Sweden and Baltic States Prepare for War with Russia. Something is Unfolding that We are Not being Told About.
Dr. Chojnowski: Do they know something that is being kept from us in the usually isolated and ill-informed US? While Sweden is preparing their people for war in a pamphlet not put out since the height of the Cold War and during World War II, the Baltic States are "asking" for a larger troop presence by the United States. In other words, if the Russians invaded Estonia or Lithuania, we will be at war with the threat of nuclear conflict. Will the US government ever prepare the citizenry for war? Russia is the obvious enemy. Being defended against or being provoked into war?
Sweden distributes 'be prepared for war' leaflet to all 4.8m homes
Defence pamphlet shows how population can prepare in event of attack and contribute to country’s ‘total defence’
The Swedish government has begun sending all 4.8m of the country’s
households a public information leaflet telling the population, for the
first time in more than half a century, what to do in the event of a
war.
Om krisen eller kriget kommer (If crisis or war comes) explains
how people can secure basic needs such as food, water and heat, what
warning signals mean, where to find bomb shelters and how to contribute
to Sweden’s “total defence”.
The 20-page pamphlet, illustrated
with pictures of sirens, warplanes and families fleeing their homes,
also prepares the population for dangers such as cyber and terror
attacks and climate change, and includes a page on identifying fake
news.
“Although Sweden is
safer than many other countries, there are still threats to our
security and independence,” the brochure says. “If you are prepared, you
are contributing to improving the ability of the country to cope with a
major strain.”
Similar leaflets were first distributed in neutral Sweden in 1943, at
the height of the second world war. Updates were issued regularly to the
general public until 1961, and then to local and national government
officials until 1991.
“Society is vulnerable, so we need to prepare ourselves as individuals,” said Dan Eliasson of
the Swedish civil contingencies agency, which is in charge of the
project. “There’s also an information deficit in terms of concrete
advice, which we aim to provide.”
The publication comes as the debate on security – and the possibility of
joining Nato – has intensified in Sweden in the wake of Russia’s
annexation of Crimea in 2014 and recent incursions into Swedish airspace
and territorial waters by Russian planes and submarines.
The country has begun reversing military spending cuts and last year
staged its biggest military exercises in nearly a quarter of a century,
as well as voting to reintroduce conscription and unveiling joint plans with Denmark to counter Russian cyber-attacks and disinformation.
The leaflet advises people to think about how to cope if there was no
heating, food became difficult to buy, prepare and store, there was no
water in the taps or toilet, and cash machines, mobile phones and the
internet stopped working.
It advises checking the source of all information, warning that “states
and organisations are already trying to influence our values and how we
act ... and reduce reduce our resilience and willingness to defend
ourselves”.
A detailed page of “home preparedness tips” advises the population to
stock up on water bottles, warm clothing and sleeping bags, and
“non-perishable food that can be prepared quickly, requires little water
or can be eaten without preparation”.
In the event of armed conflict, it says, “everyone is obliged to
contribute and everyone is needed” for Sweden’s “total defence”: anyone
between 16 and 70 “can be called to assist in the event of the threat of
war and war”.
Sweden has not been at war with another country for more than 200 years.
If it is attacked, the leaflet says, “we will never give up. All
information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.”
Also, on Zero Hedge baltic-states-ask-us-bigger-military-presence-their-soil
The Baltic States Ask The US For A Bigger Military Presence On Their Soil
The foreign ministers (FMs) of the Baltic states have wound up their May 16-18 visit to Washington. They asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to reinforce the NATO battalions that have been deployed to their countries with air and naval units. They
also want their air-defense capability enhanced. Lithuanian FM Linas
Linkevicius emphasized that it’s not just the numbers that are
important, but also training exercises, visits, the distribution of
equipment, and the establishment of new military facilities. Latvian FM
Edgars Rinkevics called for making the US military presence in the
Baltic states and Poland permanent. It’s hardly a coincidence that the
issue has been raised prior to the NATO 2018 summit that will take place
on July 11-12.
