Lavrov speaks out against NATO at UN

August 1, 2018 - Turkish, NATO top generals meet in Ankara
Turkish, NATO top generals meet in Ankara

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Turkish Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler (R) meets commander of United States European Command Curtis Michael Scaparrotti (L) in Ankara, Turkey on August 1, 2018. ( General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces / Handout - Anadolu Agency )

Turkish Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler and Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti discuss latest development in Syria and Iraq, NATO.

ANKARA - Turkey's military chief met NATO's top officer in Europe on Wednesday in the Turkish capital.

Gen. Yasar Guler, Turkey's Chief of General Staff, and Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, discussed the latest developments in both Syria and Iraq at General Staff headquarters in Ankara, said a statement by the military.

They also exchanged ideas about the NATO alliance, it added.
 
01.08.2018 - US Senators Privately Assured NATO Members of Support for Alliance - Reports
US Senators Privately Assured NATO Members of Support for Alliance - Reports

The US president has expressed skepticism regarding NATO’s usefulness on multiple occasions and has even reportedly threatened to leave the bloc unless other members start spending more on their defense.

A bipartisan group of US senators has organized a private meeting with a group of representatives from NATO member-states and European countries in order to assure them of the Senate's commitment to the Atlantic Alliance, the AP reported.

Democratic Senator Richard Durbin said in an interview with the AP that President Donald Trump's name "never came up" during the consultations, but noted that all participants had taken him into consideration as one of the factors. He added that Trump's policy and statements towards NATO was one of the reasons for the meeting.

"Everyone knows he's the big actor in the room. And the purpose of this meeting was to overcome some of things he has said and done that raised questions about the future of NATO," Durbin said.

According to the news outlet, Republican Senator Richard Shelby said that the organizers of the event wanted to let participants know that the US Senate is "committed to NATO" and wants them to be as well.

Representatives of nine countries were present at the meeting, the AP reported. One of the attendees, Polish Ambassador to the US Piotr Wilczek, expressed gratitude for the Senate's support, but noted that its position might differ from that of the presidential administration. He expressed hope, in an interview with the news outlet, that the White House would join the upper house of the Congress in reassuring US allies of Washington's support.

Trump has criticized NATO on multiple occasions, blaming member-states for not contributing enough and not reaching the targeted spending of 2% of GDP, which is required by the alliance's agreements. After the recent NATO summit in Brussels, where Trump had reportedly threatened to abandon the alliance in the closed-door meeting, member-states announced that they would reach the target and negotiated deadlines for doing so.
 
NATO is planning to build its first air base in the Western Balkans near the municipality of Kucove in central Albania, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday.

04.08.2018 - NATO to Build 1st Air Base in Western Balkans in Albania - Prime Minister
NATO to Build 1st Air Base in Western Balkans in Albania - Prime Minister

"The North Atlantic Council approved the decision to build the first air base in the Western Balkans in Albania. In partnership with the Albanian government, NATO will invest over 50 million euros (some $58 million), and this is only for the first stage of modernization of the air base in Kucove," Rama said on Facebook.

The Albanian minister noted that the implementation of the project should start during the year. The air base will serve Albania's air forces, provide logistics support, training exercises and support NATO supply operations.

Albania entered NATO's Partnership for Peace in 1994 and joined the alliance in 2009.


(Note: Albania is acting - just as stupid as Poland - in bowing down to the US and NATO?)


04.08.2018 - Why is Poland Hosting a US Military Base 'Not the Best' Option?
Why is Poland Hosting a US Military Base 'Not the Best' Option?

With Warsaw considering permitting the establishment of a US military base which the country's Defense Ministry sees as a "message to Russia," Polish political scientist Andrzej Zapalowski told Sputnik that the move is unlikely to add to the maintenance of security in Poland.

Zapalowski, who is also author of the book "Poland's Security in the West's Geopolitical Game with Russia," pointed out that "if Warsaw needs a new division, it should be created within the Polish army." And if the US wants to help us, why don't they provide us with military equipment?" Zapalowski said, adding that the deployment of any foreign military base on Polish territory does not imply any security guarantees for Warsaw.

He warned that it is foreign bases in Poland that "may under any pretext become a reason for various actions from someone else."

Yes, I agree that the creation of large US [military] bases in Poland will not be the best solution. Poland must rely on its own military potential, which should be used for interacting with our allies," Zapalowski underlines.

In this vein, he underscored the necessity of Warsaw developing better relations with Russia, which he said could add to a more stable Europe.

I am deeply convinced that our countries do not need conflicts in the part of Europe where we are located. We do not want tension and the destabilization of society to arise near our state borders," Zapalowski said, referring to "more threats emanating from Asia, the Middle East and Africa."

