Daily Archives: April 21, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni of Italy at a news conference in the East Room at the White House, on April 20, 2017.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni promised to contribute more toward NATOs defense, responding to a pet peeve of President Donald Trump. Only not quickly.

The commitment has been made, Gentiloni said Thursday at the White House during a joint press conference with Trump as the two leaders held their first summit. We are used to respecting our commitments.

But, he added, this will be a gradual process given that Italy has certain limitations when it comes to its budget.

Trump has berated countries that fail to meet the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations guideline for each countrys defense budget -- 2 percent of gross domestic product. Italy spends about half that amount -- 1.1 percent of GDP in 2016, according to NATO estimates.

When a reporter at the press conference asked Gentiloni whether Italy would raise its defense spending to meet the threshold, Trump took the opportunity to needle the prime minister on the point.

I love the question you asked the prime minister, Trump responded. I look forward to his answer. Because Im going to ask him very soon.

Trumps demand for increased contributions from NATO allies has been a consistent theme, as a candidate and as president. While he at times also had called the military alliance obsolete he has since embraced it as a bulwark of collective defense.

During a speech Tuesday at a tool factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Trump said he had asked House Speaker Paul Ryan to deliver a message to NATO partners while hes in Europe this week.

Paul, youre over with NATO; get them to pay their bills, Trump said. They are really sort of letting us down in that one respect, and we dont want people taking advantage of the United States.

Only five of the alliances 28 member countries met the 2 percent threshold in 2016. However, total defense spending by NATO members grew an estimated 3.8 percent in 2016, after declining from 2009 to 2014.

Former President Barack Obama also criticized NATO members for not meeting their defense spending obligations, though he didnt go as far as Trump.

Trump is slated to travel to Brussels for a summit of leaders of NATO nations on May 25. He also plans to attend the Group of Seven annual gathering of leaders of major industrialized democracies in Italy next month.

The rest is here:
Italy's Gentiloni Vows to Meet Trump NATO Spending Demand Slowly - Bloomberg

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius says the recent NATO deployments to the Baltic region and elsewhere in Eastern Europe are a sign that the Western alliance will do anything to defend the security of member nations.

In an interview on April 20 with Current Time TV, Linkevicius also said Vilnius desires normal relations with Russia but that they should be based on "principles and values."

Linkevicius spoke to the Russian-language network, run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, as the 28-member alliance is bolstering its presence in the region to reassure member nations in the face of a renewed aggressive foreign policy by neighboring Russia.

Particularly worrisome is Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and its continued support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has also been accused of interfering in the affairs of countries looking to move closer to the NATO alliance.

NATO has deployed four battalions to Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, led by U.S., German, Canadian, and British troops and each with about 800 troops.

Linkevicius told Current Time TV that the level of threat from Russia against the Baltic states -- all NATO members and all former Soviet republics -- remains high.

"The situation has not really improved since [last year], he said.

Linkevicius denied the NATO deployments should be seen by Moscow as a threat, given their small size compared with the level of Russias forces in the region.

"If we compare figures, there are 300,000 servicemen in the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, plus the three more divisions whose deployment has been announced just recently," he said.

But Linkevicius said the NATO presence should be seen as a sign of its commitment to the regions security.

"The main thing is that we are not talking here about competition or escalation, he said.

What we are doing is meant to leave no doubts for anyone that the NATO alliance will do everything necessary to guarantee the security of its territories and population, the foreign minister said.

Linkevicius said there was a war of sorts already taking place in the region -- the so-called hybrid war of unconventional methods, including disinformation and fake news.

"This war already is taking place -- a cyberwar, an information war. In general, the understanding of security has been expanded," he said.

"Once, there were times when before a real fight, an artillery barrage took place.... This is no longer needed. It may be sufficient to use brainwashing to create the staging ground for [military] action.

I am deeply convinced that this is what happened in Crimea," Linkevicius said.

"A ban or some type of censorship are not solutions. It is necessary to set up alternative sources [of information] and to fight those tendencies directly, in a positive way," he said.

On relations with Russia, Linkevicius said there have been few contacts in recent times between Vilnius and Moscow.

"It has been a while since we have had any high-level meetings, he said. We do not think this is because of our position.

In the future, we do want to have relations like normal neighbors. But [relations] should be based on some principles and values, and this is very important."

Linkevicius noted that next month a Russian forum will be held in Lithuania where scholars, journalists, and political science experts will be invited.

