NATO News and Discussion

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

Ex-army chief issues WW3 warning and brands 'new axis powers' more dangerous than the Nazis

Tuesday 9 July 2024 14:27, UK



A former army chief has warned members of NATO the world is facing "as dangerous a moment as any time that we've had since 1945" as he called on members to invest more into their arms.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, who served as chief of the general staff until last month, told The Times that Russia, China and Iran were the "new axis powers", and a third world war could break out within the next five years if action was not taken.

Arguing the countries posed even more of a threat than the Nazis in 1939, he said: "They are more interdependent and more aligned than the original axis powers were."

But the military expert said the conflict was not a foregone conclusion if NATO members, including the UK, significantly improved their arms.

"Most estimates will tell you that we've got somewhere between five and 10 years before Russia recapitalises and is able to pose the sort of threat that it did before the Ukraine war," said Sir Patrick.

https://news.sky.com/story/ex-army-chie ... s-13175523

[Time_Traveller]

US cruise missiles to return to Germany, angering Moscow

11 July 2024, 12:31 BST



Long-range US missiles are to be deployed periodically in Germany from 2026 for the first time since the Cold War, in a decision announced at Nato's 75th anniversary summit.

The Tomahawk cruise, SM-6 and hypersonic missiles have a significantly longer range than existing missiles, external, the US and Germany said in a joint statement.

Such missiles would have been banned under a 1988 treaty between the US and former Soviet Union, but the pact fell apart five years ago.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would react with a "military reponse to the new threat".

"This is just a link in the chain of a course of escalation," he argued, accusing Nato and the US of trying to intimidate Russia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgxq7lkj4vgo

[Time_Traveller]

Turkey blocks NATO-Israel cooperation over Gaza war, sources say

August 1, 20241:41 PM GMT+1

ANKARA, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Turkey has blocked cooperation between NATO and Israel since October because of the war in Gaza and said the alliance should not engage with Israel as a partner until there is an end to the conflict, sources familiar with the process said.

Israel carries the status of NATO partner and has fostered close relations with the military alliance and some of its members, notably its biggest ally the United States.

Prior to Israel's offensive in Gaza - prompted by Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage - NATO member Turkey had been working to mend its long-strained ties with Israel.

Since then, Ankara has been fiercely critical of Israel's operation in Gaza, which it says amounts to a genocide, and has halted all bilateral trade. It has also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said Turkey had vetoed all NATO engagement with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises, viewing Israel's "massacre" of Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of NATO's founding principles.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 024-08-01/

[firestar464]

rare Turkey W

[Powers]

rare Turkey W

Playing on the 4d board.

[firestar464]

I'm wondering if Turkey's days in NATO are numbered. Who knows.

[Powers]

I'm wondering if Turkey's days in NATO are numbered. Who knows.

Hungary membership is in far more danger in the next years imo.

[Time_Traveller]

NATO issues statement on 16 years since Russia's occupation of Georgian regions

Wed, August 07, 2024 - 14:33

NATO reiterated its support for Georgia's territorial integrity on the 16th anniversary of Russia's occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

The spokesperson said that NATO calls on Russia to withdraw its troops from the regions of Georgia that are deployed there without Tbilisi's consent.

"South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia, despite 16 years of Russian occupation. NATO fully supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Dahlala said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also issued a statement on the 16th anniversary of Russian aggression against Georgia. The ministry emphasized that Russia has actually turned Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region into a gray zone.

"Russian imperialism in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Europe has remained unchanged for centuries and consists of deep-rooted chauvinism and contempt for other peoples, international law, internationally recognized borders, and the desire to restore imperial dominance," the Foreign Ministry said.

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/nato-is ... 30408.html

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

Shouldn't it made more sense for all NATO countries to agree with it, not one single country.

[raklian]

Trump tried it in his first term but the bureaucracy made sure to drag the process long enough to have it reversed when Biden came in.

