TERRORISMO E CRISI NEL MEDITERRANEO, NEL 2015 ASSEMBLEA NATO A FIRENZE – Video


TERRORISMO E CRISI NEL MEDITERRANEO, NEL 2015 ASSEMBLEA NATO A FIRENZE
Anche l #39;Italia, come gli altri paesi europei e del mondo occidentale, potrebbe essere a rischio di infiltrazioni terroristiche. Di questo, e pi in generale della difficile situazione nell #39;area...

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TERRORISMO E CRISI NEL MEDITERRANEO, NEL 2015 ASSEMBLEA NATO A FIRENZE - Video

Georgian PM Confirms NATO Bid: Georgian PM reiterates EU and NATO membership ambitions – Video


Georgian PM Confirms NATO Bid: Georgian PM reiterates EU and NATO membership ambitions
Georgia #39;s prime minister has told the European Union and NATO that his country remained firmly committed to integration with both organisations after his dismissal of a pro-Western minister...

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Georgian PM Confirms NATO Bid: Georgian PM reiterates EU and NATO membership ambitions - Video

NATO: Russia engaged in 'serious military buildup' near Ukrainian border

The head of NATO warned Tuesday that, in addition to deploying forces and military equipment into eastern Ukraine, Moscow is now engaged in a serious military buildup on the Russian side of the border with Ukraine.

We call on Russia to pull back its troops, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said as he arrived for a meeting with EU defense ministers in Brussels.

Mr. Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway who took up the NATO leadership post last month, said the alliance has intelligence showing a flow of Russian troops, tanks, artillery and advanced air defense systems into eastern Ukraine.

Reuters reported that he said the Russian actions violate a Sept. 5 cease-fire agreement the so-called Minsk protocol that German leaders negotiated between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces for months have clashed with Moscow-backed separatist rebels around the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and the recent troop buildups, along with an uptick in violence in the area, suggest the tenuous cease-fire has all but collapsed.

Last week, NATOs supreme allied commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, cited intelligence showing columns of Russian equipment, primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defense systems and Russian combat troops, entering into Ukraine.

Gen. Breedlove said Russia also appeared to be reinforcing its military bases in the Crimean Peninsula with equipment that is capable of being nuclear, but added that NATO wasnt certain nuclear weapons were being deployed.

Russia this year annexed the peninsula, which had been a region of Ukraine.

The latest developments have prompted fears in Washington that Moscow may now be preparing to try and repeat its Crimea action by annexing a wider swath of eastern Ukraine.

But Russian officials have denied charges they are expanding Moscows military presence in the area.

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NATO: Russia engaged in 'serious military buildup' near Ukrainian border

NATO leader: 'Serious military buildup' in Ukraine

Russia denies providing arms or troops to support a separatist pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine, which began after the removal of a Kremlin-oriented Ukrainian president by mass protests in February. A ceasefire was agreed in early September, but fighting flared again recently.

Stoltenberg told reporters as he arrived for a meeting with European Union defence ministers he had information on a buildup inside Ukraine.

"But we also see a military buildup on the Russian side of the border...This is a serious military buildup and we call on Russia to pull back its troops," he said.

Read MoreIs there anything the West can do to stop Putin?

Russia denied similar accusations last week by NATO's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, who said NATO had spotted military equipment arriving from Russia in regions of east Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatist rebels.

General-Major Igor Konashenkov, a Russian Defence Ministry official, dismissed Breedlove's comments last week as anti-Russian "hot air".

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NATO leader: 'Serious military buildup' in Ukraine

NATO secretary general tells Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- "Russia is still destabilizing Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a meeting with European Union defense ministers on Tuesday.

"We see the movement of troops, of equipment, of tanks, of artillery, and also advanced air defense systems, and this is in violation of the cease-fire agreements," said Stoltenberg.

Russia has repeatedly denied its military forces are inside Ukraine to help bolster pro-Russian separatists.

At an emergency U.N. Security Council session Nov. 12 on Russia military presence in Ukraine, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, Assistant Secretary-General ad interim for U.N. Political Affairs, reported that the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine is under "continuous and serious strain."

According to the Minsk Protocol, all parties to the Ukraine conflict agreed on Sept. 5 to deescalate the crisis through the institution of an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of illegal armed groups, mercenaries and military equipment -- two stipulations that have largely been ignored.

"We call on Russia to pull back its forces from Eastern Ukraine and to respect the Minsk Agreements," Stoltenberg said, adding "Both the EU and NATO strongly want a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the Minsk Protocol during a meeting Tuesday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

"The Minsk peace deals are probably the only acts which are supported by all parties without exclusion -- by Ukrainian conflicting parties, Russia, Belarus, the European Union and the United States. Therefore," Lavrov said, noting, "the main task is to create conditions for the Minsk peace process to resume."

