Since the US claims that security guarantees for Eastern Europe is sacred, has passed three years. Barack Obama is no longer President, and his successor, Donald trump tries to make these assurances from the object of religious veneration in the business contract: you pay money, we provide the security. However, US tanks in Latvia today brought, despite the fact that the pledge for defense 2% of GDP is not performed.
At the end of last week, arrived in Latvia 225 U.S. troops, but today and tomorrow on the ground in Adazi will be delivered to their armored vehicles to 15 M1 Abrams tanks, six military vehicles Brandley, a number of engineer units to destroy minefields, and various machine software used in order to bring something and take. How long this economy will remain in Latvia, the Ministry of defence is unknown. It depends on further decisions of the United States. In turn, the U.S. Embassy does not mention time. Press attaché Matthew Thompson said: “This operation is not tied to the NATO decision to strengthen the presence in which this summer will arrive in Latvia for a multinational battalion, led by Canada”.
However, there is no doubt that these tanks and their crews are ever to be taken away, and instead might deliver others. In rotation in Eastern Europe working Americans (as part of operation Atlantic Resolve) and the rest of the allies. Multinational battalions of NATO, which this year are located in the Baltic States and Poland, will also act in rotation.
Neatkarīgā already wrote that so expensive logistics — transportation tanks and soldiers practiced for the prisoner in the 1997 agreement with Russia. This Founding act on relations, cooperation and security between NATO and the Russian Federation. In the document, NATO pledged in the current and projected future environment in the field of security is additionally not to deploy significant combat forces on a permanent basis. Now the military policy of NATO and Russia are juggling: the same situation in the security sector or not, what forces are important and what the deadline is constant. She and the other party are building up their forces, but the principle of rotation is retained.
Change anything the business relation of Donald trump to the defense functions of the United States? In all likelihood, Yes. Even before the election, trump said that the States members of NATO should pay for the security of the agreed 2% of GDP, namely, such shall be expenses of each member of the Alliance on defense. If this is done, America will take part in the decision befell a particular state of military trouble. If it is not running — of course not. Many local politicians and political analysts have written off such talk at election time. Now elections are behind us, and trump says the same thing, and can only say: rightly, because a majority of NATO members referred to the obligation not to execute.
The head of the Commission of the Saeima defence, internal Affairs and corruption prevention Ainars Latkovskis point of view trump does not criticize, but rather praise: “while for many years the issues of defense, I saw that the countries of the European Union to reduce the number of soldiers, units, number bases and to present it as a huge achievement.” Trump the requirement about increase of expenses of the members of the unit on the defense will only strengthen European security. Of course, financially it will be hard for each state. In absolute numbers 1.5% of GDP of Latvia (as last year) is incomparably smaller amount than 1.2% of the GDP of the Netherlands or Germany. But the overall proportion in the state budget are equally burdensome for both poor and rich countries. Latvia promise to send to the defense of 2% of GDP was postponed until 2018, but for the whole NATO this goal it is planned to carry out starting in 2024. Assessment Latkovskis, work in progress.