The
leaders of the Baltic states have always stressed that they see the
current military build-up as only the starting point for a larger effort
that will include modernized routes and infrastructure sites, as well equipping their national forces with more up-to-date weapons for offensive operations.
NATO has deployed four battalion-sized battle groups (roughly 4,500
troops) to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The nations that
comprise the backbone of this force are the US, the UK, Germany and
Canada. Twelve other allies also contribute to the Enhanced Forward
Presence (EFP). Eight small staffs known as NATO force integration units
have also been established. Common rules of engagement (ROE) are in the
process of being hammered out, taking into account regional nuances. In
the event of war, the Graduated Response Plan (Eagle Defender) with its
own detailed ROE will come into play.
Under the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), the US military has
transferred over to Europe a 3,500-strong armored brigade combat team
and a 2,200-strong combat aviation brigade that is headquartered in
Germany, and a combat sustainment support battalion (750 troops) that is
stationed on Polish soil to be used as a logistics hub in Romania. It
has also deployed a support team to Lithuania.
In
total, America now has three combat-ready brigades stationed in Europe,
along with pre-positioned stockpiles of weapons systems and equipment
that will allow a fourth brigade to rapidly beef up its forces to launch
an attack against Russia. NATO reinforcement would also
include the 13,000-strong NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force
(VJTF) or Spearhead Force, which is an element of the Enhanced NATO
Response Force (NRF) that would join the combat later. The NRF consists
of 40,000 troops. All these forces are capable of joining the fight on
short notice.
These armed corps possess an attack capability that Russia cannot ignore. Nor
can Moscow turn a blind eye to the fact that NATO’s collective military
boasts 3.2 million active personnel — compared to Russia’s 830,000 — in
addition to the US arsenal of long-range attack systems. Germany,
France, and some other allies see that as enough, but no, the Baltic
states are never satisfied. They keep on begging for more. They want to
fully exploit their status of “frontline states” in order to reap the
political benefits.
And
not only that, NATO is ratcheting up tensions by holding an increasing
number of large-scale exercises right on Russia’s borders. This
greatly elevates the risk of inadvertent escalation. For instance,
three major exercises are scheduled to be held in the Baltic region this
summer.
On June 3-15, the Saber Strike exercise organized by the US Army Europe
will encompass the three Baltic states and Poland, involving over 18,000
troops from 19 countries. About 3,000 American soldiers and over 1,500
combat vehicles will travel from Germany to Latvia and Lithuania. Public
roads will be used to move heavy equipment. On June 12-13, the soldiers
of the US 2nd Cavalry Regiment will construct a bridge in order to
cross the Neman River in Lithuania (in the Kaunas district). Their main mission is to ensure that the forces are ready to rapidly advance, not to merely defend their positions.
Eight thousand American airborne troops will land in Latvia during the
Swift Response exercise, in order to train alongside Lithuanian and
Polish troops. Namejs 2018 will be held from August 20 to September 2
and will involve over 9,200 Latvian forces, including the military,
police, border guards, volunteer reservists, and other state
institutions. They will be joined by 650 troops from the US, Lithuania,
Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
All these large-scale intensive training activities will take place in the background of the planning for Trident Juncture 2018,
the largest NATO exercise involving about 40,000 troops, 70 ships, and
about 130 aircraft from over 30 nations, which will be deployed to
central and northern Norway in October for the live portion of the
event. A command post phase will be conducted in Italy. Norway
does not have a shoreline in the Baltic Sea but it is a member of the
Council of the Baltic Sea States.
When the construction is over, Powidz, a Polish village with a
population of 1,000, will have become a NATO hub for the Baltics and all
of Northern Europe. That will be the control center for the operations
in the region.
Anakonda
2018, the largest event ever staged by NATO since the end of the Cold
War, involving 100,000 troops, 5,000 vehicles, 150 aircraft and
helicopters, and 45 warships will be hosted by Portugal this summer. This
particular event will be held outside the Baltic Sea region, but it’s
an important part of the bigger picture because the training activities
of the bloc have been incorporated into a unified plan. It’s the vast
scale that is so impossible to ignore.
