BRUSSELS: NATO announced the initiation of its largest military exercise since the Cold War, involving around 90,000 troops.
Named Steadfast Defender 2024, the drills focus on simulating scenarios where US forces reinforce European allies along Russia’s border and eastern flank in the event of a conflict with a “near-peer” adversary.
The exercise, not explicitly mentioning Russia, marks a strategic move according to NATO’s top documents, identifying Russia as the most significant and direct threat to member states’ security.
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Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Grushko, criticized the scale of the exercises, claiming it symbolizes NATO’s return to Cold War-era confrontation planning against Russia.
Grushko characterized the drills as part of a “hybrid war” unleashed by the West against Russia.
While NATO emphasizes the defensive nature of the exercises, tensions between the alliance and Russia have heightened in recent years, notably following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The conflict led to accusations from Moscow, asserting that the “collective West” is engaging in a “hybrid war” by supporting Ukraine financially and militarily. As Steadfast Defender 2024 unfolds, the geopolitical implications and reactions from both sides continue to shape the narrative, reflecting the complex dynamics in the European security landscape.
