Center for Geostrategic Studies founder Dragana Trifkovic presents an analysis of the ongoing NATO military exercises

    BELGRADE, SERBIA, October 24, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On October 17, 2022, NATO started a massive military exercise involving 14 countries. The exercise, called Steadfast Noon, involves American nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and fighter jets, which will not carry live munitions, as reported by White House National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby.

Despite the fact, that the drill has been long planned, and, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg "delaying or canceling the exercise would send the wrong message about NATO's resolve in the face of Russian aggression," it does take the escalation between Russia and NATO to a new, potentially nuclear level.

"The NATO exercise carried out in the vicinity of Russian borders during a series of escalations of the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, which is basically, a conflict in which NATO is an active party providing weapons, training and military specialists, and moreover, coordinating operations of the UAF, is sending a clear signal to Russia on raising the stakes in this confrontation. Russia responds with a variety of means, making it clear that after four new regions have been joined to the country as a result of referenda, more radical responses to security threats would be considered," Dragana Trifkovic says.

"NATO forces held Polaris-2021 exercise in November last year, where according to the legend of the maneuvers, in response to the alleged Russian intervention, the forces of the NATO coalition would form and send an aircraft carrier strike group led by the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the combat area in order to "stop the invasion and preserve the sovereignty of Ukraine". The context and scenario of the exercise were taken by the Russian Federation as a signal of NATO preparation for actions against Russia, resembling the operation of the United Defender alliance grouping of forces before the intervention in Libya (exercises Baltops-2010 and Frisian Flag-2010), when after maneuvers at the sea ranges, a full-scale operation followed to overthrow of the government of Muammar Gaddafi," adds Trifkovic.

While NATO is calling such exercises "preemptive in order to respond to the Russian aggression", the Russians are seeing those as a direct threat, stimulating additional measures to be taken in order to protect their own security interests, and resulting in, for instance, the launch of the "special military operation in order to prevent a full-scale Third World War between Russia and NATO" in which Russia could have been taken by surprise. The current drills carried out by NATO and the planned Russian nuclear drill are clearly indicating another level of the confrontation, where a little spark might be enough to launch an unprecedented, nuclear kind of escalation.

Additional information can be found at https://geostrategy.rs/en/geopolitics/1138-dragana-trifkovic-the-possibility-of-a-nuclear-war-is-increasing

Center for Geostrategic Studies is a nongovernmental organization founded in 2014 to conduct independent geopolitical and geostrategic analyses by an international team of researchers. The Center experts have been closely following the events in the international arena prevenient to Russia's intervention in Ukraine as well as NATO activities.

Director General: Dragana Trifković
Anastasa Jovanovica 3. Belgrade, Serbia, 11000

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