Despite what Trump thinks, withdrawing from NATO is not a popular policy among the Republicans and Pentagon brass.

[Time_Traveller]

Trump tried it in his first term but the bureaucracy made sure to drag the process long enough to have it reversed when Biden came in.

Despite what Trump thinks, withdrawing from NATO is not a popular policy among the Republicans and Pentagon brass.

Insta-reject, no wonder he is trying to get around Congress.

[raklian]

Trump tried it in his first term but the bureaucracy made sure to drag the process long enough to have it reversed when Biden came in.

Despite what Trump thinks, withdrawing from NATO is not a popular policy among the Republicans and Pentagon brass.

Insta-reject, no wonder he is trying to get around Congress.

Yeah, even he finds a workaround without Congress, it still won't get anywhere.

[weatheriscool]

Georgian prime minister suspends EU membership talks until end of 2028

Source: euronews.com

The prime minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, has announced he is suspending his country's EU membership application process until the end of 2028.

His announcement came after the European Parliament condemned Georgia's 26 October parliamentary elections, stating they were neither free nor fair.

-snip-

The parliament has backed an independent international investigation into electoral manipulation allegations in Georgia, urging the EU and its member states to impose personal sanctions on Georgian officials and political leaders held responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral law violations, and misuse of state institutions.

Russia's interference in Georgia's democratic processes, including efforts to spread the "Global War Party" conspiracy theory — which falsely claims the opposition would lead the country into war with Russia under Western orders — has been highlighted as a major destabilising factor in the South Caucasus nation.

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024 ... nd-of-2028

[firestar464]

This fucker is illegitmate. The world must not recognize anything he does.

[weatheriscool]

https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/12/0 ... ted-fairly

[weatheriscool]

Trump says NATO countries are 'taking advantage' and should contribute 5% of GDP

Source: USA Today

Published 2:15 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2025 | Updated 4:32 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that NATO member countries “were taking advantage” of the U.S. and should be paying more than double what they currently are required to pay for their military defense. “They could all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%,” said Trump, during a press conference from his Florida beachside compound Mar-a-Lago, talking about member countries’ contribution as a percentage of their Gross Domestic Product or economic output.

In February, Trump caused an uproar when he said during a campaign event that he’d told a NATO leader that if a country had not paid their “bills” he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want." Trump repeated the anecdote on Tuesday, this time identifying the leader as a “prime minister,” saying, “Well, they weren't paying their bills. I said, 'we're not gonna protect you. You're not paying the bills.'”

On Tuesday, Trump said he “took a lot of heat” in February for saying that the U.S. would not protect them if they were “delinquent.” “I would've loved to have said ‘Yes, we'll protect you even if you don't pay,’” he said Tuesday. “But that's not the way life works.”

The U.S. contributes 3.4% of its GDP and about 16% of NATO's annual budget. Poland is in top place, contributing 4.1% of it's GDP, followed by Estonia and the U.S, both at 3.4%, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 514412007/

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Elon Musk backs US withdrawal from NATO alliance

Source: ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Elon Musk, a key figure in President Donald Trump’s administration and head of the United States Department of Government Efficiency, has backed calls for the United States to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Musk voiced his support on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night when he responded “I agree” to a post stating, “It’s time to leave NATO and the UN.” His endorsement aligns with growing calls from some Republican lawmakers, including Senator Mike Lee, to reconsider the US commitment to the alliance.

Lee, a long-time critic of NATO, has described it as a “Cold War relic” and argued that the alliance “has to come to a halt.” He claims NATO is a “great deal for Europe” but a “raw deal for America”, suggesting that US resources are being stretched to protect Europe while offering little direct benefit to American security.

Musk’s comments come amid broader discussions within the Trump administration over the future of America’s role in NATO and international alliances. While Trump has not explicitly stated his intent to withdraw from NATO, he has repeatedly pressured European nations to increase their defence spending, warning that the US should not bear the financial burden of the alliance alone.

Read more: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/elon-mu ... -alliance/