Leavenworth Strategist

NATO begins Georgia military exercises

By James Blitz in London (Financial Times)

About 1,000 troops and government officials on Wednesday began taking part in Nato-led military exercises in Georgia that Russia condemned as "muscle flexing", but which the western alliance insists are no threat to any state in the region.

The exercises take place a day after Georgia said ithad quelled a mutiny at an army base which it claimed was part of a Kremlin-orchestrated plot to disrupt the Nato event.

The exercises involve personnel from the 28 Nato members and from regional states that are not formally part of the alliance but co-operate with it under its "partnership for peace" programme.

They are being held at a former Russian air force base east of Tbilisi and a few kilometres from the Mukhrovani base, where the government said tank commanders had rebelled on Tuesday.

Although described by the media as a "war game", Nato officials say it falls short of that. A first phase of the exercise, involving 650 officials, involves simulating a "crisis response" at a Georgian army base east of Tbilisi...

Russia's NATO envoy accuses alliance of interference in Georgia

April 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's NATO envoy claimed on Tuesday that plans by the alliance to hold military exercises in the former Soviet republic were an attempt at interference in Georgia's internal affairs.

The Cooperative Longbow/Lancer - 2009 drills are due to take place at Georgia's Vaziani military base from May 3 through June 3. Some 900 service personnel from 23 NATO member nations and the alliance's partners are to take part in the drills, to be held under NATO's Partnership for Peace program.

"NATO is trying to interfere in Georgia's affairs in this way," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti, adding that the exercises were an expression of support for beleaguered Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and "a challenge" to the newly independent South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He also claimed that Russia would be forced to react.

The envoy also said that any attempt to encourage "the Saakashvili regime" showed gross disregard towards those people "sacrificed on the altar of his Napoleonic ambitions."

NATO, Russia Meet for First Time After Georgia Invasion

(VOA News) By Lisa Bryant, Paris,19 December 2008

NATO and Russia held their first high-level talks Friday since Moscow invaded Georgia in August, sparking international criticism.

The lunchtime talks took place between NATO's secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. NATO suspended its special relationship with Moscow - a framework known as the NATO-Russia Council - after the Georgian conflict four months ago. But earlier this month, NATO foreign ministers agreed to slowly resume dialogue with Russia...

Russia-Georgia Rift Prompts Questions About NATO’s Future Role

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2008 – Russia’s attack on Georgia, the first invasion orchestrated by Moscow since the end of the Soviet Union, raises questions about NATO’s future role in the region, defense officials said.

“We have heretofore, since NATO began to enlarge in the '90s, operated in an environment where the presumption was that Russia was a partner for NATO, not an adversary,” Eric S. Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, said last week . “Unfortunately, Russia's behavior in the last month has now called that into question. And that's going to have to be reassessed,” he said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Gates Urges Cautious NATO Stance on Russia After Georgia Conflict

By THOM SHANKER (New York Times)

LONDON — With NATO divided over how to respond to a newly assertive Russia, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday that he would urge alliance ministers meeting here to adopt a cautious and deliberate approach that would reassure newer members along the Russian border without provoking hostilities.

Mr. Gates has said he does not anticipate any armed Russian incursions into the territory of NATO member countries, but said Moscow was more likely to pursue strategies of “pressure and intimidation,” including restricting its supplies of oil and gas, on which Europe depends.

EU Observers in Georgia Face Many Hurdles

Deutsche Welle- The EU is picking up the pace. Within four weeks, 200 EU observers are slated to go to Georgia. The nature of their duties is not yet clear, but a few obstacles can already be detected.

The EU wants to send at least 200 unarmed observers to Georgia by Oct. 1.

According to the European-Russian agreement from Monday, Sept. 8, 2008, Russia will withdraw its troops ten days later from all of Georgia – including the breakaway states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The EU now has a little less than four weeks to find enough suitable observers.

In Passau on Wednesday, Sept, 10, Angela Merkel announced that Germany could provide up to 40 observers. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has confirmed this in the meantime.

How many German observers will really set off to Tiflis and what their responsibilities there will be, however, is still unclear. The EU Foreign Ministers conference, which will meet this coming Monday, Sept. 15 in Brussels, must first formally seal the plan and then determine the details.

Putin Reaches Out to EU as Georgia Calls for Sanctions

By VOA News  30 August 2008

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has urged the European Union to ignore Georgia's call for sanctions on Russia after Moscow's intervention in the Caucasus.

In an interview with Germany's ARD television Friday, Mr. Putin called on the 27-nation bloc to take what he called a rational and objective stance on the Georgian conflict. He blamed Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for starting the conflict, and he criticized the United States for supporting the Georgian leadership.

OSCE Chairman on South Caucasus

TBILISI, 22 August 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finland's Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, said today that the Organization was strongly committed to helping stabilize the current situation in Georgia. 

Minister Stubb, who ended his trip to Georgia today, said the OSCE had three priorities in the region - to enlarge the OSCE monitoring operation in Georgia, to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and to engage the international community in a broad discussion on South Ossetia, Georgia.

NATO mulls closer ties with Georgia

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) By PAUL AMES — The United States urged NATO allies Tuesday to step up political and military ties with Georgia and to consider scaling back high-level meetings and military cooperation with Russia if its military does not abandon positions across Georgia.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice proposed setting up a permanent NATO-Georgia Commission that would solidify ties between the western alliance and the Black Sea nation.

Diplomats said Washington also proposed increasing training for the Georgian military, which was quickly defeated by Russian forces last week after a failed attempt to recover the pro-Russian separatist province of South Ossetia.

Georgia 'will join NATO': Merkel

TBILISI (AFP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday assured Georgia would join NATO as she strongly backed the ex-Soviet republic's President Mikheil Saakashvili in his conflict with Russia.

