US intends to strengthen its presence in the Baltics
4 and 5 September in Wales should pass the next NATO summit, during which the leaders of the organization and the participating countries will discuss a number of topical issues. On the eve of the summit, US President Barack Obama arrived on an official visit to the capital of Estonia. In Tallinn, he made several important statements reflecting the position of official Washington on the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe and capable of exerting some influence on it. Of greatest interest are the words of the American president regarding the presence of the United States and NATO in the Baltic States.
B. Obama announced that the United States has plans to strengthen its presence in the Baltic states. He announced that, in accordance with current plans, the Pentagon will transfer additional units of the air force to the Baltic States. The best place to accommodate combat aircraft considered the base in Estonia. Thus, the cooperation of the USA and Estonia within the framework of the NATO organization gets further continuation.
The head of the United States also said that the North Atlantic Alliance will continue to fulfill its obligations to Eastern European members, including the Baltic countries. B. Obama called such commitments eternal and stressed that Estonia will never be alone.
The statements regarding the transfer of additional units of the Air Force to Estonia can be considered as a kind of confirmation of the words about the observance of obligations to NATO partners. Since Estonia does not have powerful armed forces, it will help protect its airspace, and at the same time protect the eastern borders of NATO.
There is reason to believe that the current statements of B. Obama are a bit overdue to the previous claims of the Baltic leaders. At the beginning of this year, high-ranking officials in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia repeatedly expressed fears related to a possible Russian attack. In addition, they doubted that other NATO countries would indeed honor their commitments and would assist the Baltic States in their fight against the aggressor.
The leaders of NATO and the organization’s member countries had to reassure their partners. In the spring and summer, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, arrived in Estonia. In addition, in early June, American President B. Obama met with his Eastern European counterparts. The result of the negotiations was a promise to allocate about 1 billion dollars to strengthen the defense of Eastern Europe. In addition, under pressure from Poland and the Baltic countries, it was decided to create a response plan in the event of Russian aggression.
It should be recalled that in recent years, the leaders of the Baltic countries have repeatedly offered to open NATO military bases on their territory. For example, in April of this year, the Estonian Foreign Ministry claimed that the alliance aircraft could be based at Ämari airfield, built in Soviet times for the USSR Air Force. Similar proposals were also expressed by the politicians of Latvia and Lithuania.
Nevertheless, despite all the entreaties, official Washington has not yet agreed to open new bases. In accordance with current plans, new airplanes, pilots and support personnel will be sent to the Baltic States, but they will work at an Estonian airfield without organizing a separate base subordinate to NATO. Thus, NATO, namely the United States, shows the Baltic States that they are ready to participate in ensuring security in the region, but at the same time they are not going to change their plans and build new military bases.
It should be recalled that NATO aircraft have for several years been involved in patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states. Since 2004, US fighter jets have been based on Baltic airfields and used as part of a joint program aimed at protecting the organization’s eastern borders. The number of aircraft involved in the patrol gradually increased from four to ten. In the near future, several more fighters will fly to the Estonian airfield.
Although the establishment of NATO bases in the Baltic States is not yet planned, several hundred fighters and specialists from the countries of the alliance currently reside in the states of the region. In June, joint NATO exercises Saber Strike 2014 took place at the test sites in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, after which not all participants went home. It has been reported that for a number of reasons, soldiers and officers around 600 will remain in the Baltic countries until autumn. It is noteworthy that the deadlines for their business trip have already come, and rumors have appeared in the foreign media that these 600 servicemen will go home, and they will be replaced by new units.
Such a rotation of troops is of particular interest. The fact is that it can be a convenient way out of the existing situation, when the US and NATO need to maintain good relations with several partners at once and not give them a reason to criticize. In recent years, the leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance has repeatedly reminded of the reasons for which it is not in a hurry to create bases in the Baltic States. The construction of bases in this region is hampered by certain conditions of agreements between Russia and NATO.
Thus, an attempt to build a military base in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia will entail criticism from Russia. However, even with the recent deterioration in relations between the two countries, official Washington and the NATO leadership seem to be in no hurry to spoil them even more. Nevertheless, they need to maintain good relations with the Baltic States, for which the soldiers who remain after the exercises already serve there, and in the future several planes will be sent.
The reasons why NATO and the USA are gradually strengthening the grouping of troops in the Baltic states are approximately clear, as are the features of such strengthening. In connection with the latter the news from Estonia it is necessary to assess the risks for Russia that bear such a strengthening. First of all, Moscow should be concerned about the fact of an increase in the number of troops and equipment in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders. The Baltic countries themselves do not have developed and powerful armed forces capable of influencing the strategic balance in the region. However, foreign aid, and even more so the active participation of the United States, can not only increase the potential of troops stationed in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, but also have an impact on the balance of forces. Similar processes taking place near the borders of Russia pose a serious danger, at least for Russian-NATO relations, as well as for dialogue between Moscow and the Baltic capitals.
At the same time, the Baltic countries do not seem to intend to maintain good neighborly relations with Russia. Their leaders constantly declare their desire to participate in various NATO military projects, from joint exercises to the already mentioned allocation of territories for new bases. Not so long ago, according to unconfirmed reports, the Baltic politicians expressed a desire to participate in the program to build a Euro-Atlantic missile defense system, which could also worsen their relations with Russia.
The deterioration of relations with Russia against the background of the Ukrainian crisis allows Washington to implement various plans aimed at strengthening American positions in Europe, almost without regard to the Russian reaction. Nevertheless, while the US leadership prefers not to take risks and tries to do without direct violations of existing treaties with Russia. As a result, in the near future, new combat aircraft will fly to Estonia, and the Baltic "grouping" of troops, remaining after the exercises, will almost completely renew its personnel. However, one should not expect that official NATO bases will appear in the Baltics in the near future.