Politicians will be there, too, he said. "We will talk about the future of Russia and of Russia in Europe and about freedom of speech.

And, by the way, we will be speaking in Russian."

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Lithuania FM Says NATO Deployment Shows Commitment - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

In a very direct-worded statement the foreign ministry says NATO is not needed in the Arctic.

We strongly believe that there are no problems in the Arctic region that require NATO participation to solve, let alone militarily, the statement reads.

NATOs Parliamentary Assembly consists of delegated from the 28 NATO member countries. The Assembly holds different activities bringing together members of parliaments in various formats.

In May, one meeting will take place at Svalbard. Norway has the sovereignty at Svalbard, but the Svalbard Treaty puts certain stipulations, like demilitarisation of the archipelago.

Article 9 prohibits naval bases and fortifications and also the use of Svalbard for war-like purposes.

Russia operates based on the premise that all the states that are party to the Spitsbergen [Svalbard] Treaty of 1920 should be interested in ensuring that Spitsbergen remains an archipelago of peace and neighbourliness, the foreign ministry says.

Moscow claims that the meeting is at odds with the spirit of the Svalbard Treaty.

In the context of NATOs current policy of containing Russia, accompanied by unprecedented military preparations near the border of our country, the attempts to bring Spitsbergen under the wing of this military-political bloc and to hold its meetings there are at odds with the spirit of the 1920 Treaty. We consider this to be a provocative policy.

One thing is the location of the meeting; another thing Moscow reacts on is the items to be discussed the agenda of the seminar includes, among other things, discussing how geopolitics and future of the Arctic are interconnected.

The escalation of tension is not in the long-term interests of the countries of Northern Europe and weakens, rather than strengthens, their security.

Moscows statement comes just ahead of the Norwegian Governments presentation of its renewed Strategy of the High North, to be made public in Bod on Friday by Prime Minister Erna Solberg together with Foreign Minister Brge Brende.

Norway, Russia tension over Svalbard has escalated in recent years after Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin made a stop-over at Svalbard in 2015 on his way to Camp Barneo, an annual Russian temporary base on the sea-ice near the North Pole. The visitcreated an outcry from Norway. Rogozin is on the EUs and Norways sanction list because of conflict involvement in Eastern Ukraine, and is consequently barred entry to Norwegian territory. Svalbard, however, is visa-free zone and Moscow protested Norways attempt to restrict any Russian citizens an undisputed right to visit the archipelago.

Last year, Chechen Special Forces used Longyearbyen airport for transportation of personnel and equipment for an airborne drill near Camp Barneo.

Cargo and other personnel were brought to Camp Barneo by a Russian plane from Longyearbyen. The Chechen delegation was lead by Ramzan Kadyrovs aide on law enforcement issues Daniil Martynov.

The Norwegian Government in itsWhite paper on Svalbardexplains that All foreign military activity in Svalbard is prohibited and would entail a gross infringement of sovereignty.

Next months meeting on Svalbard is, however, not the first time a delegation from NATOs Parliamentary Assembly visits Svalbard. In May 2012, 26 NATO parliamentarians spent four days on the archipelago to learn more about how strategic changes are affecting the Arctic region.

The visit to this Arctic Archipelago provided a unique opportunity for the parliamentarians to meet with Norwegian and international experts working on a wide range of Arctic challenges, the parliamentarians reported after the tour.

The NATO meeting this spring now triggers widespread coverage in Russian media.

Analysing the meeting, RIA Novosti commentator Aleksandr Khrolenko points to historic Russian population on Svalbard these islands were populated by Russian Pomor settles, he writes in a text that in-between the lines questions Norways historic rights. Since the Russian settlers, according to a 1569 map, were on the archipelago, it has been controlled by the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, Sweden and finally, independent Norway.

RIA Novosti is a news agency operating under the purview of the Russian Ministry of Communications and Mass Media. Under a presidential decree signed by Putin in December 2013, the news agency became a part of Rossiya Segodnya. According to the decree, the mandate of Rossiya Segodnya is to Provide information on Russian state policy and Russian life and society for audiences abroad.

Sputnik News, another arm of Rossiya Segodnya, on Thursday publishedan English version of the statements questioning Norways historic rights over Svalbard.

Further northeast of Svalbard in the Barents Sea is Russias Franz Josef Land. Here, the worlds northernmost military complex was recently opened at the Nagurskoye base on Aleksandra Island. Visited by President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Minister of Defense Sergei Shoygu last month, the complex provide living and working conditions for up to 150 soldiers. A nearby military airfield is upgraded.