Earlier, the Polish Defense Ministry said that Warsaw is ready to pay up to two billion dollars for the deployment of a permanent US military base in Poland, which will include "an armored division."

The Russian President's spokesman Dmitry Peskov underlined in this context that Poland had a sovereign right to establish a US military base on its territory, but that Moscow, in turn, was ready to respond in kind to the NATO's infrastructure expansion.

Retired three-star US Army General Ben Hodges, for his part, wrote in Politico that "many of our allies would see the establishment of a US military base in Poland — or anywhere else in Central or Eastern Europe — as unnecessarily provocative."

It would give Moscow an easy opportunity to claim that NATO is an aggressor and to somehow respond to protect Russian sovereignty," he noted.

NATO has been significantly increasing its presence in Eastern Europe in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 using alleged Russian interference in the Ukrainian internal affairs as a pretext.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced its protests against NATO's eastward expansion, saying that the move will undermine regional stability and result in a new arms race.
 
Sat Aug 04, 2018 - Moscow: NATO Drills in Georgia Aimed at Exerting Pressure over Russia
Farsnews

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that the NATO drills in Georgia are supported by militarist sentiments and are aimed at exerting pressure over Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"We cannot agree with the statements of the Georgian Defense Ministry that these drills are aimed at providing security in the Black Sea region. Stability and security mean constructive dialogue, not helicopters and tanks," Zakharova noted, TASS reported.

"It is clear that their current task is to project power pressure, chiefly over South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia." These exercises result in "bolstering military sentiments and the escalation of tensions," she said.

Moscow regrets that "Georgia’s neighbor countries were involved in these drills at various pretexts".

The joint drills of the 13 members and partners of NATO dubbed Noble Partner 2018 kicked off on August 1 at the Vaziani Military Base in Georgia. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, more than 3,000 servicemen are taking part in these maneuvers. The scenario includes headquarters and field drills, field firing and the interaction between maneuver and combat elements.
 
NATO should not accept Georgia as its member because it might lead to a military conflict since Moscow recognizes the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Tbilisi considers its territory, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.

07.08.2018 - Russian Prime Minister Warns NATO Against Accepting Georgia
Russian Prime Minister Warns NATO Against Accepting Georgia

The prime minister recalled NATO’s recent statement that Georgia would become the alliance’s member.

"It is an absolutely irresponsible position. It is just a threat to peace. This can undoubtedly lead to a potential conflict because we consider Abkhazia and South Ossetia independent states. We have friendly relations with these states. Our military bases are located there," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's Kommersant newspaper.

The Russian prime minister noted that NATO’s decision to accept Georgia might lead to very grave consequences.

"That is why I hope that NATO’s leadership will be smart enough not to make any moves in this direction," Medvedev noted.

Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of the beginning of a military conflict between Moscow and Georgia, after which Russia formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both republics proclaimed their independence from Georgia back in the early 1990s.

The Prime Minister also said that Russia would welcome the restoration of diplomatic ties with Georgia if Tbilisi shows readiness to do so.

"We are ready to build relations with the new [Georgian] leadership… If our Georgian colleagues are ready to do this, we will not object," Medvedev said.

Georgia cut diplomatic ties with Russia in 2008.


Back-dated 18.03.2018 - Georgian PM May Face Resignation After Call to Mend Ties With Russia - Reports
Georgian PM May Face Resignation After Call to Mend Ties With Russia - Reports

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who publicly appealed to Russia to improve bilateral relations, may face resignation soon, the Rustavi 2 broadcaster reported on Sunday.

After the statement was published, Kvirikashvili's resignation has been actively discussed by Georgian leadership, as even in his team there was a large number of politicians who opposed the initiative, the broadcaster reported, citing its sources familiar with the situation.

According to the broadcaster, the decision about Kvirikashvili's resignation is to be taken by the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Apart from the prime minister, Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Finance Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze are also expected to leave their positions which may be taken by relatives of Ivanishvili, the broadcaster added.

On March 9, the prime minister issued a statement calling on Moscow to take mutual steps to improve bilateral relations, which have been severed since the August 2008 conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Kvirikashvili’s statement.

In August 2008, Georgia cut diplomatic relations with Russia in response to Moscow's recognition of the independence of breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The dialogue between Russia and Georgia is currently maintained within the framework of the Geneva International Discussions launched in October 2008. The talks remain the only platform for the representatives of Russia, Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia to discuss security, humanitarian, transport, economic and cultural issues.

The new Georgian government, which came to power in 2012, has set the normalization of relations with Russia as one of its priorities. Since 2014 regular meetings dedicated to the bilateral relations have been held between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and Georgian Prime Minister's special representative Zurab Abashidze.
 
