of course, how do you define war and as a soldier I would tend to define war as the actual act of combat and fighting I think they don't want to do that.

"I think they want to try and achieve their objectives in rather more nuanced ways."

He is talking about operating in a grey zone that sits between peace and war where anything and anyone - migrants, energy supplies, social media - can be used as a weapon to achieve a goal.

Today, analysts say evidence of grey zone activities by Russia is growing, while the US, the UK and other NATO allies are trying - some believe not sufficiently dynamically - to respond.

A decision by US officials last week to speak out about Russian troop movements around Ukraine, including alerting European allies to the possibility that Moscow is perhaps even preparing for an invasion, is part of this activity.

There are observers who wonder if a decision on Tuesday by Germany's energy regulator to suspend the approval process for a controversial new pipeline bringing Russian gas into Europe could also be a grey zone pushback, given fears of Russia's ability to hold Europe hostage over energy supplies.

Another possible grey zone signal was sent by the UK when it decided to send a handful of troops to Poland as the Polish government struggles to deal with a growing migrant crisis on its border with Belarus.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of President Putin, is accused by Warsaw of flying in migrants and bussing them to his borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in a form of hybrid warfare to retaliate against EU sanctions following his disputed re-election last year.

He denies orchestrating the problem.

But the move has aggravated tensions inside the EU where migration is a flashpoint issue.

It has also seen Polish forces mobilised to defend their border, while on the Belarus side there have been exercises by Russian and Belarusian soldiers - more grey zone messaging and counter messaging.

But the higher the concentration of hard military power, the greater risk of a real military conflict - either by mistake or by design.

The rest is here:
The West faces a test of unity over Russia as tensions intensify between Moscow and NATO - Sky News

Former British Secretary of State and former leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague wrote in an article for The Times about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) andpointed out that tensions could push the whole of Europe into crisis.

At the beginning of the text, Hague referred to the current relations between European countries and Russia, emphasizing that Germany is one of the countries that has stumbled under Russian influence.

Neglect of the Western Balkans

The former diplomat stressed that there are answers to each of these threats that the West can use against Russia. But, the key area for the West, a region in which it is necessary to oppose the disruption of stability, is the Balkans.

History has shown many times that we ignore the dangers in the Western Balkans. It was the center of events in 1914 and the scene of the bloodiest wars in Europe during the 1990s. Here, Russia tried to thwart the aspirations of millions of people to live in stable and Western-oriented countries. Coup attempt in Montenegro, referendum interventions in North Macedonia, and increasing pressure on political and business life in Serbia. To sum up the chaos, the European Union (EU) has closed its doors to further enlargement while the United Kingdom (UK) has lost influence through Brexit, it was mentioned in the text.

Hague said that the West, including Great Britain, does not have the luxury of neglecting the events in the Balkans.

Milorad Dodik has been undermining the state of BiH for years now with the active support of Russia and Serbia. For Moscow, this serves to block Euro-Atlantic integration. Bosnia would be like Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, a country unable to join NATO or ever function as a normal state. The situation has become serious in past weeks, with Dodik approaching secession, saying he would raise a Bosnian Serb army, the one responsible for the Srebrenica genocide. He seeks to use the weakness of the West to accelerate the crisis leading to redrawing borders with the territory that would be annexed to Serbia, the former diplomat stressed.

Time to act

He pointed out that such threats pose a direct challenge to the Dayton Agreement.

The foreign ministry said that Liz Truss would raise these issues when NATO foreign ministers meet in Riga next month. However, some urgent decisions and actions are needed. Britain and the EU should join the United States (U.S.) in imposing sanctions on everyone who undermines Dayton. The West should reaffirm its support for the High Representative (HR), supporting his legal authority to intervene directly to protect the countrys integrity, Hague said.

In the conclusion, he also referred to the necessity of sending NATO troops to BiH.

Small European military forces, better known as EUFOR, should be reinforced by NATO troops deployed in strategically important areas such as Brcko and Tuzla airport. It sounds dramatic, but only strength and determination will take us away from the big trouble. The collapse in Afghanistan shows what happens when the West loses focus. The same cannot be allowed to happen within the European continent. The West must look into Vladimir Putins cold eyes and face his tactics. The Balkans is a key place to start implementing that, Hague concluded.

E.Dz.

Source: Klix.ba

Excerpt from:
William Hague: The Situation in BiH is serious, NATO Troops should be sent to Brcko and the Airport in Tuzla Sarajevo Times - Sarajevo Times

TALLINN - The annual Baltic Conference on Defense to be held in Tallinn on Nov. 10 will this year focus on the future of NATO and threats and challenges on the northeastern flank.

Participants in the conference include Estonian Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet, his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, British Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning Patrick Turner and commander of NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast, Lt. Gen. Slawomir Wojciechowski.

The conference will be opened by Estonian President Alar Karis, and representatives of NATO, the allies and cooperation partners and defense and security policy experts will be greeted by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas at a welcoming dinner to be held on the eve of the event.

"The world has changed to a great degree over the past decade; unfortunately, the change hasn't been towards stability -- instead, new threats and challenges have emerged. Technological development, civilian crises in addition to military conflicts, the rise of China, aggravating struggle for power -- all of this also affects NATO. Russia remains a threat that must not be underestimated and NATO must focus on credible deterrence and military defense," said director of the conference, Martin Hurt from the International Center for Defense Studies.

The 2021 Baltic Conference on Defense "On the Doorstep of a New NATO Strategic Concept: What Threats and Challenges Will Shape Defense in North-East Europe in 2030?" will be held in a limited volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic and participation is by invitation only for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the virus in the past 180 days.

