BRUSSELS \u2014 NATO on Wednesday defended the number of military exercises it has staged as a response to “growing Russian aggression” and refuted suggestions that they were helping make war in Europe more likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The alliance was reacting to a warning from a London-based think tank about the risks from a sharp increase in Russian and NATO war games since the conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists flared up in April last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“NATO military exercises are not, as the reports suggest, making war in Europe more likely,” NATO spokeswoman Carmen Romero said after the European Leadership Network (ELN) published its assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They are intended precisely to have the opposite effect: to enhance security and stability in Europe in response to growing Russian aggression,” Romero said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“All NATO military activities are proportionate, defensive, and fully in line with our international commitments,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ELN report was titled: “Preparing for the Worst: Are Russian and NATO Military Exercises Making War in Europe more Likely?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It profiled a Russian exercise in March this year involving 80,000 military personnel and a series of NATO “Allied Shield” maneuvers along the alliance’s eastern flank that involved 15,000 personnel from 19 member states and three partner states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ELN report authors said the nature and scale of the exercises contradicted claims from both sides that they targeted hypothetical opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Russia is preparing for a conflict with NATO, and NATO is preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia,” ELN said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It did not suggest that either side has decided to go to war or that war is inevitable, but warned that the exercises fueled tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when the exercises are not announced beforehand, as seems to be the case with Russian maneuvers, the situation becomes more unpredictable, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It called for both NATO and Russia to boost communications about exercises as well as examine the benefits and risks of increased war games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two sides, it said, should start “conceptual work” as soon as possible on a treaty limiting both sides from deploying certain types of weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romero said the “report misleadingly puts NATO and Russian exercises on a par,” adding that Moscow has announced 4,000 exercises for this year, more than ten times what the allies have planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Moreover, Russia has incorporated nuclear and nuclear capable forces in its recent exercises,” Romero said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said NATO has already gone beyond the recommendations of the ELN report by taking “new initiatives” to keep political and military channels with Russia open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romero also said NATO exercises, unlike those conducted by Russia, are announced months in advance and are open to observers, including from Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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