NATO Official Gives Major Update on the Ukraine Crisis - says Russia on a backward course

On 6 April 2017 at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv,Ukraine,NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemueller gave a major address on the situation in Ukraine,Russian foreign policy and NATO's response to it,including Ukraine's special relationship with the Alliance.Here are several excerpts of her speech attended by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and other Ukrainian dignitaries:
Since Russian forces first set foot on sovereign Ukraine in 2014,the NATO Alliance has spoken with one voice.We do not and we will not recognise Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and its ongoing destabilisation of the east of Ukraine.
In recent weeks,violence has increased.The latest report from the UN Human Rights Office highlights a dire situation:increased civilian suffering,with tens of thousands of people deprived of even the most basic of necessities.It estimates the death toll from the conflict to be almost 10,000 people,including more than 2,000 civilians.
Last week,Foreign Ministers from across the Alliance met in Brussels to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine.Ministers were briefed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Klimkin and then discussed the current security situation in the east of Ukraine and Crimea.NATO Foreign Ministers condemned Russia's ongoing hostility and occupation and confirmed that Crimea-related sanctions must remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine.*
For as long as NATO has had partners,not long after the end of the Cold War,Ukraine has had a mission at NATO headquarters-one of the largest of all our partners-and NATO has more than 50 staff here in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have greatly improved their capabilities in recent years.Ukraine sends more people on NATO courses than any other partner,and NATO commanders enjoy close relationships with their Ukrainian counterparts.Ukraine has committed to reforming its security and defence sector in line with Euro-Atlantic standards and principles,and we have a sizable team of NATO advisors here on the ground to help support these reforms.
Ukraine actively contributes to Euro-Atlantic security in many ways.Indeed,it is the only partner country that has contributed,at one stage or another,to all ongoing NATO-led operations and missions.Right now,Ukraine has a heavy engineering unit in Kosovo and 10 people serving under a NATO flag as part of our Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.Over the last two years,Ukraine has contributed strategic airlift,naval and medical capabilities to the NATO Response Force.
Beyond these specific missions,NATO is also learning a great deal from Ukraine's ongoing experience of hybrid warfare.Every country in the NATO Alliance,as well as many of our partners,have been affected by Russia's ongoing efforts to destabilise our democracies;cyber attacks;and most controversially,direct interference in our elections.But none has been affected like Ukraine.
Ukraine has been the prime battleground of this new type of warfare.Military operations;cyber attacks;propaganda and 'fake news' are all just points on the continuum of conflict with the aim of advancing Russian political objectives.
This is a decidedly backward approach to foreign policy-a policy of domination over its neighbours-and it is vital that we learn all that we can if we are to effectively combat it in the future.To do this,NATO and Ukraine are establishing a Platform on Countering Hybrid Warfare.Through this platform,we will improve our ability to recognise and attribute hybrid attacks.We will actively identify areas of vulnerability and strengthen resilience.Areas like critical infrastructure,strategic communications and crisis management.*
Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine these last few years have had a lasting impact both here and far beyond this land.NATO has responded.For the first time in a generation,NATO has had to focus on 'collective defence'.
As I speak,we are deploying multinational forces to countries in the east of our Alliance and have substantial forces available at very short notice to provide reinforcements if they are needed.And for the first time in many years,defence spending across the Alliance is going up.*
At this posting,NATO's exercise Combined Resolve VIII is underway in Germany.Ukraine is one of 10 NATO member-states and partners participating in these extensive warfighting drills.