The conference is organized by the International Center for Defense Studies and the Estonian Ministry of Defense in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The organization of the event is supported by MBDA, EuroSpike, Nammo, BAE Systems and Milworks.

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Baltic Conference on Defense to focus on future of NATO, threats on northeastern flank - Baltic Times

The report of the NATO Military Committee came to the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO countries during the meeting held from 1-2 December 2020, entitled: NATO Reform Report until 2030, through which about (138 recommendations to be implemented within ten years), including considering Russia as the biggest opponent of NATO during the next ten years, and the fear of Chinas rise as a major challenge to NATO members. Therefore, the NATO reform report recommended for the establishment of an advisory body to NATO to coordinate Western policies towards China.

This report issued by NATO to set public recommendations to curb Chinas rise and influence, has angered China, and made it respond in practice by taking escalation security and military measures, considering that Washington is the reason behind the NATO report in confronting it. The Egyptian researcher here will try to summarize the most prominent Chinese defenses. The new security, defense and military, whether before or after the NATO reform report until 2030, as follows:

China considered for the first time in the NATOs report as China has been officially included in a report issued by NATO), while identifying the Chinese threat and growing Chinese influence in Europe and the world, as the strategic concept that should be focused on, in the NATO Reform Report within 10 years from the date of its release in December 2020 to 2030.

The important point for the Chinese here is to ask about the main purpose of the NATO 2030 reform report, and is the focus on building the future of NATO related only to the threat to China? The Chinese response came, saying: The last official strategic concept of NATO has been written at the end of 2020, more than 10 years ago, i.e. around 2010, at which time China was not mentioned or referred to at all.

The Chinese accusation of the United States of America being behind the NATO Reform 2030 report, and the proof of this is: The proposal of the administration of former US President Barack Obama for a strategy of rebalancing the Asia-Pacific region without focusing on the Chinese threat or confronting Chinas policies, which is the opposite of the incident now and Washingtons attempt to shift the geopolitical focus to China, with the US official claim to openly view China, as an enemy, while the truth of this, according to the Chinese, is the inability of the United States of America to compete with China in the economic, technological and military fields.

The Chinese did not fail to focus on the uselessness of NATO from the ground up, through the reference in Chinese reports, that:

The NATO 2030 Report was issued at a time when the importance of NATOs existence is increasingly being questioned, with French President Emmanuel Macron asserting in a public statement in 2019, that NATO is suffering from mental death, due to a lack of strategic coordination among its members, as well as On American hegemony over most of his decisions

The well-known Chinese Professor, Zhang Jian, Assistant Dean of China Institute of Modern International Relations, and Director of the European Institute in Beijing, commented that:

The nature of NATO determines that it does not comply with the requirements of peaceful development in the world today, in contrast to the concepts advocated by China globally, such as the concept of win-win cooperation, which enjoys popular support in the Asia-Pacific region, while NATO failed to achieve any consensus for its policies

China responded to those (American attempts to create a copy of NATO near its areas of influence), and Chinese criticism came publicly for any attempt by NATO to create a copy of NATO in the heart of Asia and the Pacific, because that is not possible in the future. Chinese official reports stated that:

If NATO expands by force to include the Asia-Pacific region, then it will no longer be NATO in the traditional sense of the alliance, and it will become more complex, loose, virtual, and politicized

Chinese media reports, as well as all official Chinese responses, refuted that:

The intention of NATO to treat China as an enemy, or even as a potential competitor and an imaginary enemy, will inevitably lead to an increase in regional tensions

The Chinese response to Washington and the Wests criticism of it was that China has chosen the path of peace and development initiatives for the benefit of the peoples and the world, not confrontation, and the published Chinese newspapers issued at Beijing, emphasizing:

Peace and development is still the dominant trend in the world, but peace and stability also depends on strength. Here, China must maintain strategic determination, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and avoid walking towards a direction led by others, and at the same time, we must be ready in China to protect our legitimate rights and fundamental interests

The first official move by (the official Chinese mission to the European Union in Brussels) to respond to the NATO report by classifying it as an enemy, came Chinas reaction to classifying it as a strategic challenge to NATO, as China was quick to direct accusations to NATO countries, and affirmed that:

North Atlantic countries adopt the mentality of the Cold War and the politics of bloc

China has publicly defined its security, defense and military priorities without fear during the coming period, emphasizing the following:

China is committed to a military policy of a defensive nature and seeks defense and military modernization as a reasonable, open and transparent justification, so China calls on all NATO countries to stop exaggerating the Chinese threat theory

An official statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing also stated that it did not understand the matter, and accused NATO of applying double standards, in terms of asking NATO member states to increase their military spending. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement noted explicitly that:

If China is being criticized for its military spending that does not exceed 1.3 percent of its GDP, then China does not represent a systematic challenge to anyone, and it is determined to protect its sovereignty, security and development interests

The Beijing News newspaper of the Communist Party of China published in its report on June 16, 2021, an opinion article published in which it said:

Chinese propaganda apparatuses accompanied Joe Bidens trip to Europe with a message now known, relating to the alleged defeat of the West and the rise of the East. In an opinion piece in the Chinese newspaper, a prominent Chinese sociologist described the G7 as the beginning of the downfall of Western power

In general, China continued its readiness in its areas of interest and influence to confront the United States of America and its intention to provoke China there. American tensions and its naval presence under the pretext of protecting the interests of its allies in the countries bordering this vital and strategic maritime region.

Chinese government newspapers reported that (the Chinese Air Force sent for the first time long-range bombers, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, at an air base airport in the South China Sea), in response to Chinas expanding US claims to take care of the interests of its Asian allies, such as: (Japan and South Korea), and others about the disputed area.

