NATO To Hold Its Largest Exercise Next Week Since The Cold War

 

Reuters: NATO to hold biggest drills since Cold War with 90,000 troops 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO is launching its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance's eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a "near-peer" adversary. 

Some 90,000 troops are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May, the alliance's top commander Chris Cavoli said on Thursday.  

Read more .... 

NATO To Hold Its Largest Exercise Since The Cold War 

 NATO to start biggest wargames in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel -- AP  

NATO to kick off biggest drills in decades with some 90,000 troops -- CNA  

NATO to start biggest wargames in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel -- El Pais 

Biggest NATO drills since Cold War to start next week -- Al Jazeera  

NATO Deploying 90,000 Troops in Largest Drill Conducted Since Cold War -- KNewsZ  

Is NATO Mobilizing 90,000 Troops for War With Russia? What to Know -- Newsweek

NATO's Top Military Officer Says NATO Countries Need To Be On Red Alert For War And "Expect The Unexpected"

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer 

Politico.eu: NATO official warns West: Be ready for ‘anything’  

'The tectonic plates of power are shifting,’ Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer says. 

NATO countries need to be on red alert for war and "expect the unexpected," the chair of the alliance's military committee of national chiefs Rob Bauer said Wednesday. 

“In order to be fully effective, also in the future, we need a warfighting transformation of NATO,” said Bauer during a meeting of military chiefs in Brussels. 

“For this too, public-private cooperation will be the key.” Bauer, a Dutch admiral, said allies need to "focus on effectiveness" and ramp up defense readiness with more exercises, industry partnerships and troops on high alert.  

Read more .... 

 NATO's Top Military Officer Says NATO Countries Need To Be On Red Alert For War And "Expect The Unexpected"  

Top NATO military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine -- AP  

NATO needs 'warfighting transformation', top military official says -- Reuters  

NATO needs a 'warfighting transformation' as 'anything can happen at any time,' top military official says -- FOX News  

NATO needs a 'warfighting transformation' and the West needs to change its mindset 'to an era in which anything can happen', says top alliance official amid rising WW3 fears -- Daily Mail

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Issues A Warning To NATO To Be Prepared For 'Bad News' From Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg  

Politico: NATO should be ready for ‘bad news’ from Ukraine, Stoltenberg warns 

‘We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times,’ NATO chief says in ARD interview. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the Western military alliance should be ready for bad news from the Ukrainian front as Kyiv continues to defend against Russia's all-out invasion. 

"Wars develop in phases," Stoltenberg said in an interview Saturday with German broadcaster ARD. "We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times," he said. 

"We should also be prepared for bad news,” Stoltenberg added, without being more specific.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has finally caught up to what WNU has been saying since the collapse of Ukraine's counteroffensive this summer. Ukraine's front-lines are breaking (especially in the east), and there is now a very real chance of a Ukraine army collapse in the Donbas. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Issues A Warning To Be Prepared For 'Bad News' From Ukraine  

NATO chief on Ukraine war: ‘Be prepared for bad news -- The Hill  

Nato must be ‘prepared for bad news’ in Ukraine, says Stoltenberg -- The Independent  

NATO should be prepared for 'bad news' from Ukraine: Stoltenberg -- Anadolu Agency  

Nato Chief Issues 1 Bleak Warning To Ukraine's Allies About Future Of War Against Russia -- Huffington Post

Aircraft Carriers From The U.K., Italy, And Spain Are Now Operating Under NATO Command

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy flagship under Nato command for first time as she leads UK Carrier Strike Group © HMS Queen Elizabeth carried out an intense training exercise alongside the Norwegian submarine HNoMS Utstein. Picture: Royal Navy.  

Portsmouth News: HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy flagship under Nato command for first time as she leads UK Carrier Strike Group 

The Royal Navy’s biggest warship is under Nato command for the first time as she resumes her deployment. 

HMS Queen Elizabeth is leading the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) and will operate across a vast area of multiple seas. The task force also comprises of Type 23 frigate HMS Kent, Type 45 destroyers HMS Diamond, various aircraft including F-35B Lightning jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and other support ships. 

 Nato’s aim was to create a potent task group which is able to operate across a large area, from the length and breadth of the Mediterranean and north to the Baltic Sea. HMS Queen Elizabeth’s crew have a full week of tasks ahead of them.  

Read more .... 

