In the tense atmosphere of the Russia-Ukraine war, NATO quickly dispatched a large number of troops, especially the Finnish and Swedish troops, which strengthened the military deployment on the Russian border, which caused serious pressure on Russia.
According to **iaRecently, Finland, a new member of NATO, and Sweden, which is about to join NATO, actively participated in NATO's joint exercise "Nordic Response", pro** reported. The exercises are scheduled to be held in Finland, Norway and Sweden, which share a border with Russia and are located near the Russian border.
The Nordic Response joint exercise is part of NATO's Steadfast Defender exercise in 2024 and involves ground, air and sea forces. The exercise is said to mobilize more than 20,000 military personnel from 13 NATO member states, including more than 50 ships, more than 100 fighter jets,** and other air equipment. The NATO command said the drills, designed to simulate NATO's response in the event of an armed conflict with Russia, were the largest since the Cold War and highlighted rising tensions between NATO and Russia.
According to the Russian news agency Sputnik, new NATO members Finland and Sweden will take an active part in the Nordic Response 2024 exercises, which will be held on the border with Russia. The exercise will involve NATO member countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Finland's Ministry of Defense announced that they will send about 4,100 troops and 700 pieces of equipment, including 12 F A-18 Hornet fighters, to participate in the exercise. Sweden's Ministry of Defense said it would mobilize about 4,500 personnel from all branches of the military to participate.
These actions have increased the pressure on Russia's western front and caused concern and concern in Russia. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia, said that the exercises will increase tensions and that Russia will take appropriate defensive measures to eliminate the threat. Deputy Russian Minister Alexander Grushko stressed that Russia is closely following these exercises and is ready to take all necessary measures to ensure defense capability.
Recently, there has been a heated up of ** about NATO sending troops to Ukraine and engaging Russia directly. France's Macron has publicly stated that he does not rule out this possibility, and the chief of the General Staff of the French armed forces, Thierry Burkhard, recently sent a letter to half of NATO member states, suggesting that NATO troops be considered for deployment in Ukraine.
Although most NATO members are not interested in sending troops to Ukraine, the movement to hold military exercises on Russia's borders has been quite active. In particular, the two neighboring countries of Finland and Sweden lean towards NATO, which has forced Russia to strengthen its defenses. On March 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a response to Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, announcing the creation of the Moscow Oblast Military District and the Leningrad Regional Military District, and plans to strengthen the deployment of ** in the two newly created military districts in response to potential provocations.
With the ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO, NATO's military exercises on Russia's Western Front are also showing a highly active dynamic. In the event of an accident, it is very easy to trigger a military conflict between the two sides, which will make the world situation even more complicated.