NATO military exercise kicks off in Norway with an army of 30,000-Norway News-Latest News, Latest News, Comments-Norway News

Cold Response 2022, planned long before Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is in line with Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which requires member states to receive the support of other member states. The purpose is to test how to manage Allied reinforcements in. The attack, Al Jazeera reported.

“This is a defensive exercise,” said General Yngve Odlo, who is in charge of Cold Response, on Monday.

“It’s not a military operation with an offensive purpose,” he told TV channel TV2.

Navy, aerial, and ground training, held every two years, takes place in the vast regions of Norway, including above the Arctic Circle.

However, they remain hundreds of kilometers away from the Norwegian-Russian border. Russia has rejected Norway’s invitation to send observers.

“The increase in NATO’s military power near the Russian border does not help strengthen the security of the region,” the Russian embassy in Norway told AFP news agency last week.

Mr Odro said Russia “has the ability to follow (exercises) in a completely legal way.”

“I really want them to respect the existing agreement,” he added.

As with previous editions of the exercise, neighboring Sweden and Finland, which are military non-aligned but NATO’s increasingly close partners, will also participate in Cold Response.

Russia’s aggression has renewed discussions in the two Scandinavian countries on the possibility of joining NATO.

Approximately 200 aircraft and 50 vessels, which will continue until April 1, are also participating in this operation.

The exercise began on Monday with Navy operations and NATO’s rapid reaction to deploying some lands.