Update: UK flagship under NATO command for the first time (Royal Navy)  

WNU Editor: The 3 aircraft carriers in questions are the HMS Queen Elizabeth, Italy's ITS Cavour, and Spains ESP Juan Carlos. The key line in the above report is this ....

.... The Italian ITS Cavour and Spanish ESP Juan Carlos have been stationed to the Mediterranean, allowing Nato to protect a vast area of airspace, waterways and territory. Warships from 21 nations are deployed on the activity– codenamed Neptune Strike. 

They are being commanded by Nato’s Naval and Striking Support Forces, a battle staff under the Supreme Allied Commander Europe – which is tasked with rapidly planning and executing operations wherever needed. When Royal Navy assets are under Nato’s command, they carry out tasks of vital importance to the alliance for a set period of time.

This type of deployment and centralized command is rare. NATO is preparing for something big.

Turkish President Erdoğan Finally Sends Sweden’s NATO Bid To The Turkish Parliament

 

Politico: Erdoğan, at last, sends Sweden’s NATO bid to Turkish parliament  

Sweden welcomes the move, though the length of the Turkish approval process remains unclear. 

BRUSSELS — The Turkish government on Monday submitted Sweden's NATO accession bid to the country's parliament for ratification, ending a months-long guessing game over whether Ankara intended to postpone its approval process further.

"The Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey," the presidency posted on social media platform X. 

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hailed the move. Welcome that President Erdoğan signed Sweden’s ratification protocol to NATO and submitted it to the Grand National Assembly of [Turkey]. Parliamentary procedures will now commence. We are looking forward to becoming a member of NATO," his office posted on the same platform.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Hungary is also a hold-out for Sweden to join NATO .... Hungary in the spotlight after Turkey presses on with Sweden’s bid to join NATO (The Hill/AP). 

Turkish President Erdoğan Finally Sends Sweden’s NATO Bid To The Turkish Parliament  

Turkey’s president submits protocol for Sweden’s admission into NATO to parliament for ratification -- AP  

Sweden closer to NATO membership after Erdogan sends accession protocol to Turkish parliament -- CNN  

Turkey’s president submits bill to ratify Sweden’s Nato membership -- The Guardian 

Erdogan Finally Submits Sweden's NATO Bid To Turkish Parliament, With $20BN F-16 Deal Looming -- Zero Hedge

NATO To Respond If Finland Gas Pipeline Damage Intentional

 

 Bloomberg: Finland Pipeline Sabotage Proof Would Draw NATO Response 

(Bloomberg) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cautioned that any deliberate damage to the alliance’s critical infrastructure would warrant a response after an undersea gas pipeline was ruptured in a suspected act of sabotage in Finland. 

As the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization investigates what caused the damage, Stoltenberg said that defense ministers will discuss the topic during a meeting in Brussels. 

“The important thing now is to establish what happened and how this could happen,” Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday. “If it is proven to be a deliberate attack on NATO critical infrastructure, then this will be serious but will also be met by a united and determined response from NATO.”  

Read more ....  

Update #1: NATO to respond if Baltic Sea pipeline damage deliberate -alliance chief (Reuters)  

Update #2: If attack on Alliance's critical infrastructure is deliberate, there will be a decisive response – NATO (Ukrainska Pravda) 

WNU Editor: Will NATO treat this disruption the same way they did with Nord Stream Two? We shall see.

NATO Preparing For The Biggest Military Exercises In Europe Since The Cold War

A training exercise in Poland in May this year. Nato is pushing to transform itself from crisis response to a war-fighting alliance, prompted by the invasion of Ukraine © Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Reuters  

Zero Hedge: NATO Prepares For Biggest Military Exercise Since Cold War, And Close To Russia 

The upcoming Steadfast Defender NATO war drills, set for early 2024, are expected to be the biggest military exercises in Europe since the end of the Cold War, the Financial Times is reporting Monday. 

At a moment the war in Ukraine grows more and more unpredictable, given neither Russia nor the West have shown any signs of backing down, the FT writes that "Nato is preparing its biggest live joint command exercise since the cold war next year, assembling more than 40,000 troops to practice how the alliance would attempt to repel Russian aggression against one of its members." 

Read more ....

Update #1: Nato to launch biggest military exercise since cold war (Financial Times)  

Update #2: NATO in 2024 to conduct biggest military exercise since Cold War in Germany, Poland, Baltics (The New Voice of Ukraine)  

WNU Editor: Conducting massive military exercises on the border of a country that is already at war. What could go wrong?

