30,000 soldiers are taking part in NATO exercises that have just begun in Norway. This is one of the largest maneuvers within the Alliance in recent months. They coincide with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Military personnel from 27 countries, including all Scandinavian countries, are taking part in the exercise called “Cold Response”. More than 200 aircraft and 50 ships are involved in the maneuvers. The purpose of the exercises is to deter potential aggressors.
The maneuvers were planned before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who visited the training site in Norway, stressed that after Russia attacked its neighbor, the exercises have become even more important.
“Russia is the biggest threat to the security and stability of the entire north”
“Over the past few years, we have seen a significant increase in Russia’s military activity in this region,” the Secretary General said. – Russia tested new military systems here. It is also the biggest threat to the security and stability of the entire north, Jens Stoltenberg added. NATO emphasizes that the exercises are defensive in nature and are also open to observers.
The Scandinavian countries openly declare that Russia also poses a threat to their security. Sweden and Finland, which are not members of NATO, are seriously considering the possibility of joining the Alliance.
Thousands of military maneuvers are one of the elements of the entire deterrence system created by NATO. The exercises are organized mainly in the countries of the eastern flank of the Alliance, such as Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries. According to the decisions of the NATO summit on Thursday, in the near future the number of maneuvers will be even greater than before.