The North Atlantic Treaty Organization may be gettingstronger because of conflicts on NATO’s eastern and southern borders.
That is the sound of armored personnel carriers, tanks and other militaryequipment being put on trucks in Afghanistan. They are being prepared for thelong ride home as NATO’s campaigns in the country come to an end.
Some observers believed the alliance will become less important after theoperation ends. But Jonathan Eyal of the Royal United Services Institute saysthey were wrong.
“Interestingly, NATO is now more relevant than it has been for probably adecade.”
He says the alliance is still important largely because of Russia. NATOofficials recently released satellite images of what appears to be tankscrossing from Russia into eastern Ukraine. This followed Russianexpressions of support for Ukrainian separatists, and Russia’s takeover of theCrimean peninsula.
Professor Eyal says European countries once under the control of the SovietUnion are now worried about Russia.
“The east Europeans used to be dismissed up to now as being neurotic, asbeing too frightened about Russia that supposedly is no longer an enemy. Well, the east Europeans were right and we were wrong about Russia. So inmany respects this is the moment where the alliance will have to reassure itsmembers.”
NATO has taken steps to calm the former Soviet-controlled states. It hasincreased the number of troops along the borders of its members in the east. It has also increased sea and air defenses. Military exercises took placeearlier this month in Lithuania.
Professor Eyal says not everyone in Europe agrees on how to deal withRussia.
“Countries like Germany, or France, or the UK -- who believe that we shouldnot make too much out of the current Ukrainian crisis -- and countries such asPoland or Romania -- the big former Communist countries on the borders withUkraine -- who believe that Ukraine is a sign of a fundamentally-differentEurope from the one that we knew.”
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Danish soldiers participate in the annual multinational NATO exercise in the Baltic states on June 17, 2014. |
Russia began working closely with NATO in the 1990s. But military expertssay it should no longer be considered a strategic, or long-term, partner.
General Philip Breedlove is the Supreme Allied Commander of NATOoperations in Europe. He says the alliance may make changes in how itstroops are deployed.
“We’ve seen a nation cross an internationally-recognized sovereign border, and annex by force a portion of a sovereign nation. That changes the way wedo business. And so we are now re-evaluating how we do these things as itrelates to force readiness, responsiveness and positioning.”
Jonathan Eyal says NATO must also deal with unrest along its southernborders.
“Turkey, for instance, asked for a NATO meeting to discuss the crisis it seesat its borders.”
That crisis in Syria and Iraq is worsening. Islamist militants have taken controlof large areas in each country.
NATO’s secretary general has said he does not believe the alliance shouldbecome involved in the Iraqi conflict. But security officials in Westerncountries warn that the lawlessness there enables terrorists to operate safely. The officials warn that these terrorists may use Iraq as a base for attacks onother countries. So, they say, NATO should watch the situation closely.
A report written for NATO on the organization’s future said it should re-state itstop objective -- collective defense. And it said European members should haltcuts in defense spending. I’m Christopher Cruise.
This report was based on a story from VOA’s Henry Ridgwell in London.
