‘The implementation of NATO’s readiness action plan to ‘overt’ Russian threat, which will be presented at the alliance’s summit in Wales on September 4, will involve “several hundred million euros” a year, says the bloc’s commander.
NATO chief eyes more bases in E. Europe to confront Russia
“Keeping people on alert carries a certain cost,” General Jean-Paul Palomeros, the head of the Allied Command Transformation, which leads military transformation of bloc’s forces and its capabilities, told AFP.
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According to Palomeros, the plan which was adopted to counter Russia’s involvement in Ukraine’s crisis could be implemented “by the end of the year.”
“It has to be supported financially, but also over time because it is not enough to be reactive for a month, or two, or six,” he said, “Once NATO decides it wants these capabilities, it has to have them for the very long term.”
Palomeros added that as there are “multifaceted threats” in the world, it is important to have “credible, well trained, well equipped, modern forces.”
“The world is moving very quickly. We saw that with the Ukraine crisis and we see it in the south, particularly in Iraq,” he said.
However, French general said that the price of the NATO’s readiness action plan was an “investment” worth paying for “a credible defense.”
“We will become more efficient,” said Palomeros. “These are not colossal figures compared to total budgets in alliance members.”
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According to NATO’s official website, its military budget for 2014 is 1.4 billion euro……..
Readiness Action Plan responds to ‘Russia’s aggressive behavior’ – Rasmussen
The Readiness Action Plan was outlined by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen back in May, when he said that the 28-member bloc will continue to stand up “for freedom and security in light of the Ukraine crisis.”
“We already have more planes in the air, more ships at sea and more exercises on the ground … We are also considering the longer-term implications of Russia’s actions for what we do in NATO,” he said.’
