THE GUARDIAN: German intelligence chief warns continued hybrid warfare by Moscow increases risk of alliance invoking Article 5
Russia’s acts of sabotage against western targets may eventually prompt Nato to consider invoking the alliance’s Article 5 mutual defence clause, the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service has warned.
Speaking at an event of the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) think tank in Berlin on Wednesday, BND chief Bruno Kahl said he expected Moscow to further step up its hybrid warfare.
“The extensive use of hybrid measures by Russia increases the risk that Nato will eventually consider invoking its Article 5 mutual defence clause,” he noted.
“At the same time, the increasing ramp up of the Russian military potential means a direct military confrontation with Nato becomes one possible option for the Kremlin.”
Under Article 5, if a Nato member comes under attack, the other members of the alliance are obliged to help it respond. » | Reuters in Berlin | Wednesday, November 27, 2024
What is hybrid warfare, which some fear Russia will use after Ukraine’s strike?: Strike with US-made missiles has prompted fears of Russian reprisal that would broaden the scope of a frontline »
Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Thursday, November 07, 2024
Retired US General Hodges: Trump's Presidency Poses Serious Risks for Ukraine and NATO | DW News
Nov 7, 2024 | Trump has said he could end Russia's war in Ukraine in one day. Some commentators have interpreted that as giving in to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands over the heads of Ukrainians. Neverthelss, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky posted his congratulations on X:
"I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States."
For more on Trump's presidency and his foreign policy, we talk to retired US General Ben Hodges and to Boris Vormann, professor of politics and director of the politics section at Bard College Berlin.
"I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States."
For more on Trump's presidency and his foreign policy, we talk to retired US General Ben Hodges and to Boris Vormann, professor of politics and director of the politics section at Bard College Berlin.
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Zelenskyy Meets with EU and NATO Leaders for Backing of His 'Victory Plan' | DW News
Thursday, July 18, 2024
John Bolton: Trump 'Would Withdraw' from NATO If Re-elected
Friday, July 12, 2024
Joe Biden Says Kamala Harris 'Qualified' to Take Over as President If Needed | BBC News
Jul 12, 2024 | US President Joe Biden insists he will not end his re-election bid because he believes he is best placed to beat Donald Trump in November.
But at a high-stakes press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, he told reporters his vice-president, Kamala Harris, was qualified to take over the top job if necessary. US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Vice-President Harris as 'Trump' at the event.
Earlier, he misnamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as 'President Putin' while speaking to reporters about NATO’s support for Ukraine.
But at a high-stakes press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, he told reporters his vice-president, Kamala Harris, was qualified to take over the top job if necessary. US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Vice-President Harris as 'Trump' at the event.
Earlier, he misnamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as 'President Putin' while speaking to reporters about NATO’s support for Ukraine.
Biden Introduces Zelenskiy as ‘President Putin’ at Nato Summit
THE GUARDIAN: US president says ‘Ladies and gentleman, President Putin’, before realising mistake and correcting himself
Joe Biden has accidentally introduced the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as “President Putin” in a gaffe that will fuel further concerns about his mental acuity that have threatened to scuttle his presidential campaign.
Biden made the mistake while flanked by Nato leaders during a signing ceremony alongside Zelenskiy on the final day of the Nato summit in Washington. It came just an hour before a rare press conference by Biden that has been called “make-or-break” for his campaign, as a growing number of political allies and donors have been calling for him to drop out of the race.
Concluding his opening remarks, Biden handed over to Zelenskiy with the words: “Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination.” » | Andrew Roth Dan Sabbagh and Pippa Crerar in Washington | Friday, July 12, 2024
Joe Biden has accidentally introduced the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as “President Putin” in a gaffe that will fuel further concerns about his mental acuity that have threatened to scuttle his presidential campaign.
Biden made the mistake while flanked by Nato leaders during a signing ceremony alongside Zelenskiy on the final day of the Nato summit in Washington. It came just an hour before a rare press conference by Biden that has been called “make-or-break” for his campaign, as a growing number of political allies and donors have been calling for him to drop out of the race.