Lavrov cited cuts to socioeconomic processes and suspension of banking services in eastern Ukraine as conditions of concern. There was no indication, however, that Lavrov acknowledged western concern about Russian forces and military equipment inside Ukraine.

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NATO secretary general tells Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine

NATO warns of 'very serious' Russian military build-up in Ukraine

Moscow (AFP) - Germany's foreign minister said Tuesday he was not optimistic about an end to the conflict in Ukraine because of a "dangerous" escalation of fighting in the east.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the downbeat assessment after NATO's secretary-general spoke of a "very serious build-up" of troops, artillery and air defence systems inside Ukraine and on the Russian side of the border.

Steinmeier was the first senior European minister to visit Moscow since July, in a sign of how relations between the West and Russia have dived to a post-Cold War low over the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"There are no grounds for optimism in the current situation," Steinmeier said at a press conference after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

The German minister warned of a "dangerous situation developing" in Ukraine, which he visited earlier in the day.

He appealed to all sides to stick to the Minsk ceasefire agreement signed on September 5, which appears increasingly threadbare.

Steinmeier said it would be a "great loss" to abandon the frequently violated ceasefire deal, which has stopped most fighting but failed to prevent frequent flare-ups at strategic locations.

"The Minsk agreements are not perfect but it is the only thing that has been supported by all the key players -- the European Union, the United States, the parties to the Ukrainian conflict and Russia," he said.

Before Tuesday's meeting got under way, Lavrov said his government hoped "that the 'point of no return' has not yet been crossed" in Russia-Europe relations.

-- Russia 'has a choice' --

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NATO warns of 'very serious' Russian military build-up in Ukraine

NATO Criticizes 'Very Serious' Russian Military Buildup In Ukraine, Presses Russia To Aid Peace Process

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg criticized Russia Tuesday amid evidence of a very serious military buildup in eastern Ukraine and on the Russian side of the border. Stoltenberg pressed Russian leaders to withdraw their troops and weapons from the region and re-dedicate themselves to the peace process.

Russia has a choice. Russian can either be part of a peaceful negotiated solution or Russia can continue on a path of isolation, Stoltenberg said, according to Agence France-Presse. The international community calls on Russia to be part of the solution.

NATO claims to have seen an increase in Russian troops, artillery, anti-aircraft weaponry and tanks in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reports. The apparent escalation would violate the terms of a shaky cease-fire agreement in the region. Russia has denied that it sent troops into Ukraine or that it provides armed support to pro-Russian separatists in the war-torn nation.

"But we also see a military buildup on the Russian side of the border...This is a serious militarybuildup and we call onRussiato pull back its troops," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenbergs comments came one week after top NATO commander Gen. Philip Breedlove accused Russia of military aggression in and around Ukraine. Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defense systems and Russian combat troops of unknown intent were seen in the eastern European nation, he said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denied the charges on Nov. 12, stating that there was and is no evidence to support NATOs claims. Shortly thereafter, Shoigu announced that Russian long-range bomber patrols would extend as far as the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The United States and the European Union each levied sanctions against Russian in response to its alleged military involvement in Ukraine. Putin decried the sanctions as illegal ahead of last weekends G-20 summit in Australia.

This contradicts international law, because sanctions can only be imposed within the framework of the United Nations and its Security Council, Putin said in an interview with Itar-Tass, a Russian state news agency. This is harmful, and of course is doing us some damage, but its harmful for them as well because, in essence, its undermining the entire system of economic relations.

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NATO Criticizes 'Very Serious' Russian Military Buildup In Ukraine, Presses Russia To Aid Peace Process

World War 3: Russian Nuclear War Possible If U.S. And NATO Intervene In Ukraine – Video


World War 3: Russian Nuclear War Possible If U.S. And NATO Intervene In Ukraine
World War 3: Russian Nuclear War Possible If U.S. And NATO Intervene In Ukraine Russian Warships Poised Outside G20 Summit In Australia, Russia Backs Out Of Nuclear Security Deal Read more...

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Psaki: We certainly stand by what the OSCE & NATO have said… 12 Nov 2014 (Ukraine) – Video


Psaki: We certainly stand by what the OSCE NATO have said... 12 Nov 2014 (Ukraine)
Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesperson. U.S. Department of State - Daily Briefing: November.12.2014 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/index.htm SPOT REPORT...

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Russia and Serbia Hold Joint Military Exercises: 50km from NATO border as Patriarch Kirill visits – Video


Russia and Serbia Hold Joint Military Exercises: 50km from NATO border as Patriarch Kirill visits
Russian soldiers have parachuted into open fields in western Serbia as part of an unprecedented joint military drill. The controversial exercises were held just 50 kilometres from the NATO...

