Lavrov speaks out against NATO at UN

A railroad connecting Oslo and Trondheim was obstructed by some unspecified NATO cargo, which blocked the passage of passenger trains and forced travelers to seek alternative routes.

21.10.2018 - NATO War Games wreak Havoc on Norway's Railways
NATO Wargames Wreak Havoc on Norway's Railways (PHOTOS)

The upcoming NATO military maneuvers in Norway have apparently already taken their toll on the country’s infrastructure; railway traffic between the country’s capital and its third-largest city was disrupted due to some military cargo blocking the way.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, passenger train service “from Trondheim to Oslo via Hamar” ended up being suspended due to NATO cargo carriages blocking the railway, with passengers being forced to take a bus to bypass this hurdle.

As the correspondent explained, the blockage occurred between Tynset and Alvdal stations.

A good example of how disruptive NATO war games could be: passenger trains from Trondheim to Oslo via Hamar in Norway suspended, passengers taken around blocked tracks by bus, told NATO cargo carriages block path.
 
22.10.2018 - NATO Service Member killed, 2 injured in Inside Attack in Afghanistan
NATO Service Member Killed, 2 Injured in Insider Attack in Afghanistan

Earlier, local media reported that General Abdul Raziq, the police chief in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, was shot dead when he and other high-ranking Afghan officials were leaving the office of the regional governor.

A serviceman in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission was murdered and two more members sustained injuries on Monday as a result of an apparent insider attack in Herat province, western Afghanistan, Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul announced in a statement.

Initial reports indicate the attack was committed by a member of the Afghan security forces," according to the statement.

The insider attack comes soon after the country was shaken by a number of terrorist attacks and explosions amid the parliamentary elections.

Afghanistan has been a conflict zone for decades, with the government fighting various extremist and terrorist groups. The situation has been exacerbated over the past years after the Khorasan branch of the Daesh* terrorist group established a foothold in the country.


October 22, 2018 - NATO service member killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan
NATO service member killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan | Reuters

A service member in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission was killed and two others wounded on Monday in an apparent insider attack in Herat province, western Afghanistan, Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul said.
“Initial reports indicate the attack was committed by a member of the Afghan security forces,” a statement from the headquarters said, giving no other details.

The nationality of the service members was not released.

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack, a Taliban spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Local officials said the incident occurred in Shindand district to the south of Herat city, an area with heavy Taliban presence, when a member of an Afghan unit opened fire.

The attack was the latest in a series this year in which U.S. or coalition troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers or police. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said training and vetting of Afghan forces was being stepped up to minimize the so-called insider attacks.

The incident came only days after the NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, escaped unhurt when the bodyguard of a provincial governor opened fire on a group of U.S. and Afghan officials in the southern province of Kandahar.
 
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angelburst29 said:
October 22, 2018 - NATO service member killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan
NATO service member killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan | Reuters
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Update:

October 22, 2018 - Czech Soldier killed in apparent inside attack in Afghanistan
Czech soldier killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan | Reuters

A Czech member of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan was killed and two others wounded on Monday in the western province of Herat, the Czech Defense Ministry said.

Earlier, the Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul said initial reports indicated the attack was carried out by a member of the Afghan security forces. It had not released the nationality of the service members.

The Czech ministry said in a statement that the two injured soldiers had been taken to Bagram military hospital and did not face life-threatening injuries. The attack was on a vehicle, it said but gave no further details although a spokeswoman said the incident occurred on a base.

The Czech ministry and local officials said the attack happened in Shindand district to the south of Herat city, an area with heavy Taliban presence.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, a spokesman for the insurgents said in an emailed statement.

The attack was the latest in a series this year in which U.S. or coalition troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers or police. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said training and vetting of Afghan forces was being stepped up to minimise the so-called insider attacks.

The incident came only days after the NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, escaped unhurt when the bodyguard of a provincial governor opened fire on a group of U.S. and Afghan officials in the southern province of Kandahar.

In August, three Czech soldiers were killed in a suicide attack, the deadliest incident involving the Czech army’s foreign missions in four years.
 
Tuesday October 23, 2018 - Four US Soldiers injured in collision in Norway ahead of NATO exercise
Four U.S. soldiers injured in collision in Norway ahead of NATO exercise | Reuters

OSLO, Norway - Four U.S. soldiers were injured in a major North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise in Norway in an accident involving four vehicles on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.