NATO Conducting Major Baltic Exercises Focused On Repelling Russian Attacks

NATO: NATO navies hold annual Northern Coasts collective defence exercise in the Baltic Sea 

Some 30 warships and 3,200 personnel from 14 nations will participate in the annual two-week naval exercise Northern Coasts, which starts on Saturday (9 September 2023) in the Baltic Sea, primarily off the coasts of Estonia and Latvia. Led by the German Navy, Northern Coasts is one of the biggest exercises in the region, and is focusing for the first time on high-end warfare and the collective defence of NATO Allies.  

Read more ....  

Update: NATO Baltic War Games Simulate Article 5 Collective Defense War With Russia (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: Apparently this is the first time these type of exercises are being held .... NATO to Conduct First Major Drills Focused on Repelling Russian Attacks (Defense Post).

US And The UK Tell Zelensky To Show More Gratitude For The Help That Ukraine Has Received From The West

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stands as NATO leaders set up for a group photo, July 11, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. © Yves Herman - Pool/Getty Images  

The Guardian: US and UK call for more gratitude from Kyiv after Zelenskiy’s Nato complaint 

Comments come after Ukrainian leader complained his country had not been given firm timetable for joining alliance 

Britain’s defence secretary and the US national security adviser have suggested Ukraine ought to show more gratitude for the help it has received from the west, in response to Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s complaints that his country has not been issued a firm timetable or set of conditions for joining Nato. 

Their unscripted remarks – at two different events on the margins of the second day of the Nato summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius – appeared to prompt a change of tack from the Ukrainian leader on Wednesday, who later said he was “grateful to all leaders of Nato countries” for their support and help.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: White House says it deserves 'gratitude' from Ukraine for billions spent on war after Zelensky NATO criticism (NYPost)  

Update #2: Zelensky responds to NATO demand for ‘gratitude’ (RT)  

WNU Editor: Putin and his destructive invasion. Zelensky breaking his election promise to sign the Minsk accord with the Donbas preferring a military solution instead. The ultra-Ukrainian nationalists who been running the country since 2014. NATO, the U.K. and the U.S. taking advantage of the situation to promote and prologue this war. All of these people, groups, and institutions have destroyed the Ukraine that I know, grew up in, and loved. Gratitude is the last thing on my mind.

Was The NATO Summit A Vilnius A Success Or A Disappointment For Ukraine?

NATO Summit in Vilnius © Thomson Reuters  

Newsweek: NATO Summit Marked by Division Leaves Ukraine's Future Uncertain 

Ukraine's potential pathway to NATO membership was the main topic on the agenda at the alliance's annual Summit, held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, and sources in attendance told Newsweek there that the outcome came up considerably short of Ukraine's expectations. 

After what multiple figures close to the Ukrainian delegation described as intense behind-the-scenes negotiations, the closest Kyiv came to receiving a guarantee of future membership was the inclusion of the word "invitation" in the summit's official communique, which included the sentence: "[NATO] will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met." 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Much of the media narrative has been negative on this NATO summit. That Ukraine did not get a clear roadmap to NATO membership, and that Kyiv will only get a certain amount of assistance. We saw many photo-ops of Zelensky one-on-one with NATO leaders, and even more reports on how upset the Ukraine President was on Tuesday. I am also reading the same narrative on Russian news and social media sites. They are cheering that Ukraine will not be a member of NATO, and that there is a lot of disunity within the NATO ranks. 

I have a different take. 

Ukraine may not have a clear path towards becoming a NATO member, but the security guarantees that it has been given is everything but being an official member of NATO .... Ukraine to rely on security guarantees from individual G7 allies until it joins NATO (CBC). 

And as for military assistance, the new commitments are massive. Bottom line. More of everything including advanced weapons like long range long range missiles and F-16s .... All the Weapons Ukraine Will Get After the NATO Summit (Time). 

I am willing to bet that behind closed doors Zelensky is pumping his fist in the air. He may not have gotten NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine waging war against Russia if he was a member, but he got everything else.

And as for the war. NATO has now laid the ground work for a massive escalation that I predict will be happening in the fall of this year. We are also now facing a very real possibility that with this massive escalation, NATO may be in a direct war with Russia by Christmas or the start of 2024.

