Daily Archives: September 9, 2014

Russia has made clear once again that it doesn't want NATO forces on its borders. Or on its shores. Or anywhere near foreign territory it occupies.

Canadian Defense Minister Rob Nicholson has accused the Kremlin of sending three warplanes to buzz its navy frigate Toronto on Sunday while it was taking part in NATO exercises in international waters of the Black Sea.

"While the Russian military aircraft that circled the HMCS Toronto did not in any way pose a threat to the Canadian ship, their actions were unnecessarily provocative and risk escalating tensions even further," Nicholson said Monday in a statement issued in Ottawa.

The tensions he referred to emanate from months of fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine -- a conflict inspired by Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in late February and annexation of the strategic Black Sea peninsula in mid-March.

The United States and its allies in the 28-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of violating international law with the Crimean land grab and of destabilizing southeastern Ukraine by sending Russian soldiers and weapons across the border.

"Canada and its allies are taking part in reassurance measures as a direct result of the Putin regimes military aggression and invasion of Ukraine," Nicholson said in his statement, calling the exercises a message that "Russia's reckless actions must stop."

Russia's Defense Ministry responded with a denial that its warplanes flew around the Canadian vessel and the assertion that they had done nothing wrong.

"The Russian Air Force planes flight path ran through a region where a ship from the Canadian navy, the Toronto, was located but did not approach the foreign warship, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the RIA Novosti agency.

The two supersonic Su-24 Fencer fighter jets and an An-26 Curl military transport executed their scheduled flights "strictly in line with international rules," Konashenkov said.

Russian media cast the reported encounter as the result of a NATO buildup of forces around Russia following the Crimea annexation, which the state-run agencies refer to as the result of a local vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

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Canada says its frigate buzzed by Russian warplanes during NATO drill

BRUSSELS, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- NATO leaders are aiming to strengthen alliance capabilities amid Russian aggression in the Ukraine and growing threats elsewhere that threaten Europe.

First, leaders of the 28 member countries meeting in Wales last week resolved to maintain a continuous air, land, and sea presence in Eastern Europe -- including the Baltics -- on a rotational basis given Russian machinations in the region.

They also agreed to create a rapid response force.

"This spearhead will include several thousand land troops ready to deploy within a few days with air, sea and Special Forces support," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The force plan includes a command-and-control presence, reception facilities and pre-positioned equipment.

"This is a demonstration of our solidarity and resolve," Fogh Rasmussen said. "In these turbulent times, NATO must be prepared to undertake the full range of missions and to defend allies against the full range of threats."

The demonstration of resolve comes amid months of tension in Europe over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and action by pro-Russian insurrectionists -- reportedly with active Russian involvement -- to take other parts of the Ukraine, which was once part of the Soviet empire. The belligerence from Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to European and American protests -- and actions such as sanctions against Russia -- has done nothing to dampen fears of a return to Cold War footing, not to mention fears for the future of territorial integrity in Baltic countries.

Canada, Germany, Portugal, Britain and others perform rotational air patrols in the region as a message to Moscow.

NATO leaders also agreed to put their money where their mouth is by reversing years of declining defense spending by member states.

NATO said the allies will focus their military budgets over the next 10 years to meet the "existing NATO guideline of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense and with a view to meeting NATO capability priorities."

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NATO trumpets 'resolve' against threats

NATO might be losing its focus as it tries to strengthen its roles with both the crisis in Ukraine and rise of the terrorist group ISIS in the Middle East, according to foreign policy analysts.

Luke Coffey and Frank Gaffney told FoxNews.com the military alliance is slowly forgetting its principle mission in protecting the defense of its member states.

Coffey is the Margaret Thatcher Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and Gaffney serves as the founder and president for the national security think tank, Center for Security Policy.

There is a growing call from critics that the organization doesnt have a role in fighting ISIS, now called Islamic State.

I think NATO needs to get back to some of its roots, back to the basics, said Coffey. ISIS, without a doubt, poses a threat to the members inside NATO, but I think as an alliance this is not a challenge NATO should take on.

He instead proposes the U.S. lead a coalition of the willing" that could include NATO members, but should not fall under their jurisdiction because as we saw in Libya in 2011, when you get 28 members around a table it slows down the process and with this fight against ISIS youre going to need quick and rapid decision-making .

- Luke Coffey

Gaffney sees NATO as being a pale shadow of itself as result of reduction in defense spending by the U.S. and its allies. [Before] we go into Iraq or Syria with NATO, I think we best should think about rebuilding NATOs capabilities to protect their own territory.

Only four of NATO's 28 member states, including the U.S., have met the pledge to meet or exceed 2 percent of their country's GDP on military spending.

NATO members are currently debating how to possibly boost their support for Ukraine's military to fight pro-Russian rebels.

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Is NATO still relevant against Russia, ISIS?