On the materials of the sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://lenta.ru/
http://interfax.ru/
http://svpressa.ru/
B. Obama announced that the United States has plans to strengthen its presence in the Baltic states. He announced that, in accordance with current plans, the Pentagon will transfer additional units of the air force to the Baltic States. The best place to accommodate combat aircraft considered the base in Estonia. Thus, the cooperation of the USA and Estonia within the framework of the NATO organization gets further continuation.
The head of the United States also said that the North Atlantic Alliance will continue to fulfill its obligations to Eastern European members, including the Baltic countries. B. Obama called such commitments eternal and stressed that Estonia will never be alone.
The statements regarding the transfer of additional units of the Air Force to Estonia can be considered as a kind of confirmation of the words about the observance of obligations to NATO partners. Since Estonia does not have powerful armed forces, it will help protect its airspace, and at the same time protect the eastern borders of NATO.
There is reason to believe that the current statements of B. Obama are a bit overdue to the previous claims of the Baltic leaders. At the beginning of this year, high-ranking officials in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia repeatedly expressed fears related to a possible Russian attack. In addition, they doubted that other NATO countries would indeed honor their commitments and would assist the Baltic States in their fight against the aggressor.
The leaders of NATO and the organization’s member countries had to reassure their partners. In the spring and summer, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, arrived in Estonia. In addition, in early June, American President B. Obama met with his Eastern European counterparts. The result of the negotiations was a promise to allocate about 1 billion dollars to strengthen the defense of Eastern Europe. In addition, under pressure from Poland and the Baltic countries, it was decided to create a response plan in the event of Russian aggression.
It should be recalled that in recent years, the leaders of the Baltic countries have repeatedly offered to open NATO military bases on their territory. For example, in April of this year, the Estonian Foreign Ministry claimed that the alliance aircraft could be based at Ämari airfield, built in Soviet times for the USSR Air Force. Similar proposals were also expressed by the politicians of Latvia and Lithuania.
Nevertheless, despite all the entreaties, official Washington has not yet agreed to open new bases. In accordance with current plans, new airplanes, pilots and support personnel will be sent to the Baltic States, but they will work at an Estonian airfield without organizing a separate base subordinate to NATO. Thus, NATO, namely the United States, shows the Baltic States that they are ready to participate in ensuring security in the region, but at the same time they are not going to change their plans and build new military bases.
It should be recalled that NATO aircraft have for several years been involved in patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states. Since 2004, US fighter jets have been based on Baltic airfields and used as part of a joint program aimed at protecting the organization’s eastern borders. The number of aircraft involved in the patrol gradually increased from four to ten. In the near future, several more fighters will fly to the Estonian airfield.
Although the establishment of NATO bases in the Baltic States is not yet planned, several hundred fighters and specialists from the countries of the alliance currently reside in the states of the region. In June, joint NATO exercises Saber Strike 2014 took place at the test sites in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, after which not all participants went home. It has been reported that for a number of reasons, soldiers and officers around 600 will remain in the Baltic countries until autumn. It is noteworthy that the deadlines for their business trip have already come, and rumors have appeared in the foreign media that these 600 servicemen will go home, and they will be replaced by new units.
Such a rotation of troops is of particular interest. The fact is that it can be a convenient way out of the existing situation, when the US and NATO need to maintain good relations with several partners at once and not give them a reason to criticize. In recent years, the leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance has repeatedly reminded of the reasons for which it is not in a hurry to create bases in the Baltic States. The construction of bases in this region is hampered by certain conditions of agreements between Russia and NATO.
Thus, an attempt to build a military base in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia will entail criticism from Russia. However, even with the recent deterioration in relations between the two countries, official Washington and the NATO leadership seem to be in no hurry to spoil them even more. Nevertheless, they need to maintain good relations with the Baltic States, for which the soldiers who remain after the exercises already serve there, and in the future several planes will be sent.
The reasons why NATO and the USA are gradually strengthening the grouping of troops in the Baltic states are approximately clear, as are the features of such strengthening. In connection with the latter the news from Estonia it is necessary to assess the risks for Russia that bear such a strengthening. First of all, Moscow should be concerned about the fact of an increase in the number of troops and equipment in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders. The Baltic countries themselves do not have developed and powerful armed forces capable of influencing the strategic balance in the region. However, foreign aid, and even more so the active participation of the United States, can not only increase the potential of troops stationed in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, but also have an impact on the balance of forces. Similar processes taking place near the borders of Russia pose a serious danger, at least for Russian-NATO relations, as well as for dialogue between Moscow and the Baltic capitals.
At the same time, the Baltic countries do not seem to intend to maintain good neighborly relations with Russia. Their leaders constantly declare their desire to participate in various NATO military projects, from joint exercises to the already mentioned allocation of territories for new bases. Not so long ago, according to unconfirmed reports, the Baltic politicians expressed a desire to participate in the program to build a Euro-Atlantic missile defense system, which could also worsen their relations with Russia.
The deterioration of relations with Russia against the background of the Ukrainian crisis allows Washington to implement various plans aimed at strengthening American positions in Europe, almost without regard to the Russian reaction. Nevertheless, while the US leadership prefers not to take risks and tries to do without direct violations of existing treaties with Russia. As a result, in the near future, new combat aircraft will fly to Estonia, and the Baltic "grouping" of troops, remaining after the exercises, will almost completely renew its personnel. However, one should not expect that official NATO bases will appear in the Baltics in the near future.
On the materials of the sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://lenta.ru/
http://interfax.ru/
http://svpressa.ru/
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