Nordic Countries Working Together

Merkel's European 

Wake Up Call Is Being 

Answered in the 

Nordics

by 

Sveinung Sleire

May 29, 2017, 10:21 AM EDT

• Nordic countries seek deeper economic and military ties
• Region is promoting itself as world’s most integrated

With Vladimir Putin in the east and Donald Trump to the west, German

 Chancellor Angela Merkel is now telling Europe it has to stand up for itself. 

It’s a call that’s already being answered by the continent’s richest region.

Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway have over the past two years been 

deepening their military cooperation to counter a deteriorating security

 situation in the Baltic and the Arctic. They are also forging closer ties on

 softer issues, presenting this week a joint initiative to meet sustainability 

goals, promoting the 20 million-person region’s shared values on social 

equality, and discussing joint interaction with China.

“There’s no doubt that Europe needs to take bigger responsibility, we have 

to spend more on defense and security,” Erna Solberg, Norway’s prime 

minister, said in an interview on Monday as Nordic leaders start a two-day 

summit in Bergen. Norway will ensure good cooperation “with its closest 

allies, and some are in the EU and some are on the other side of the 

Atlantic,” she said.

Read more on Nordic military cooperation

The Nordic summit started a day after Merkel said reliable relationships 

forged in Europe since the end of World War II “are to some extent over.” The

 German chancellor made those comments after meeting with U.S. President

 Donald Trump in Brussels and Sicily over the past week.

Both Solberg and Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila cautioned against

 interpreting Merkel’s remarks as a major shift.

Not NATO

The comments were mainly about the economic side, “that European

 countries should take more responsibility on the NATO budget,” Sipila 

said. “This message has been quite clear all the time. At the same time this

 means that we can cooperate more inside the European Union” and that “the 

window is open for defense cooperation,” he said.

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The broadest shifts in policy in the region have 

been seen in Finland and Sweden, which unlike

 Denmark and Norway aren’t members of NATO. 

The two neighbors have intensified military

 cooperation and also forged closer ties with the 

military alliance without outright joining NATO. Finland’s proximity to

 Russia has excluded it from becoming a full-fledged member, while Sweden

 has a long-held belief that official neutrality serves it best.  

All four countries have been boosting spending, with Denmark and Norway 

now working toward meeting the 2 percent spending goal that NATO members

 have been lambasted by Trump for not meeting.

‘Grave Difficulties’

Because of the different security alliances, Solberg said that closer Nordic

 cooperation will likely center around economic questions.

“European cooperation will become stronger going forward and then we 

will cooperate with those that are our closest allies, but Sweden and Finland 

are also close partners,” she said.

But even now Sweden is in “grave difficulties” after disarming since the end

 of the cold-war, according to Finnish diplomat René Nyberg, who has served

 as Finland’s ambassador to both Moscow and Berlin.

“There are many building blocks, which are quite solid,” Nyberg said in an

 interview in Helsinki May 24. “Finland’s military cooperation with Sweden 

has proceeded at an incredible pace, and it’s a great success. Sweden needs 

it -- it’s not just Finland that does.”

Sipila said the cooperation “is very important for both countries.”

Trump’s talk on raising trade barriers, and the U.K.’s decision to exit the 

European Union, have also jolted the trade-dependent region. The U.K. 

was seen as a key ally within the bloc by Sweden and Denmark, two other 

countries that have chosen not to adopt the euro. Norway, flush with oil 

wealth, has rejected joining the EU altogether.

Sipila said there are “a lot” of possibilities to strengthen economic ties across

 the region, including setting up a single “digital market” and a bio-fuels 

market.

The Nordic leaders also discussed more joint cooperation in dealing with

 China, albeit on an “ad-hoc” basis, according to Swedish Prime Minister 

Stefan Lofven, as well as combating climate change.

“As the most integrated region in the world we have today agreed to further 

deepen our cooperation,” Lovfen said at a press briefing.

Russia Is Playing Chicken With US

Russian Jet Threatened U.S. Recon Aircraft

Barrel rolls over plane in latest Baltic Sea provocation

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RC-135 / image via Wikipedia

      

BY: Bill Gertz
April 16, 2016 3:25 pm

A Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a
U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft on Thursday
 in the latest military provocation by Moscow over
the Baltic Sea, the U.S. European Command said
Saturday.

“On April 14, a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft
flying a routine route in international airspace over
 the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian Su-27
 in an unsafe and unprofessional manner,” said Navy Capt. Danny Hernandez.

“This intercept comes shortly after the unsafe Russian encounters with USS Donald Cook,” he added. “There have been repeated incidents over the last year where Russian military aircraft have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns, and we are very concerned with any such behavior.”