More News On The NATO Summit In Vilnius  

NATO disputes spill into public view in wrangle over Ukraine -- NBC  

"War Effort In Shambles As Hawks Turn On Each Other" At NATO Summit (Zero Hedge)  

Disappointment on Ukraine front line over NATO meeting -- AFP  

Article 5: NATO’s common defense pledge that stands in the way of Ukraine’s admission while at war -- L.A. Times  

The Vilnius Nato summit was disastrous if we want Ukraine to win its war -- Robert Fox, Evening Standard

Turkey Approves Sweden's NATO Membership

 

BBC: Turkey backs Sweden's Nato membership 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join Nato, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says. 

He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification". 

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden." 

Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants. 

As one of Nato's 31 members, Turkey has a veto over any new country joining the group.  

Read more .... 

Turkey Approves Sweden's NATO Membership 

Turkey to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to Parliament swiftly -- AP  

Sweden’s path to NATO membership cleared after Turkey greenlights bid -- CNBC  

Turkey agrees to support Sweden’s Nato application -- The Guardian  

Turkey's President Erdogan gives green light to Sweden's NATO bid, says Stoltenberg -- Euronews 

Unpacking The NATO-Turkey-Sweden Deal -- RFE

Ukraine President Zelensky Will Travel To The NATO Summit At Vilinius To Rally Support For The War And Membership To NATO

 

Bloomberg: Zelenskiy to Visit NATO to Rally Support for Ukraine Membership 

(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will travel to Vilnius, Lithuania to meet NATO’s leaders at a summit of the military alliance his country is seeking to join. Zelenskiy will arrive Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. A spokesman for Zelenskiy declined to comment. 

The gathering in Vilnius, less than 600 miles from Moscow, comes at a key moment, with Russia’s war in Ukraine nearing the 18-month mark. NATO aims to supply Kyiv with fresh munitions, including US-provided cluster bombs, and to assess the impact of the Wagner Group’s aborted mutiny last month on Russia’s leadership and operations.  

Read more .....  

WNU Editor: President Biden is making the US position very clear .... Biden says Russia's war in Ukraine must end before Kyiv can join NATO (Axios). More here .... Biden deems idea of Ukraine NATO membership as ‘premature’ (Politico). Germany is also not onboard .... Fearful Germany preparing to block Ukraine’s Nato membership bid (The Telegraph).

NATO Divided Over The Cost Of Supporting Ukraine

 

Politico: NATO skirts final call on Ukraine membership, leaving unity-testing fight for later 

NATO will make an intermediate gesture to Kyiv at a summit this week. But the real test will be when the shooting stops and NATO must decide: Is Ukraine in or out? 

Vilnius is only the beginning. 

Ukraine wants NATO to give it a clear path to membership at this week’s summit in Lithuania. And the request is tying the group’s members in knots. 

Just wait until they have to make a real decision.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Ukraine is not optimistic .... Ukraine pessimistic about joining Nato ahead of Vilnius summit (The Guardian). 

As to what is my take. 

When it comes down to it, if Ukraine is admitted into NATO in the current environment, it will be seen from the Kremlin as a declaration of war by NATO against Russia. That is why some US politicians are now stating the obvious .... McCaul warns admitting Ukraine to NATO immediately ‘would put us at war with Russia’ (The Hill). 

And as to the cost of such a war. It will be the most costly conflict in human history by far, and fortunately most NATO leaders are aware of that.

NATO Divided Over The Cost Of Supporting Ukraine  

Nato aims for Ukraine unity as Putin watches on -- BBC  

Western powers race to finish security pledges for Ukraine -- Politico  

Biden heads to Europe amid questions over cluster munitions and Nato unity -- The Guardian  

NATO divided over cost of supporting Ukraine – Politico -- RT  

NATO unity will be tested at upcoming summit. Ukraine’s possible entry may be the biggest challenge -- CNBC/AP  

NATO leaders set to offer Ukraine major support package but membership is off the table for now -- AP  

Biden deems idea of Ukraine NATO membership as ‘premature’ -- Politico

Biden says Ukraine is 'NOT ready' for entry into NATO as he departs for 2023 summit in Lithuania -- Daily Mail  

Biden to walk diplomatic tightrope at NATO summit -- Politico

NATO Chief Details Plans For Vilnius Summit

 

US Department of Defense: NATO Chief Details Plans for Summit  

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg laid out the agenda for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week, saying it will demonstrate alliance unity. 

President Joe Biden will join alliance heads of state and government during a critical moment in transatlantic security. 

