TRT World - World in Focus: Russia vs. NATO: Military Showdown, 2015, May 27

TUG-OF-WAR Russia and NATO faced off in a military show of strength as an Arctic training exercise kicked off on May 25th. One hundred and fifteen fighter aircraft and 3 thousand 600 soldiers from nine Nordic nations and NATO member states took part in the war games in the Arctic region near Russia. The participating NATO countries included United States, Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, as well as Sweden, Norway and Finland. The military exercise escalated to a show of strength after Russia launched a massive four-day surprise drill in response. The Russian manoeuvre - which started in the Ural mountains and in western Siberia - features 250 aircraft and 12,000 military personnel thus outnumbering the joint NATO exercise. NEW RELATIONS DEVELOPING Russia who was once moving closer to NATO and many other western nations is now being accused of hostility to European countries after it annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in March 2014 in a move which left the western world alarmed. The West frequently accuses Russia of taking a threatening military posture in the Baltic and Nordic regions. Sweden and Finland have complained of Russian violations such as moving submarines within their territorial waters. Despite Russia being accused of bullying smaller countries by the west, the Kremlin claims that it is not the only state in the region causing trouble. Russia is angry that NATO is establishing stronger ties with Eastern European countries and accuses it of provoking confrontation over the Baltic Sea by deploying spy planes around the Russian border. Although Russia is at loggerheads with the West it has been moving closer to China and Iraq. On May 17, Russia and China launched a joint military “Sea Cooperation” exercise with nine warships which passed through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean. Deputy commander of the Russian Navy Vice-Admiral Aleksandr Fedotenkov said the goal of Russia-China joint drills was to boost stability and counter new challenges and threats at sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been keen to show the West he has support from old friends and has called Iraq Russia’s reliable partner in the middle east. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia is ready to supply weapons to Iraq to fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. RUSSIA’S SECRET WEAPON As the West frequently accuses Russia of militarising and preparing for war, footage caught on camera has raised the question of new Russian military developments. An unexpected night-time explosion near Russia’s strategic rocket forces headquarters has led some to suggest that Russia is developing secret warplanes. It is unclear if such allegations are true, however Russia has made it clear that its frequent military drills are its way of checking its surprise combat readiness. Subscribe:    / @trtworld   Livestream:    • TRT World Livestream   Facebook:   / trtworld   Twitter:   / trtworld   Visit our website: http://www.trtworld.com/