NATO is both a military and political alliance, and this has a bearing on how member countries deal with Russia, Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove told National Public Radio today.
NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe spoke to “Morning Edition” via telephone during the first day of NATO’s summit in Wales. He said Russia’s annexation of Crimea and operations inside eastern Ukraine have put the goal of a peaceful, free Europe at risk.
“We’ve always worked for a Europe free and a Europe that is able to choose its own destiny and a Europe that is wide open for all to participate in trade, economics, etc.,” the general said. “And what we see in what’s happened recently in Ukraine is what we thought would never happen again.”
Russia amassed a military force on its recognized border with Ukraine, crossed that border “and annexed, at the point of a gun, a portion of another sovereign nation,” Breedlove said. “We thought this kind of thing was over in Europe. And so, NATO now has to consider what does this mean.”
NATO nations respond
Noting that NATO is both a political and a military alliance, Breedlove said NATO nations are making political moves to counter Russia’s aggression while ensuring that the defensive portion of the alliance is robust.
“I think what you will see from the summit is that NATO, among other European nations, will begin to take even more strident measures if we continue to see the overt Russian business being done inside a sovereign Ukraine nation,” he said.
NATO has made moves to reassure allies who once were in the orbit of the Soviet Union and who have no desire to be under the Russian heel again. These short-term measures -- more planes patrolling, more ground exercises, more ships -- will remain in place until they are no longer needed, the general said. “I fully expect that we’ll be tasked today or tomorrow to extend those assurance measures until we come to those long-term adaptions that will be discussed as a part of the readiness action plan here by our senior-most leaders,” he added.
The readiness action plan will look at options for forward-based forces on a rotational, persistent basis, he said.
(Follow Jim Garamone on Twitter: @GaramoneDoDNews)