Major manoeuvre Defender Europe 2020 - who is threatening whom?

19.05.2020

We are here on the A4 motorway, which runs from Germany towards Poland. In the next few weeks, many army transports for the new NATO major manoeuvre “Defender Europe 2020” will pass under this bridge. A total of some 37,000 soldiers from 18 different countries as well as 33,000 units of general cargo, hundreds of tanks, containers and trucks will be transferred to Poland and the Baltic States, i.e. to NATO's eastern border. This exercise is being led by the USA, which alone is providing 20,000 forces. According to the German military, it is “the largest troop transfer from the USA in a quarter of a century”. (Source: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/defender-103.html) But what are the goals behind this troop transfer? US Major General Andrew Rohling emphasizes: "It is not a targeted attack on any country, but rather a test of strategic readiness, of how to respond to a crisis." (Source: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/defender-103.html) But why is this major manoeuvre taking place at a distance of only 500 kilometres from the Russian border? Does this not raise the question of whether this exercise is specifically aimed at Russia? Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis answers this question as follows: "No, it is a test of strategic readiness and yet yes, after all, the view on Russia has changed: We are not implying that Russia has the will, but it cannot be excluded forever. Because Russia has shown that it is willing to shift borders in Europe with military power by annexing the Crimea." (Source: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/defender-103.html) As far as this "potential threat" by Russia is concerned, this is precisely the big question on which the minds are divided. Who is threatening whom? Is it Russia threatening the NATO allies? Or is it NATO that is threatening Russia with large field training exercises such as “Defender 2020” and thus encircling it further and further? The alleged "annexation of the Crimea", which is a recurring theme in this context, cannot be considered a threat. In an interview in May 2015, Swiss peace researcher Daniele Ganser said that the change of government in Ukraine in February 2014 was almost certainly a coup sponsored by the West. He said that there was a huge difference: if the US government or the NATO countries overthrew the legitimate government in Kiev, then the developments in Crimea were a countermove and the real breach of taboo is with NATO, Ganser said. (Source: https://www.kla.tv/10006)) In Russian government circles, for example, there was already talk of NATO's "irresponsible action" and "sabre-rattling" during the last major NATO manoeuvre "Trident Juncture 2018". But in the major Western media the provocative character of NATO's major manoeuvres on Russia's doorstep is mentioned at most in passing. If you, dear viewers, would like to take a closer look at the question "now who is threatening whom ", we recommend the documentary "The Russian Aggression?”. (Link: https://www.kla.tv/NATO/14560). It sheds light on the "relationship of aggression" of the major powers surrounding us and provides you with a compact 100-year overview of Russia's military-political development in comparison with the USA and NATO.

from kw

Sources/Links: https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/streitkraeftebasis/uebungen/defender-europe-20
https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/audio/audio-1294632.html
https://deutsch.rt.com/inland/96860-interview-mit-generalleutnant-martin-schelleis-zu-defender-2020/
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/defender-103.htm