Concluding his opening remarks, Biden handed over to Zelenskiy with the words: “Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination.” » | Andrew Roth Dan Sabbagh and Pippa Crerar in Washington | Friday, July 12, 2024
Thursday, July 11, 2024
NATO on the Edge: Biden Praises and Trump Denigrates a 75-Year Alliance
THE NEW YORK TIMES: As leaders gathered in Washington to mark the anniversary of the organization, they heard starkly different messages from two American presidents on NATO’s future.
As NATO leaders gathered in Washington this week, one American president hailed the 75-year defensive alliance as the greatest “in the history of the world.”
Another described it as a virtual protection racket and declared that he would abandon “delinquent” members to the mercies of Russian invaders.
President Biden was the official host, greeting his European and North American counterparts in Washington with smiles, handshakes and solidarity, posing for grip-and-grin pictures and boasting of the progress and principle underlying the historic partnership. Former President Donald J. Trump was nowhere to be seen, not part of the formal events, but adding his voice from afar at a rally and in an interview.
“The fact that NATO remains the bulwark of global security did not happen by accident,” Mr. Biden said at an opening ceremony in the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949. “It wasn’t inevitable. Again and again, at critical moments, we chose unity over disunion, progress over retreat, freedom over tyranny and hope over fear. Again and again, we stood behind our shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous trans-Atlantic community.”
Just two hours after Mr. Biden finished, Mr. Trump took the stage at a campaign event in Doral, Fla., and denigrated the alliance. He made no mention of its contributions to history, its victory in the Cold War or its role in defending Europe today as the war in Ukraine continues. Indeed, he acknowledged that he had been largely ignorant about the organization until he became president. But he then boasted about how he berated the allies as deadbeats. » | Peter Baker, Reporting from Washington | Thursday, July 11, 2024
As NATO leaders gathered in Washington this week, one American president hailed the 75-year defensive alliance as the greatest “in the history of the world.”
Another described it as a virtual protection racket and declared that he would abandon “delinquent” members to the mercies of Russian invaders.
President Biden was the official host, greeting his European and North American counterparts in Washington with smiles, handshakes and solidarity, posing for grip-and-grin pictures and boasting of the progress and principle underlying the historic partnership. Former President Donald J. Trump was nowhere to be seen, not part of the formal events, but adding his voice from afar at a rally and in an interview.
“The fact that NATO remains the bulwark of global security did not happen by accident,” Mr. Biden said at an opening ceremony in the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949. “It wasn’t inevitable. Again and again, at critical moments, we chose unity over disunion, progress over retreat, freedom over tyranny and hope over fear. Again and again, we stood behind our shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous trans-Atlantic community.”
Just two hours after Mr. Biden finished, Mr. Trump took the stage at a campaign event in Doral, Fla., and denigrated the alliance. He made no mention of its contributions to history, its victory in the Cold War or its role in defending Europe today as the war in Ukraine continues. Indeed, he acknowledged that he had been largely ignorant about the organization until he became president. But he then boasted about how he berated the allies as deadbeats. » | Peter Baker, Reporting from Washington | Thursday, July 11, 2024
Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister: ‘Best Way to Tackle Russian Threat Is to Keep Aiding Ukraine’
NATO Members Pledge Support for Ukraine Membership and Increased Aid | BBC News
NATO members have pledged their support for an "irreversible path" to future membership for Ukraine, as well as more aid.
While a formal timeline for it to join the military alliance was not agreed at a summit in Washington DC, the military alliance's 32 members said they had "unwavering" support for Ukraine's war effort.
NATO has also announced further integration with Ukraine's military and members have committed €40bn ($43.3bn, £33.7bn) in aid in the next year, including F-16 fighter jets and air defence support.
While a formal timeline for it to join the military alliance was not agreed at a summit in Washington DC, the military alliance's 32 members said they had "unwavering" support for Ukraine's war effort.
NATO has also announced further integration with Ukraine's military and members have committed €40bn ($43.3bn, £33.7bn) in aid in the next year, including F-16 fighter jets and air defence support.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Biden Says NATO Will ‘Protect Every Inch’ of Its Territory
Jul 10, 2024 | NATO chief outlines priorities to strengthen defence and future security at the anniversary meeting. Jens Stoltenberg notes 23 allies now meet the 2% GDP defense spending target, up from 3 in 2014.
