Nato must increase spending to protect Europe’s eastern and southern borders

Nato's summit must face up to Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and the extremist Islamic State's advances in Iraq

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen 8:22PM BST 29 Aug 2014 Today’s Europe is an island of stability in a sea of conflict. To the east, Russia has added its own military forces to the separatist conflict that it manufactured in Ukraine. To the south, growing instability and extremism are fuelled by fragile states and sectarian strife. Nato’s greatest responsibility is to protect and defend our allies – the 28 member states – against any attack. We also need to strengthen our ability to deal with crises, and to work with partners to preserve the international rules-based order. As we gather for our summit in Wales next week, our response to Russia’s aggression and to the crisis in Iraq will be key topics on the agenda. They pose very different security challenges, and demand different responses. The rise of the Islamic State (Isil) threatens to destabilise the region. The communities of Iraq are starting to unite against this common threat. Determined action by the United States and other Nato allies has blunted the terrorists’ advance, but it remains a long-term challenge. The nomination of Haider Al Abadi as prime minister-designate was an important move. The swift formation of an inclusive government that represents the legitimate interests and aspirations of all Iraqis is a key step towards overcoming Isil. The international community has an obligation to help, but it is up to the Iraqi government to request that support and to demonstrate leadership to address its challenges. Until 2011, Nato supported Iraq with a mission to develop its military training and institutions, and we remain committed to our partnership. While Iraq has asked several members of the alliance for help, it has not made any specific request to Nato. I expect that, in Wales, we will discuss the implications of the situation in Iraq for our security and possible Nato support for the international effort. The Ukraine crisis erupted just as suddenly, but its origins are very different. Where Iraq’s troubles were largely internal, the Ukraine crisis was clearly made in Moscow. While talking about peace, Russia has not taken a single step in that direction. Rather, it has done the opposite. Russia continues to supply separatists with equipment, fighters and funding. And over the past two weeks, it has significantly escalated the conflict with direct military action in Ukraine. Satellite images released by Nato this week show that well over 1,000 Russian soldiers, equipped with sophisticated heavy weaponry, are inside Ukraine’s territory. They are operating from about a dozen locations and have hundreds of Russian combat vehicles. These troops are not volunteers and they have not just lost their way; they are highly trained professional combat troops. This marks a dramatic shift in the conflict. Russian soldiers are now in the middle of the fight and Moscow is running out of ways to hide it. What Russia is doing in Ukraine poses a threat to a rules-based international system and to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbouring states. President Putin has said that Russia reserves the right to take military action in any country where Russian citizens live. COMMENTS Moniker • 23 minutes ago There are Many Independent Experts who say that the group known as ISIS is in Fact, a Secret Invention of America, and a Secret Ally of America, even though America has other Allies among Arab Countries, who Sponsor and Fund Terrorism. That Information is in an Article that speaks of ISIS and Ukraine in the same Article, and it is on the Global Research Website, and it is Titled: “Russian Invasion” – Screaming ‘Wolf!’ Strategy of Deception. Lies Repeated Umpteen Times. What is the Endgame? at http://www.globalresearch.ca/r... . Other timely and Factual News Articles are Titled: Washington Piles Lie Upon Lie at http://www.paulcraigroberts.or... , and the News Article Titled: The Leninist in the White House athttp://www.paulcraigroberts.... . What happened in Ukraine was that the American Government Deliberately Engineered a Coup, and they placed Neo Nazis in Power, and these Neo Nazis were portrayed as the Most Sincere of Democratic People. Ukraine is a Divided Country between Nazis and Non Nazis, and the Western Media covered up, and continues to cover up the Statements and Actions of the Nazi Coup Government of Ukraine. The first thing that the Western Backed Nazi Coup Ukrainian Government did was to inform the Non Ukrainians People in the East of Ukraine that they do not belong in East Ukraine, and that they would have to move or be killed, and the Western Media knew of this, and covered it up. The People of Crimea heard this and immediately held a Referendum, and left Ukraine, because Crimea was a Highly Autonomous Republic in Ukraine, and had the Legal Constitutional Right to hold any Referendum they wanted, and so Russia did not annex Crimea, but the People exercised their Common Sense along with their Legal and Constitutional Right to leave Nazi Ukraine, which is bent on Only having one race