One soldier was shortly released after being hospitalized, and the three others are under observation in stable condition, the U.S. Joint Information Center said in a statement.

The soldiers were in trucks delivering cargo to Kongens Gruve, Norway, in support of Trident Juncture 18, the biggest NATO exercise in recent years, two days ahead of the start date.

Trident Juncture 18 will involve around 50,000 personnel from NATO Allies and partner countries, about 250 aircraft, 65 vessels and up to 10,000 vehicles. It will take place from Oct. 25 to Nov. 7 in central and eastern Norway, the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, including Iceland and the airspace of Finland and Sweden.

“The accident occurred when three vehicles collided and a fourth vehicle slid off the pavement and overturned while trying to avoid the three vehicles that had collided,” the information center said.

The vehicles and personnel in the accident were assigned to the U.S. Army’s 51st Composite Truck Company stationed in Baumholder, Germany.

The U.S. military is working with Norwegian authorities to investigate the accident.
 
October 24, 2018 - NATO Chief sees new US Missile deployments in Europe as unlikely
NATO chief sees new U.S. missile deployments in Europe as unlikely | Reuters


NATO's top official on Wednesday blamed Russia for breaching a landmark nuclear arms pact that Washington is talking about quitting, but said he did not believe the Russian threat would lead to new deployments of U.S. missiles in Europe.

The NATO allies are due to meet on Thursday to hear Washington explain the thinking behind President Donald Trump’s move to quit the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which rid Europe of land-based nuclear missiles.

European allies see the INF treaty as a pillar of arms control and, while accepting that Moscow is violating it by developing new weapons, are concerned its collapse could lead to a new arms race with possibly a new generation of U.S. nuclear missiles stationed on the continent.

In his first remarks since Washington announced on Saturday that it planned to pull out of the INF Treaty, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg lay blame on Russia for violating the treaty by developing the SSC-8, a land-based, intermediate-range Cruise missile which also has the name of Novator 9M729.

But he said he did not think this would lead to reciprocal deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe as happened in the 1980s.

“We will assess the implications for NATO allies, for our security, of the new Russian missile ... but I don’t foresee that allies will station more nuclear weapons in Europe as a response to the new Russian missile,” Stoltenberg told a news conference.

He spoke a day after senior U.S. official John Bolton informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of the plans in Moscow.

Trump has said that the United States will develop new intermediate-range missiles unless Russia and China agree to halt development of their own.

Military experts believe the United States would be better off modernizing its long-range missile deterrent and ensuring that it could penetrate sophisticated Russian air defenses, rather than developing a new class of medium-range rockets.

“It’s an extremely dangerous intention,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of Trump’s comments when asked about them by reporters on a conference call. “It will make the world more dangerous.”

The INF treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ratified by the U.S. Senate, eliminated the medium-range missile arsenals of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers and reduced their ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice.

U.S. Cruise and Pershing missiles deployed in Britain and West Germany were removed as a result while the Soviet Union pulled back its SS-20s out of European range.

But since 2014, the United States accuses Russia of breaching the INF by developing the SSC-8 though Moscow denies it is in violation and says the planned U.S. withdrawal from the INF pact is dangerous.

“All allies agree that the United States is in full compliance ... the problem, the threat, the challenge is Russian behavior,” Stoltenberg said. “NATO is in favor of arms control but to be effective, arms control agreements have to be respected by all parties,” Stoltenberg added.

STRAIN ON NATO
A U.S. exit from the INF treaty would put another strain on NATO allies already shaken by Trump’s demands for higher defense spending by the Europeans.

“It is another headache for the secretary general because there is no agreement in NATO about what to do,” said Lukasz Kulesa, an arms control expert at the European Leadership Network think-tank. “European allies are not really sure where the U.S. strategy is going,” he said.

The treaty requires the United States and Russia “not to possess, produce, or flight-test” a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310-3,420 miles), “or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles.”

At a NATO summit in July all 29 allies, including the United States, said they were “fully committed to the preservation of this landmark arms control treaty.”

