NATO's Trident Juncture 2018 naval exercise off the coast of Norway slated to begin later this month, seeks to deter and defend from a potential Russian aggression, but the alliance also wants dialogue with Moscow, the commander of US naval forces in Europe Adm. James Foggo said on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2018) NATO's Trident Juncture 2018 naval exercise off the coast of Norway slated to begin later this month, seeks to deter and defend from a potential Russian aggression, but the alliance also wants dialogue with Moscow, the commander of US naval forces in Europe Adm. James Foggo said on Friday.
"We deter and we defend, at the same time we dialogue with the Russians," Foggo told guests at the Atlantic Council.
The admiral noted that Russian observers have been invited to monitor the naval exercise "openly and freely."
On September 21, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has invited all member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including Russia, to monitor the Trident Juncture 2018 exercise.
Foggo explained that all 29 members of NATO, plus Finland and Norway, will participate in Trident Juncture 2018 from October 24 to November 7,
The drill will involve 45,000 personnel, 70 ships and 120 aircraft, making it the largest NATO exercise since 2002, according to the alliance.
Foggo emphasized the transparency of the upcoming exercise, which he described as practice for an "Article 5 defense of a great NATO ally, Norway."
Article 5 of the NATO Charter enshrines the principle of collective defense by designating an attack on an individual member of the alliance as an attack on all members.