Hernandez said the U.S. aircraft, a militarized Boeing 707 jet, was operating in international airspace “and at no time crossed into Russian territory.”

“This unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved,” he said. “More importantly, the unsafe and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries.”

According to Hernandez, the Su-27 carried out “erratic and aggressive maneuvers” by approaching the RC-135 at a high rate of speed from the side.

The Russian jet “then proceeded to perform an aggressive maneuver that posed a threat to the safety of the U.S. aircrew in the RC-135U,” the spokesman said.

“More specifically, the SU-27 closed within 50 feet of the wing-tip of the RC-135 and conducted a barrel roll starting from the left side of the aircraft, going over the top of the aircraft and ended up to the right of the aircraft,” he said.

The U.S. government is protesting all the incidents this week to the Russian government through diplomatic channels, he said.

The RC-135U, an electronic intelligence-gathering aircraft, is normally operated by five air crew and up to 16 electronic warfare officers and six or more regional specialists.

The dangerous aerial incident came two days after a simulated Russian aerial assault against the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea. Washington called the simulated assault a military provocation, and said it nearly caused an international shootout.

Two Russian fighter-bombers, identified as Su-24s, made close passes over the Cook, including one jet that came within 30 feet of the warship.

A Navy officer said the buzzing was the most reckless flyover of a U.S. warship by either a Russian or Chinese warplane since the Cold War. “I’ve been in a lot of those situations and I’ve never seen any plane come that close,” the officer said.

The aerial harassment appears to be part of a Russian military campaign of intimidation against the United States and NATO.

Moscow has adopted hostile military policies toward the United States over U.S. deployment of missile defenses in Europe, which Moscow says threaten its missile forces. The Russians also have been upset by Western sanctions against its military annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea.

Strategically, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been seeking to regain control and influence over what Moscow calls the “near abroad”—former Soviet republics and Eastern Bloc nations along the periphery of Russia’s borders in Eastern Europe.

The policy has led to military aggression against the Republic of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, where Russian troops took over the Crimean peninsula and are continuing to fuel separatist activity in eastern Ukraine.

In response, the United States and NATO are bolstering U.S. and allied military forces in Eastern Europe, with a specific emphasis of increasing military forces and troops near the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as in Poland.

The recent Russian military provocations coincide with military activities by Moscow in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which remains a major subject of U.S. monitoring. Russia in the past has threatened to deploy nuclear-capable Iskander short-range missiles in the enclave on the Baltic Coast between Poland and Latvia.

Earlier this week, Brian McKeon, principal undersecretary of defense for policy, told a House subcommittee hearing that Russia has prevented U.S. and allied flights over Kaliningrad that are allowed under the Open Skies Treaty.

Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon strategic forces analyst who specializes in Russian affairs, said the recent incidents over the Baltic Sea, including the simulated attack of a U.S. warship, are fundamentally different from past Russian provocations.

“It is a major escalation of Russian aggressiveness although it fits into a pattern of Russian activity that goes back years,” Schneider said. “The Russian Defense Ministry reaction was blatantly dishonest.”

Schneider said the likely U.S. response to these provocations are what former Pentagon official Richard Perle once dubbed “demarche-mellows,” or very weak, pro forma protests.

“If so, incidents like this will probably continue to escalate,” Schneider said.

Thursday’s aerial encounter involving the RC-135 was at least the second time this year that Russian jets have conducted a dangerous intercept of a reconnaissance aircraft.

On Jan. 25, a Russian Su-27 came within 20 feet of an RC-135 over the Black Sea in what Navy Capt. Daniel Hernandez said was an “unsafe and unprofessional” action.

Unlike Thursday’s encounter, the Russian jet in January did not do a barrel roll, but instead made an aggressive, high-speed banking turn away from the intelligence aircraft.

The maneuver disturbed the pilot’s control of the RC-135.

The dangerous Su-24 overflight of the Cook on April 12 came a day after two other Russian Su-24s flew over the ship 20 times, including a dangerous pass as an allied helicopter was being refueled, causing a delay in flight operations until the Su-24s left the area.

The same day, a Russian Ka-27 Helix helicopter flew around the Cook, which had finished a port visit to Poland and had a Polish helicopter on board.

“The Russian aircraft flew in a simulated attack profile and failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and Russian,” the European Command said in a statement.

The Pentagon released video of the encounter showing the close pass, which created a wake in the water.

Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday criticized the Russian military provocation, though he declined to say what steps the United States would take in response.

The State Department lodged formal protests with Russia.