All
the exercises are being staged to allow the forces to hone their skills
for conducting offensive operations against Russia, not for fending off
attacks from trenches dug along the lines of defense. All
these events are large-scale and the operational tempo is unprecedented,
all of which makes the security status of Europe extremely precarious.
Nothing is working to ease the tensions. The agreement on the Prevention of Incidents at (INCSEA) and the Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities (DMA)
seem forgotten and dust-covered. No one appears to remember they even
exist. Incidents and dangerous activities take place regularly,
especially during exercises. The agreements do nothing to prevent them.
In 2016, then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposed arms
control discussions to defuse tensions. Russia welcomed the idea but
the initiative ended up more or less swept under the rug. Moscow has
proposed updating the risk-reduction procedures envisaged under the
Vienna Document (Chapter III), but the alliance rejected the idea of
direct Russia-NATO talks. It wants discussions to be held under the
auspices of the OSCE, which makes no sense. It’s NATO, not the OSCE,
that Russia has security problems with. It’s the North Atlantic
Alliance, not the OSCE, that holds provocative military exercises near
Russia’s borders while painting it as the state that harbors aggressive
intentions. NATO has rejected Russia’s initiatives to reduce the risk of incidents, including in the Baltic region.
These exercises, which are in truth provocations, in addition to the
longing of the Baltic nations to acquire the status of “frontline
states,” the absence of any Russia-NATO dialog aimed at addressing
security issues, the creation of the bloc’s infrastructure to
launch offensive operations (an issue that has been kept out of the
media spotlight), and the growing American presence inside states that share with a common border with Russia — all these developments are fraught with dire consequences. To
a large extent, NATO is responsible for the present state of affairs
and the Baltic states have greatly helped to turn northern Europe into a
real hot spot.
The foreign ministers (FMs) of the Baltic states have wound up their May 16-18 visit to Washington. They asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to reinforce the NATO battalions that have been deployed to their countries with air and naval units. They
also want their air-defense capability enhanced. Lithuanian FM Linas
Linkevicius emphasized that it’s not just the numbers that are
important, but also training exercises, visits, the distribution of
equipment, and the establishment of new military facilities. Latvian FM
Edgars Rinkevics called for making the US military presence in the
Baltic states and Poland permanent. It’s hardly a coincidence that the
issue has been raised prior to the NATO 2018 summit that will take place
on July 11-12.
The
leaders of the Baltic states have always stressed that they see the
current military build-up as only the starting point for a larger effort
that will include modernized routes and infrastructure sites, as well equipping their national forces with more up-to-date weapons for offensive operations.
NATO has deployed four battalion-sized battle groups (roughly 4,500
troops) to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The nations that
comprise the backbone of this force are the US, the UK, Germany and
Canada. Twelve other allies also contribute to the Enhanced Forward
Presence (EFP). Eight small staffs known as NATO force integration units
have also been established. Common rules of engagement (ROE) are in the
process of being hammered out, taking into account regional nuances. In
the event of war, the Graduated Response Plan (Eagle Defender) with its
own detailed ROE will come into play.
Under the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), the US military has
transferred over to Europe a 3,500-strong armored brigade combat team
and a 2,200-strong combat aviation brigade that is headquartered in
Germany, and a combat sustainment support battalion (750 troops) that is
stationed on Polish soil to be used as a logistics hub in Romania. It
has also deployed a support team to Lithuania.
In
total, America now has three combat-ready brigades stationed in Europe,
along with pre-positioned stockpiles of weapons systems and equipment
that will allow a fourth brigade to rapidly beef up its forces to launch
an attack against Russia. NATO reinforcement would also
include the 13,000-strong NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force
(VJTF) or Spearhead Force, which is an element of the Enhanced NATO
Response Force (NRF) that would join the combat later. The NRF consists
of 40,000 troops. All these forces are capable of joining the fight on
short notice.
These armed corps possess an attack capability that Russia cannot ignore. Nor
can Moscow turn a blind eye to the fact that NATO’s collective military
boasts 3.2 million active personnel — compared to Russia’s 830,000 — in
addition to the US arsenal of long-range attack systems. Germany,
France, and some other allies see that as enough, but no, the Baltic
states are never satisfied. They keep on begging for more. They want to
fully exploit their status of “frontline states” in order to reap the
political benefits.