NATO envoys are due to be briefed by a U.S. arms control official on Thursday in Brussels. They are concerned about the fate of other arms control and safety pacts with Russia, including the 2010 New START nuclear treaty which can be extended beyond 2021 by mutual agreement.

Stoltenberg said he still hoped the United States and Russia could agree to extend the New START treaty, which also limits deployed land- and submarine-based missiles and nuclear-capable bombers, although Trump has described it as a bad deal.


October 24, 2018 - No new Nuclear Weapons in Europe despite Russian treaty breach: NATO
No new nuclear weapons in Europe despite Russian treaty breach: NATO | Reuters
 
Thursday October 25, 2018 - As Winter comes, NATO kicks off largest manuvers since Cold War
As winter comes, NATO kicks off largest maneuvers since Cold War | Reuters



Military forces from 31 countries began NATO's largest exercise in decades, stretching from the Baltic Sea to Iceland, on Thursday, practicing military maneuvers close to Russia, which itself held a huge military drill last month.

As temperatures fell below freezing across training grounds in central Norway, giving a taste of what it means to defend NATO’s vast northern flank, some 50,000 troops, 250 aircraft and 10,000 tanks, trucks and other land-based vehicles were ready.

“Forces are in position, they are integrating and starting combat enhancement training for major battlefield operations over the next two weeks,” Colonel Eystein Kvarving at Norway’s Joint Headquarters told Reuters.

Dubbed Trident Juncture, the exercise is by far the biggest in Norway since the early 1980s, a sign that the alliance wants to sharpen its defenses after years of cost cuts and far-flung combat missions.

Increasingly concerned about Russia since it annexed Crimea in 2014, Norway has sought to double the number of U.S. Marines receiving training on its soil every year, a move criticized by Moscow.

Russia last month held its biggest maneuvers since 1981, called Vostok-2018 (East-2018), mobilizing 300,000 troops in a show of force close to China’s border which included joint drills with the Chinese and Mongolian armies.

NATO’s war games were originally meant to involve 35,000 troops, but the number grew in recent months and included the late addition of an aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman with some 6,000 personnel.

NATO fears Russia’s military build-up in the region could ultimately restrict naval forces’ ability to navigate freely, and on Oct. 19 the Truman became the first American aircraft carrier to enter the Arctic Circle since before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Although a solid majority of Norwegians support membership of NATO, whose secretary general is former Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, some parties on the left would prefer that the country quit the alliance and form some type of military cooperation arrangement with its Nordic neighbors.

“The effect of this activity will increase the tension between Norway and Russia,” Socialist member of parliament Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes said of the exercise, adding that the presence of an aircraft carrier caused particular concern.

You have to be quite hawkish to view this as something that brings peace in any way,” he told Reuters.
 
European members of NATO urged the United States on Thursday to try to bring Russia back into compliance with a nuclear arms control treaty rather than quit it, diplomats said, seeking to avoid a split in the alliance that Moscow could exploit.

Thurs. October 25, 2018 - NATO urges Trump officials not to quit Nuclear Treaty: Diplomats
NATO urges Trump officials not to quit nuclear treaty: diplomats | Reuters

In a closed-door meeting at NATO, Pentagon, U.S. State Department and National Security Council officials briefed alliance envoys on U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which rid Europe of land-based nuclear missiles.

Diplomats present said Germany and other European allies called for a final effort on Washington’s part to convince the Kremlin to stop what the West says are violations, or possibly renegotiate it to include China.

“Allies want to see a last-ditch effort to avoid a U.S. withdrawal,” one NATO diplomat said on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the meeting, which took place two days after senior U.S. official John Bolton informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of the plans in Moscow.

“Nobody takes issue with Russia’s violation of the treaty, but a withdrawal would make it easy for Moscow to blame us for the end of this landmark agreement,” a second diplomat said.

NATO declined to comment on the details of the meeting but issued a statement saying that allies assessed “the implications of Russia’s destabilizing behavior on our security.”

“NATO allies will continue to consult on this important issue,” it added.

Earlier this week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg laid the blame on Russia for violating the treaty by developing the SSC-8, a land-based, intermediate-range Cruise missile which also has the name of Novator 9M729.

Russia denies any such violations.

NATO allies including Belgium and the Netherlands, which host U.S. nuclear weapons facilities in Europe, warned in the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest decision-making body, of a public outcry if the United States were to try to install medium-range nuclear weapons on their territory again.