NATO views Russia as potential adversary, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, adding that as the alliance's military capability, including nuclear triad, was targeting Russia.

07.08.2018 - NATO Military Capability Including Nuclear Triad Targeting Russia - PM Medvedev
NATO Military Capability Including Nuclear Triad Targeting Russia - PM Medvedev

"Whatever our colleagues from the alliance say, NATO countries still regard Russia as potential adversary. And it is quite obvious that their military capability, including the nuclear triad, is targeting Russia," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's Kommersant newspaper.

This also concerns NATO’s non-nuclear weapons and tactical nuclear forces, which start playing the role of strategic weapons once they are deployed close to Russia’s borders, Medvedev pointed out.

Such capabilities can cause "colossal" damage, Medvedev added, noting the Russia should understand how to confront these forces.

Dmitry Medvedev noted however, that Russia would be ready to cooperate with the United States if Washington displays its willingness to resume relations with Moscow.

The door is still open. Especially bearing in mind that it was not us who started sanctions campaign, various restrictions, expulsion of diplomats, imposition of economic measures… It [the United States] could make a move that would show that it wants to resume relations. We are ready for this," Medvedev said.

Russian Prime Minister also said that the initiative to sign the European Security Treaty can always be revived but political will is needed.

"Everything can be revived but the will is needed," Medvedev said answering a question concerning the European Security Treaty initiative.

In June 2008, Medvedev, who served as the Russian president back then, proposed to develop a new European security agreement between Russia, the European Union, NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The treaty still has not been signed.


05.08.2018 - Russian Envoy Suggests NATO Prevents Allies From Urging UK to Probe Skripal Case
Russian Envoy Suggests NATO Prevents Allies From Urging UK to Probe Skripal Case

The discipline of NATO does not let the alliance’s members to strongly pressure London to release proof on Salisbury incident which would back its accusations against Moscow, Russian Ambassador the United Kingdom Alexander Yakovenko said.

We met specifically with representatives of most countries here in London and all of them told us that the Brits did not provide any evidence to their allies to defend their theses. In Germany, I think, the issue of where the evidence is was raised really hard. But, unfortunately, the block discipline within NATO does not allow colleagues to strongly pressure the United Kingdom,” Yakovenko told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster late on Saturday.

Alexander Yakovenko also said on Saturday that only few countries outside the so-called Western bloc believe in the United Kingdom's interpretation of events in Salisbury in March.

"Every fortnight I gather ambassadors of all countries and brief them on the case. And I must say that, of course, outside the so-called Western bloc, which is comprised of 35 countries, few believe in the UK version," Yakovenko said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
 
Two NATO allies have become uncommon bedfellows in the hunt for “Russian aggression” lurking in the northern Atlantic. The latest developments have spurred both nations’ parliaments in a defense budget frenzy not seen since the infamous October 1981 “Whiskey on the Rocks” incident at Karlskrona, Sweden.

07.08.2018 - War is Peace: NATO Allies Join Forces to Counter Underwater Russian Bogeymen
War is Peace: NATO Allies Join Forces to Counter Underwater Russian Bogeymen

The United Kingdom and Norway have reached out to the US Pentagon in order to fulfill mandatory budget expenditures as required by NATO; this time by splashing some extra cash on new aircraft.

UK prime minister Theresa May confirmed on Monday that her government ordered nine Boeing P-8A Poseidons, also known as “sub-hunters”. Norway has ordered five and will operate them from Lossiemouth Royal Air Force base in northeast Scotland.

The P-8 is designed for conducting anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance, surveillance and other forms of intelligence gathering.

UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson rallied parliamentarians to “wake up” to Russian threats and, with a high degree of confidence, asserted that alleged submarine activity in the Atlantic “shows the increasing aggression and increasing assertiveness of Russia,” the Express reported.

Recently appointed UK Defence Minister Guto Bebb and Norwegian Ministry of Defence State Secretary Tone Skogen had a fireside chat aboard one of the P-8s last May to discuss how their two countries could deepen cooperation on the high seas. This included upgrading military equipment with expensive American hardware and coordinating defense strategies in the north Atlantic.

"Norway and the UK are natural partners given our shared values, as well as our history and geography. [We] can even further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation related to high-end capabilities such as the F-35 fighter and the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft," she remarked in a May 3rd statement.

The US, UK and Norway officially inked the trilateral deal June 28th, where all parties agreed to increase interoperability and combat readiness in the face of “threats”.

"Today, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States signed a statement of intent to lay out guiding principles for a trilateral partnership with P-8A aircraft to address the changing security environment in the North Atlantic," the statement said.