And
not only that, NATO is ratcheting up tensions by holding an increasing
number of large-scale exercises right on Russia’s borders. This
greatly elevates the risk of inadvertent escalation. For instance,
three major exercises are scheduled to be held in the Baltic region this
summer.
On June 3-15, the Saber Strike exercise organized by the US Army Europe
will encompass the three Baltic states and Poland, involving over 18,000
troops from 19 countries. About 3,000 American soldiers and over 1,500
combat vehicles will travel from Germany to Latvia and Lithuania. Public
roads will be used to move heavy equipment. On June 12-13, the soldiers
of the US 2nd Cavalry Regiment will construct a bridge in order to
cross the Neman River in Lithuania (in the Kaunas district). Their main mission is to ensure that the forces are ready to rapidly advance, not to merely defend their positions.
Eight thousand American airborne troops will land in Latvia during the
Swift Response exercise, in order to train alongside Lithuanian and
Polish troops. Namejs 2018 will be held from August 20 to September 2
and will involve over 9,200 Latvian forces, including the military,
police, border guards, volunteer reservists, and other state
institutions. They will be joined by 650 troops from the US, Lithuania,
Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
All these large-scale intensive training activities will take place in the background of the planning for Trident Juncture 2018,
the largest NATO exercise involving about 40,000 troops, 70 ships, and
about 130 aircraft from over 30 nations, which will be deployed to
central and northern Norway in October for the live portion of the
event. A command post phase will be conducted in Italy. Norway
does not have a shoreline in the Baltic Sea but it is a member of the
Council of the Baltic Sea States.
When the construction is over, Powidz, a Polish village with a
population of 1,000, will have become a NATO hub for the Baltics and all
of Northern Europe. That will be the control center for the operations
in the region.
Anakonda
2018, the largest event ever staged by NATO since the end of the Cold
War, involving 100,000 troops, 5,000 vehicles, 150 aircraft and
helicopters, and 45 warships will be hosted by Portugal this summer. This
particular event will be held outside the Baltic Sea region, but it’s
an important part of the bigger picture because the training activities
of the bloc have been incorporated into a unified plan. It’s the vast
scale that is so impossible to ignore.
All
the exercises are being staged to allow the forces to hone their skills
for conducting offensive operations against Russia, not for fending off
attacks from trenches dug along the lines of defense. All
these events are large-scale and the operational tempo is unprecedented,
all of which makes the security status of Europe extremely precarious.
Nothing is working to ease the tensions. The agreement on the Prevention of Incidents at (INCSEA) and the Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities (DMA)
seem forgotten and dust-covered. No one appears to remember they even
exist. Incidents and dangerous activities take place regularly,
especially during exercises. The agreements do nothing to prevent them.
In 2016, then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier proposed arms
control discussions to defuse tensions. Russia welcomed the idea but
the initiative ended up more or less swept under the rug. Moscow has
proposed updating the risk-reduction procedures envisaged under the
Vienna Document (Chapter III), but the alliance rejected the idea of
direct Russia-NATO talks. It wants discussions to be held under the
auspices of the OSCE, which makes no sense. It’s NATO, not the OSCE,
that Russia has security problems with. It’s the North Atlantic
Alliance, not the OSCE, that holds provocative military exercises near
Russia’s borders while painting it as the state that harbors aggressive
intentions. NATO has rejected Russia’s initiatives to reduce the risk of incidents, including in the Baltic region.
These exercises, which are in truth provocations, in addition to the
longing of the Baltic nations to acquire the status of “frontline
states,” the absence of any Russia-NATO dialog aimed at addressing
security issues, the creation of the bloc’s infrastructure to
launch offensive operations (an issue that has been kept out of the
media spotlight), and the growing American presence inside states that share with a common border with Russia — all these developments are fraught with dire consequences. To
a large extent, NATO is responsible for the present state of affairs
and the Baltic states have greatly helped to turn northern Europe into a
real hot spot.
SOURCE