The US president has hailed a pledge by NATO members to develop plans to boost domestic defence production. He said the move is needed to avoid falling behind Russia.
“This new pledge sends an unmistakable message to the world that every NATO member is committed to doing its part to keep the alliance strong,” Biden said in his brief opening remarks. “We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory and do it together.” Biden also began his address by saying Russia is “on a wartime footing about defence production”. “They are significantly ramping up their production of weapons, munitions and vehicles, and they’re doing it with the help of China, North Korea and Iran,” he said.
The US president has hailed a pledge by NATO members to develop plans to boost domestic defence production. He said the move is needed to avoid falling behind Russia.
“This new pledge sends an unmistakable message to the world that every NATO member is committed to doing its part to keep the alliance strong,” Biden said in his brief opening remarks. “We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory and do it together.” Biden also began his address by saying Russia is “on a wartime footing about defence production”. “They are significantly ramping up their production of weapons, munitions and vehicles, and they’re doing it with the help of China, North Korea and Iran,” he said.
Tuesday, July 02, 2024
Germany, Poland Discuss Defense Cooperation and a Bigger NATO Presence on Eastern Flank | DW News
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Trump’s NATO Threat Reflects a Wider Shift on America’s Place in the World
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public.
When former President Donald J. Trump told a campaign rally in South Carolina last weekend that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies who “didn’t pay,” there were gasps of shock in Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere around the world.
But not in South Carolina. At least not in the room that day. The crowd of Trump supporters decked out in “Make America Great Again” T-shirts and baseball caps reacted to the notion of siding with Moscow over longtime friends of the United States with boisterous cheers and whistles. “Delinquent” allies? Forget them. Not America’s problem.
The visceral rejection of the American-led security architecture constructed in the years after World War II serves as a reminder of how much the notion of U.S. leadership in the world has shifted in recent years. Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public that Mr. Trump appeals to.
The old consensus that endured even in the initial years after the end of the Cold War has frayed under the weight of globalization, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Great Recession of 2008-09 and Mr. Trump’s relentless assault on international institutions and agreements. While polls show most Americans still support NATO and other alliances, the increasingly vocal objections in some quarters hark back to a century ago when much of America just wanted to be left alone. » | Peter Baker, Reporting from Washington | Thursday, February 15, 2024
When former President Donald J. Trump told a campaign rally in South Carolina last weekend that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies who “didn’t pay,” there were gasps of shock in Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere around the world.
But not in South Carolina. At least not in the room that day. The crowd of Trump supporters decked out in “Make America Great Again” T-shirts and baseball caps reacted to the notion of siding with Moscow over longtime friends of the United States with boisterous cheers and whistles. “Delinquent” allies? Forget them. Not America’s problem.
The visceral rejection of the American-led security architecture constructed in the years after World War II serves as a reminder of how much the notion of U.S. leadership in the world has shifted in recent years. Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public that Mr. Trump appeals to.
The old consensus that endured even in the initial years after the end of the Cold War has frayed under the weight of globalization, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Great Recession of 2008-09 and Mr. Trump’s relentless assault on international institutions and agreements. While polls show most Americans still support NATO and other alliances, the increasingly vocal objections in some quarters hark back to a century ago when much of America just wanted to be left alone. » | Peter Baker, Reporting from Washington | Thursday, February 15, 2024
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Entsetzte Reaktionen auf die NATO-Äußerungen von Donald Trump | DW News
Nato Chief Rebukes Donald Trump and Announces Record Defence Spending
GUARDIAN EUROPE: Jens Stoltenberg accuses Trump of undermining alliance and says 18 members are expected to invest at least 2% of GDP this year
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, has accused Donald Trump of undermining the basis of the transatlantic alliance as he announced that 18 Nato members were expected to beat the target of spending more than 2% of GDP on defence.
It was the second rebuke by the Nato chief to the Republican frontrunner in less than a week, reinforced by a declaration that Germany was among the countries planning to spend over the threshold for the first time in a generation.