Looking deeper, the matters are much less clearer, and there are more noteworthy reasons why the UK, US, and Norway have opted to increase patrols in the North Atlantic.

A House of Commons report reveals that, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmdfence/387/387.pdf

“One of the reasons for the proposed new Atlantic Joint Force Command is the significant increase in Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic. Securing [it] is important, both for supplying troops and heavy equipment from North America, and for protecting sea lines of communication."

The report also cites Oxford Research Group, who mentioned that, “’the decline of British anti-submarine capabilities and the ability [to] patrol the North Atlantic” needed to be redressed given the Russian Navy’s comparative advantage in submarine construction and warfare.”

The document segues into another salient point, where three analysts “mentioned US perceptions of a decline in UK defense capability, partly as a result of questions about UK shortfalls and the debate about defense spending.”

This followed a March 3 Defense Committee inquiry into the UK’s military capabilities, witnessed by former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland and former NATO Parliamentary Assembly president Congressman Michael Turner.

US president Donald Trump also stressed the importance NATO countries contribute 2% of their GDP to the defense bloc, after writing a letter to Norwegian foreign minister Erna Solberg, published June 26.

The Defense Committee’s Modernising Defence Programme (MDP) page has also reiterated support for NATO objectives, and has placed Russia front and centre of the melodrama, stating that,

“Russia is central to the discussion of resurgent state-based threats. The 2015 SDSR described Russia as having become more “aggressive, authoritarian and nationalist”. The NSCR, which was published shortly after the Salisbury nerve agent attack, is more direct in describing “a well-established pattern of Russian State aggression.”

The document continues, boldy asserting that “Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea alongside its fomentation of conflict in other regions around its borders, its involvement in supporting the Assad regime in Syria, its repeated violations of the airspace of its neighbours and a sustained campaign of cyber espionage and disruption, which has included attempts at subverting democratic elections in other states.”

The page even segues into attacking China, offering conclusions on Beijing’s military ambitions,

“An omission of note in the NSCR is the lack of discussion about future challenges which might be posed by China. The United States has said in its recent National Security and National Defence Strategies that China is a revisionist power on a par with Russia and is seeking to build up its military, diplomatic and economic influence to achieve regional hegemony and, in the longer term, global pre-eminence.”

The MDP follows an initial 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) assessment highlighting similar threats.

Many in Norway’s intelligentsia feel that these measures have become counterproductive, with several opposition lawmakers slamming their government’s hostile procurements. Norway has traditionally abstained from military aggression and has remained neutral in times of world war.

Social Left Party leader Audun Lysbakken lambasted his country’s militarisation, expressing that,

"It is sad that the government believes it is in Norway's interest to say yes to whatever the US is asking for. The goal for Norwegian security policy must be the lowest possible tension in the North. A clear presence of strong national defense contributes to lower tension, while more American soldiers may, on the contrary, increase the tension," he stated.
 
Wed Aug 08, 2018 - NATO Fighter Jet ‘Accidentally’ Fires Live Missile Near Russian Border
Farsnews

Spanish warplanes taking part in a NATO Air policing mission over Estonia have been temporarily suspended from completing their duties, after one of the pilots erroneously fired an armed missile during a training flight.

A group of two Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 jets and two French Mirage 2000 jets were taking part in a training exercise over Southwestern Estonia on Tuesday when one of the Spanish planes accidentally launched an air-to-air missile, the Spanish Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that the projectile “did not hit any aircraft”, RT reported.

All the jets then safely returned to their Saiuliai air base in Lithuania, the ministry said, adding that it has opened an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Estonian authorities decided to ban the Spanish aircraft from taking part in the air policing missions over its territory for a while.

“I have ordered a suspension of all military sorties [by the Spanish jets] until the situation is resolved,” the Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik said, as cited by the national ERR broadcaster. He added that “the NATO air mission will continue, though”. ERR reports that the Portuguese Air Force will take Spain’s place as part of the mission for the time being.

“The most important thing is to ensure safety and find out what happened, together with our allies,” Luik stated, commenting on his decision. The missile fired by the jet should have self-destructed but apparently failed to do so.

The projectile in question is an AMRAAM-type air-to-air missile with a firing range of 100 kilometers that carries a warhead fitted with explosives of up to 10 kilograms. It was last located some 40 kilometers North of Estonia’s city of Tartu, where it might have landed on the ground, according to Estonian media.

The Estonian Air Force launched a search operation on Tuesday evening. The authorities also asked the locals to be wary and notify the military or the emergency services in case they find the missile or its parts.

The Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas called the incident “horrible” and “regrettable”. However, he nevertheless praised the NATO mission as a “very important and necessary part of ensuring Estonia’s security”.
 
NATO's interference into Russian Politics?

