“The Secretary has reaffirmed the President’s message that the United States intends to revive our relationship with the Alliance,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters about the message Austin conveyed to a virtual NATO ministerial meeting taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Secretary Austin emphasized that NATO’s most important task is to protect our populations and territories by providing credible deterrence and a strong army,” Kirby added.
“Austin has gone beyond the traditional issues, emphasizing that NATO must protect supply chains and technologies from ‘strategic competitors,'” Kirby said. The implication was clear that it was time to worry more about China and especially Russia.
“For the Department of Defense, it means deploying a credible force ready to support the hard work of diplomacy. It also means working closely with our allies and partners to ensure our common interests and our shared values. “Simply put, we can not fulfill our responsibilities alone, and we must not try,” Austin wrote.
“I would not expect specific decisions during this meeting,” a senior defense official familiar with Austin’s thinking told CNN. Instead, he plans to consult allies before the US makes final decisions contrary to Trump’s everyday stance.
Putin warning
Austin makes it clear that he knows that NATO’s rival – Vladimir Putin’s Russia – is not waiting. “Aggressive and coercive behavior from encouraged strategic competitors such as China and Russia strengthens our belief in collective security,” Austin wrote in his Washington Post article.
“It is very clear that Russia is a threat to all NATO allies, including the United States. Russia is weakening transparency and predictability. They are using military force to achieve their goals. They are supporting proxy groups and sowing chaos and doubt and undermining the rules. -based international command, “said a second defense official involved in the US preparations for the minister.” This government has therefore already made it clear that we will work with Russia to advance our own interests, while holding them accountable. be for their reckless and aggressive actions. And we look forward to discussing with our allies this week. “
Cyber attacks by Russia are still at the top of the list of concerns. NATO is now bringing other countries into its closed discussion on how to deal with the threat.
Excessive Russian military movements are also a cause for concern. Moscow is stepping up military activity in northeastern Syria, where the U.S. still has 900 troops. There are concerns that the Russians will not obey long-agreed procedures to stay away from U.S. territories, several defense officials say.
And the US and Russia are lying about their position and presence in the rich rich areas. By the end of the month, B-1 bombers will start flying off Russia’s west coast for the first time. The Russian news agency Tass reported that two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers flew over the international waters of the Barents, Greenland and Norwegian seas earlier this month.
NATO has also reported several air meetings with Russia in recent days. NATO fighter jets from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey flew on February 10 in response to several Russian Tu-22 long-range bombers and fighter jets flying near the NATO area above the Black Sea. The Russian plane flew without submitting a transponder code and did not indicate their position, altitude or flight plan.
If officials keep a clear number of US troops in Germany and deeper in the eastern flank of NATO by keeping rotating troops in Romania, Poland and even Ukraine for exercises and training Biden has already seized the withdrawal of troops from Germany in anticipation of a review, and Ukraine publicly says it will build two new naval bases.
US officials say the approach to the NATO summit is intended to send a clear message to Moscow that the US is back in business and that more is being done.