What is new in the matter is (Chinese newspapers directly refer to the Chinese power, indirectly referring to the United States of America with the Chinese readiness towards its movements), and this is what the official China Daily newspaper mentioned, in a report, about:

The Chinese Air Force has conducted take-off and landing exercises, with an H-36K bomber, in the South China Sea

However, despite the American mobilization attempt against China, criticism has become directed at NATO itself, and it has been likened to the phrase that NATO is in a state similar to clinical death, as French President Emmanuel Macron, described it, due to the retreat of the United States about its leadership role, its dedication to its conflict with China, and its attempt to mobilize countries with it.

Where the United States of America caused a state of division within NATO, considering Russia as a prominent opponent of NATO, and considering the threat of the Chinese threat to be getting stronger at all levels, and describing China as (the new opponent of the NATO military alliance).

Therefore, French President Macron called for the necessity of (NATO to move away from the vows of the Cold War with Russia and China), with his clear call to NATO, that:

Efforts should focus more on combating terrorism, which has become a troubling security challenge for the entire world, especially with former President Trump making a shift in the relationship with Russia by withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement, accusing Moscow of violating the terms of what was agreed upon

In a new American attempt to mobilize the capabilities of NATO against China, and to call for the necessity of dealing with Beijing, the statements of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas came in April of 2019, stating:

China will become the main point on both sides of the Atlantic during the twenty-first century, and the danger of China will be a challenge in all aspects, and therefore it is important to understand things well to understand what the situation requires from NATO

In the latest statements of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he said:

Beijing is dragging the global balance of power to a new formula, and that this fact presents some opportunities for decision-makers in the West, but it is not without challenges, and that NATO does not intend to go to the South China Sea, but it must realize that China is becoming closer and closer. In view of the huge investments it is pumping into the infrastructure level for its Belt and Road initiative

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was not satisfied with his previous statements against China, but also warned against the growth of its power in large parts of the world. Thats meaning: China did not intervene militarily in other countries. Hence, the matter is just a repetition of the same American accusations against Beijing, with Stoltenbergs assertion:

The large Chinese presence in Africa and the North Pole of land and cyber competition, and that China has become the owner of the second largest defense budget in the world. This would appeal to Trump, who presents himself as the Western official who understood the power of Beijing and took the initiative to reduce it

The United States of America is issuing continuous warnings to confront Chinese influence and distrust of Beijings growing capabilities in European countries, and the administration of President Joe Biden has issued an explicit call to European countries to show resistance to Chinas investments in the digital sector, especially in the fifth network Communications generation, where Washington accuses Chinese companies such as Huawei of spying, while China is denying. This confirms my earlier notion that Washington plays a dual role within NATO, mixing the economic with the military and the political in relation to China.

As for the Chinese response, China has announced several times that it is well aware of what is being planned within NATO, led by Washington, and the Chinese government newspaper, Global Times, which is published in English in China, published a report in which it confirmed:

China believes that European countries have two options, either blindly following the United States of America, or continuing to cooperate with Beijing despite the American warning. You can bear the losses and consequences if you decide to close the door to Chinese 5G technology

At the end of 2015, China issued (a new anti-terror law that for the first time legalizes sending Chinese troops on combat missions abroad without a UN mandate). While, the Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged:

By 2049, China will turn into a world leading country, in terms of complex national forces and broad international influence, and China will work to build a stable international order, through which the Chinese recovery can be renewed at all levels and areas of importance

With the increase in (the intensity of military and naval tensions between Taiwan and China), due to the US support for Taiwan in the face of China, which reached its climax after (the United States imposed several sanctions on the Chinese army under the pretext of interfering in Taiwan affairs), as well as with the expansion of the scope of Chinese military operations. In the Taiwan Strait, in rejection of US secession and intervention demands, in addition to the trade war between Washington and Beijing, additionally Taiwan and Chinas strengthening of their military positions in the South China Sea, with Washingtons assistance to the Taiwan side in confronting China.

China is trying to counter the American influence in the Taiwan Strait, Beijing intensified military and diplomatic pressure, and (carried out air and naval exercises around the island, and persuaded some regions that support Taiwan to stop doing so). But, with the increase of US support for Taiwan, Beijing considers it a province in rebellion against the authority of the Peoples Republic of China warned Taiwan, as it should not enjoy any kind of independence. This prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to emphasize in most of his political speeches since the advent of US President Biden, stressing:

The two parties in reference to China and Taiwan represent part of the Chinese family, and that the demands for Taiwans independence were an opposite current to history with no future ahead

Through the previous analysis of the Egyptian researcher, it is noted the extent to which China has shown a new, more assertive foreign policy towards the United States of America and its security allies, mainly in the NATO, which coincided with the call of the Chinese President, Comrade Xi Jinping, to adopt a policy of seeking to achieve improvements in its Foreign Affairs, especially in light of the American provocation and its interference in Chinese affairs and its areas of influence, especially after (Washington sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait) at the beginning of October 2021, which is the second operation of its kind in one year, which prompted China to warn Washington of its policies. Hostility in the Taiwan Strait and prepare for it. It is a wave of Chinese hostile policy to the United States of America, after the US-Taiwanese rapprochement increased since the Taiwanese President (Tai Ing-wen) assumed the presidency of Taiwan in 2016, and it belongs to the (Democratic Progressive Party) which tends to independence.

Hence, we find that in the midst of a series of complications and global confrontations against China by the United States of America and its allies, Beijing has adopted a new military and defense strategy, based on (defending its interests and adopting a developmental approach to help others through its Belt and Road Initiative BRI).