10.08.2018 - Moscow Decries 'Russia Without Putin' Conference as Meddling in Internal Affairs
Moscow Decries 'Russia Without Putin' Conference as Meddling in Internal Affairs

The Russian Embassy to Lithuania on Friday denounced an upcoming conference in Vilnius, which will discuss prospects of Russia under a new leadership, as another act of the Baltic state’s interference in Russia's internal affairs.

"We had to note that Vilnius persistently … continues openly interfering in Russia’s internal affairs, including through attempts to impact the path of our country’s future development," the embassy said in a published statement.

The embassy recalled that it was only up to Russian citizens, without any tips from external powers, to determine the future of their country, including through presidential elections.

Fringe and unrealistic discussions, with the participation of Russian 'dissidents', will hardly impact the choice of our people," the embassy stressed.

The statement refers to an international conference, which is set to be hosted by Vilnius on August 22 and will focus on European and transatlantic stability. The annual event, led by former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, will bring together politicians and experts from NATO countries, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and representatives of Russian opposition. According to local media, the participants will discuss prospects of "Russia without [President Vladimir] Putin," the embassy noted.

Along with regular rhetoric on an alleged Russian threat, Vilnius often hosts gatherings of Russian non-parliamentary opposition. In April, for example, the country hosted the Free Russia Forum, a move which was similarly denounced by the Russian Embassy as an act of interference.
 
Wed Aug 08, 2018 - NATO Fighter Jet ‘Accidentally’ Fires Live Missile Near Russian Border
Farsnews

Spanish warplanes taking part in a NATO Air policing mission over Estonia have been temporarily suspended from completing their duties, after one of the pilots erroneously fired an armed missile during a training flight.

The Estonian Air Force launched a search operation on Tuesday evening. The authorities also asked the locals to be wary and notify the military or the emergency services in case they find the missile or its parts.

11.08.2018 - Estonian Military Ends Ground Search of Missile Misfired by NATO Fighter Jet
Estonian Military Ends Ground Search of Missile Misfired by NATO Fighter Jet

Estonian servicemen failed to find a missile that was accidentally fired in the Baltic country's airspace by a Spanish fighter jet earlier this week after searching its likely landing site, the press service of the Estonian Defense Forces said in a statement on Saturday, adding that the ground search has been discontinued.

"We can tell that, according to our assessment, the missile did not land on the controlled territory," Capt. Karmo Saar, the head of the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) center of Estonia's combat engineer battalion, said as quoted in the statement.

According to Estonian Air Force Commander Col. Riivo Valge, the military will continue searching for the missile from aircraft.

On Tuesday, a Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon mistakenly fired an air-to-air missile while on NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission.

According to media reports, the projectile presumably fell near the Endla nature reserve in central Estonia. The Estonian military searched the area of approximately 600 square meters (about 6,458 square feet) using metal detectors.
 
15.08.2018 - NATO Repeats the Great Mistake of the Warsaw Pact
NATO Repeats the Great Mistake of the Warsaw Pact

Through the 1990s, during the terms of US President Bill Clinton, NATO relentlessly and inexorably expanded through Central Europe. Today, the expansion of that alliance eastward – encircling Russia with fiercely Russo-phobic regimes in one tiny country after another and in Ukraine, which is not tiny at all – continues.

This NATO expansion – which the legendary George Kennan presciently warned against in vain – continues to drive the world the closer towards the threat of thermonuclear war. Far from bringing the United States and the Western NATO allies increased security, it strips them of the certainty of the peace and security they would enjoy if they instead sought a sincere, constructive and above all stable relationship with Russia.

It is argued that the addition of the old Warsaw Pact member states of Central Europe to NATO has dramatically strengthened NATO and gravely weakened Russia. This has been a universally-accepted assumption in the United States and throughout the West for the past quarter century. Yet it simply is not true.

In reality, the United States and its Western European allies are now discovering the hard way the same lesson that drained and exhausted the Soviet Union from the creation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955 to its dissolution 36 years later. The tier of Central European nations has always lacked the coherence, the industrial base and the combined economic infrastructure to generate significant industrial, financial or most of all strategic and military power.

In fact the current frustrating experience of NATO, and the long, exhausting tribulations that faced Soviet diplomats and generals for so many decades was entirely consistent with the previous historical record going back at least until 1718.

From 1718 until 1867 – a period of a century and a half – most of Central Europe, including even regions of Poland at the end of the 18th century, were consolidated within the Austro –Hungarian Empire, However even then, the Habsburg multi-national empire was always militarily weak and punched beneath its weight. After Emperor Franz Josef recklessly proclaimed his famous Compromise of 1867, the effectiveness of the imperial army was reduced to almost zero. The autonomous and feckless conduct of the Hungarian aristocracy ensured a level of confusion, division, incompetence and ineptitude that was revealed in the army’s total collapse against both Russia and Serbia in the great battles of 1914 at the start of World War I.