“We should not undermine the credibility of Nato’s deterrence,” Stoltenberg said on Wednesday as he responded to comments made by Trump at a campaign rally at the weekend. “Deterrence is in the mind of our adversaries,” he added. » | Dan Sabbagh in Brussels | Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Donald Trump's comments are often stupid, We have come to expect stupidity from Trump. But this comment re countries being "delinquent" in their payments to NATO was not only stupid but highly irresponsible. OUTRAGEOUS, in fact. This is proof, if proof were indeed needed, that the man is not fit to be POTUS. At this point, it is difficult to make a judgment on who is stupider and more irresponsible: Donald Trump or the people who vote for him! – © Mark Alexander
EN FRANÇAIS :
OTAN : pourquoi Donald Trump a-t-il accusé les alliés d’être « des mauvais payeurs » ? : L’ex-président américain a semé la confusion entre le financement direct de l’OTAN et les dépenses militaires des alliés, qui sont censées représenter au moins 2 % de leur PIB. »
AUF DEUTSCH :
VIDEO: „Dumm, beschämend, unamerikanisch“: Früherer Präsident und aktueller Präsidentschaftskandidat Donald Trump droht NATO-Mitgliedsstaaten keinen Schutz vor Russland zu gewähren, wenn sie ihre Verteidigungsausgaben nicht zahlen. Biden reagiert entschieden und verteidigt die NATO als unverzichtbar »
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, has accused Donald Trump of undermining the basis of the transatlantic alliance as he announced that 18 Nato members were expected to beat the target of spending more than 2% of GDP on defence.
It was the second rebuke by the Nato chief to the Republican frontrunner in less than a week, reinforced by a declaration that Germany was among the countries planning to spend over the threshold for the first time in a generation.
“We should not undermine the credibility of Nato’s deterrence,” Stoltenberg said on Wednesday as he responded to comments made by Trump at a campaign rally at the weekend. “Deterrence is in the mind of our adversaries,” he added. » | Dan Sabbagh in Brussels | Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Donald Trump's comments are often stupid, We have come to expect stupidity from Trump. But this comment re countries being "delinquent" in their payments to NATO was not only stupid but highly irresponsible. OUTRAGEOUS, in fact. This is proof, if proof were indeed needed, that the man is not fit to be POTUS. At this point, it is difficult to make a judgment on who is stupider and more irresponsible: Donald Trump or the people who vote for him! – © Mark Alexander
EN FRANÇAIS :
OTAN : pourquoi Donald Trump a-t-il accusé les alliés d’être « des mauvais payeurs » ? : L’ex-président américain a semé la confusion entre le financement direct de l’OTAN et les dépenses militaires des alliés, qui sont censées représenter au moins 2 % de leur PIB. »
AUF DEUTSCH :
VIDEO: „Dumm, beschämend, unamerikanisch“: Früherer Präsident und aktueller Präsidentschaftskandidat Donald Trump droht NATO-Mitgliedsstaaten keinen Schutz vor Russland zu gewähren, wenn sie ihre Verteidigungsausgaben nicht zahlen. Biden reagiert entschieden und verteidigt die NATO als unverzichtbar »
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Steve Schmidt Reacts to Donald Trump's Dangerous NATO Comments | The Warning
Trump should be sent to the madhouse, but definitely not to the White House!
Trump sollte ins Irrenhaus geschickt, aber auf keinen Fall ins Weiße Haus!
Trump devrait être envoyé à la maison de fous, mais certainement pas à la Maison Blanche ! – © Mark Alexander
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Nato Chief Says Trump Remarks May Put US and EU Lives At Risk
THE GUARDIAN: Jens Stoltenberg says Nato ‘ready and able to defend all allies’, after Trump invited Russia to attack member countries
The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, has said any attack on the western military alliance would be met with a “united and forceful response”, after Donald Trump invited Russia to attack member countries that he perceived as not meeting their financial obligations.
Stoltenberg said in a statement: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.”
He said Nato remained “ready and able to defend all allies”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Lili Bayer in Brussels | Sunday, February 11, 2024
Trump should under no circumstances be allowed back into the White House. Trump is a clown and a fool - a dangerous clown and fool! The man is a moron - a mentally unstable moron at that! Why it is taking the authorities in the US so long to lock him up is puzzling indeed. The man belongs in jail for all he has inflicted on the US and for all the damage he has done to democracy worldwide. The best-case scenario for Trump is that he be locked up in a madhouse, as I wrote yesterday in German. (ich schrieb, daß er in einem Irrenhaus gehört und nicht im Weißen Haus.)
