In today’s geopolitical conditions, NATO is returning to its primary mission — deterring threats from the East, particularly from Russia. This was stated by the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, during a press conference following the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“I am convinced that we are now witnessing the formation of NATO 3.0. We are returning to the original deterrence role that NATO was supposed to play as a powerful military alliance when the threat comes from the East, mainly from Russia. We have a common understanding within the alliance about the challenges in in the field of security, and it is very important that now we work in both directions – both deterrence and defense”Stubb emphasized.
The President of Finland also noted that his country is actively involved in strengthening NATO’s command structures and makes a significant contribution to the alliance’s military potential. In particular, Finland:
- together with the US and northern partners will become part of the NATO joint command in Norfolk;
- is working on creating a powerful land component in its armed forces;
- is working together with Sweden on the formation of an advanced group to strengthen the northern flank of the Alliance.
“Thanks to our military power, we will not only be a consumer of security, but also a provider of it. We see a significant desire from many allies to support us in this.”, Stubb added.
Regarding the potential conflict between Russia and NATO, at the beginning of the year, the German publication Bild published scenarios of military exercises in which the German army prepares for possible hybrid attacks by Russia on the eastern borders of the Alliance. However, NATO representatives emphasized that these scenarios are fictitious and designed to assess the readiness of the military in certain regions.
The Ministry of Defense of Lithuania also commented on the situation, noting that there are currently no direct threats to NATO from Russia, as Moscow is focused on the war in Ukraine.