Germany moved in to occupy and consolidate the region in both world wars. But far from making Germany a global giant and enabling it to maintain its domination of Europe, the Central European regions – whether as part of Austro-Hungary during World War I or as independent nation-states allied to the Nazis in World War II – proved miniscule and worthless against the alliances of Russia, the United States, Britain and France that the Germans fought against in both global conflicts.

After the Soviet Union militarily destroyed the genocidal military power of Nazi Germany in World War II, Russia’s Great Patriotic War, the political consolidation of East Germany and Poland were strategically necessary for Russia’s security. But occupying and organizing the rest of the region was not. Far from strengthening the Soviet Union, those nations weakened and distracted it. Today, NATO is repeating the Soviet Mistake and that fatal move is inexorably draining the alliance of all its strength and credibility.

NATO is also repeating the disastrous mistake that France made in 1920-21 when it created a “Little Entente” of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania to supposedly counterbalance the revival of Germany. The plan failed completely.

Today those very same nations – enthusiastically joined by Hungary, Poland and the three little Baltic states – are relentlessly distorting both NATO and the EU. They generate weakness and chaos in the alliances they are in – not unity and strength.

As I have noted before in these columns, the great British historian Lord Correlli Barnett drew the important distinction between militarily powerful nations that are generators and exporters of security and those, either tiny or disorganized, pacifist and weak nations that have to import their security from more powerful states.

One might call such small countries “feeder” or “parasite” states. They siphon off energy and strength from their protector partners. They weaken their alliance partners rather than strengthening them.

The consistent lessons of more than 300 years of Central European history are therefore clear: Leading and organizing the tier of Central European nations in the Warsaw Pact did not strengthen the Soviet Union: Instead, those activities relentlessly weakened it.

Incorporating most of the small nations in Central Europe into any empire or alliance has never been a cause or generator of military or national strength, regardless of the ideology or religious faith involved. At best, it is a barometer of national strength.
When nations such as France, Germany, the Soviet Union or the United States are seen as rising powers in the world, the small countries of Central Europe always hasten to ally themselves accordingly. They therefore adopt and discard Ottoman Islamic imperialism. Austrian Christian imperialism, democracy, Nazism, Communism and again democracy as easily as putting on or off different costumes at a fancy dress ball in Vienna or Budapest.

As Russia rises once again in global standing and national power, supported by its genuinely powerful allies China, India and Pakistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the nations of Central Europe can be anticipated to reorient their own loyalties accordingly once again.
 
21.08.2018 - NATO Servicemen Crash in Lithuania
NATO Servicemen Crash in Lithuania (VIDEO)

Hungarian servicemen were behind an accident involving a five-year-old child. No one was hurt in the road accident.

In Vilnius, NATO soldiers from Hungary provoked an accident at the crossroads of the Moletskoe Highway and Skersines Street, according to the YouTube channel Lrytas.lt.

A military vehicle tried to turn but hit a Volkswagen Passat.

In the Volkswagen Passat car there was a five-year-old child; fortunately, the child was not injured, but was very frightened.

The traffic on the Molet Highway had to be suspended.

NATO has more than once caused road accidents in Lithuania. During the Saber Strike 2018 military exercises in June, there were three accidents involving NATO forces from different countries.

Published on Aug 21, 2018 (0:47 min.)
 
NATO has launched the biggest war games ever staged on the territory of Latvia since the Baltic state gained independence. The drills are scheduled to include the military tackling “spontaneous” unrest in Russian-populated towns.

20 Aug, 2018 - NATO training Latvian military to quell 'civilian unrest' during largest drills in decades
NATO training Latvian military to quell 'civilian unrest' during largest drills in decades

“After four years of intensive preparations, this will be the largest military training exercise since the restoration of Latvia’s independence in which we will be test the armed forces’ readiness to defend Latvia from any threats,” said the Latvian Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins. “This exercise is the opportunity to train not only the National Armed Forces but also Latvia’s overall defense capabilities as our partners are involved in the drills as well,” he added.

The two-week drills began on Monday, and are scheduled to end on September 2.

Apart from the Latvian Armed Forces, National Guard, law enforcement and volunteers, the drills would also involve troops from more than a dozen of other NATO states, including the US, Canada, Spain, Italy and Poland as well as other Baltic States. The total number of troops participating in the drills amounts to 10,000, local media reported.

The active phase of the exercises will take place in 36 regions across Latvia. The military also concluded more than 500 agreements with some private citizens on the use of their land and infrastructure in the exercises. The Latvian Army has issued a promotion video on the day the drills began. The footage shows the Latvian troops performing various military tasks using modern equipment.