When construction work at the base started in 2014, Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu said one of the prioritized areas for the military is development of military infrastructure in the Arctic.

A constant military presence in the Arctic and a possibility to protect the states interest by military means are regarded as an integral part of the general policy to guarantee national security, Shoygu said as previously reported by theBarents Observer.

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Moscow says NATO meeting on Svalbard is a provocation - The Independent Barents Observer

British defence secretary Michael Fallon went on a visit to Estonia on Thursday to mark the deployment of 800 British troops on Russias doorstep.

The move is part of a NATO effort to deter Russia from interfering in the Baltic states like it did in Ukraine when it annexed Crimea. The transatlantic alliance has been building up its military presence in the region and in Poland.

We are sending the strongest of signals that we stick by our friends and we stand united in the face of aggression, Fallon said.

Fallon took advantage of the visit to take a swipe at Jeremy Corbyn, calling the Labour leader feeble and gutless on defence.

Meanwhile Romania said it plans to buy Patriot missiles from the US to help protect its airspace, just as hundreds of Romanian and US troops braved the blizzard and tested their tanks and aircraft in a display of their military forces.

NATO commanders say deterrence is key.

This is all about defending the alliance, it is not about being aggressive towards anyone, said Major General John L Gronsky, deputy commanding general for the National Guard:

Russia has criticised NATOs military buildup as an agression on its borders. Earlier this week, it reportedly deployed more than 10 of its warships in the Baltic Sea, to fire missiles as part of a training exercise off the coast of Kaliningrad.

Read this article:
NATO builds up military forces in Baltic region - euronews

CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. (AFNS) --

Todays fight against terrorism doesnt rest on the shoulders of one country. Its a team fight, meaning countries must be interoperable to effectively defeat that threat.

To better support the team, members of the German air forces Air Ground Operations Squadron partnered with the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron to conduct a close air support exercise, April 10-14, 2017, at Camp Grayling, Michigan.

With everything happening in the Middle East and across the globe, like (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) trying to fight their way into the European area, it provides a legitimate reason as to why we should all get together and become as strong as we can through joint training, said Master Sgt. Thomas Jenn, the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron division flight chief.

This training is relevant because nearly every operation the U.S. engages in, such as Operation Inherent Resolve, is a joint effort.

NATO is fighting together as a coalition, said Maj. Nader Samadi, the German AGOS commander. We do everything together, whether its U.S. or other NATO partners, the standards are the same. We try to work the same ways so were interoperable, and thats the best thing.

Samadi explained that currently, air-to-air dogfights between aircraft are far less common than air-to-ground strikes or ground-to-ground skirmishes. This makes Tactical Air Control Parties consisting of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers a crucial piece of the battle puzzle.

Nobody really knows what the JTAC is doing but everybody wants to have them, said Samadi. Its really important because we dont want civilian casualties. So NATO forces send us JTACs on site to find out the best way to conduct what we call surgical strikes, where we have civilian collateral damage concerns. Its really important that somebody is there to liaise between the boots on the ground and the air guys. Thats our job, being the liaison and bringing in the biggest weapons.

With bigger weapons come greater stakes. While the JTACs are attached to ground units, they must be precise with their directions and clear on the radio to effectively put bombs on target.

Its extremely unique, said Jenn. The TACP and JTAC capability is a lot like a language translator. Two very distinctive branches from the same country speak, think and act differently, so we are that in-between. We can speak Army to the Air Force, and Air Force to the Army.

As brokers of airpower, being able to convey the ground commanders intent to the Airmen in the cockpit allows an effective joint effort against the enemy, while also mitigating the potential for error.

The worst things could go wrong if we cant understand each other, said Samadi. If we didnt train together or have these opportunities, we cannot set the standards. Im saying look left there is a tree, and (the pilot) is hearing that theres three to his left. So we have to work together as much as possible to get our synergies, wording and brevity on the same page. If we dont have that, things can go bad and you hit wrong targets, and then you could have civilian casualties.

The week of close air support missions, briefings, learning moments and creating bonds allowed almost everyone to walk away being more efficient and more confident in their job.