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Russia and Serbia Hold Joint Military Exercises: 50km from NATO border as Patriarch Kirill visits - Video

Jens Stoltenberg: the new man at Nato who must stand up to Putin and his tanks

Mr Stoltenberg declines to put a figure on the scale of the Russian deployment, but he is struck by the presence of sophisticated air defences inside the rebel-held enclave in Ukraine. We see a lot of advanced, for instance, air defence systems. This has to come from somewhere and it has to be operated by people who are able to operate this kind of advanced military equipment, he says.

As for who broke the Minsk Agreement, Mr Stoltenberg places the blame firmly on Russia. The developments are going in the wrong direction, he says. The idea with the Minsk Agreement was that Russia should withdraw its forces. But instead of withdrawing them, they are sending in new forces and thats undermining the whole ceasefire and the Minsk Agreement.

So has Russia invaded Ukraine? Mr Stoltenberg, for all his candour, still declines to endorse such a blunt term. There are Russian forces inside Ukraine and there has been a military build-up and thats in violation of the Minsk Agreement, he replies. Its a threat to the ceasefire - and thats the reason why were calling on Russia to withdraw its forces.

What might be the rationale for this Russian build-up? One plausible explanation is that Mr Putin and the rebels are planning a joint offensive to enlarge the pro-Russian statelet by capturing more Ukrainian territory, possibly beginning with the port city of Mariupol.

Ill be very careful on speculating on intentions, says Mr Stoltenberg. But I see what they do: Nato acts based on what we see Russia actually doing. And what they are doing is violating international law, they are violating the whole rules-based system of working together in Europe - which was developed over decades - and they are also using force to change borders in Europe.

In addition, Russia is sending more and more jet bombers and fighters to probe the air defences of Europe. In itself, this is nothing new: exercises of this kind have always happened.

But Mr Stoltenberg points out that Nato fighters have intercepted Russian intruders over 100 times so far this year a threefold increase in the number of incidents recorded in 2013. Moreover, the Russian planes often ignore safety procedures, raising the risk of a catastrophic collision with civil airliners in European airspace.

The problem is that many of the Russian pilots dont turn on their transponders, they dont file their flight plans and they dont communicate with civilian air traffic control, says Mr Stoltenberg.

This poses a risk to civilian air traffic and therefore this is a problem, especially when the Russian activity increases.

In response to Russias new challenge, Nato has taken a series of decisions. Five times as many fighter aircraft have been deployed to protect its Baltic members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and more warships have been dispatched to the Black Sea. Natos armies are creating a spearhead force designed to guard the alliances most exposed members.

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Jens Stoltenberg: the new man at Nato who must stand up to Putin and his tanks

NATO: Insurgents kill service member in northern Afghanistan

Published November 14, 2014

Nov. 13, 2014: A U.S. soldier inspects the site of a suicide attack targeting a foreign convey in Behsood district of Jalalabad east of Kabul(AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan NATO says one of its service members has been shot and killed by insurgents in northern Afghanistan.

A statement Saturday by the U.S.-led coalition says the shooting happened Friday. It provided no other details about the attack nor the nationality of the service member.

The slaying brings to 61 the number of coalition deaths so far this year in Afghanistan, 45 of them U.S. troops.

Insurgents have intensified their attacks against both Afghan and NATO security forces across the country following a fierce summer of fighting. There have been a number of unsuccessful attacks against coalition convoys in recent days.

The attacks also come as most international combat forces prepare to withdraw from the country by the end of the year.

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NATO: Insurgents kill service member in northern Afghanistan

NATO Jets Intercept Two Russian Fighter Planes Over Baltic Sea

NATO fighter jets intercepted two Russian military airplanes over the Baltic Sea, adding to a string of incidents amid a confrontation over Ukraine between the U.S., European Union and Russia.

Eurofighter Typhoons based in the Baltic region intercepted two Russian Su-27 fighter planes, Latvias army said today on its Twitter account. The encounter took place over neutral waters near Latvias territorial seas, it said.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization late last month tracked Russian military planes that included fighter jets, long-range bombers and tankers over the Baltic region, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean for three days. Interceptions have increased three-fold from last year, it said.

Russia is engaged in dangerous brinkmanship toward NATO and Nordic nations in its military moves, with almost 40 incidents of incursions and close encounters since March, the European Leadership Network, a security research group, said on Nov. 10.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at oummelas@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net Alex Devine, Chris Malpass

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NATO Jets Intercept Two Russian Fighter Planes Over Baltic Sea

Baltic Brigade to Join NATO Rapid Reaction Force: Russian invasion of Ukraine sparks defence rethink – Video


Baltic Brigade to Join NATO Rapid Reaction Force: Russian invasion of Ukraine sparks defence rethink
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have confirmed plans to send a joint battalion of 1000 troops to join NATO #39;s rapid response force. The announcement was made f...

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Baltic Brigade to Join NATO Rapid Reaction Force: Russian invasion of Ukraine sparks defence rethink - Video