The exercises go beyond conventional military practices, however. One of the training scenarios will see troops being deployed to counter “spontaneous unrest” among the general public. Such drills are specifically scheduled to take place in the towns of Valmiera and Jekabpils – both of which, notably, have a significant percentage of ethnic Russians among their residents.

We will not create a scenario against a particular country, but we will prepare the National Armed Forces to protect Latvia against any danger," General Kalnins said. He added that what he called Russia's hybrid operations in eastern Ukraine had been taken into account while developing the scenarios for the exercises, the Latvian Public Broadcaster LSM reported.
"In the training, we will use a NATO scenario based on the geographic conditions of the region. This scenario is flexible enough to run both conventional tactical operations and scenarios for preventing provocations in the country," Lieutenant Colonel Gunars Grikmanis, Commander of the Military Training Department of the Armed Forces Joint Staff, told the official Latvian military portal sargs.lv.

"The main challenges in the training will be related to this cooperation with other state structures – with the police and the border guard. Cooperation with state and local government institutions and the civilian population will also be essential,” Grikmanis added.

The Latvian military assured the people that live ammunition will not be used outside established military zones but still warned that the training will be very “realistic,” while calling on the locals to be “patient and understanding.”

NATO has been continuously building up its military presence near the Russian borders, under the pretext of accusing Russia of involvement into the Ukrainian crisis. NATO countries maintain that Russia invaded and “annexed” Crimea, a peninsula whose population overwhelmingly voted to rejoin Russia after the 2014 pro-NATO coup in Kiev.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, NATO has tripled its military presence on Russia’s western borders over the past five years, forcing Moscow to respond. Russia has repeatedly warned that increased NATO presence on its doorstep effectively contributes nothing to the regional security while, on the contrary, undermining stability in Europe.

Meanwhile, the US-led bloc has also intensified military exercises in Eastern Europe. In June, more than 18,000 soldiers from 19 countries took part in the two-week ‘Saber Strike’ exercise, held in Poland and the Baltic States. The drills were said to be aimed at training the deployment of military convoys to defend NATO’s eastern flank. The US-led military bloc, however, keeps saying that the drills are not aimed at “provoking” Russia.
 
Greek media has reported that Washington has stepped up its military activities in the Aegean Sea, which they claimed is turning into a US training ground.

26.08.2018 - NATO Spots 50 'Suspicious Vessels' Spying on US in Aegean Sea - Reports
NATO Spots 50 'Suspicious Vessels' Spying on US in Aegean Sea – Reports

NATO has handed Athens a list of 50 "suspicious vessels" it accuses of conducting reconnaissance missions in the Aegean Sea near the coast of Greece, according to the Greek newspaper Real.

The vessels include fishing, sailing and leisure ships which are sailing across the Aegean Sea in order to gather information. Apart from Greek military facilities and activities, they are also interested in the movement of Americans, which is currently gathering pace in Greek territory," the Real reported.

Citing ever-increasing US military activity in the region, the newspaper noted that the Aegean Sea already has started to resemble "a US training ground" amid a recently-clinched deal on the deployment of US MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles in the area.

The Real addressed Athens' relations with Ankara separately, claiming that Turkey's "reliability as a NATO ally is openly questioned" by American think tanks.

Relations between Greece and Turkey have worsened since a Turkish patrol boat rammed into a Greek coast guard vessel in the Aegean Sea in mid-February.

While the Greek boat only suffered minor damages and nobody was injured, the incident underscored the existing tensions between the two countries, which contest control over certain territories in the Aegean Sea.
 
I suspect, NATO and the Pentagon might be behind two serious accidents that occurred on Saturday September 8, 2018? Both Countries, Abkhazia and Moldova have close working relations with Russia and refuse NATO bases.

* Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gagulia Killed in Car Accident

* Moldova's President Involved in a Car Accident and Hospitalized


09.09.2018 - Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gagulia Killed in Car Accident
Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gagulia Killed in Car Accident

Prime Minister of Abkhazia Gennady Gagulia was killed in a car accident which took place not far from the settlement of Myussera, in the republic's Gudauta District, late on Saturday, Diana Zantaria, the spokeswoman for the republic's cabinet of ministers, told Sputnik.

Yes, we confirm this information. The accident took place near the Myussera post. According to preliminary information, Gennady Leonidovich was still alive on the way to hospital. No one else got hurt [in the accident]," Zantaria said.

According to the spokeswoman, the road accident occurred when the government's motorcade was heading from the Russian resort city of Sochi to Abkhazia late on Saturday.