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Read the original:
The Chinese threat to NATO spheres of influence - Modern Diplomacy

The report of the NATO Military Committee came to the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO countries during the meeting held from 1-2 December 2020, entitled: NATO Reform Report until 2030, through which about (138 recommendations to be implemented within ten years), including considering Russia as the biggest opponent of NATO during the next ten years, and the fear of Chinas rise as a major challenge to NATO members. Therefore, the NATO reform report recommended for the establishment of an advisory body to NATO to coordinate Western policies towards China.

This report issued by NATO to set public recommendations to curb Chinas rise and influence, has angered China, and made it respond in practice by taking escalation security and military measures, considering that Washington is the reason behind the NATO report in confronting it. The Egyptian researcher here will try to summarize the most prominent Chinese defenses. The new security, defense and military, whether before or after the NATO reform report until 2030, as follows:

China considered for the first time in the NATOs report as China has been officially included in a report issued by NATO), while identifying the Chinese threat and growing Chinese influence in Europe and the world, as the strategic concept that should be focused on, in the NATO Reform Report within 10 years from the date of its release in December 2020 to 2030.

The important point for the Chinese here is to ask about the main purpose of the NATO 2030 reform report, and is the focus on building the future of NATO related only to the threat to China? The Chinese response came, saying: The last official strategic concept of NATO has been written at the end of 2020, more than 10 years ago, i.e. around 2010, at which time China was not mentioned or referred to at all.

The Chinese accusation of the United States of America being behind the NATO Reform 2030 report, and the proof of this is: The proposal of the administration of former US President Barack Obama for a strategy of rebalancing the Asia-Pacific region without focusing on the Chinese threat or confronting Chinas policies, which is the opposite of the incident now and Washingtons attempt to shift the geopolitical focus to China, with the US official claim to openly view China, as an enemy, while the truth of this, according to the Chinese, is the inability of the United States of America to compete with China in the economic, technological and military fields.

The Chinese did not fail to focus on the uselessness of NATO from the ground up, through the reference in Chinese reports, that:

The NATO 2030 Report was issued at a time when the importance of NATOs existence is increasingly being questioned, with French President Emmanuel Macron asserting in a public statement in 2019, that NATO is suffering from mental death, due to a lack of strategic coordination among its members, as well as On American hegemony over most of his decisions

The well-known Chinese Professor, Zhang Jian, Assistant Dean of China Institute of Modern International Relations, and Director of the European Institute in Beijing, commented that:

The nature of NATO determines that it does not comply with the requirements of peaceful development in the world today, in contrast to the concepts advocated by China globally, such as the concept of win-win cooperation, which enjoys popular support in the Asia-Pacific region, while NATO failed to achieve any consensus for its policies

China responded to those (American attempts to create a copy of NATO near its areas of influence), and Chinese criticism came publicly for any attempt by NATO to create a copy of NATO in the heart of Asia and the Pacific, because that is not possible in the future. Chinese official reports stated that:

If NATO expands by force to include the Asia-Pacific region, then it will no longer be NATO in the traditional sense of the alliance, and it will become more complex, loose, virtual, and politicized

Chinese media reports, as well as all official Chinese responses, refuted that:

The intention of NATO to treat China as an enemy, or even as a potential competitor and an imaginary enemy, will inevitably lead to an increase in regional tensions

The Chinese response to Washington and the Wests criticism of it was that China has chosen the path of peace and development initiatives for the benefit of the peoples and the world, not confrontation, and the published Chinese newspapers issued at Beijing, emphasizing:

Peace and development is still the dominant trend in the world, but peace and stability also depends on strength. Here, China must maintain strategic determination, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and avoid walking towards a direction led by others, and at the same time, we must be ready in China to protect our legitimate rights and fundamental interests

The first official move by (the official Chinese mission to the European Union in Brussels) to respond to the NATO report by classifying it as an enemy, came Chinas reaction to classifying it as a strategic challenge to NATO, as China was quick to direct accusations to NATO countries, and affirmed that:

North Atlantic countries adopt the mentality of the Cold War and the politics of bloc

China has publicly defined its security, defense and military priorities without fear during the coming period, emphasizing the following:

China is committed to a military policy of a defensive nature and seeks defense and military modernization as a reasonable, open and transparent justification, so China calls on all NATO countries to stop exaggerating the Chinese threat theory

An official statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing also stated that it did not understand the matter, and accused NATO of applying double standards, in terms of asking NATO member states to increase their military spending. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement noted explicitly that:

If China is being criticized for its military spending that does not exceed 1.3 percent of its GDP, then China does not represent a systematic challenge to anyone, and it is determined to protect its sovereignty, security and development interests

The Beijing News newspaper of the Communist Party of China published in its report on June 16, 2021, an opinion article published in which it said:

Chinese propaganda apparatuses accompanied Joe Bidens trip to Europe with a message now known, relating to the alleged defeat of the West and the rise of the East. In an opinion piece in the Chinese newspaper, a prominent Chinese sociologist described the G7 as the beginning of the downfall of Western power

In general, China continued its readiness in its areas of interest and influence to confront the United States of America and its intention to provoke China there. American tensions and its naval presence under the pretext of protecting the interests of its allies in the countries bordering this vital and strategic maritime region.

Chinese government newspapers reported that (the Chinese Air Force sent for the first time long-range bombers, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, at an air base airport in the South China Sea), in response to Chinas expanding US claims to take care of the interests of its Asian allies, such as: (Japan and South Korea), and others about the disputed area.

What is new in the matter is (Chinese newspapers directly refer to the Chinese power, indirectly referring to the United States of America with the Chinese readiness towards its movements), and this is what the official China Daily newspaper mentioned, in a report, about:

The Chinese Air Force has conducted take-off and landing exercises, with an H-36K bomber, in the South China Sea

However, despite the American mobilization attempt against China, criticism has become directed at NATO itself, and it has been likened to the phrase that NATO is in a state similar to clinical death, as French President Emmanuel Macron, described it, due to the retreat of the United States about its leadership role, its dedication to its conflict with China, and its attempt to mobilize countries with it.