Stoltenberg said on Wednesday he did not think this would lead to reciprocal deployments of U.S. missiles in Europe as happened in the 1980s.

European allies see the INF treaty as a pillar of arms control and, while accepting that Moscow is violating it by developing new weapons, are concerned its collapse could lead to a new arms race with possibly a new generation of U.S. nuclear missiles stationed on the continent.

Diplomats said the U.S. officials did hold out the possibility that the United States may delay its formal withdrawal to after a planned meeting between Putin and Trump in Paris on Nov. 11.

The treaty foresees a six-month notification period for any withdrawal, also potentially giving Washington time to negotiate with Moscow before finally pulling out.
 
Sat. October, 27, 2018 - US Delivers Largest Ammunition Shipment to Europe since Bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999
US Delivers Largest Ammunition Shipment to Europe since Bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 - Tasnim News Agency

Ramstein Air Base in Germany has received around 100 containers of ammunition in the largest delivery of ordnance to the US forces in Europe since the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.



The US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa said that “a variety of munitions rolled into Ramstein during the month of October.” The delivery is intended to support NATO’s European Deterrence Initiative and pump up the resources available to US Air Force in Europe.

The Pentagon is aiming to improve the response time of the US military by pre-positioning ammunition, fuel and equipment to be able to “provide a rapid response against threats made by aggressive actors,” it said, RT reported.

Ramstein is the largest US overseas airbase and “a major airlift hub… so our main job is to get munitions where they need to be on time,” Master Sgt. Arthur Myrick, 86th Munitions Squadron munitions flight chief, explained.

“These are real-world munitions to fulfill real-world objectives. That’s the reason we are downloading these things: to make sure we have the capability to move the fight forward if need be.”

Master Sgt. David Head, 86th MUNS Munitions Operations section chief, noted that the shipment was “the largest… of its kind since Operation Allied Force, which took place in 1999.”

Back then, the US and its allies launched airstrikes in what was then Yugoslavia, without the backing of the UN Security Council, after blaming Belgrade for “excessive and disproportionate use of force” in a conflict with an ethnic Albanian insurgency in Kosovo. NATO warplanes carried 900 sorties during the brutal 78-day bombing campaign, which officially claimed at least 758 civilian lives. But Serbian sources say the actual death toll was twice as large.

Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict and Crimea’s reunification with Russia in 2014, NATO has deployed thousands of troops and heavy weaponry to the Baltic States, Poland and southeastern Europe.

Large-scale drills involving Western troops are taking place near the Russian border on a regular basis, while NATO warships are patrolling the Black Sea on a rotational basis, never leaving the area unattended.

The US-led bloc explained its build-up by the need to reassure its Eastern European allies in light of what it calls Russia’s “aggressive behavior.” Moscow has repeatedly denied claims that it has expansionist plans, and said that NATO’s actions increase the risk of conflict and undermine security in Europe.
 
Russia is alarmed by NATO's policy to actively militarize the European continent, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

29.10.2018 - Russia Alarmed by NATO's Policy to Militarize Europe - Russian Defense Minister
Russia Alarmed by NATO's Policy to Militarize Europe - Russian Defense Minister

"We are following with alarm NATO's policy aimed at the active militarization of the European continent. We see efforts being made to involve more and more NATO [member] countries, I mean the Balkans first of all," Shoigu said at a meeting with Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos.

Earlier in the day, Shoigu said that if NATO doesn't put an end to confrontation, a return to normal relations between the alliance and Russia will be impossible.

The statement of the defense minister comes amid upcoming Russia-NATO Council session at the level of ambassadors scheduled October 31.

NATO has been significantly expanding its presence in Eastern Europe following the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 using alleged Russian interference in the Ukrainian internal activities as a pretext.


29.10.2018 - Moscow: Russia-NATO ties won't Normalize until Bloc Drops Confrontational Policy
Moscow: Russia-NATO Ties Won’t Normalize Until Bloc Drops Confrontational Policy

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that NATO’s military activity near Russia's borders has reached a level not seen since the Cold War.

If NATO doesn't put an end to confrontation, a return to normal relations between the alliance and Russia is impossible, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"Today it's obvious to us that if we return to the Russia-NATO relationship, there can be no restoration of normality unless NATO drops its current line of confrontation," Grushko said.

