Reuters, 19/10 14:26 CET
By Robin Emmott
TRAPANI, Italy (Reuters) – NATO
and its allies opened their largest military exercise in more than a
decade on Monday, choosing the central Mediterranean to showcase
strengths that face threats from Russia’s growing military presence from
the Baltics to Syria.
As planes flew over a gala ceremony for NATO’s military
and political leaders at an air base in southern Italy, Russia’s
resurgence was the central topic of concern, pushing NATO to embark on its biggest modernisation since the Cold War.
“This sends a very clear message to any potential
aggressor,” NATO’s top commander General Philip Breedlove said of the
Trident Juncture exercises and the testing of a new rapid-reaction
force.
“Any attempt to violate the sovereignty of one NATO nation will result in the decisive military engagement of all NATO
nations,” Breedlove said, before donning flight gear to oversee a
fly-over of dozens of fighter jets and camouflaged helicopters.
But looming over the exercises involving some 36,000
troops, ships and aircraft over five weeks is the issue of how far
Russia’s growing military presence from the Baltics to Syria can limit
NATO’s ability to move around by sea and air.
From the Baltics, where Russia has a naval base in
Kaliningrad, through the Black Sea and annexed Crimea, to Moscow’s
intervention in Syria, Russia has stationed anti-aircraft and anti-ship
missiles able to cover huge areas.
“We are very concerned about the Russian military
build-up,” NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow told
reporters. “The increasing concentration of forces in Kaliningrad, the
Black Sea and now in the eastern Mediterranean does pose some additional
challenges,” he said.
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Source: Euronews
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