Stoltenberg: NATO is once again dealing with 'more self-confident' Russia
In an interview with the Deutsche publication Wirtschafts Nachrichten, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO is once again dealing with a "more self-confident" Russia.
He added that NATO does not want a "new cold war…[or] a new arms race". "We want a political dialogue with Russia, even though it won’t be easy," Stoltenberg said. According to the Secretary General, NATO representatives will meet more frequently with Russian military forces this year, and military communication channels will also be used more actively. "There is progress in both areas, and the whole alliance is behind it," the secretary general said.
As an example, he cited recent talks between the Chairman of the military committee and the Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces with the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, General Valery Gerasimov. Stoltenberg noted that before that, the two sides had no contact for a long time. The conversation took place in March 2017 on the initiative of NATO. The Ministry of Defense of Russia then noted that this was the first high-level military contact since the decision by Russia and the NATO Council to freeze relations.
At the same time, Stoltenberg expressed concern about the Alliance at the end of December due to the increased activity of Russian submarines in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. "Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has reduced its capabilities at sea, particularly the ability to counter submarines. We are less trained and have lost our skills," the Secretary General said.