‘If Russia is coming, then we will bring the war to Russia’: Inside NATO’s muscular new deterrence plans
-
[...]
At the NATO summit later this month, members will discuss not only increased defense budgets, but also new operational concepts to respond immediately to a Russian attack—including counterstrikes inside Russia—Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told Defense One at the GLOBSEC security conference.
“The new concept is that if Russia is coming, then we will bring the war to Russia. That's what we are talking about,” Tsahkna said. “We have no time then to discuss whether we can use one of the other weapons or whatever. We have no time. We need to act within the first minutes and hours.”
[...]
This year’s summit will go further. It is expected to outline the specific capabilities Europe must field to be ready for conflict with Russia the day of an attack. “Now we have [capability targets] for this concept,” Tsahkna said.
The upcoming summit is intended to accelerate the alliance’s readiness, said NATO official speaking on background. “We don't have 19 years to wait. No. Be ready to go now,” the official said. “And it's not because the U.S. might be withdrawing forces or not committing forces or anything like that. It’s just, we need to be ready to go.”
[...]
-
[...]
At the NATO summit later this month, members will discuss not only increased defense budgets, but also new operational concepts to respond immediately to a Russian attack—including counterstrikes inside Russia—Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told Defense One at the GLOBSEC security conference.
“The new concept is that if Russia is coming, then we will bring the war to Russia. That's what we are talking about,” Tsahkna said. “We have no time then to discuss whether we can use one of the other weapons or whatever. We have no time. We need to act within the first minutes and hours.”
[...]
This year’s summit will go further. It is expected to outline the specific capabilities Europe must field to be ready for conflict with Russia the day of an attack. “Now we have [capability targets] for this concept,” Tsahkna said.
The upcoming summit is intended to accelerate the alliance’s readiness, said NATO official speaking on background. “We don't have 19 years to wait. No. Be ready to go now,” the official said. “And it's not because the U.S. might be withdrawing forces or not committing forces or anything like that. It’s just, we need to be ready to go.”
[...]
But what happens if Russia sends little green men to a tiny border village somewhere at the lithuanian border to "protect a Russian minority"? Will NATO start a full scale war? Will Spain send troops to defend Lithuania? This is what I want to know from NATO.
-
But what happens if Russia sends little green men to a tiny border village somewhere at the lithuanian border to "protect a Russian minority"? Will NATO start a full scale war? Will Spain send troops to defend Lithuania? This is what I want to know from NATO.
wrote last edited by [email protected]I am wondering whether Europeans had a choice in that case. If the EU or Nato don't react in such a case, Russia will only exploit the situation, sending further green men to another maybe not-so-little village, until it just starts a full-scale war with the next country. In some way, this is what Russia (and China in some way) has been doing in Europe for some time now with cyberattacks, coercion, sabotage activities.
Maybe we must also redefine the term security in that it is not anymore 'only' a military issue? I am not an expert for this. Maybe I am wrong, I just don't understand why such things like arson attacks or cyber attacks orchestrated by foreign state actors aren't considered as some form of warfare.
[Edit typo.]
-
I am wondering whether Europeans had a choice in that case. If the EU or Nato don't react in such a case, Russia will only exploit the situation, sending further green men to another maybe not-so-little village, until it just starts a full-scale war with the next country. In some way, this is what Russia (and China in some way) has been doing in Europe for some time now with cyberattacks, coercion, sabotage activities.
Maybe we must also redefine the term security in that it is not anymore 'only' a military issue? I am not an expert for this. Maybe I am wrong, I just don't understand why such things like arson attacks or cyber attacks orchestrated by foreign state actors aren't considered as some form of warfare.
[Edit typo.]
Open war is a dangerous thing. So easy to begin, yet impossible to end. Once the missiles start flying and the tempers rise, enormous amounts of death, destruction and military spending are inevitable.
There has to be some threshold of escalation, but it can't be "two people we suspect may be linked to the Russian government set fire to a municipal government building".