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine continues to rage on," Stoltenberg said. "For 500 days, Moscow has brought death and destruction to the heart of Europe, seeking to destroy Ukraine and divide NATO."  

Read more .... 

NATO Chief Details Plans For Vilnius Summit  

NATO leaders to discuss Ukraine support, revamp of military plans at summit -- PBS 

NATO summit: Leaders to meet in Vilnius to talk Ukraine, Sweden and Russia -- Reuters 

Ukraine, Sweden top Biden's agenda at NATO summit -- Reuters  

NATO to offer Ukraine continuing support but not immediate membership -- Defense News

U.K. Pushing NATO To Speed Up Ukraine's Membership Process

British Defence Minister Wallace meets with Ukrainian Defence Minister Reznikov in Kyiv  

CTV News/Canadian Press: U.K. wants NATO to speed up Ukraine's membership process as alliance prepares to meet 

Britain's defence secretary said Thursday that he wants NATO leaders to consider fast-tracking Ukraine's membership in the military alliance when they meet next month in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Ben Wallace met with Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand as she visited London, where the pair talked about priorities for the upcoming NATO leaders' summit on July 11 and 12. 

Wallace said he believes the 31 member countries should consider allowing Ukraine to skip the membership action plan portion of the accession process. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Britain says NATO should consider removing MAP hurdle to Ukraine's membership (Reuters)   

Update #2: NATO should consider simplifying procedure for Ukraine's NATO membership - Wallace (Ukrinform)  

WNU Editor: It looks like the U.S. is onboard .... NATO members closer to compromise on Ukraine's membership hopes -US envoy (Reuters).

 I am reading more and more disturbing reports that NATO will be giving Ukraine security guarantees during the NATO Vilnius Summit on July 11 and 12. 

In short. Making Ukraine a de-facto member of NATO without being a member of NATO.

NATO Members Agree To Extend Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s Tenure For Another Year

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg © REUTERS/Yves Herman 

Politico: Stoltenberg to stay on as NATO chief another year 

The move ‘will be formalized next week,’ a European diplomat said, ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania. 

 Jens Stoltenberg is set to stay on as NATO’s chief for another year, four people familiar with the decision told POLITICO. 

A U.S. official said the secretary general’s leadership extension is “a done deal.” Asked if that was the case, a senior diplomat from Western Europe said “yes,” adding it “will be formalized next week.” A senior diplomat from Eastern Europe and a senior NATO official also confirmed there is consensus within the alliance for an extension.

The officials were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to preview the move before the official announcement. A spokesperson for NATO didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The move to retain Stoltenberg was widely rumored and expected ahead of a major NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania next month, billed as one of the most important alliance gatherings in years amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.  

Read more .... 

NATO Members Agree To Extend Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s Tenure For Another Year  

NATO members have tentative agreement to extend Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s tenure another year -- AP 

NATO Agrees To Extend Stoltenberg Mandate: Diplomats -- AFP

"Captain in the storm": Stoltenberg to remain NATO Secretary General for another year – Euractiv -- Ukrainska Pravda

Will There Be A Formal NATO Declaration Over Ukraine's Membership At The Vilnius Summit Next Month?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pose with NATO Defence ministers for a family picture on the second day of a meeting at the NATO headquarter in Brussels, Belgium Feb, 15, 2023. (Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis)  

Responsible Statecraft: Will upcoming NATO summit launch forever war in Europe?  

Pressure is mounting to make some sort of formal declaration over Ukraine’s membership at meetings in Vilnius next month. 

An article in the New York Times on Wednesday claimed that pressure is building on Biden to announce a timetable for Ukrainian membership in NATO at its Vilnius Summit next month. 

Supposedly Biden is “isolated” among NATO allies in his reluctance to do so, even though that claim is contradicted by the story’s own last paragraph (the one that Noam Chomsky once quipped should be read first), which acknowledges that “others argue more quietly” that NATO membership “could give Mr. Putin more incentive to continue the war, or to escalate it.”  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I agree with this statement from the above post .... since Moscow has already declared NATO membership for Ukraine to be completely unacceptable and an existential threat — the prevention of which is one of its chief war aims — a Vilnius Declaration that Ukraine will join NATO when the war ends will effectively ensure that the war goes on forever.  

Sighhh .... both sides are dug in, and there is no willingness to compromise. 