Where the United States of America caused a state of division within NATO, considering Russia as a prominent opponent of NATO, and considering the threat of the Chinese threat to be getting stronger at all levels, and describing China as (the new opponent of the NATO military alliance).

Therefore, French President Macron called for the necessity of (NATO to move away from the vows of the Cold War with Russia and China), with his clear call to NATO, that:

Efforts should focus more on combating terrorism, which has become a troubling security challenge for the entire world, especially with former President Trump making a shift in the relationship with Russia by withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement, accusing Moscow of violating the terms of what was agreed upon

In a new American attempt to mobilize the capabilities of NATO against China, and to call for the necessity of dealing with Beijing, the statements of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas came in April of 2019, stating:

China will become the main point on both sides of the Atlantic during the twenty-first century, and the danger of China will be a challenge in all aspects, and therefore it is important to understand things well to understand what the situation requires from NATO

In the latest statements of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he said:

Beijing is dragging the global balance of power to a new formula, and that this fact presents some opportunities for decision-makers in the West, but it is not without challenges, and that NATO does not intend to go to the South China Sea, but it must realize that China is becoming closer and closer. In view of the huge investments it is pumping into the infrastructure level for its Belt and Road initiative

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was not satisfied with his previous statements against China, but also warned against the growth of its power in large parts of the world. Thats meaning: China did not intervene militarily in other countries. Hence, the matter is just a repetition of the same American accusations against Beijing, with Stoltenbergs assertion:

The large Chinese presence in Africa and the North Pole of land and cyber competition, and that China has become the owner of the second largest defense budget in the world. This would appeal to Trump, who presents himself as the Western official who understood the power of Beijing and took the initiative to reduce it

The United States of America is issuing continuous warnings to confront Chinese influence and distrust of Beijings growing capabilities in European countries, and the administration of President Joe Biden has issued an explicit call to European countries to show resistance to Chinas investments in the digital sector, especially in the fifth network Communications generation, where Washington accuses Chinese companies such as Huawei of spying, while China is denying. This confirms my earlier notion that Washington plays a dual role within NATO, mixing the economic with the military and the political in relation to China.

As for the Chinese response, China has announced several times that it is well aware of what is being planned within NATO, led by Washington, and the Chinese government newspaper, Global Times, which is published in English in China, published a report in which it confirmed:

China believes that European countries have two options, either blindly following the United States of America, or continuing to cooperate with Beijing despite the American warning. You can bear the losses and consequences if you decide to close the door to Chinese 5G technology

At the end of 2015, China issued (a new anti-terror law that for the first time legalizes sending Chinese troops on combat missions abroad without a UN mandate). While, the Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged:

By 2049, China will turn into a world leading country, in terms of complex national forces and broad international influence, and China will work to build a stable international order, through which the Chinese recovery can be renewed at all levels and areas of importance

With the increase in (the intensity of military and naval tensions between Taiwan and China), due to the US support for Taiwan in the face of China, which reached its climax after (the United States imposed several sanctions on the Chinese army under the pretext of interfering in Taiwan affairs), as well as with the expansion of the scope of Chinese military operations. In the Taiwan Strait, in rejection of US secession and intervention demands, in addition to the trade war between Washington and Beijing, additionally Taiwan and Chinas strengthening of their military positions in the South China Sea, with Washingtons assistance to the Taiwan side in confronting China.

China is trying to counter the American influence in the Taiwan Strait, Beijing intensified military and diplomatic pressure, and (carried out air and naval exercises around the island, and persuaded some regions that support Taiwan to stop doing so). But, with the increase of US support for Taiwan, Beijing considers it a province in rebellion against the authority of the Peoples Republic of China warned Taiwan, as it should not enjoy any kind of independence. This prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to emphasize in most of his political speeches since the advent of US President Biden, stressing:

The two parties in reference to China and Taiwan represent part of the Chinese family, and that the demands for Taiwans independence were an opposite current to history with no future ahead

Through the previous analysis of the Egyptian researcher, it is noted the extent to which China has shown a new, more assertive foreign policy towards the United States of America and its security allies, mainly in the NATO, which coincided with the call of the Chinese President, Comrade Xi Jinping, to adopt a policy of seeking to achieve improvements in its Foreign Affairs, especially in light of the American provocation and its interference in Chinese affairs and its areas of influence, especially after (Washington sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait) at the beginning of October 2021, which is the second operation of its kind in one year, which prompted China to warn Washington of its policies. Hostility in the Taiwan Strait and prepare for it. It is a wave of Chinese hostile policy to the United States of America, after the US-Taiwanese rapprochement increased since the Taiwanese President (Tai Ing-wen) assumed the presidency of Taiwan in 2016, and it belongs to the (Democratic Progressive Party) which tends to independence.

Hence, we find that in the midst of a series of complications and global confrontations against China by the United States of America and its allies, Beijing has adopted a new military and defense strategy, based on (defending its interests and adopting a developmental approach to help others through its Belt and Road Initiative BRI).

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AUKUS and the US planning to annex of Australia and Japan to the NATOs alliance - Modern Diplomacy

Ukraine will not become a member of NATO in the near future, but Ukraine must prepare for this membership today, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, he said this on Savik Shuster's Freedom of Speech program.

"Today, the Ministry of Defense faces very important challenges, but the main goal is to implement the provisions of the Constitution on our relentless movement towards NATO, and as a result, joining the Alliance," Reznikov said.

