Against the background of the conflict over Ukraine, Russia handed over to the United States a list of requirements for security guarantees. US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, who is on a visit to Moscow, has received electrical proposals, said Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov on Wednesday, December 15.
Russia previously reported. According to Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes for a positive reaction from Washington and NATO to Moscow’s proposals.
Security guarantees
On the eve of Putin, NATO and the United States were in a hurry to negotiate security guarantees for Russia and demanded legal security guarantees for his country. He authorized further expansion of NATO to the East.
The Kremlin had previously demanded security guarantees from NATO, insisting, in particular, on the inadmissibility of Ukraine and Georgia being admitted to NATO. There is currently no question of admitting these two countries to the Western alliance.
Recently, between Russia and the West, they have become noticeably aggravated due to the conflict over Ukraine. Against the backdrop of a massive transfer of Russian troops to the border with Ukraine, the West fears that Russia is starting a war against this country. The Kremlin, for its part, accuses Ukraine of building up arms with the help of the West and criticizes NATO for conducting maneuvers near Russian borders.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
“Iron sword” in Lithuania
In Lithuania, until December 2, 2016, the military exercises “Iron Sword” (“Iron Sword”) of NATO forces are being held, in which, in addition to Lithuanian military personnel, soldiers from Germany, the USA, Great Britain and Poland are taking part. An additional battalion of NATO forces will be deployed in Lithuania. In the photo: military exercises of NATO soldiers, which took place in the Lithuanian town of Rukla this fall.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Russia strengthens its position in the Baltic
The grouping of troops in the Kaliningrad Special Region in 2016 was reinforced by a battalion of the Bastion coastal missile system. New missile systems came into service with the Baltic Fleet in 2016, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Photo: summer exercises of the Russian army in the Baltic
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Build strength on both sides
This infographic shows that there is a military build-up on both sides. Russia on its western borders is forming three new divisions with a total strength of up to 30 thousand servicemen. NATO is sending four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland, each with a thousand soldiers.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Installs a missile defense system in Europe.
In 2016, the Aegis ground-based anti-missile defense base was launched in Romania. There is a similar station in Poland. Together with other ground targets, as well as a group of destroyers, it is an integral part of the program for building a phased adaptive anti-missile defense (ABM) system. Russia believes that the missile defense system is directed against it.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Iskander in Kaliningrad
Meanwhile, Russia continues to strengthen the Kaliningrad region. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that it is implementing the link’s intention in the western exclave of the Iskander-M missile systems. According to the Ministry of Defense, they can hit targets at a distance of up to 500 km, Iskander missiles can be equipped with two types of missiles – ballistic and cruise, and theoretically carry a nuclear warhead.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Latvia will spend on defense
In autumn, military exercises were held at various points in Latvia, including the joint exercises of the NATO military personnel “Silver Arrow”. In the photo: Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis (v) and US servicemen after military exercises in the Latvian town of Adazi. Bergmanis can expect defense spending to rise by almost 100 million euros in 2017.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
New divisions
For a long time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the size of the Russian army was declining. But the announcement of the creation of new divisions, primarily near the Russian-Ukrainian border, could reverse this trend. Experts do not yet know how the Ministry of Defense is going to staff the new divisions with personnel. It is necessary to find about 30 thousand servicemen further.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
Major exercises in Poland
A major NATO military exercise called “Baltops” took place in the Baltic region this summer. They were attended by servicemen from 17 countries – over 6,000 soldiers in total. Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the bloc plans to transfer several hundred thousand soldiers to an enhanced regime of service in the member countries of the organization.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
From howitzers to heavy bombers
Russia is actively testing and introducing new types of military equipment into service. These are Su-35S fighters, and Tor, Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile systems, Verba MANPADS, Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems and drones. Now the level of rearmament of the army, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, is 50 percent.
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How NATO and Russia are building up their military forces
“We are not in a state of cold war with Russia”
In a recent interview with DW, Jens Stoltenberg announced that NATO was not in a cold war with Russia, calling for a more moderate definition. The scale of the military build-up by both sides is, indeed, incomparably smaller than this timetable from the GDR times reminds.
Author: Mikhail Bushuev