in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Race, and the Nazis of Ukraine are Very Grateful for America's and Germany's support to bring glory and praise to Adolf Hitler and his Ideology. This was the 5 Billion Dollars that America said it Invested in Good Governance and Civil Society, and we know America's Plutocratic Puppets Euphemistically known as Elected Representatives Define as Civil Society, because ISIS is America's Secret Puppet. The People of East Ukraine did not want to be expelled or murdered, just because of their Race, or to be told that they can Never be Citizens of Ukraine, regardless of how good they were, because they belong to a Minority Race, and are Therefore Immediately Disqualified to be a Citizen of Nazi, and so they held Referendums to leave Ukraine, but unlike Crimea, they do not have the Constitutional Right to leave Ukraine. However, they claimed that Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity is Defined by a Functioning and Respected Constitution. They further claimed that Ukraine does not have any Territorial Integrity, because the Nazi Coup Politicians ignore the Constitution, because they Refuse to place themselves on Trial for Treason of which they are Guilty, even as it was the Ukrainian Nazi Coup Government, which downed the Passenger Plane MH 17, and probably under America's Orders, or with America’s Approval. The People of East Ukraine are being murdered, and their Cities are being bombed, and they are being denied Humanitarian Aid, and they are being Slandered, and like any Other People they have the Right to Self Defence which is their Human Right under International Law. There are Many People who are Convinced that the Leading Puppet Politicians and leading Puppet Mainstream Journalists in Nazi America are Nazi Psychopaths, and they have been Selected by the Nazi Plutocrats, after they have undergone training and satisfied the Nazi Plutocrats, while Others have had the Dirt found on them and they are now America's Puppet like British Prime Minister David Cameron and Others. The Plutocrats do not care about Ordinary People, and they look down on them and view them as Vermin, and they know that they have nuclear fallout shelters. These Nazi Puppets of the Nazi Plutocrats both Male and Female have been become Hopelessly Addicted because of their Constant Training to gain Immense Pleasure when they are Cruel to People, and when they Murder People, and Nazi Euro-America claim that this is the Sincere Democracy and Sincere Human Rights. Avatar come2thkoft • an hour ago The first thing to grasp in this Ukrainian mess is that Russia did not “manufacture” it. The immediate crisis has been caused by the overthrow by insurrection of the Ukrainian government in March 2014. This insurrection was well organised, well funded and well supported by “specialist” forces, private units no doubt, but operating on behalf of the USA. The longer term crisis has been caused by the constant NATO pressure on Russia’s borders ever since the end of the Cold War. There are Russian populations and essential Russia-supplying industries in East Ukraine. Russia has a responsibility and need there. The original Russian proposal of East Ukraine autonomy within Ukraine was a sensible solution. This has been rejected by the Americans who have tolerated at best, and encouraged at worst, the Kiev armie's attack on the Russian areas. Under the circumstances Putin has put his foot down and who can blame him. I hope the counsel of the sensible European NATO members prevails at this coming meeting otherwise anything can happen - including the balloon going up!. Avatar geofk74 • 2 hours ago All his waffling dosen't point to a solution to the islamic problem - we have crazy islamic idiots within NATO borders planning to release biological/dirty bombs. Why not use the forces to secure our borders and political will to drive islam from the E.U, wouldn't that be a start? There should be a country by country referendum on whether to ban islam, with the option for those who value islam more than our values to resettle in Pakistan/Malaysia/Dubai/Saudi Arabia, or if they are committed to nuttiness, ISIS, Iraq and Syria. 1 • Reply • Share › Avatar Gwen • 2 hours ago The majority of sympathy for Russia is fueled by anti-American or anti-EU sentiment rather than anything actually positive to say about Putin's regime. Former Soviet satellite states are not the victims of EU or American expansionism, they are simply desperate not to be dragged under another Iron Curtain. What is the difference with South Korea? Former Soviet State citizens are not politically neutral people going about their business while above their heads NATO and the US play games at harassing Putin. They are people whose grandparents have died during Russia's imposed famine in Ukraine of 1933, people who have suffered half a century of totalitarianism and gulags during the Cold War, people who have only just tasted freedom which we in the West take for granted and people who are desperate to join NATO and always have been. Please just consider for one moment if you would like it if your country was being invaded by Russia? Poverty and despotism guaranteed for the next few decades at least. Avatar geofk74 • 2 hours ago All his waffling dosen't point to a solution to the islamic problem - we have crazy islamic idiots within NATO borders planning to release biological/dirty bombs. Why not use the forces to secure our borders and political will to drive islam from the E.U, wouldn't that be a start? There should be a country by country referendum on whether to ban islam, with the option for those who value islam more than our values to resettle in Pakistan/Malaysia/Dubai/Saudi Arabia, or if they are committed to nuttiness, ISIS, Iraq and Syria. 