He noted that Ukraine will join NATO sooner or later, but the country must be ready for this and meet all NATO standards as soon as possible. After all, NATO is not only a military alliance, but an alliance of countries with a high level of democratic institutions, he said.

Reznikov believes that the Ministry of Defense is a civilian entity that exercises democratic control over the Armed Forces, which in turn defend the state and repel the enemy. The ministry must ensure the implementation of the plans and tasks of the Armed Forces, from resolving the issues of procurement, financial support, armaments, to the issues of military diplomacy.

Reznikov also believes that Ukraine should not limit itself to issues of cooperation with NATO, but build various alliances. In particular, the danger posed by Russia in the Black Sea encourages Ukraine to work closely with Romania, Georgia, Moldova, and Bulgaria. It is also necessary to actively cooperate with Eastern European countries and to fill with content a framework agreement that President Volodymyr Zelensky signed in Washington, he said.

Earlier reports said that the Verkhovna Rada appointed Reznikov as Ukraine's defense minister on November 4. A total of 273 MPs voted for such a decision.

Since March 2020, Reznikov had served as Ukraine's deputy prime minister and minister for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

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Reznikov sure Ukraine will join NATO sooner or later - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

The Montenegrin economy can make better use of certain benefits from NATO membership in the coming period, and one of the opportunities is the NATO Innovation Fund, it was assessed in Brussels at the meeting of Minister of Finance and Social Welfare Milojko Spaji and Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatovi with Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment Camille Grand and Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges David van Weel.

The meetings assessed that the new Government of Montenegro is a reliable partner of NATO.

Our participation in NATO, which is currently around 1.8%, was assessed very positively because we are on a very good path to have 2% of GDP needed for security and defence by 2024, as agreed at the Summit in Wales in 2014 and we are one of the few countries that gives real impulses in that direction. The Ministry of Finance, which should be very conservative on this issue, is very open in this case because we are aware that defence is very important for the economy of Montenegro, and not only for geostrategic issues, Spaji said after the meeting.

We are glad to have opened some new topics such as the NATO Innovation Fund, which fits well into the strategy of the Government of Montenegro, and we think that we will have a very interesting initiative that could start in December this year, Spaji concluded.

We talked about all the things that the new Government of Montenegro has done when it comes to improving the resilience of the economy, all in the context of geopolitics. Another important thing we talked about is the way in which the economy of Montenegro can use certain benefits of NATO membership in the coming period. We have paid a lot of attention to a new idea, the NATO Innovation Fund. We hope that, after presenting the idea to other Cabinet members, Montenegro will join the Fund, Milatovi said.

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Government of the Republic of Montenegro published this content on 09 November 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 09 November 2021 10:02:10 UTC.

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We are strengthening the partnership with NATO, Montenegro to join the Innovation Fund - Marketscreener.com

BREGA, Libya - Invisible to the eye, an airplane buzzes through the sky above the oil complex at Brega. One, and then two deafening explosions resound.

It's not clear whether they are part of a new NATO strike nearby or shots fired by Libyan loyalists or rebels. Either way, a hint of anxiety is felt in front of the cracking towers of the small refinery situated in the Gulf of Syrte oil port, 800 kilometers from Tripoli.

For several days now, coalition air strikes have been targeting the Sirte Oil Company complex and its surroundings, just on the outer edges of the several-kilometer-long frontline of the Libyan conflict. But the interim director of the complex, Abderrahmane Mufta, insists the oil itself is safe. "We're safe right here," he tells a group of journalists visiting the plant under Libyan government supervision. "NATO will never destroy the oil installations."

Mufta's theory seemed to hold true during a June 24 strike that targeted what seemed to be buildings reserved for staff. While NATO bombers destroyed certain parts of the large industrial park specifically living and eating quarters they were careful to spare the oil tanks, the terminal, the beginning of the large Libyan pipeline, and the petrochemical complex, which has been shut down since the Norwegian expatriates who ran the facility fled the country.

Did another blunder just take place? Powerful bombs struck an employee dining facility, along with six worker residences. For the past three days those workers who are still left in the Brega complex have had nowhere to eat. Desolation reigns. Marouf Ahmed Embara, standing on the rubble of a destroyed house, mourns "a family of friends:" six people killed, he says, by a bomb. According to Libyan authorities, Friday's coalition attacks killed 15 in the complex.

The large dining facility was empty at the time of the air strike, which occurred at approximately 1 a.m. Next to it, a second building was even more radically destroyed. "Before the crisis, that was where we used to go to relax, or to connect to the Internet," says one employee.

Since the beginning of the conflict in February, the Libyan revolt has morphed into a civil war. In oil industry facilities like the Brega complex, the European expatriates have fled. Only the more low-level foreign employees, people from places like Bangladesh, have stuck around.

The fog of the frontline

The reduced teams are running the complex at 20% capacity, according to Abderrahmane Mufta. In Brega there are now approximately 1,000 workers, as opposed to 6,800 before the war. "Salaries are frozen, but we remain," says Jamal, an employee, in a quiet voice. "It needs to continue running, it is very important. Believe me! For pity's sake believe me: there are only employees here and no soldiers. We do not know where they are"

In this part of the frontline, nothing is ever clear. There remains a container of arms in front of the entrance of the lodging for distinguished visitors, a camouflaged vehicle hiding in the garage of the complex's hospital, and a bulletproof vest abandoned next to the pipeline's compressor.

Nearby, the fighting rages on. In the past three months, the region has changed hands more than four times. Even the adjacent airport was the scene of clashes in March, and it was recently struck in May by NATO bombs so powerful that a piece of the cabin from a jet was launched onto the roof of a hangar.

