Russia-Ukraine crisis: NATO to begin training of troops in Norway

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops and its partners will on Monday begin a training exercise in Norway. Aimed at coming to the rescue of one of its own, the NATO exercise will be held a few hundred kilometres away from the borders of Russia that has expanded its offensive in Ukraine and is currently closing in on its capital Kyiv.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden said he would defend NATO to the point of World War III, but he would not risk touching off a wider conflict by fighting Russia in Ukraine and ruled out establishing a no-fly zone.

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The NATO’s training programme was planned long before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine that is now its third week leading to massive bloodshed and destruction.

Speaking to news agency AFP, Norwegian Defence Minister Odd Roger Enoksen said, “This exercise is extremely important for the security of Norway and its allies. We will practise an allied reinforcement of Norway”.

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Some 30,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 nations will take part in the Cold Response 2022 exercise, the largest exercise involving NATO troops this year.

The guardian of NATO’s northern border in Europe, Norway is keen to test how it would manage Allied reinforcements on its soil, in line with Article 5 of NATO’s charter, which requires member states to come to the aid of another member state under attack.

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Neighbouring Sweden and Finland, which are officially military non-aligned but increasingly close partners of NATO, will also participate in the Cold Response, which will conclude on April 1.

Meanwhile, Russia has declined an invitation to send observers to the exercise. “Any build-up of NATO military capabilities near Russia’s borders does not help to strengthen security in the region,” said the Russian embassy in Norway.