My biggest fear is that a major incident will occur that will give the excuse that NATO is looking for to directly intervene in the war. Officials in Poland and the Baltic states are already talking about deploying military personnel to guard the Ukraine - Belarus border. And then there is winter. If there is a cold winter the energy shock that will be felt in Europe is going to be profound, and the pressure that will be put on European governments to do something may lead us to that pathway of a major NATO - Russia war.

I have learned in life that desperate people do desperate things. I know in Ukraine the feeling of desperation is now deep, and they are scrambling for a way to get NATO directly involved. But what happens if NATO or Moscow (or both) start to feel desperate? You tell me.

NATO Defense Ministers Agree That Support For Ukraine Will Require More Industrial Production

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference on the day of a meeting of the Alliance defence ministers, in Brussels, Belgium June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman  

Politico: Western countries launch a raft of plans to keep up with Ukraine’s weapons needs  

NATO leaders are expected to sign off on a new defense production plan next month. But can industry keep up? 

NATO defense ministers wrapped up two days of meetings in Brussels Friday where they pledged billions more in military aid for Ukraine as Kyiv enters the second week of its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia. 

At the same time, officials in the U.S. and Europe intensified plans to build more weapons for Ukraine over the long-term while also working to restock their own shelves at home.  

Read more ....  

Update: NATO ministers pledge arms for Ukraine and talk production (DW).  

WNU Editor: Yup. NATO's arsenals are empty .... NATO arsenals ‘empty’ – Stoltenberg (RT).

NATO Begins Largest Air Exercise In Its History

 

DNYUZ/New York Times: NATO Nations Begin Giant Air Force Drills in Germany 

WUNSTORF, Germany — More than 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel began a two-week military exercise on Monday involving NATO nations and Japan, in what host nation Germany bills as the largest deployment of aircraft in the alliance’s history. 

Planning for the training began in 2018. But it comes as fighting escalates on NATO’s doorstep in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces, backed by arms from Western allies, are mounting an offensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia since the invasion ordered last year by President Vladimir V. Putin. Officials involved in the 25-nation NATO exercise said it sends a message about the alliance’s solidarity.  

Read more .... 

 NATO Begins Largest Air Exercise In Its History  

Historic NATO Exercise with 2,000 National Guard Troops, 100 US Planes Begins in Germany -- AP 

NATO begins unprecedented air drill in 'show of strength' -- AFP  

NATO starts biggest EVER air drills over Europe with 250 warplanes from 25 nations -- Daily Mail 

NATO begins largest air exercise in its history -- Euronews  

NATO's Biggest Air Drill to Fill German Skies With Fighter Jets -- Bloomberg  

NATO begins biggest ever air drills over Europe in show of force against Russia -- RFI  

NATO to hold largest ever European air drills over Germany -- DW

NATO To Launch It’s Biggest Air Defense Drill In History Starting June 12

 

Daily Mail: NATO's show of strength to Putin: Alliance prepares for its biggest ever air force drills over Europe with 10,000 personnel from 25 nations responding to simulated attack 

* The Air Defender 23 exercise starting next week will have 10,000 participants 

* 250 aircraft from 25 nations will respond to simulated attack on Nato member country 

Germany is preparing to host the biggest air deployment exercise in Nato's history - a show of force intended to impress allies and potential adversaries such as Russia, officials said. 

The Air Defender 23 exercise starting next week will see 10,000 participants and 250 aircraft from 25 nations respond to a simulated attack on a Nato member country. 

The United States alone is sending 2,000 US Air National Guard personnel and about 100 aircraft to take part in the June 12 to 23 training manoeuvres.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: You can take this to the bank. Russian forces (both conventional and nuclear) are going to be on extreme high-alert during the duration of these exercises. 

Update: Not everyone is onboard with this exercise .... Hundreds demonstrate in Germany ahead of Air Defender 2023 exercise (DPA). 

Update #2: Yup! .... Air Defender 23 doesn't show NATO's strength but rather its US dependency (Washington Examiner). 

NATO To Launch It’s Biggest Air Defense Drill In History Starting June 12

NATO allies prepare unprecedented air deployment exercise over Europe in show of force to Russia -- CTV News/AP  

Massive NATO air drill to simulate attack on member nation: 'our red line' -- FOX News  

NATO to launch extensive air exercise in Europe -- Daily Sabah/Anadolu Agency  

Air Defender 23: Nato exercise will divert and delay hundreds of planes each day -- The Independent