The needs of the rebel forces of the National Transition Counsel are great. They have retreated back to Ajdabiya in order to re-launch an assault on Brega, even if only to deprive the loyalist forces of a precious source of fuel.

"It is the smallest refinery in Libya! It is a dirty war that NATO is waging, a war for oil," says Am'Ahmed Senussi, a young engineer who had to interrupt his doctoral studies at the University of Birmingham in Great Britain so he could fill in for the departed expatriates.

The refinery dates back to 1961. It only produces about 9,000 barrels per day (as opposed to 100,000 barrels before the war), but it nevertheless provides a vital source of fuel.

Besides its oil complex, Brega barely exists any more. The city has but one negligible intersection along the flat and dusty coastal route that crosses Libya. However, Muammar Gaddafi's camp has lost a majority of the petroleum zones and thus its refinery capacity, and so Brega is essential if they want to maintain the eastern front.

It is in this zone that NATO is multiplying its attacks in order to open the way for the rebels of the National Transition Counsel. Nearby, a large telecommunications antenna was destroyed by strikes on June 24.

The injured are sent to the hospital located within the oil complex, where one doctor confirms he received 32 people, of which 13 were serious cases, since June 24. To demonstrate the severity of the strikes, he shows the radio of one of the injured, which is now a hand-sized metallic chunk stuck in his skull.

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Photo - Al Jazeera English

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Are NATO Attacks In Libya All About The Oil? - Worldcrunch

STUTTGART, Germany NATO has officially kicked off two new efforts meant to help the alliance invest in critical next-generation technologies and avoid capability gaps between its member nations.

For months, officials have set the ground stage to launch a new Defense Innovator Accelerator nicknamed DIANA and establish an innovation fund to support private companies developing dual-use technologies. Both of those measures were formally agreed upon during NATOs meeting of defense ministers last month in Brussels, said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Allies signed the agreement to establish the NATO Innovation Fund and launch DIANA on Oct. 22, the final day of the two-day conference, Stoltenberg said in a media briefing that day.

He expects the fund to invest 1 billion (U.S. $1.16 billion) into companies and academic partners working on emerging and disruptive technologies.

New technologies are reshaping our world and our security, Stoltenberg said. NATOs new innovation fund will ensure allies do not miss out on the latest technology and capabilities that will be critical to our security.

We need to ensure that allies are able to operate the different technologies seamlessly, between their forces, and with each other, he added.

Seventeen allied countries agreed to help launch the innovation fund. They include: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

NATO will develop a minimum level of funding that will be required by every participating nation, and that level is being decided by those initial 17 allies, said David van Weel, assistant secretary-general for emerging security challenges.

Soldiers from NATO member France attend the cyber defense exercise DEFNET 2021 on March 18, 2021, in Rennes, western France. Alliance members collectively have pledged to boost their focus on new and disruptive technologies, including the areas of cyber and artificial intelligence. (Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images)

He noted that there are a variety of reasons as to why the initial supporters stepped up, while the remaining 13 member nations did not. But he expects that more countries will sign up to participate in the fund before the alliances 2022 summit, he said during an Oct. 27 media roundtable.

The bus hasnt left the station to join the fund, and we expect more to join up, he said.

Recommendations for NATO to launch such a venture capital fund, and a technology accelerator outfit reminiscent of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), were included in a 2020 report by NATOs advisory group on emerging and disruptive technologies.

The alliance agreed to launch the DIANA accelerator at NATOs annual summit, held last June in Brussels. Both the accelerator outfit and the innovation fund will have headquarters based in both North America and Europe, and several nations have already offered to host the facilities.

The plan is for a separate company to run the day-to-day operations of the innovation fund, but that partner has yet to be selected, van Weel said. It is going to be professional venture capitalists that are going to run this fund that could either be an existing company, or we would recruit an experienced general partner to run this, he added.

The offices are expected to be in place next year, and both DIANA and the fund are scheduled to be fully in effect by NATOs next summit, June 29-30 in Madrid, per the alliance.

Meanwhile, the allies also agreed on NATOs first-ever artificial intelligence strategy, which has been in the works since early 2021. It will set standards for responsible use of artificial intelligence, in accordance with international law, outline how we will accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in what we do, set out how we will protect this technology, and address the threats posed by the use of artificial intelligence by adversaries, Stoltenberg said.

NATO released a summary of the strategy on Oct. 22, and it includes four sections: Principles of responsible use of artificial intelligence in defense; ensuring the safe and responsible use of allied AI; minimizing interference in allied AI; and standards.

It also lays out the six principles of AI use that member-nations should follow. They include: lawfulness; responsibility and accountability; explainability and traceability; reliability; governability; and bias mitigation.

The nascent DIANA outfit will host specialized AI test centers that will help NATO ensure standards are being kept as member-nations develop new platforms and systems and encourage interoperability, van Weel noted. That way, NATO creates a common ecosystem where all allies have access to the same levels of AI, he said.

NATO will also form a data and artificial intelligence review board with representatives from all member-nations, to ensure the operationalization of the AI strategy, he added. The principles are all great, but they only mean something if were able to actually translate that into how the technology is being developed, and then used.

NATO eventually plans to develop strategies for tackling each of the seven key emerging and disruptive technology (EDT) categories, van Weel told Defense News earlier this year. Having that strategy in place would allow the partnership to begin implementing AI capabilities into military requirements, and ensure interoperability for NATO-based and allied systems, he said at the time.

Member-nations also agreed to a new policy that treats data as a strategic asset, and sets a framework for both NATO headquarter-generated data and national data to be exploited across the alliance in a responsible fashion, van Weel said. The data and AI review board will serve as a quasi Chief Data Officer that ensures the alliances data, wherever it originates from, is stored securely and adheres to the principles agreed to by NATOs members.