What has been reported today regarding what Trump has said re Russia and NATO is proof positive that my words are no exaggeration.
Why the hell is the world wasting so much time on this waster: America's gift to Putin? – © Mark Alexander
The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, has said any attack on the western military alliance would be met with a “united and forceful response”, after Donald Trump invited Russia to attack member countries that he perceived as not meeting their financial obligations.
Stoltenberg said in a statement: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.”
He said Nato remained “ready and able to defend all allies”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Lili Bayer in Brussels | Sunday, February 11, 2024
Trump should under no circumstances be allowed back into the White House. Trump is a clown and a fool - a dangerous clown and fool! The man is a moron - a mentally unstable moron at that! Why it is taking the authorities in the US so long to lock him up is puzzling indeed. The man belongs in jail for all he has inflicted on the US and for all the damage he has done to democracy worldwide. The best-case scenario for Trump is that he be locked up in a madhouse, as I wrote yesterday in German. (ich schrieb, daß er in einem Irrenhaus gehört und nicht im Weißen Haus.)
What has been reported today regarding what Trump has said re Russia and NATO is proof positive that my words are no exaggeration.
Why the hell is the world wasting so much time on this waster: America's gift to Putin? – © Mark Alexander
Donald Trump Says He Would Encourage Russia to Attack Nato Allies Who Pay Too Little
THE GUARDIAN: Remarks by former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee described as ‘unhinged’ by the White House
Seeking a second presidency as the Republicans’ presumptive 2024 White House nominee, Donald Trump has said he would “encourage” Russia to attack any of the US’s Nato allies whom he considers to have not met their financial obligations.
The White House described the remarks as “appalling and unhinged”. Trump made the statement on Saturday during a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, ahead of the state’s Republican presidential preference primary on 24 February.
The former president has voiced misgivings about aid to Ukraine as it defends itself from the invasion launched by Russia in February 2022 – as well as to the existence of Nato, the 31-nation alliance which the US has committed to defending when necessary.
On Saturday, Trump claimed that during an unspecified Nato meeting he told a fellow head of state that the US under his leadership would not defend any countries who were “delinquent”. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, February 11, 2024
Seeking a second presidency as the Republicans’ presumptive 2024 White House nominee, Donald Trump has said he would “encourage” Russia to attack any of the US’s Nato allies whom he considers to have not met their financial obligations.
The White House described the remarks as “appalling and unhinged”. Trump made the statement on Saturday during a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, ahead of the state’s Republican presidential preference primary on 24 February.
The former president has voiced misgivings about aid to Ukraine as it defends itself from the invasion launched by Russia in February 2022 – as well as to the existence of Nato, the 31-nation alliance which the US has committed to defending when necessary.
On Saturday, Trump claimed that during an unspecified Nato meeting he told a fellow head of state that the US under his leadership would not defend any countries who were “delinquent”. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, February 11, 2024
Friday, February 09, 2024
Russia Could Attack Nato within Three Years, Warns Denmark
THE TELEGRAPH: The Danish defence minister has warned Russia could go to war with Nato in as little as three years.
Troels Lund Poulsen, who also serves as Denmark’s deputy prime minister, has joined colleagues from the UK, Sweden, Romania, Germany and others in raising the alarm about increased Russian defence spending and manufacturing.
“It cannot be ruled out that within a three- to five-year period, Russia will test Article 5 and Nato’s solidarity. That was not Nato’s assessment in 2023. This is new information that is coming to the fore now,” Mr Poulsen told Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper. » | Friday, February 9, 2024
Troels Lund Poulsen, who also serves as Denmark’s deputy prime minister, has joined colleagues from the UK, Sweden, Romania, Germany and others in raising the alarm about increased Russian defence spending and manufacturing.
“It cannot be ruled out that within a three- to five-year period, Russia will test Article 5 and Nato’s solidarity. That was not Nato’s assessment in 2023. This is new information that is coming to the fore now,” Mr Poulsen told Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper. » | Friday, February 9, 2024
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Analysts Warn There Could Be a Russian Attack on a NATO Member State
If NATO Fails to Prepare for Conflict, Another World War Could Come | Lord Dannatt
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