Seeing a scenario that is closely mirroring whats happening overseas right now and seeing some of the tactical problems that we throw at these guys, it makes them think, said Jenn. Its a chance to make mistakes without any negative repercussions. Thats probably one of the best things about it. Not only does the training environment allow error and correction, but it also allows a bond to grow between the NATO allies. Probably one of my favorite parts is getting to work with all the different coalition partners, said 1st Lt. Megan Cox, the 19th ASOS air liaison officer. Just learning about their culture and the way they work, were able to just relate to them better. It really strengthens the relationship when youre working with them downrange.

See the article here:
NATO partners conduct close air support exercise - Air Force Link

Reason (blog)

Trump to meet with Erdogan ahead of NATO summit New York Post Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the two leaders would meet in May ahead of a NATO summit. Cavusoglu says he and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will finalize the date according to the two presidents' schedules. Trump's Congratulatory Call to Erdogan Is Bad; His and NATO's Lack of Urgency on Turkey's Authoritarianism Is Even ...Reason (blog) Trump to Meet Turkey's Erdogan Ahead of NATO Summit in MayHaaretz Donald Trump to meet Turkey's Erdogan in May before NATO summitLivemint Daily Pakistan all 3,545 news articles »

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Trump to meet with Erdogan ahead of NATO summit - New York Post

The Social Democrat politician visited the island of Gotland this week to inspect the countrys military forces which were deployed in September last year.

Army bosses ordered 150 soldiers and tanks to the southern island off the Swedish coast urgently after Russia reportedly made a serious threat to national security.

Speaking to Aftonbladet, Mr Lfven said: We want to send a signal to anyone who is thinking about attacking our territories that it will be a painful [affair].

We are determined to defend Swedish territory, that includes defending Gotland island. That is why we are strengthening our defence capability.

AFTONBLADET

Swedish military has carried out a series of drills since September with anti-ship missiles to ward off any potential aggression towards them.

NATO and Sweden actively cooperate in peace and security operations, with Sweden joining NATOs Partnership for Peace in 1994.

Backing up the Swedish PMs statement, defence minister Peter Hultqvist said their military presence on the island sent a strong message.

He said: What we are doing in Gotland, and that we are allocating extra money in the spring budget, is a clear signal that Sweden has an ambition of defending the island.

We recognise Gotland has a strategic value and that whoever is in control of the island also has control over the sea and airways in relation to the Baltics. Gotland is also important for Finland and the Swedish mainland.

We are determined to defend Swedish territory, that includes defending Gotland island

Stefan Lfven

Swedens coastal defences were disbanded in 2000, but as global tensions are increasing yet again it was decided the Nordic nation needed to bolster up its border defences to ward off potential enemies of the state.

Late last year footage emerged to Swedish armed forces carrying out drills with SaabRobotsystem15 (RBS-15) anti-ship missiles.

The artillery was brought out of retirement along with several Scania trucks, after being kept on display at a local museum since the end of the Cold War.

Mr Hultqvist said: "It is extremely good that we have land-based coastal missile systems back in our national defence.

Getty Images

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Every member country, no matter how large or small, has an equal say in discussions and decisions. Photo shows: Signing the North Atlantic Treaty which marked the beginning of NATO, 1949.

"It means that we can shoot anti-ship missiles from land overgreatdistance.

"It provides increased flexibility and capability in marine warfare. It increases military capability, and that's something we need.

The decision to strengthen Swedens military capability came after Nato last year uncovered the Russian military had conducted a nuclear strike against Sweden during a series of war games.

In a Nato report for 2015, Russian jets, during a dummy nuclear attack, approached Swedish airspace and conducted the mock strike.

As Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general ofNato,disclosed the disturbing information, leaked documents from army chief Anders Brannstrom before a meeting with Swedish defence management said war with Russia could hit the country in a few years.

The report claimed Sweden should be ready for armed battle against a qualified opponent after morethan200 years of peace.

Mr Brannstrom said: "The security situation we are currently experiencing leads me to the conclusion that in the course of a few years we might be at war."

The rest is here:
Sweden's WAR MESSAGE to Putin: Nato partner bolsters army in latest warning to Russia - Express.co.uk

Speaker Paul RyanPaul RyanObamaCare replacement deal hits major speed bumps Poll: Dems have enthusiasm edge for 2018 Speaker Ryan must step up for Puerto Rico MORE (R-Wis.) praised the enduring alliance between the United States andUnited KingdomWednesday while calling on Britain to help combat Russian aggression through NATO, which he deemed essential.

So lets be clear: The actions of Russia are not the actions of a friend, Ryan said at the U.K. think tank Policy Exchange in London.