This is step one to create a trust basis for allies to make them actually want them to share data, knowing that it is stored in a secure place, [and] that we have principles of responsible use, van Weel said.

It remains to be seen how each country will contribute to the innovation fund or the tech accelerator, but at least one ally already has some ideas.

Estonia has built up experience working with startups, and has invested heavily in cybersecurity technologies since the Baltic nation faced a wave of cyber attacks. That instance led to the creation of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn.

That center could play a key role in the alliances EDT efforts, particularly related to technologies like AI that will require a basis in cyber, said Tuuli Vors, counsellor to the Estonian delegation to NATO.

With cyber, we build so many different technological areas or sectors, she said in an interview with Defense News in Brussels. Having the cyber defense center in Tallinn can be used for the benefit of this initiative, or for the allies in a general way.

We have this right mindset, we are flexible, she said. I think its one of the key competencies, to bring together the private sector with the government and the civil sector.

We all know that these technological developments and the real breaks, these are in the private sector, she noted. So therefore, we need to bring them on board [in a] more effective way.

At last months ministerial allies also agreed on a specific set of capability targets to achieve jointly, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. That set includes thousands of targets, heavier forces and more high-end capabilities.

Very few of us can have the whole spectrum of capabilities and defense systems, he said. One of the really important tasks of NATO ... is our ability to coordinate and agree to capability targets, so we can support and help each other as allies.

Each of the allies spend varying amounts of money on their defense budgets, but each also has expertise that can be shared, Vors said. The innovation fund and DIANA can help provide more effective collaboration among these nations, she added.

We have expertise in autonomous systems or cyber defense, we can share it to somewhere where its lacking, and we can have from them CBRN [chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear] defense technology, she said. So its making this network.

Joe Gould in Brussels contributed to this report.

Vivienne Machi is a reporter based in Stuttgart, Germany, contributing to Defense News' European coverage. She previously reported for National Defense Magazine, Defense Daily, Via Satellite, Foreign Policy and the Dayton Daily News. She was named the Defence Media Awards' best young defense journalist in 2020.

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NATO ups the ante on disruptive tech, artificial intelligence - DefenseNews.com

Vladimir Putin wanted Russia to join Nato but did not want his country to have to go through the usual application process and stand in line with a lot of countries that dont matter, according to a former secretary general of the transatlantic alliance.

George Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary who led Nato between 1999 and 2003, said Putin made it clear at their first meeting that he wanted Russia to be part of western Europe. They wanted to be part of that secure, stable prosperous west that Russia was out of at the time, he said.

The Labour peer recalled an early meeting with Putin, who became Russian president in 2000. Putin said: When are you going to invite us to join Nato? And [Robertson] said: Well, we dont invite people to join Nato, they apply to join Nato. And he said: Well, were not standing in line with a lot of countries that dont matter.

The account chimes with what Putin told the late David Frost in a BBC interview shortly before he was first inaugurated as Russian president more than 21 years ago. Putin told Frost he would not rule out joining Nato if and when Russias views are taken into account as those of an equal partner.

He told Frost it was hard for him to visualise Nato as an enemy. Russia is part of the European culture. And I cannot imagine my own country in isolation from Europe and what we often call the civilised world.

Lord Robertsons comments on the One Decision podcast, which is presented by Michelle Kosinski, a former CNN journalist, and Sir Richard Dearlove, a former head of M16, underscore how Putins worldview has evolved during his 21 years of unbroken rule of Russia.

After the Orange Revolution street protests in Ukraine in 2004, Putin became increasingly suspicious of the west, which he blamed for funding pro-democracy NGOs. He was further angered by Natos continuing expansion into central and eastern Europe: Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania chose to join the alliance in 2004; Croatia and Albania followed in 2009. Georgia and Ukraine were promised membership in 2008 but have remained outside.

Robertson also recalled how he became the first and only Nato secretary general to invoke Natos collective defence clause, known as article five, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Invoking article five was a gamble and it was far from a foregone conclusion that Nato members would reach for it after a terrorist attack, he said, noting it was designed for an attack by the Soviet Union across the Fulda Gap in Germany.

Some Nato allies were uneasy about invoking the collective defence clause to support the US, fearing it would give George W Bushs administration a licence to invade Iraq. Robertson recalled one minister asking him: Does this mean were giving them a blank check to invade Iraq? We said: No, its not.

The Scottish former minister also revealed how the historic decision to invoke article five nearly went awry. The day after the 11 September attacks, Robertson was due to attend a routine meeting of EU foreign ministers. Anxious not to upstage the EU by calling for article five, he asked a couple of friendly foreign ministers Jack Straw of the UK and Louis Michel of Belgium to ask a question that gave him an opening to discuss it. But neither minister asked the question. So I left, and afterwards there was a bit of bad blood and they said I should have announced it. But I said: Well, I was going to announce it, but nobody asked the question.

After the 9/11 attacks, many Nato allies joined the US in invading Afghanistan, with Nato taking over the mission command in 2003.

Robertson said he urged the late US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld to keep US forces in Afghanistan alongside Nato allies after the Talibans military defeat. He warned Rumsfeld he would denounce any US withdrawal as unacceptable. So he [Rumsfeld] got a bit upset at that point, and I said: No, youre not going to say we did the cooking, you can clean up the dishes. I said: Thats not it. We went in together, and were staying in together.

He was critical of the USs chaotic withdrawal two months ago, but contended that the 20-year long mission of western military forces made a difference, despite the return of the Taliban. Weve left a legacy there that these theological hoodlums are not going to be easily unravelling. And I think that Afghanistan in the future will be a very different place.

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Ex-Nato head says Putin wanted to join alliance early on in his rule - The Guardian