Baltics and Nordic countries reinforce military exercises in the face of the threat from Russia

William Ximenis London, 15 Mar The leaders of nine Baltic and Nordic countries agreed on Tuesday to reinforce their joint military exercises in northern Europe and stressed their willingness to cooperate in dealing with Russia's “violent expansionism”. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted a summit in London of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which encompasses Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. In light of the Kremlin-ordered invasion of Ukraine, members of the coalition, coordinated and led by London, warn of the need to take precautions to prevent “other nations from falling victim” to possible Russian attacks, according to a statement following the Downing Street summit, the official office of the head of government from the United Kingdom. Among their immediate plans, the Nordic and Baltic countries will intensify their current programme of coordinated exercises on land, sea and air, in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions. The group, in which two countries outside NATO participate - Finland and Sweden - also highlighted its willingness to work “complementary” to the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union (EU) in the defense of the continent. RECALIBRATE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA The war in Ukraine forces European countries to “recalibrate” their relationship with Moscow, the members of the Joint Expeditionary Force note in the conclusions of their meeting. The actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin “pose a fundamental challenge to the security architecture of the Euro-Atlantic area,” say the group members, noting their conviction that “all sovereign nations have the right to choose their own security arrangements without the threat of external aggression.” The Baltic and Nordic countries condemned Putin's “brutal attack on Ukraine, its territorial integrity and its citizens”. “It is a clear violation of the sovereignty, freedom and independence of a democratic European country, and a flagrant breach of Russia's obligations under international law,” add the leaders meeting in London, who demand an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. The JEF countries urge Moscow to ensure that the Ukrainian population has access to food, clean water and medical care, as well as to respect humanitarian laws, while expressing support for ICC investigations into alleged war crimes committed during the Russian invasion. They praised at the same time the “courage and determination of the Ukrainian people, led by President (Volodymyr) Zelensky”. ZELENSKI EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH NATO The Ukrainian president spoke at the meeting in the British capital via videoconference and expressed his frustration with NATO's refusal to establish a no-fly zone in his country to prevent Russian attacks. NATO is “the most powerful alliance in the world,” but “some of the members of this alliance are mesmerized by Russia's aggression,” Zelenski said. “We heard a lot of talk about the Third World War, which could supposedly begin if NATO closed Ukraine's sky to Russian missiles and planes, and that's why the humanitarian no-fly zone has not yet been established,” he argued. “This allows the Russian Army to bomb peaceful cities and blow up blocks of housing, hospitals and schools,” the Ukrainian leader lamented. Zelenski assured that he “understands” that Ukraine “is not a member of NATO. “For many years we have heard about open doors, but we have also heard that we cannot enter through those doors,” he said. “That is the truth, and we simply have to accept that it is so,” he stressed. CHIEF gx/jm/mj (video) (audio)