The Russian Permanent Mission to NATO confirmed Monday that the next Russia-NATO Council session at the level of ambassadors would take place on October 31.

"We confirm that a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council will be held on October 31. During the meeting, it is planned to discuss issues of defense security and prevention of dangerous incidents to de-escalate military and political tensions, as well as other relevant issues of European security," the mission said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

NATO Expansion in Eastern Europe

NATO has been significantly expanding its presence in Eastern Europe after the outburst of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 using alleged Russian interference in the Ukrainian internal activities as a pretext.

Moscow has repeatedly stated, in connection with the increased presence of the NATO armed forces at its borders, that it would not disregard actions potentially dangerous to its interests.

Moscow has many times asserted its protests against the NATO military buildup stating that this move will undermine regional balance and result in a new arms race.


29.10.2018 - Half Seas Over: US Troops go on Post-NATO War Games Binge in Iceland - Reports
Half Seas Over: US Troops Go on Post-NATO War Games Binge in Iceland - Reports

Four days after their start, the ongoing NATO military maneuvers in Northern Atlantic have already taken their toll on Iceland in another, rather less anticipated fashion - as the US representatives' predilection for alcohol caught local bar owners flatfooted.

According to Iceland Magazine, a massive contingent of booze-thirsty US sailors and marines managed to dry up several bars in Reykjavik, nearly draining the port city of alcohol completely.

Around six-to-seven thousand US servicemen hunkered down at the bars in downtown Reykjavik over the weekend, the media outlet estimates, as they were taking part in NATO's Trident Juncture war games. They reportedly preferred local beers over imports and expressed their apparent liking for micro brews as well as standard lagers.

In an attempt to beat back the "onslaught" of the American "invaders," Icelandic bar owners enlisted the help of delivery teams and their better-stocked competitors. However, these efforts were in vain, as they were "fighting an overwhelming force," said local blogger Eiríkur Jónsson

US forces docked in Iceland's capital as part of Trident Juncture, the biggest NATO war games in history, which involve more than 50,000 troops from 30 countries. The exercise is taking place in Norway and adjacent territories, including Swedish and Finnish airspace, from October 25 to November 3.

The NATO military exercise has ignited rallies in several Norwegian cities, with protesters voicing their concerns over the nuclear arms race and further militarization of the country.


26.10.2018 - It's All Fun and NATO Games Until Someone Starts a War
It's All Fun and NATO Games Until Someone Starts A War

Trump signs a new law addressing opioid usage; Electoral politics and the propaganda of war-making; backlash against #metoo movement.

In the first segment of "By Any Means Necessary" Eugene Puryear and Sean Blackmon are joined by Kina Collins, Healthcare advocate to talk about Donald Trump's new law addressing opioid addiction, what the bill gets right and wrong, the partisan nature of healthcare in America, and the interconnectedness between health, violence, and economics in communities.

In the second segment, we are joined by David Swanson, activist, journalist, radio host and author of the new book "Curing Exceptionalism" to talk about the start of the largest NATO war game since the Cold War, the Trump administration's efforts to remove the US from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the hypocrisy of the US criticizing Iranian and Chinese military efforts.

In the third segment "By Any Means Necessary" is joined by Jeb Sprague, visiting faculty in sociology at the University of California-Santa Barbara to talk about the intersection between electoral politics, media censorship, and war-making, the elitism within government and DC thinktanks, the cozy relationship between the Washington Post and the CIA, and the powerful interests upholding US exceptionalism and xenophobia.

In the last hour "By Any Means Necessary" is joined by Michelle Witte, Sputnik News Analyst, Joanna Blotner, Organizer and Activist, and Bob Schlehuber a new poll showing a backlash against the #MeToo movement, a lackluster report from the University of Maryland around the death of a college football player last June, Megyn Kelly being fired over her blackface comments, and the WWE holding its 'Crown Jewel' Show in Saudi Arabia.
 
