Norway hosts starting on Thursday the largest of the Member States of military exercises in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "NATO" since the end of the Cold War, to remind Russia that the alliance remains united despite the seeds of doubt planted by US President Donald Trump around him.
And participate in the exercises that bears the name "Trident 18" (Trident Jancchir 18) about 50 thousand soldiers and 10 thousand vehicles and 65 barge and 250 aircraft from 31 countries, aims to train NATO forces to defend a member state under attack.
"In recent years, the security environment in Europe has declined significantly," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
"The maneuvers send a clear message to our countries and to any potential enemy, NATO is not seeking any confrontation but we are ready to defend all our allies against any threat," he said.
While the "potential enemy" has not been officially identified, Russia has come to mind.
Russia, which shares Norway with a length of 198 kilometers in the far north, has boasted of its strength repeatedly in recent years.
The Russian army annexed the Crimea, helped destabilize Ukraine, strengthened its military capabilities in the Arctic and held its largest military exercise in the Far East last September.
The Russian embassy in Oslo said it considered the exercises "against Russia."
"Such activity ... remains provocative even if it is justified as purely defensive in nature," she said.
In addition to the 29 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Sweden and Finland will join Norway's neighbors in the exercises that will last until 7 November.
Two Russian military observers and two Belarusians were invited to watch the exercises.
