UPDATE - NATO: Baltic troops sends signal to aggressors

UPDATWES WITH REMARKS BY STOLTENBERG, MATTIS; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ata Ufuk Seker

BRUSSELS (AA) - The current deployment of NATO troops in the Baltic region is a clear warning to any power considering doing harm, the alliance’s chief said in Brussels on Thursday.

“They are a clear demonstration of NATO’s transatlantic unity and resolve. And they send a clear message to any potential aggressor,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s principal political decision-making body, at defense-minister level, Stoltenberg said NATO deterrent forces have started to arrive in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania as well as Poland.

The newly deployed four multinational battle groups will be fully operational by this June, Stoltenberg said.

But he argued the deployments were not offensive in nature but “defensive and measured”.

The military alliance will not respond in kind to Russia, according to Stoltenberg.

“We will not match Russia soldier for soldier, tank for tank, or plane for plane. Our aim is to prevent conflict, not to provoke it,” he said.

- Additional Black Sea measures

Stoltenberg said the NATO allies discussed their presence in the Black Sea region and agreed on two additional maritime measures as well as a multinational framework brigade in Romania.

He described the new measures as “an increased NATO naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function for our Standing Naval Forces when operating with other Allied forces in the Black Sea region”.

He added “this shows allies stand together, united and strong”.

- Cyber defense

The NATO chief also said the alliance established cyber rapid reaction teams and were helping the allies improve their own cyber defense, some months after the United States proved vulnerable to what U.S. intelligence says was Russian hacking designed to help Donald Trump win the presidential election.

“Cyber defense is another top priority for NATO… Today, we approved an updated cyber defense plan, and a roadmap to implement cyberspace as an operational domain”.

He added that cyber defense was a part of NATO’s response to hybrid capabilities and sharing information.

Stoltenberg also said the North Atlantic Council will discuss a formal request from Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj for NATO’s advice and expertise for Libya’s defense.

- Fight against Daesh

Speaking at a meeting of the Counter-Daesh Coalition, Stoltenberg said: "Training local forces is one of the best weapons we have in the fight against terrorism and building stability."

"The defeat of ISIL [Daesh] is a global, generational challenge that requires a global, generational response," Stoltenberg added.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said defeating Daesh was not "something that will be over quickly" and added that the purpose of the meeting was to accelerate the group’s end.

“We are united in the fight to defeat ISIL and I want to just say I appreciate deeply taking time to come here as we orchestrate international pressure on our terrorist enemy and enhance the current counter-ISIL fight," he added.