‘Assertive’ Russia trying to intimidate Europe with nuclear presence, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation warns

Stoltenberg hopes to convene another NATO-Russia Council – the forum bringing together Grushko, Russia’s top diplomat to the alliance, and NATO envoys – in the next few weeks, diplomats say.

On Wednesday, the United Kingdom announced it would send tanks, planes and troops to Estonia and Romania as part of a huge boost in defence spending and military build-up along Russian borders. “[But] it hardly appears unaffordable, especially in comparison with the potential costs of failing to defend Nato’s most exposed and vulnerable allies-that is, of potentially inviting a devastating war, rather than deterring it”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks to be increasing military activity in Kaliningrad – the only part of Russia to have access to a non-frozen ocean all year round. Additionally, the Baltic states have large Russian-speaking populations which could be used to justify an intervention by Russia under the same logic as was used to justify the intervention in the Ukraine. The US has accused Russian Federation of fuelling the crisis in Syria and hurting civilians in air bombings.

Each of the alliance’s major powers is sending troops to bolster the defenses of the countries bordering Russian Federation, so while Germany is helping Lithuania, Poland will be protected by the US, Latvia to be manned by the Canadians, and Britain is to help reinforce Estonia. “Russia still enjoys military superiority in that area of about five-to-one”, he told DW. As shown in the report by the “AFP” the NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg says that it is up to Spain to make the decision as to whether to allow Russian Federation to refuel, but that they are concerned that doing so would only aid them in staging more attacks in Syria against civilians. “We have seen that in Georgia and we have seen it in Ukraine with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the continued destabilization of Eastern Ukraine”.

“What we are observing is Russian military practice that diverges widely from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation practice in scale, scope, content, purpose, and transparency”, NATO’s top military commander, U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti, told the ministers.

“In Russia all the talk is of a second Cold War, with active preparations for fighting a hot war if necessary”.

They will be led by the US, Britain, Canada and Germany.

Indeed, Sputnik International, the Russian government-controlled online news and radio service, quoted Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski as claiming that Russia was an “existential threat”, to Poland. “We will not mirror what Russian Federation is doing”, Stoltenberg said.

He also revealed that the United States soldiers will be under the tactical control of a Polish brigade.

“It is the overall picture, where we see a substantial increase in Russia’s capabilities at sea, in the air and on land; exercises with a more aggressive patterns”.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.

The US will lead the battalion going to Poland, along with a small number of British and Romanian soldiers. “This vector is becoming more and more long-term”. The American defense secretary emphasized that the United States would take additional steps to beef up its eastern presence as part of the $3.4 billion European Reassurance Initiative.