Spiegel's online edition in German on Sunday, cites an internal North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) draft document pertaining to discussions occurring within the military alliance and among individual members about possible scenarios if Russia were to launch a military campaign in Eastern Europe. The draft document arrives at the conclusion that Russia's ability to "execute a significant military action without much warning poses a wide-reaching threat for maintaining safety and stability in the Euro-Atlantic zone." NATO has observed a Russian troop buildup near its border with Ukraine, but Russia claims it has no current plans for a military move. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but the alliance is keen to show that it can effectively defend its Baltic members should the need arise.
Troop exercises - On Friday, NATO launched a large-scale operation in Estonia known as Exercise Steadfast Javelin 1 to "reflect NATO's collective defense in the Baltic region," according to a NATO statement. Six thousand troops from several NATO members including the United States (pictured above) are taking part in the exercise, which runs through May 23.
The leader of the exercise, General Hans-Lothar Domröse, said in the statement that "there is no doubt the Alliance is strong and NATO's resolve to assure its members of the ongoing utility of the Washington Treaty remains central to our actions."
The Washington Treaty refers to the alliance's founding North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C. in 1949.
According to information obtained by Spiegel, however, NATO would have a difficult time defending against a potential Russian incursion under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This states that an armed attack against one NATO member is to be considered an attack against them all, and the attacked nation is to receive swift assistance as deemed necessary from the other members. This could include a military response.
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