NATO must be ready for long standoff with Russia - Stoltenberg

Photo: U.S. Secretary of Defense

BRUSSELS - NATO must be prepared for a long standoff with Russia beyond the immediate crisis triggered by President Vladimir Putin's year-old invasion of Ukraine, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg told AFP.

Moscow's war on its pro-Western neighbor has plunged Europe into its most dangerous crisis since World War II and pushed NATO into the biggest overhaul of its defenses since the Soviet Union collapsed.

"President Putin wants a different Europe, wants a Europe where he can control neighbors, where he can decide what countries can do," Stoltenberg, 63, said in an interview a week ahead of the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion.

"We need to be prepared for the long haul, this may last for many, many, many, many years."

The Norwegian head of the US-led alliance said he was wary of predicting how long the renewed face-off between Russia and the West would continue, because change can come suddenly.

"We saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, or we saw 9/11," he said.

NATO would, he said, "always look into where there are opportunities to again come into the situation where there is room for a better relationship, but with the current behavior of the Russian regime, the regime in Moscow, there's no way."

NATO members have not sent their own forces to Ukraine, and some Western officials fear that a direct military conflict could escalate into a nuclear war between the West and Russia.

But since the Russian tanks rolled in, tens of thousands more NATO troops have been deployed to the alliance's eastern flank and a string of European allies have ramped up defense spending.NATO members, spearheaded by the United States, have also sent weaponry worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine to help it fight back against Russia. Source: https://www.baltictimes.com/

Read More........ → February 27, 2023

Biden's meeting with Bucharest Nine is signal of political attention – Lithuanian PM

Photo: Office of the President of the United States

VILNIUS - US President Joe Biden's meeting with representatives of the Bucharest Nine, also attended by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, is an important signal of political and practical attention to NATO's eastern flank, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says.

"The meeting with the leaders of NATO's eastern flank countries is a very important signal. It has been mentioned many times over the years that the Article 5 guarantees are ironclad, they are very solid, but they have to be reinforced with a political dimension, with such political attention, and with a practical dimension, with the physical reinforcement of the eastern flank," Simonyte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday. "This invasion (…) has given NATO second wind."

As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, many of the Bucharest Nine countries are worried that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds in Ukraine, his next target could be any of these countries.

The Bucharest Nine includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

The US president concluded his four-day visit to NATO's eastern flank allies Ukraine and Poland on Wednesday. On Monday, several days before the 1st anniversary of Russia's invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and vowed a new arms package and strong American support.

"I think it's extremely symbolic that President Biden visited Kyiv at this particular time because there was a very clear message here," the Lithuanian prime minister noted.

Putin delivered his annual speech on Tuesday and accused Western countries of causing and supporting the war in Ukraine. He also rejected Moscow's any responsibility."Clearly, the real event was President Biden in Kyiv, not Putin's speech," Simonyte said. Source: https://media.baltictimes.com/

Read More........ → February 24, 2023

EU proposes 10th sanctions package against Russia

EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The European Commission proposed a tenth package of sanctions against Russia and Iranian drone suppliers, and banning Moscow from acquiring advanced technology, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

The proposed export bans worth over 11 billion euros (11.75 billion U.S. dollars) will target technological and industrial goods critical for the Russian economy that the country cannot get through backfilling by third countries, she said.

The ban covers electronics, specialized vehicles, machine parts, spare parts for trucks and jet engines, as well as goods for the construction sector that can be directed to Russia's military, such as antennas or cranes.

A ban on the export of dual-use and advanced tech goods to Russia is also part of the new sanctions package. The Commission proposes controls on 47 new electronic components that could be used in Russian weapons systems, as well as on specific rare earth materials and thermal cameras.

Adding these to the existing list of banned products should enable the European Union (EU) to block exports towards Russia of all tech products found on the battlefield. In order to prevent third countries from supplying such goods to Russia, the package targets Iran for the first time.

Next week, a Sanctions Coordinators Forum will bring together the EU member states and international partners, she said, in order to make sure that these sanctions are enforced in a coordinated way.The Commission's proposal requires unanimous approval by all EU member states. (1 euro = 1.07 U.S. dollar) Source: China.org.cn

Read More........ → February 16, 2023