Tues. October 30, 2018 - NATO's Stoltenberg calls on Russia to comply with INF Nuclear Treaty
NATO's Stoltenberg calls on Russia to comply with INF nuclear treaty | Reuters


NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attend an international field exercise organized by Ministry of the Interior of Serbia and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in Mladenovac, Serbia, October 8, 2018. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic

Russia's deployment of new nuclear-capable missiles in Europe is jeopardizing a key arms control treaty that helped end the Cold War, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Norway on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump said on Oct. 20 that Washington planned to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, signed in 1987, amid what he sees as Russian violations of the agreement.

“The problem is the deployment of new Russian missiles. There are no new U.S. missiles in Europe, but there are more Russian missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and those missiles put the INF treaty in jeopardy,” Stoltenberg said.

“Therefore we call on Russia to ensure that they are in full and transparent compliance with the INF treaty,” he added.
 
October 30, 2018 - Russia to Test Missiles in NATO Exercise Zone
Russia to Test Missiles in NATO Exercise Zone


Russian Ballistic Missile

Russia plans to test missiles off Norway this week in an area where NATO is carrying out its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, NATO’s chief said Tuesday, downplaying the situation.

“We were notified last week about the planned Russian missile tests outside the coast here,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in western Norway where the Trident Juncture 18 exercises are taking place.

“I expect Russia to behave in a professional way,” he said.

“We will of course monitor closely what Russia does but they operate in international waters and they have notified us in the normal way,” he added.
 
In regards to - a Referendum held recently in Macedonia - and the shenanigans and coercion tactics used to force Macedonians into voting for a name change - as a condition - to join the EU and NATO.

October 30, 2018 - Lavrov: Macedonian MPs were locked up in offices, their phones taken away “to convince” them to vote
Lavrov: Macedonian MPs were locked up in offices, their phones taken away “to convince” them to vote | MINA Report

lavrov2.jpg


It wasn’t just the bribes and blackmail's against opposition MPs, most were locked up in offices, their phones taken away from them with the US Ambassador present in Parliament – no this is not what I would call normal – says Russian FM in an interview.

He explains that it is clear that while Russia remained silent in the pre-referendum period, NATO’s Stoltenberg, US Secretary of Defense James Matiss, German Chancellor Merkel, Austrian Sebastian Kurz, UK’s Theresa May and many other representatives of the European Commission visited the capital of Macedonia, Skopje, and quite shamelessly asked citizens to vote “For” in the referendum for joining NATO and the EU, “only by” changing the name.

Such “insidious” and confusing phrasing of the Referendum question according to Macedonian laws is not allowed, in fact it’s clearly spelled out as illegal. A single question in a referendum is allowed, whereas here we had three, says Lavrov.

lavrov_intervju.jpg


“Then, after the referendum very clearly collapsed not meeting the required census, a few days ago, the Macedonian Parliament voted to initiate a procedure for changing the Constitution. Nine votes were lacking because the opposition does not support them. It is public knowledge that these votes were secured by coercion and blackmail, and partly promising that the investigation against opposition lawmakers would not continue. Three lawmakers were released from custody just so they could vote. Several more votes were missing, and according to the information, there was an unacceptable behavior on the part of the MP deputies. Parts were locked up in their offices, and their cell phones seized. The US ambassador was present in Parliament during this entire time, he was there for a reason, to stand behind and support all the illegal activities. I told this to John Bolton, and he laughed saying that it was ‘a very difficult country’, “Lavrov said in an interview with Russian national television.
 
October 31, 2018 - Rare NATO-Russia talks address Military Drills, 1987 Missile Treaty
Rare NATO-Russia talks address military drills, 1987 missile treaty | Reuters


A V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft makes a pass during NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture, seen from Trondheim, Norway October 30, 2018. Picture taken October 30, 2018. NTB Scanpix/Gorm Kallestad via REUTERS

NATO and Russia envoys on Wednesday discussed their respective large-scale military exercises and a Cold War-era missile treaty that Washington vows to quit over accusations of Russian non-compliance, the Western alliance said.

The talks, the first between the former Cold War foes since May, came against a backdrop of renewed tensions between the West and Russia, most notably over Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and involvement in eastern Ukraine.

A NATO statement said the sides had an “open exchange” of views on Ukraine, Russia’s Vostok military exercises and NATO’s ongoing Trident Juncture drills, as well as on Afghanistan and hybrid security threats.

