Daily Archives: January 31, 2015

Nato Netzwerk, EInbindung der Presse - Die Anstalt und Norbert Nelte
2 Allgemeiner Hamburger Presseclub http://hamburger-presseclub.de/ 3 American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (USA) ...

By: Hubert Schneider

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Nato Netzwerk, EInbindung der Presse - Die Anstalt und Norbert Nelte - Video

NATO Secretary General with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, 29 JAN 2015
In talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on 29 January 2015, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO would continue its strong political and practical support for Ukraine....

By: NATO

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NATO Secretary General with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, 29 JAN 2015 - Video

Show of force in Surobi (NATO and Afghanistan)
From policing ruby mines to checking suspects, the aggressive show of force by Afghan police and military in Surobi leaves locals both happy and concerned about the control of the area.

By: NATO

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Show of force in Surobi (NATO and Afghanistan) - Video

French delegates sitting at a table in a conference room at Nato Conference

By: PUBLIC DOMAIN ARCHIVES

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French delegates sitting at a table in a conference room at Nato Conference - Video

BRUSSELS NATO defense ministers are expected to agree next week to set up command units, staffed with national and NATO soldiers, in six Eastern European allies as part of a new strategy in response to the Ukraine crisis, NATO's chief said on Friday.

Creating the units in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the three Baltic countries is one of the most concrete steps NATO has taken to show that the alliance will protect its eastern allies, some of which are nervous about Russian intentions following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denied that the creation of the units could be considered provocative by Russia. "It is completely within all our international obligations and what we are doing is defensive and it is proportionate," he told Reuters in an interview.

The posting of small numbers of NATO soldiers at existing bases in eastern European countries falls short of requests by Poland to have a large NATO base on its soil but creates a symbolic NATO presence and would help the alliance to reinforce the countries rapidly in a crisis.

A NATO diplomat said the units were expected to consist of 40-50 people, split roughly equally between soldiers from the host nation and those from other NATO allies. The units will organize exercises and plan for NATO reinforcement if required.

First published January 30 2015, 9:13 AM

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NATO Will Set Up Commands in Nervous Eastern Europe

Saturday, 31 January 2015 00:04

BRUSSELS: NATO head Jens Stoltenberg urged the alliance Friday to brace for further challenges after a "black year" of Russian intervention in Ukraine and terror attacks on Europe's streets.

Unveiling NATO's 2014 annual report, Stoltenberg said a new rapid reaction force would help cope with a changing security environment but urged the 28 member states to keep their commitments to boost defence spending.

"2014 was not a good year for European security. In fact it was a black year," said Stoltenberg, the former Norwegian prime minister who took over as NATO Secretary General in October.

"Our security environment has fundamentally changed," he said.

He highlighted Russia's role in Ukraine as a key problem, saying it was defying international norms, destabilising the country and intimidating its neighbours.

Russia's increased defence capabilities including the ability to launch snap military exercises on a huge scale were "part of the reason why we have decided to change our defence posture", he said.

Stoltenberg also warned of the threat from the Islamic State and other extremist groups on NATO's borders, especially after the Paris attacks earlier this month in which homegrown jihadists killed 17 people.

"To the south, violent extremism is at our borders. Spreading turmoil across North Africa and the Middle East and fuelling terrorism on our own streets," he said.

The NATO chief said defence ministers meeting next week would finalise the list of countries taking part in a so-called "spearhead" quick reaction force which the alliance's leaders agreed at a summit in September.

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NATO chief warns of challenges after 'black year'

By Dow Jones Business News, January 30, 2015, 07:15:00 AM EDT

BRUSSELS--NATO will establish command centers in six of its eastern countries in coming months, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday, part of a beefed-up response to Russian aggressiveness.

The outposts will form a chain of potential command centers for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's already announced new rapid-response force of roughly 5,000 troops, whose details are to be finalized at a meeting next week of NATO defense ministers.

The centers also will provide a link between NATO and the armed forces of the six countries where they will be located--Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Mr. Stoltenberg announced the new centers at a news conference in Brussels, where he also urged NATO allies to spend more on defense to counter Russia's military budget. Mr. Stoltenberg also said he would meet with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in the sidelines of a security conference in Munich in two weeks.

"Especially when times are difficult, as they are now, it is important to meet and discuss also difficult issues," Mr. Stoltenberg said.

The command centers are intended partly as a warning to Russia and a reassurance to NATO allies who have become increasingly jittery following Moscow's aggressive actions in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The creation of the spearhead rapid-response force, designed to mobilize within two days in case of a belligerent move by an adversary, is the highest-profile move by NATO to bolster its defenses in the aftermath of Russia's takeover of Crimea and its incursions into eastern Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

"This will be the biggest reinforcement of our collective defense since the end of the Cold War," Mr. Stoltenberg said.

Each command center will likely be staffed by about 50 military personnel from various NATO countries. The outposts are in a sense a compromise between NATO's eastern countries, some of whom want full-scale NATO bases on their territory, and other members wary of building expensive new installations that could provoke Moscow.

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NATO to Set Up Command Centers on Eastern Flank