[ad_1]
NATO's largest military maneuvers since the Cold War began Thursday in Norway in a hypothetical scenario of restoring the sovereignty of the Scandinavian country after the attack of a "fictitious aggressor".
Russia, which shares a border with Norway, has been informed by NATO of the Trident Juncture 2018 exercise and invited to follow him, but Moscow is still angry against the exercise. The Russian Defense Minister warned that Moscow may be forced to react to the intensification of NATO activities near its western border.
"NATO's military activities near our borders have reached their highest level since the cold war," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday, adding that the war games "will simulate military action." offensive".
The wargames bring together about 50,000 members from 29 NATO allies, as well as their Finnish and Swedish partners. About 65 ships, 150 aircraft and 10,000 vehicles will participate.
The exercise to be completed on November 7 will be held in central and eastern Norway, in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
Its aim is to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to face any threat, regardless of their direction, according to the 29-member alliance. members.
In an editorial published Thursday at Dagens Nyheter, one of the largest Swedish newspapers, the Nordic defense and foreign ministers said they saw "no military threat against the Nordic countries today. But we live in uncertain and uncertain times. "
"Russia has shown both the willingness and the ability to use military force to achieve strategic goals," wrote Peter Hultqvist of Sweden, Frank Bakke-Jensen (Norway), Danish Claus Hjort Frederiksen, Jussi Niinisto (Finland) and Iceland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson
"Cyber attacks and misinformation are actively used to create divisions between European and American citizens, which challenges democratic institutions and our ability to draw common conclusions," they said.
Tensions in the region have increased between the Baltic States members of NATO and Moscow, including reports of violations of the airspace by Russian military planes. Sweden and Finland, non-aligned, are observing with growing concern, intensifying their own military activity with exercises and exercises across borders with NATO countries.
—
Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
