NATO is concerned over intensified Russian military operations and cruise missile strikes on October 7 targeting Islamic State militant positions, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.
“In Syria we have seen a troubling escalation of Russian military activities. We will assess the latest developments and their implications for the security of the Alliance. This is particularly relevant in the view of the recent violations of NATO’s airspace by Russian aircraft,” Stoltenberg told journalists ahead of the NATO Council at the level of Defense Ministers in Brussels.
On Wednesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Russia had launched 26 sea-based cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea targeting ISIL positions in Syria and had destroyed all of the intended targets.
“What we have seen is a strong increased military presence of Russia in Syria. We have seen airstrikes, we have seen strikes from cruise missiles, we have seen incursions into Turkish airspace and of course all of this are the reasons for our concern and we have expressed our concern and we have also stayed in very close contact with the Turkish government and we will meet with the Turkish defense minister later on today and we will assess the situation in the meeting today,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg reiterated the need for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
“What we see is that there is a renewed need for political initiatives to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria because in the long term there is no military solution, there has to be an end to the fighting,” Stoltenberg said.
The NATO chief also stated his concerns that Russia is supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by not only striking Islamic State targets, but also other opposition military forces that have been trained by the West.
“There has to be a political solution, a transition, and my concern is that the Russians are not mainly targeting ISIS, but they are targeting other opposition groups, and they are supporting the [Assad] regime, and I call on Russia to play a constructive and cooperative role in the fight against ISIS, and not to continue to support the Assad regime because to support the regime is not a constructive contribution to a peaceful and lasting political solution in Syria,” Stoltenberg added.
(Sputnik)
8/10/15
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Related:
Russia Boosts Efficiency of Anti-ISIL Attacks in Syria. Russian cruise missiles had been coordinated with Iran and Iraq.
Russia cancels strikes on IS militants when they hide among population (General Staff)
Cuatro buques rusos lanzan 26 misiles contra el Estado Islámico en Siria (video)
Dieu, considérez que nous ne nous entendons pas nous-même et que nous ne savons pas ce que nous voulons, et que nous nous éloignons infiniment de ce que nous désirons. (EL Ethnos, EL Ethos)
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NATO ‘ready to defend Turkey if needed’...
ReplyDeleteNATO is ready to send troops to Turkey to defend its ally against threats on its southern flank, the head of the U.S.-led alliance said on Thursday after violations of Turkish airspace by Russia jets conducting air strikes in Syria.
“NATO is ready and able to defend all allies, including Turkey against any threats,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters before a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels that will be dominated by the Syria crisis.
“NATO has already responded by increasing our capacity, our ability, our preparedness to deploy forces including to the south, including in Turkey,” he said, noting that Russia’s air and cruise missile strikes were “reasons for concern”.
He also said no decision had been taken on NATO troop levels in Afghanistan.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in Washington, D.C. in 1949, comprising the 12 nations of the Atlantic Pact together with Greece, Turkey, and the Federal Republic of Germany, for the purpose of collective defense against aggression.
alarabiya.net
8/10/15
Le conflit en Syrie fait irruption à l'Otan après l'intervention russe...
ReplyDelete(Belga) Le secrétaire général de l'Otan, Jens Stoltenberg, a dénoncé jeudi une "escalade troublante" des activités militaires russes dans le conflit en Syrie, qui ont permis au régime du président Bachar al-Assad de lancer une vaste offensive terrestre contre la rébellion.
"Nous allons évaluer les derniers développements et les implications pour la sécurité de l'Alliance" atlantique - et en particulier la Turquie, seul pays allié à border la Syrie et dont l'espace aérien a été violé à plusieurs reprises par des chasseurs russes -, a-t-il affirmé à son arrivée au siège bruxellois de l'Otan avant une réunion des ministres de la Défense des 28 Etats-membres. "L'Otan est prête à défendre tous les alliés, y compris la Turquie, contre toute menace", a assuré M. Stoltenberg devant la presse. (Belga)
rtl.be
8/10/15
NATO defense ministers approved Thursday a military concept for the bloc’s Response Force, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday...
ReplyDeleteStoltenberg said that the completed military concept was approved by the ministers, including its command and control.
"We now have everything in place to make the Response Force stronger, faster and more capable," Stoltenberg told the press after the meeting.
The forces could be sent out in 48 hours, the NATO head said.
The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a technologically-advanced high-readiness unit combining land, air, and maritime forces within the alliance. The initiative was launched in 2002, and members created an operational group in 2014, as a response to changing security needs.
In June, NATO announced the expansion of its readiness defense troop force to 40,000.
NATO members will create a Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), dubbed "Spearhead," to have a deployable force available to respond to threats on short notice.
sputniknews.com