Naala Avidzba, the spokeswoman for the president of Abkhazia, ruled out a terrorist attack or assassination as possible causes of the accident.

"It was an accident. The prime minister was killed in a car accident. A terrorist attack or assassination are not the case here," Avidzba said.

According to the republic's Interior Ministry, two more people were injured in the road accident.


*** 3 articles related to Abkhazia that show close Russian ties:

* 14.03.2017 - NATO Not Recognizing Abkhazia's March 12 Parliamentary Elections
NATO Not Recognizing Abkhazia's March 12 Parliamentary Elections

Abkhazia and South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. In August 2008, Georgia launched a military offensive against South Ossetia. Trying to protect local residents, many of whom had Russian citizenship, Russia sent troops to South Ossetia and engaged in a five-day war with Georgia. As a result, Russia managed to expel Georgian troops from the breakaway region and recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi does not recognize the republics' independence and considers them part of Georgia.


* 03.08.2017 - Number of Injured in Munitions Depot Blast in Abkhazia Up to 64
Number of Injured in Munitions Depot Blast in Abkhazia Up to 64

The explosion occurred in a depot located in the village of Primorskoye on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Health Ministry said that
the incident left 60 people injured, including 27 Russian nationals. The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the deaths of two St. Petersburg residents.


* 02.08.2017 - Russian Base in Abkhazia Unaffected by Ammunition Blast - Defense Ministry
Russian Base in Abkhazia Unaffected by Ammunition Blast - Defense Ministry

~~~
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09.09.2018 - Moldova's President Involved in a Car Accident and Hospitalized (Reminds me when Putin's driver was killed?)
Moldova's President Involved in a Car Accident and Hospitalized

Moldovan President Igor Dodon’s motorcade collided with a truck on the Straseni - Calarasi highway, the Publika.md broadcaster reported on Sunday.

"Two cars from the president’s official motorcade were involved in a traffic accident. The persons in the vehicles have been provided with medical assistance," the press service for the Moldovan police stated.

According to the police, the president's car rolled over during the accident and Dodon was sent to a hospital.

Later, a presidential adviser Maxim Lebedinschi stated that Dodon had no need for medical help due to the accident, adding that the collision was caused by a vehicle that had violated traffic regulations.

"A truck that overtook a car crossed into the oncoming lane, where it crashed into the president of Moldova's car and the jeep of his guard. As a result of the collision, the president's car and the jeep of his guard turned over," the the news portal Bloknot-Moldova reported.

The outlet added that the Moldovan president's mother was injured during the accident. However, the Presidential Office has later disproved those reports, stating that the family member of the President were not harmed.


09.09.2018 - Watch Truck Ram Dodon's Motorcade in Moldova (2 short videos)
WATCH Truck Ram Dodon’s Motorcade in Moldova

A truck that crossed into a lane with oncoming traffic, where it then crashed into the Moldovan president’s car, has been captured on a video that was published by the Hue Telegram channel.

The video shows the presidential motorcade moving along the road with the cars in the opposite lane being pressed against the roadside, as it is likely that a police car was driving in front of Dodon's vehicle. Suddenly, however, a truck left its lane, taking up almost the entire carriageway.

The driver of the presidential Mercedes attempted to escape the collision but failed, resulting in the car flying into a ditch and turning over. The truck then rammed the police jeep, from which the video was being filmed.

According to the latest reports, no-one from the presidential family was injured.


*** 3 articles related to Moldova that show close Russian ties:

* 14.07.2018 - Moldova Will Not 'Make Friends with West Against Russia' - President
Moldova Will Not 'Make Friends With West Against Russia' - President

Moldova intends to build friendly ties with all countries but will restrain from acting against Russia, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said.

"Our position is distinct and clear. We want to make friends with everybody, but we do not want us to be used against anyone in terms of geopolitics. We do not intend to make friends with the West against Russia – this is my position," Dodon said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.


* 07.05.2018 - Moldova's President Rules Out NATO Bases in His Country During Own Presidency
Moldova's President Rules Out NATO Bases in His Country During Own Presidency

Moldova's President Igor Dodon told Zvezda broadcaster that there would be no NATO bases in his country as long as he remains the leader of Moldova.


* 10.05.2017 - NATO Membership 'Categorically Unacceptable' for Moldova - President
NATO Membership 'Categorically Unacceptable' for Moldova - President

The Moldovan president said that NATO membership was unacceptable for the country.

Moldovan President Igor Dodon said Wednesday that membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is "categorically unacceptable" to his country.

"I have always said to all our external partners there are three or four things that I can never [allow] to be subject to negotiations. This is our statehood, the preservation of Moldova, not union with some countries. Second is our neutrality, NATO is categorically unacceptable," Dodon said.
 
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