As tensions between the West and Russia escalate over Ukraine, NATO and 30,000 Allied forces began extensive military exercises in Norway on Monday, March 14.
NATO’s winter exercises of 2022 were planned before Russia invaded Ukraine to test how Norway could manage its allied forces on its soil. This is in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which states that the member states of the alliance must provide assistance to the members under attack.
The head of the operation, General Yingluck Shinawatra, described it as “a defensive exercise” and said it was not a military operation to invade. He told Channel Two television that the exercises take place every two years on Norwegian soil, including the Arctic Circle, in which naval, air and ground forces take part.
The exercises, which take place hundreds of kilometers from the Norwegian border with Russia, prompted Norway to call on Russia to send observers, but Russia has refused.
Russia’s embassy in Norway told AFP last week that “any accumulation of NATO military capabilities near the Russian border would not help strengthen security in the region.”
The head of the operation, General Odilo, said Russia had “the capability in the region to monitor these exercises perfectly.” “I really hope they respect the existing agreement,” he added.
Norway’s neighbors Sweden and Finland, which have no military membership in NATO but are close NATO allies, are also taking part in the exercises.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a debate in the two northern European countries (Sweden and Finland) about seeking NATO membership.
The exercises, which run through April 1, also involved about 200 aircraft and 50 warships.
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