Daily Archives: March 13, 2015

UK Set To Miss Nato Defence Spending Target
The UK is on course to fail to meet NATO #39;s recommended 2% of GDP defence spending target. Prime Minister Cameron has suggested including the costs of Britain #39;s intelligence services to boost...

By: RT UK

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UK Set To Miss Nato Defence Spending Target - Video

C-17A Globemaster III NATO Departure Gilze-Rijen
C-17A Globemaster III NATO, departure EHGR Runway 10 AW.139 PH-PXZ EC.135 PH-PXD. (Police / arrestatie team)

By: benbruch

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C-17A Globemaster III NATO Departure Gilze-Rijen - Video

Crown Watch: NATO Gets Bitch Slapped by Putin
Ras Reports *Enemy of Sin*

By: Ras Reports

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Crown Watch: NATO Gets Bitch Slapped by Putin - Video

Slovakia: #39;No NATO bases in Slovakia #39; - protesters gather outside Bratislava #39;s US embassy
Around 500 protesters gathered for an anti-NATO protest in Bratislava on Thursday. The crowds were addressed by former Prime Minister Jan Carnogursky, who said he "didn #39;t want NATO bases in...

By: RuptlyTV

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Slovakia: 'No NATO bases in Slovakia' - protesters gather outside Bratislava's US embassy - Video

David Cameron and Jens Stoltenberg meet at 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Nils Jorgensen/Rex

Natos secretary general has warned that increasing numbers of Russian wargames, with no prior warning, combined with the withering of regular military communications channels between the alliance and Moscow raises the danger of misunderstandings between the two sides escalating rapidly.

Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, voiced his concern a few days after Russia pulled out of a joint forum with Nato countries for discussing conventional arms control in Europe.

Since the Russian intervention in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, dialogue through the Nato Russia council, set up after the cold war, has been severely reduced, at a time of high tension and a faster tempo of military exercises by each side near to mutual borders.

There are more and more snap exercises with no prior notification, Stoltenberg told the Guardian during a visit to London. It is important we keep the channels for military communication open to have as much transparency as possible to avoid misunderstandings and to make sure that incidents dont spiral and get out of control.

Every nation has the right to conduct exercises, as long as they do it within their international obligations, the secretary general said. But the recent Russian practice of calling snap exercises is of serious concern. Sudden, unpredictable and surprise military maneuvers contribute to instability.

Russia has conducted about a dozen snap exercises over the past two years. Russias takeover of Crimea was done under the guise of a snap exercise. Nato has not conducted snap exercises since the end of the cold war.

Russia has dramatically increased the number of military flights over the Baltic region, leading to Natos stepping up air patrols over the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. On Thursday, it was reported that Russia had launched a new live fire wargame involving the Baltic fleet and paratroopers.

The increased number of snap exercises by the Russians, the increased military presence of Russian troops along Nato borders underlines the importance of having contact and transparency and predictability.

Stoltenberg said: We are doing what we can to make sure thats the case, but their withdrawal from the (conventional forces in Europe) is part of a broader picture. Part of the message we convey in our political dialogue is we would like to have more transparency and more predictability.

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Nato chief in warning over Russian wargames

We appreciate the leadership that the UK shows in the Alliance, and we count on leadership also in the future, Mr Stoltenberg said.

In the same press release, Nato said he would be meeting Michael Fallon to ensure important decisions from the Wales summit last year were being implemented.

A central outcome of the summit was a promise for all European allies to recommit to spending 2 per cent of their GDP on defence a long-standing obligation.

At the time the Prime Minister called on those countries below the mark to meet the obligation within a decade and signed a pledge saying Britain would aim to continue to hit the 2 per cent mark.

In a separate development, Mr Cameron appeared to admit the difficulty in justifying why a government should protect aid spending during austerity while not ring-fencing defence.

Pushed by the Financial Times on how the Prime Minister could say defence was more about deployability of forces than raw spending numbers while enshrining legal aid spending in law, Mr Cameron reportedly said: Its a fair point.

No 10 spokesperson said of the meeting between Mr Cameron and Mr Stoltenberg: The Prime Minister explained that the UK would continue to meet the 2 per cent target this financial year and next, but decisions beyond this would be made in the next Spending Review.

The Secretary General said he appreciated the UKs leadership within the Alliance and that the Government was using its defence spending to focus on investment in new capabilities."

Last month two former Nato heads warned that Mr Cameron will embolden Mr Putin and Islamic terrorists if he reneges on a commitment to spend two per cent of GDP on defence.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who left the post as Nato general secretary last year, and his predecessor Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said cutting defence after the election would strength Britains enemies.

Link:
Nato head tells David Cameron: We are counting on your leadership