NATO this month launched its largest exercises since the Cold War in Norway, whose non-NATO Nordic neighbors Sweden and Finland have drawn closer to the alliance since being spooked by Russia’s role in the turmoil in Ukraine.

NATO troops are maneuvering close to the borders of Russia, which held its huge annual Vostok military drill in September. The two are regularly irked by each other’s exercises, where a show of force and deterrence play a major role.

The drills have steadily grown in size in recent years as an atmosphere of stand-off between Russia and the West has grown. Russia’s 2018 edition of Vostok mobilized 300,000 troops and included joint exercises with the Chinese army - the biggest such drills since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg also called on Russia to make quick changes to comply in full with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. Russia denies violating it.

“We all agree that the INF Treaty has been crucial to Euro-Atlantic security...Allies have repeatedly expressed serious concerns about the new Russian missile system, known as the 9M729 or SSC-8,” Stoltenberg said in the statement.

He said development of the SSC-8 land-based, intermediate-range Cruise missile posed “a serious risk to strategic stability”.

“NATO has urged Russia repeatedly to address these concerns in a substantial and transparent way, and to actively engage in a constructive dialogue with the United States...We regret that Russia has not heeded our calls,” Stoltenberg added.

At the same time, NATO hopes Washington - whose other rivals China or Iran are not constrained by the treaty that rid Europe of land-based nuclear missiles - will not pull out in the end.

European leaders worry any collapse of the INF treaty could lead to a new, destabilizing arms race.
 
Nov. 1, 2018 - Moscow chides NATO for retreating to policy of deterrence, blocking cooperation
Moscow chides NATO for retreating to policy of deterrence, blocking cooperation

Today cooperation was frozen almost completely at NATO’s initiative, Russia's NATO envoy stressed.

1206601.jpg

© AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The policy of deterrence, which NATO is conducting against Russia, hampers normal cooperation between the parties, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko on the sidelines of the Core Group Meeting of the Munich Security Conference, which Minsk is hosting.

"The problem of our relationship with NATO is that NATO is sliding back to its 1949 disposition - to a policy of deterrence in its relations with our country. So, there can be no normal cooperation under these conditions, since cooperation is possible when the parties do not regard each other as enemies, but presume that there are objective spheres of common interests," the senior diplomat explained.

In his opinion, these principles "were laid down in the work of the Russia-NATO Council, which was intended to jointly observe the security level and pinpoint risks." "If any joint coordinated actions were needed, such actions were carried out," Grushko noted.

In particular, he pointed to "certain successes in the war on terror" that had been achieved. "The biggest program to shut down drug trafficking out of Afghanistan - which is not just a European problem, but a global one - was also put into action within the Russia-NATO Council. We trained 4,000 employees for the anti-narcotics services of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asian countries," the Russian deputy foreign minister noted.

A system to exchange information in real time was also created "for aircraft not obeying commands from on the ground, that is those that could be hijacked by terrorists," he pointed out. "Today cooperation was frozen almost completely at NATO’s initiative. NATO shifted to a scheme of deterring Russia," Grushko stated.

"The alliance’s administration and many NATO state leaders are constantly talking about the need for de-escalation, stopping dangerous military incidents and avoiding situations in which there is a risk of miscalculating each other’s military intentions. However, they are doing absolutely nothing to restore military contacts," the diplomat stressed. "It is impossible to discuss these problems without normal dialogue at a working level daily in Brussels or elsewhere." He highlighted that "if NATO is truly interested in what it professes politically, then it should be backed by real moves toward the restoration of normal cooperation and dialogue between the militaries."

Russia-NATO relationship
In 2014, the alliance froze its political dialogue with Russia almost completely. Beforehand, ambassador meetings of the Russia-NATO Council had been held several times a month on a variety of issues. There were two meetings this year (the last one was held on October 31. Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO Yuri Gorlach represented Moscow).


Nov. 1, 2018 - Moscow highlights crucial role of INF treaty for security in Europe at NATO-Russia Council
Moscow highlights crucial role of INF treaty for security in Europe at NATO-Russia Council

The Russian delegation said the INF Treaty represents an important factor of European and global stability.

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NATO headquarters in Brussels © EPA/JULIEN WARNAND

Russia highlighted the decisive role of preserving the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty for security in Europe at the NATO-Russia Council meeting on Wednesday, the Russian mission to the Alliance said.