“We condemn this kind of behavior. It is reckless. It is provocative. It is dangerous. And under the rules of engagement that could have been a shoot-down,” Kerry told CNN and the Miami Herald.

“People need to understand that this is serious business and the United States is not going to be intimidated on the high seas. … We are communicating to the Russians how dangerous this is and our hope is that this will never be repeated,” Kerry said.

The Cook is equipped with anti-aircraft defenses including the Close-In Weapons System, an automated air defense gun that can destroy aircraft with 25-millimeter rounds. The weapon was not readied because the ship was operating under the U.S.-Russian agreement not to illuminate each other’s aircraft.

“We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers,” the European command said in a statement.

“These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries, and could result in a miscalculation or accident that could cause serious injury or death.”

Kerry on Friday discussed the Cook incident with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a State Department spokesman said.

Moscow sought to play down the incident involving the Cook. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the state-run Interfax news agency that the Russian pilots acted within safety guidelines.

The incidents violated the bilateral U.S.-Russian agreement designed to prevent incidents at sea. The accord prohibits conducting simulated attacks and also limits the use of automated anti-aircraft guns.

Other incidents in recent months included a near collision between a Russian fighter and an RC-135 over the Black Sea on May 30, and on April 7, 2015, a Su-27 flew within 20 feet of an RC-135 over the Baltic Sea.

Additionally, last October, two Russian Tu-142 bombers made low passes near the aircraft carrier USS Reagan as it sailed in the Sea of Japan near the Korean peninsula. And on July 4, 2015, two Tu-95 nuclear-capable bombers approached within 40 miles of the California coast and radioed a “happy birthday” message to intercepting U.S. pilots.

The July 4 provocation occurred the same day President Obama held a telephone call with Putin.

Russia also has sent Tu-95 bombers to circle the Pacific island of Guam several times. The island is a major military hub and central to the U.S. military’s pivot to Asia.

This entry was posted in National Security and tagged John Kerry, NATO, Russia. Bookmark the permalink.

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When A Nation Appears Weak, Timid And Reticent To Take Action, This Is What Happens.

MUST SEE VIDEO: America's Enemies 

Preparing For Attack

• 04/14/2016 
• Source: AAN 
• by: AAN Staff

 28  5  20  3  0 0

The Cold War may be over, but if Vladimir Putin has his way, it could get hot 

very quickly. Yesterday, in a shocking act of provocation, Russian ships 

buzzed an American destroyer in the Baltic. The details are below:

A United States Navy destroyer operating in international waters in the

Baltic Sea experienced several close interactions by Russian aircraft

April 11 and 12. 

USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) encountered multiple, aggressive flight

maneuvers by Russian aircraft that were performed within close

proximity of the ship.

On April 11, Donald Cook was conducting deck landing drills with an

allied military helicopter when two Russian SU-24 jets made numerous

close-range and low altitude passes at approximately 3 p.m. local. One

of the passes, which occurred while the allied helicopter was refueling

on the deck of Donald Cook, was deemed unsafe by the ship's

commanding officer. As a safety precaution, flight operations were

suspended until the SU-24s departed the area.

On April 12, while Donald Cook was operating in international waters

in the Baltic Sea, a Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter conducted circles

at low altitude around the ship, seven in total, at approximately 5 p.m.

local. The helicopter passes were also deemed unsafe and

unprofessional by the ship's commanding officer. About 40 minutes

following the interaction with the Russian helicopter, two Russian

SU-24 jets made numerous close-range and low altitude passes,

11 in total. The Russian aircraft flew in a simulated attack profile and

failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and

Russian. USS Donald Cook's commanding officer deemed several of

these maneuvers as unsafe and unprofessional.

Quotes: 

"April 11-12, USS Donald Cook was operating in a professional manner

in international waters conducting operations and exercises with our allies

in the Baltic Sea."

"In my judgement these maneuvers in close proximity to Donald Cook

are unprofessional and unsafe."

-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Adm. Mark Ferguson

This is what an absence of leadership looks like. Barack Obama may have

 no taste for another military occupation of the Middle East, and on that, 

most Americans agree. But as Ronald Reagan noted, America is supposed

 to be a "Shining City on a Hill," a beacon of liberty and the world's first line 

of defense against encroaching tyranny. Yet when it's come time to fulfill 

that obligation, time and again, he's apologized to our enemies and 

negotiated from weakness. Predictably, the sharks are smelling blood, 

and now we're all unsafe.

 Source: AAN

- See more at: http://americanactionnews.com/articles/must-see-video-america-s-enemies-preparing-for-attack#sthash.yc6ZJuso.dpuf