NATO is worried it couldn’t deal with a Russian attack in the East, as its military power has “withered” since the Cold War. This was reported by Der Spiegel, which claims to have seen a confidential report by the Alliance.
Any NATO military support would be under the direction of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe (SACEUR). The report says “NATO’s capacity to provide rapid logistical support in the region has withered since the Cold War”. Der Spiegel says it even has a copy of the report. The document also says there is “not enough guarantee that the NRF (quick reaction force) would be able to intervene quickly and for a long period of time”.
The report will be discussed by NATO Ministers in the near future. In its Saturday edition, Der Spiegel said the report describes an organisation incapable of countering any Russian attack, essentially because of “a sparse command structure”.
“NATO forces have not been this well prepared and ready for deployment for decades”, says Oana Lungescu, a spokesman for the Alliance. She refused to comment on the Spiegel story specifically.
(Source: Belga)