1 • Reply • Share › Avatar Gwen • 2 hours ago The majority of sympathy for Russia is fueled by anti-American or anti-EU sentiment rather than anything actually positive to say about Putin's regime. Former Soviet satellite states are not the victims of EU or American expansionism, they are simply desperate not to be dragged under another Iron Curtain. What is the difference with South Korea? Former Soviet State citizens are not politically neutral people going about their business while above their heads NATO and the US play games at harassing Putin. They are people whose grandparents have died during Russia's imposed famine in Ukraine of 1933, people who have suffered half a century of totalitarianism and gulags during the Cold War, people who have only just tasted freedom which we in the West take for granted and people who are desperate to join NATO and always have been. Please just consider for one moment if you would like it if your country was being invaded by Russia? Poverty and despotism guaranteed for the next few decades at least. Avatar Q46 • 4 hours ago What must be 'faced up to' is it is the EU's expansionist imperialism that has caused the situation in Ukraine and a proxy war with Russia over territory... all wars are over territory caused by an ambitious clique who can never get enough power and control over ever more territory. NATO is a command and control structure to facilitate defence of its members against military attack. It is not the military wing of the EU to aid and abet it in expanding its empire. 6 • Reply • Share › Avatar PrestonPark • 4 hours ago If NATO boasts of helping the Ukraine regime in bombing and shelling civilians, it would appear NATO is the prime terrorist organisation currently. If Washington can avenge/protect its citizens by bombing foreign countries (ISIS in Syria/Iraq), why is that a crime if Russia says it will protect its citizens or ethnic Russians too? One wonders why after the fall of the USSR, NATO needed to stoke Russian fears of invasion by NATO by advancing 1,000 miles eastwards? You don't really need to be paranoid to fear that. The reason, of course, was to elicit exactly that fear to re-stoke a Cold War - for the benefit of the Military-Industrial Complex, and to create a defensive reaction from Russia, to justify further escalation from NATO - and so on- get the picture? The goal is to dismantle Russia for their natural resources and (as a bonus) eliminate an obstacle to Washington's megalomania and desire for total world hegemony. The USA is a fading power, but still packs a big military punch - they need to leverage that punch while the World still gives them money via the US$ reserve currency status it enjoys, the USA prints it wealth and the USA parasatises the world via totally unrepayable (in real terms) debt issuance If Mr Rasmussen thinks the Ukraine crisis happened 'suddenly', he has not been paying attention to the Nuland phone calls, or well-documented evidence of Washington NGOs 'helping' democracy in Ukraine for the past 12 years (and $5 billion) by stirring up Ultra-Nationalist fervour to oust a democratically elected president to be replaced by Nuland's appointees (just google "Nuland F$ck the EU" for the self-confessional taped call). Mr Rasmussen is foolish in thinking that sacrificing Europe economically to Washington's interests is a viable strategy, the US will discard Europe once it has done its job for them - one less economic/geo-political block to worry about - especially with the highly restrictive (and pro-US interests) TTIP agreement the EU might soon sign. Utter fools. Postscript: Still no 'proof' of Russian/Novorussian involvement in the murder of 298 people on board Malaysian flight MH-17 yet (DT?) ? They've had the evidence - the flight recorders, the Kiev ATC voice recordings of the pilots, the US satellite images and SIGINt data for over a month - where is the tiniest shred of evidence? Wouldn't this be shouted from the roof-tops had there been any? It's becoming clear this was a false-flag attack and the documentary evidence isn't being released because it shows the 'wrong' answer. Shameful and low. Avatar Longshanks • 14 minutes ago Ander's. You've spent all that time & energy on stating 'NATO must spend more', without even touching on 'how much exactly they already spend & how much it should be increased too!!' ... very lazy, very lazy indeed. Unless of course you are simply 'repeating the rhetoric & propaganda' that's spewing around the media 'en mass' at the moment. Allison Pearson or Ambrose wouldn't have made that fatal mistake, but then again Allison & Ambrose are real investigative journalists & one day, Allison will be DT Ed if there is any justice in this world ....