EU: Defence Force: Inside Nato, an EU army of the willing is forming - by Ingeborg Eliassen

A thundering roar splits the air above the snowy plain. For a few seconds, the profile of an F35 fighter jet is visible under the thick clouds. Then it is gone. In this Nato exercise in eastern Norway, the US-made combat aircraft is the only visible American element. The soldiers on the armoured vehicles of a fictitious attacker, and the fighters that lie in sniper positions in the bushes to stop them come from France, Poland and Spain. Are they the beginning of an EU army?

Norway is the neighbour that Russia has never occupied or been at war with. Hoping to keep it that way, every other year, the Norwegian Armed Forces invite its Nato allies to come and test their ability to help defend the country against unnamed external enemies in biting winds, freezing temperatures and snow. This year, over 30,000 troops from 27 countries are participating in the exercise, named ‘Cold Response’, bringing with them battle tanks, helicopters, attack airplanes and warships.

This exercise has happened many times before. But this year is different. Not least for the Polish contingent. The artificial theatre of war in Norway mirrors a deadly real ‘theatre of war’, as military people call it, in their neighbouring country, Ukraine.

This also explains why this year’s exercise needed two buses to transport all the visiting journalists and their cameras to the display of Nato force at Rena, a remote valley in the eastern Norwegian pine forests.

Both the Norwegian government and the Nato top brass could not seem to reiterate it enough: this exercise is not a threat to anybody. As Dutch admiral Rob Bauer said when he greeted the reporters who had come to watch the war games of French, Spanish, Polish and Norwegian troops, “this exercise is not directed against any specific country or region.” In fact, it has been planned for two years, and “all OSCE members were invited to send observers”, Bauer said.

Read more at: Inside Nato, an EU army of the willing is forming

USA: Trump sends sharply worded letter to NATO leaders to pay more or else

Note EU-Digest: Trump says he is losing his patience with NATO allies, whom he finds should be paying more for the upkeep of NATO. 

Why don't his NATO Allies finally get the guts to tell this narcissist to go to hell, and have him pay for his own disastrous military adventures around the world.  Fortunately there has been a good counter-move by Europe, which is presently setting up their own united military defense force, combining all the EU Nations military forces into one.

For the complete report click on link below

http://www.newsweek.com/trump-sends-sharply-worded-letters-nato-leaders-says-he-losing-patience-1005779?spMailingID=3670208&spUserID=MTI0NzM2NDgxNDcS1&spJobID=1070120163&spReportId=MTA3MDEyMDE2MwS2

European Commission: A European Border and Coast Guard to protect Europe's External Borders

EU Defense Force

The European Commission is today adopting an important set of measures to manage the EU's external borders and protect our Schengen area without internal borders. Today's proposals will help to manage migration more effectively, improve the internal security of the European Union, and safeguard the principle of free movement of persons. The Commission is proposing to establish a European Border and Coast Guard to ensure a strong and shared management of the external borders.

To further increase security for Europe's citizens, the Commission is also proposing to introduce systematic checks against relevant databases for all people entering or exiting the Schengen area.
 
European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: "In an area of free movement without internal borders, managing Europe’s external borders must be a shared responsibility. The crisis has exposed clear weaknesses and gaps in existing mechanisms aimed at making sure that EU standards are upheld. Therefore, it is now time to move to a truly integrated system of border management. 

The European Border and Coast Guard will bring together a reinforced Agency, with the ability to draw on a reserve pool of people and equipment, and the Member States’ authorities, who will continue to exercise day-to-day border management. 

The system we propose will allow for an identification of any weaknesses in real time so that they can be remedied quickly, also improving our collective ability to deal effectively with crisis situations where a section of the external border is placed under strong pressure."

European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos added: "The current migration and security challenges know no borders, and require a truly European approach. 

Where Frontex used to be limited to supporting Member States in managing their external borders, the new Border Agency will go beyond this. What we are creating today is more Europe: to manage our external borders, to step up returns of irregular migrants, to allow our asylum system to function properly for those in need and to strengthen checks at the external borders of the European Union. 

The Border Package we are presenting today will increase security for our citizens and ensure high standards of border management."

 Read more: European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - A European Border and Coast Guard to protect Europe's External Borders