"The Russian delegation highlighted the importance of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) as a factor of European and global stability," the document says.

Earlier, both sides had not confirmed the fact that the US possible withdrawal from the INF Treaty would be on the agenda of the NATO-Russia Council.

The Russian mission pointed out that the meeting focused on pressing issues related to the urgency to reduce military tensions between NATO and Russia.

"On 31 October, the NATO-Russia Council discussed issues related to reducing military tensions between Russia and NATO and preventing dangerous incidents, including an exchange of briefings on exercises ‘Trident Juncture-2018’ and ‘Vostok-2018’," the document says.

"There was an exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan in the context of regional terrorist threats as well as other matters of international security," it said.

The meeting has become second since the beginning of 2018 and eighth in the past 24 months. It was attended by Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO Yury Gorlach.
 
NATO carried out a 78-day campaign of airstrikes against Yugoslavia in 1999 after accusing Belgrade of committing war crimes in Kosovo. The strikes left up to 5,700 civilians dead, and contaminated part of southern Serbia with radiation from the depleted uranium rounds used by the alliance.

09.11.2018 - Commission finds NATO Bombs continue to kill Serbs 19 years after 1999 strikes
Commission Finds NATO Bombs Continue to Kill Serbs 19 Years After 1999 Strikes

The Serbian government-designated Commission Investigating the Effects of NATO's 1999 Bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has provided Sputnik with important information about some of its preliminary findings.

Speaking to Sputnik Serbian, commission head Dr. Darko Laketic explained that in the course of visits to cities, towns and municipalities affected by the NATO bombings, the commission has been able to establish what appears to be evidence of a link between the depleted uranium rounds dropped in these areas and a rise in cancer incidence.

According to the physician, in the city of Vranje, southern Serbia, out of 40 people who came into direct contact with soil contaminated by depleted uranium, ten have died, with "the majority of the deaths caused by malignant neoplasms."

"Many people who have been to the affected areas suffer from the symptoms of erythema and ulcerous eruptions of an unknown etiology on their skin," Dr. Laketic added.

Commission members have already visited Vranje, Pancevo and Novi Sad, and plan to visit Kragujevac, with all of these areas facing heavy NATO bombing in 1999. "These are our priority regions. We are collecting medical and statistical data from medical institutions in these areas and interviewing people who have come into contact with contaminated soil," Laketic explained.

The doctor noted that in the village of Borovac, another area struck by NATO bombs, three residents, or one percent of the village's total population, are suffering from malignant brain damage.

Dr. Laketic noted that an increase in oncological diseases has also been observed in Pcinjski District, and said that this was particularly significant, since the area's population is younger than the Serbian average.

The commission is now working on the creation of a large, systematized database.

"We are investigating the effects of toxic substances. Our task is to establish the causal links between [NATO's] actions and illnesses. Having established them, we will receive weighty arguments for organized efforts in the detection, prevention and treatment of cancer at its early stages in those regions where it is necessary," the doctor said.

According to Dr. Laketic, in addition to depleted uranium, other toxic substances released during NATO's bombardment, such as chlorine, benzene, and polychlorinated biphenyls are also proven to cause illness, including malignant neoplasms which can lay dormant for five, ten or even twenty years after a person first comes in contact with them.

Established in June, the commission hopes to complete its first preliminary report by 2020. Dr. Laketic will report on the status of his team's investigation in the Serbian National Assembly in December.

According to openly available data, in the late 1990s, the average Serbian death rate from oncological illnesses hovered between 9,000 and 12,000 people per year. By 2014, however, the figure doubled to 22,000, with the number of newly diagnosed cancer patients reaching 40,000.

Some medical doctors and scientists have attributed the jump in cancer rates to NATO's use of depleted uranium rounds during its bombing, and have pointed to the rise in leukemia and lymphoma, cancer types affecting tissue most sensitive to ionizing radiation. Other experts have maintained that there yet to be conclusive proof of a relationship between cancer rates and the depleted uranium rounds, since cancers have been growing across Serbia, while depleted uranium rounds were dropped primarily in southern Serbia. According to World Cancer Research Fund statistics, Serbia is 18th in the world in total incidence of cancers, with 307.9 cases per 100,000 residents reported in 2018.
 
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