Ryan said his delegation recently visited other NATO states and stressed that the security organization is vital to their international security interests.

Please let there be no ambiguity here: NATO is essential. It has been and remains critical to the safety and security of the United States, Great Britain, and the world, Ryan said.

Ryan made the comments a week after President Trump drastically shifted his stance on NATO, saying he no longer thinks the organization is obsolete.

As Trump has done, Ryan urged NATO members to increase their defense funding.

"Member states should follow the lead of the U.S., U.K., Poland, Estonia, and Greece and contribute 2 percent of their GDP to defense spending. And we should enhance our lines of communication to ensure NATO countries receive the most timely, actionable information possible."

In the 28-member group, the U.S. is one of just five countries spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.

Ryan praised Trumps decision to order a missile strike on a Syrian air base where, officials say, President Bashar Assad organized a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians.

The strikes ordered by President Trump were appropriate and just. They demonstrate our resolve and refusal to stand on the sidelines as Assad slaughters his people and their children with the cruelest weapons known to man. You understand, as we do, that preventing the use of chemical weapons is a vital national security interest.

"So we must continue to work together the United States, Great Britain, and all of our allies to finally end this nightmare, Ryan said.

Ryan said Assads backers such as Iran and Russia must also be held accountable.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with Trump during a press conference last week to discuss the military alliance.

The rest is here:
Speaker Ryan in London: 'NATO is essential' - The Hill

President Donald Trump's claim Tuesday that he's accomplished more than anyone at this point of a presidency flies in the face of history.

A look at a few of his statements at a Wisconsin tool company and an earlier interview with Fox:

Trump : "No administration has accomplished more in the first 90 days." At Snap-on headquarters, Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Facts : Trump's legislative victories are minor , surpassed by those of a variety of high achievers in the White House. The concept of a president's first 100 days (a benchmark Trump reaches next week) started with Franklin Roosevelt, because he got so much done.

Taking office in the Great Depression, Roosevelt quickly declared a banking holiday to quiet panic, called a special session of Congress and won passage of emergency legislation to stabilize the banking system. He came forward with a flurry of consequential legislation that set the pillars of the New Deal in place within his first 100 days, "the most concentrated period of U.S. reform in U.S. history," say Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer in The Reader's Companion to the American Presidency . No fewer than 14 historic laws were enacted in that time.

Trump's big agenda items, like his promised tax overhaul and infrastructure plan, have yet to reach Congress. His attempt to secure the borders from people from terrorism-prone regions is so far blocked by courts. And his first attempt to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's health care law failed in Congress.

Trump needn't look as far back as FDR to see a president who got off to a consequential start. Obama signed a $787 billion stimulus package into law in his first month, while also achieving a law expanding health care for children and the Lilly Ledbetter bill on equal pay for women in that time.

Like FDR, Obama came to office in an economic crisis, the worst since the Depression. Lawmakers from both parties were inclined to act quickly and did, even as they fought over the details of the big stimulus package that defined Obama's early days.

Trump : "I didn't soften my stance" on China. "Nobody's ever seen such a positive response on our behalf from China, and then the fake media goes 'Donald Trump has changed his stance on China.' I haven't changed my stance. China's trying to help us." Fox interview.

The Facts : It's hard to imagine a clearer switch in positions than the president's abandonment of his campaign pledge to declare China a currency manipulator, a move that would have set the stage for trade penalties. China had once devalued its currency to make its exports artificially cheaper, crowding out other countries' products, but in recent years has let market forces do more to shape currency exchange rates. Even as Trump railed against Chinese currency manipulation in the presidential campaign, there already were signs that China was taking steps to keep the value of the yuan from sinking further against the dollar.

Trump didn't let go of his accusation easily. As recently as April 2 he told The Financial Times that the Chinese are "world champions" of currency manipulation.

Trump , speaking about fellow NATO members, says he wants to "make sure these countries start paying their bills a little bit more; you know, they're way, way behind." Remarks in Kenosha.

The Facts : That's an oversimplification of NATO financial obligations. NATO members are not in arrears on payments. They committed in 2014 to ensuring that by 2024, they would be spending 2% of their gross domestic product on their military budgets. Most NATO countries are spending less than that now, and Washington is putting pressure on them to do more.

In any event, the commitment is for these nations to spend more on their own military capabilities, which would strengthen the alliance, not to hand over money.

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Fact Checking President Trump's Statements on China, NATO and His First 90 Days - Fortune