The NATO Foreign Ministerial:Policy and Strategy for Europe and Beyond

The NATO Foreign Ministers meeting runs from 19-20 May in Brussels.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a Pre-Ministerial news conference on Wednesday,outlining the topics to be discussed and the direction NATO policy on them is taking,and some strategic concepts for its implementation as well.*
Tomorrow we will welcome Montenegro Foreign Minister Dukanovic to sign the Accession Protocol,Mr.Stoltenberg announced in his prepared statement.Following that ceremony,Montenegro will,as of tomorrow,participate in all NATO meetings as an observer,or Invitee.Once all the Allies have ratified the Protocol,Montenegro will become the 29th member of the Alliance.A clear sign that NATO continues to help build stability and security in the Western Balkans.*
We will discuss what NATO can do to support Iraq.We are already training several hundred Iraqi officers in Jordan.We have received a request from Prime Minister al-Abadi to expand our training mission to Iraq itself.And we will consider that request from Prime Minister al-Abadi.*
We have already decided to enhance our forward presence in the eastern part of our Alliance.Our military planners have put forward proposals for several battalions in different countries in the region.No decision has been taken on the numbers and locations.But we are now considering the scale and the scope of our presence in the east.*
Our Ministerial meeting will begin exactly fifty days before we meet at our Summit in Warsaw.The decisions we take at this Ministerial meeting will help pave the way to the Summit.At the Summit,we will take the necessary decisions to protect our citizens at home and to project stability beyond our borders.*
Tomorrow is an historic day for the Alliance,for Montenegro and for the Western Balkans,Mr.Stoltenberg said in the Q&A session with reporters.It says that NATO's door is open.It's another step in the successful policy of enlargement of both NATO and the EU,and the enlargement of NATO over many years has contributed to stability,peace and security in Europe.And now Montenegro is going to be part of that.Any sanctions or reactions from Russia will be absolutely unjustified,because it's about respecting the sovereign decision of a sovereign nation,Montenegro,to decide on its own path-and that should be respected by everyone.*
NATO is not contemplating combat operations in Libya,but institution-building.We will continue to discuss how we can help them.*
Some of the proposals from our strategic commanders are for battalions in the Baltic countries.It has to be a multinational presence because it sends a very clear signal that an attack on one Ally will be an attack on the whole Alliance.The importance of this forward presence is not that it's going to be so very big,but that it is a multinational presence sending a very clear signal that we are going to stand united;and the forward presence has to be combined with the increased ability to reinforce if needed,so you have to also understand that the forward presence is linked to the high readiness,the higher responsiveness of our forces,and we have already decided to triple the size of the NATO Response Force-and part of that is the new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF),or the Spearhead Force,a brigade-sized force which can deploy on a very short notice.Add to that that we are already investing in infrastructure;in prepositioning equipment;ammunition;and that the US is in the process of quadrupling its funding for the US presence in Europe:so this is a big thing altogether-a forward presence in the eastern part of our Alliance is just one element in a more comprehensive approach.*
We will decide on the future of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan beyond 2016,and will also decide on the funding for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.I think that NATO Allies providing funding is extremely important and we will continue to do so.*
I strongly believe that the Summit of NATO in July will recognise the progress that Georgia is making and will reiterate our strong commitment to provide both strong political support to Georgia;but also to provide practical support,working with Georgia to implement reforms,build institutions and to enhance Georgia's ability to modernise its armed forces.So we will continue to work with Georgia;we will continue to defend Georgia's right to make its own decisions;and we continue to work on reforms and help Georgia moving towards NATO membership.*
I have to tell you about the Minsk Agreement on Eastern Ukraine that of course I am concerned,because after we saw a lull in the fighting last year and the beginning of this year-I think the ceasefire was mostly respected-we have seen gradually an increase in the numbers of violations of the ceasefire,and that is undermining the whole Minsk Agreement because it is based on the ceasefire.So my message is,the ceasefire has to be respected;heavy weapons have to be withdrawn;and the international observers have to have full access to the area so they make sure that the Minsk Agreement is fully implemented.*
I'm really looking forward to the opening of a new NATO Training Centre in Kuwait and I visited the site of the facility.It's a big,big building where we're going to have different kinds of training,capacity-building activities for the region.And I think that's just one example of how we are increasing our cooperaton with the Gulf countries.*
In Turkey,we have positioned Patriot Missile batteries;AWACS aircraft;port visits by NATO ships.NATO member countries have bilateral agreements with Turkey to fly out of Incerlik Air Base.This is a very joint effort of NATO Allies and Turkey in the fight against ISIL and also providing the necessary assurance measures for Turkey,all at the same time,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pointed out to journalists in Brussels,Belgium.

Inside NATO's Massive Exercise Trident Juncture 2015

Over 36,000 NATO and Partner nation troops,and,for the first time ever in a NATO exercise,international and nongovernmental organisations,are participating in Exercise Trident Juncture 2015,the biggest NATO exercise since 2002.The innovative exercise includes the EU and African Union as participants,along with the ICRC and other organisations.It is NATO beginning to shift from over a decade of intense counterinsurgency in Afghanistan to the current security environment-although its work in Afghanistan continues as dictated by conditions on the ground.*
TRJE 2015 will use new and evolving concepts;advanced technology;cutting edge military capabilities and the world's most modern land,sea and air forces,including special operations,in the most complex and realistic scenarios.The main goal is to train,evaluate and certify the NATO Response Force,at the core of which is the new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force,VJTF.The fictitious but realistic setting is a country beyond NATO's borders that is a victim of international tensions,natural hazards and a neighbour's aggression.The events will range from the effects of subversion and terrorism to grand military manoeuvers on a large scale;from the conditions of chemical warfare to the battlegrounds of cyber and information;from the intricacies of tribal rivalries to the challenges of unpredictable and autocratic political leaders.*
TRJE 2015 will primarily be held in Spain,Portugal and Italy-a huge area to provide safety for the complex manoeuvers.The exercise is characterised by:
1.the size of the training area,which is huge to Europeans;
2.speed-speed on the land,sea or in the air;
3.multiple events happening simultaneously in the huge training area.
In the scenarios,airports are heavily fought for,both defending or taking them;the use of artillery,IEDs and propaganda are represented;four full brigades of marines will be coming in and out of several amphibious operations together,with air cover assisting;a fight for air superiority and a fight for freedom of navigation are enacted;the use of the Global Hawk UAV is tested.The exercise is divided into phases CPX,the Command Post Exercise for strategic and operational level staff training,evaluation and certification with the EU and AU;and LIVEX for Tactical level troops engagements throughout Italy,Portugal and Spain;the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea;plus Canada,Norway,Germany,Belgium and the Netherlands.At the conclusion of TRJE 2015,the headquarters staff from Joint Forces Command Brunssum will be officially certified to head the NATO Response Force,if activated,throughout 2016.Its core element,the VJTF,is required to respond with 5,000 troops in 48 hours to crises in the East and South of the Alliance.*
Those participating in TRJE 2015 are 27 of the 28 NATO Allies,plus Partners Australia;FYROM;Sweden;Finland;Austria;Bosnia-Hercegovina;and Ukraine.It runs from 28 September to 3 November.