"Georgia will become a member of NATO if it wants to -- and it does want to," she told reporters before talks with Saakashvili in Tbilisi.

It was one of the strongest statements yet of support for Georgia's NATO membership bid, which is fiercely opposed by Russia.

OSCE to discuss increasing Georgia mission

The Associated Press

Sunday, August 17, 2008

VIENNA, Austria: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe may decide Monday whether to increase its mission in Georgia with another 100 unarmed military monitors.

OSCE spokesman Martin Nesirky says the organization's main decision-making body will discuss the issue in a meeting scheduled at 1000GMT...

U.S. Aid Arrives As Washington Stresses Commitment to Georgia

August 14, 2008
By RFE/RL

The first U.S. military plane bringing aid to Georgia landed in Tbilisi overnight, with U.S. officials promising many more to follow.

The military airlift is to be complemented by U.S. naval ships delivering aid to Georgian ports in the days to come.

The inflow of aid is intended to send two messages.

The first is clear and easy to read: Washington will help Georgia recover from its mauling at the hands of the Russian Army.

The second message is more subtle. The aid is being delivered by U.S. military forces in a sign that Washington is committed to Georgia's statehood and eventual NATO membership even if Russian forces are on Georgian soil.

(US) Military exercise in Georgia complete

Release Date: Jul 31, 2008 By Army Capt. Bryan Woods

VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, Georgia — Military personnel from Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States stood together here at the closing ceremony for this year's Immediate Response exercise.

At the closing ceremony, Army Brig. Gen. William B. Garrett III, exercise director for Immediate Response stated, "I am very pleased to report that all exercise objectives have been met."

Garrett highlighted the hundreds of live-fire and situational training exercises; combat lifesaver classes; Improvised Explosive Device training; and the computer-based command post exercise to train the Georgian 4th Infantry brigade staff, as some of the objectives.

NATO says Russia Stoking Military, Diplomatic Tensions with Georgia

By VOA News
30 April 2008

NATO says Russia is making worse its diplomatic and military tensions with Georgia by announcing a troop buildup in Georgian border regions.

The NATO assertion was made Wednesday in Brussels, at a meeting between alliance ministers and Russia's envoy. A NATO spokesman says ambassadors also voiced unanimous concern about Russian moves to establish legal ties with the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

EU, NATO Concerned as Russia Boosts Ties to Separatists

(Deutsche Welle) The EU's foreign policy chief expressed concern after Russia decided to intensify its links to two separatist regions in Georgia. NATO's secretary general called on Moscow to reverse the measures.

"We are concerned about these unilateral decisions, we have always supported Georgia's territorial integrity," said Christina Gallach, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokeswoman, on Wednesday, April 16.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer went further, calling on Russia to roll back its plans.

"I am deeply concerned by the actions Russia has taken to establish legal links with the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement. "I urge the Russian Federation to reverse these measures, and call on the Georgian authorities to continue to show restraint," he added.

Alliance Invites In Croatia, Albania

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 3, 2008; A08

BUCHAREST, Romania, April 2 -- NATO's political leaders agreed Wednesday night to admit Croatia and Albania into the military alliance, but after a vigorous debate they effectively rejected President Bush's bid to put two former Soviet republics on the path to membership.

The invitations to Croatia and Albania will bring NATO membership to 28 countries, the organization's first expansion in six years as it renews its push to integrate Europe under a common security umbrella. The alliance will not, however, accept a third Balkan state, Macedonia, because Greece decided to veto its application because of a long-standing dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name.

Bush Backs Ukraine NATO Bid

April 1, 2008

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- President Bush on Tuesday vowed full support for Ukraine and Georgia's NATO aspirations, saying Russia would have no veto over the ex-Soviet states' membership bids.

In Kiev ahead of a NATO summit, the president said he would work ''as hard as I can'' to overcome Moscow's objections and concerns from some in the trans-Atlantic military alliance about starting the admission process for the two nations.

''Your nation has made a bold decision and the United States strongly supports your request,'' Bush told Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko two days before NATO leaders meet in Bucharest, Romania to decide on a so-called ''membership action plan,'' or MAP, for both Ukraine and Georgia.

''In Bucharest this week, I will continue to make America's position clear: we support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia,'' he said after talks with Yushchenko. ''My stop here should be a clear signal to everybody that I mean what I say: It's in our interest for Ukraine to join.''

Abkhazia's speaker links Georgia NATO bid to recognition

March 24 (RIA Novosti) - The parliamentary speaker of the breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia said Monday that the recognition of Abkhaz independence was directly linked to Georgia's accession to NATO.

"The sooner Georgia joins NATO, the sooner our independence will be recognized," Nugzar Ashuba said.

NATO says near deal on Russian Afghan help

(Reuters) NATO said on Saturday it was nearing a deal to use Russian land and airspace to supply its security forces in Afghanistan, but Western diplomats denied any trade-off with Moscow to keep Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he was hopeful of increased cooperation with Russia. An alliance spokesman said NATO was negotiating accords on land and air corridors for its troops and equipment, which could be announced when President Vladimir Putin attends a NATO summit next month.

"I hope that Afghanistan might be an area where NATO and Russia can make strides to cooperate more closely together," de Hoop Scheffer told a security conference in Brussels.

Georgia backs pro-EU leader

07.01.2008| By Phillipa Runner (EU Observer)
Georgia president Mikhail Saakashvili was re-elected Sunday (6 January) in a move set to keep the country on its pro-EU and NATO course. But opposition leaders and Russia say the poll was fixed.

Mr Saakashvili took 52.8 percent of the vote with most ballots counted, the Central Electoral Commission told newswires. Wine millionaire and parliamentarian Levan Gachechiladze came second on 27 percent.