NATO-Verteidigungsminister beschließen größere Eingreiftruppe, schnelle Verfügbarkeit

Left to right:  Jean-Yves Le Drian (Minister of Defence, Minister) with Ursula von der Leyen (Minister of Defence, Germany) and Panos Kammenos (Minister of Defence, Greece)

Während in Brüssel die Regierungschefs und die Finanzminister der EU um Griechenland und den Euro ringen, haben ein paar Kilometer weiter die Verteidigungsminister der NATO (einschließlich der Griechenlands, Foto oben rechts) Entscheidungen getroffen, die die Schlagkraft des Verteidigungsbündnisses erhöhen sollen. Aus dem Statement von NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg:

We have agreed to take further steps forward in adapting NATO to our changed and more challenging security environment.
And I will outline and highlight four of the decisions we have made at our meeting.
First, we decided to increase further the strength and capability of the NATO Response Force, including its air, maritime and special operations components.
All together, the enhanced NATO Response Force will consist of up to 40,000 personnel.
This represents a substantial increase from the previous level of 13,000.
Second, we took measures to speed up our political and military decision-making, while maintaining political control.

These include the authority for our Supreme Commander SACEUR to alert, stage and prepare our troops to be ready to go once the political decision is made. We also approved a new concept of advance planning.
Detailed advance planning and rapid decision-making are two sides of the same coin. They mean we are able to respond more rapidly and more effectively to threats – wherever they might come from.
Third, we finalized the design and composition of the six small headquarters we are setting up – in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
They will each consist of around 40 people, and will play a key role in planning, exercises, and assisting potential reinforcement.
We will also consider setting up more such headquarters in other NATO countries. And several Allies have offered during the meeting to host such small headquarters.
Finally, we have decided to set up a new standing Joint Logistics Headquarters.
This will enable us to move forces faster across the territory of our Alliance with the necessary supplies, equipment and transportation.

Insgesamt komt das nicht überraschend, auch die Vergrößerung der NATO Response Force (NRF) nicht: Das hatte Stoltenberg bereits beim Ministertreffen im Februar angestrebt. Die NRF war ja im vergangenen Jahrzehnt deutlich verkleinert worden, weil die Einschätzung vorherrschte, dass sie nicht wirklich gebraucht würde – das hat sich offensichtlich geändert.

Interessant ist die zweite Entscheidung: These include the authority for our Supreme Commander SACEUR to alert, stage and prepare our troops to be ready to go once the political decision is made. Da wird man auf die Details schauen müssen; ich verstehe das so, dass der NATO-Oberbefehlshaber deutlich mehr Möglichkeiten hat, vor allem die Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, die Speerspitze, als Symbol für den Abschreckungswillen der Allianz innerhalb des Bündnisgebietes zu verlegen. Weit unterhalb eines formalen Einsatzes, als Übung mit deutlichem Vorzeigecharakter. Das ist gerade in Deutschland nicht unumstritten, zumal für eine solche Verlegung im NATO-Territorium natürlich keine Mitsprache oder gar Entscheidung des Bundestages nötig ist.

Nachtrag: Ein Punkt, der in den offiziellen Statements (bisher) nicht zur Sprache kam, aber ungleich besorgniserregender ist, hier in einem Bericht vom Guardian:

Nato to review nuclear weapon policy as attitude to Russia hardens
Nato, in an echo of the cold war, is preparing to re-evaluate its nuclear weapons strategy in response to growing tension with Russia over Ukraine, sources at the organisation have said. (…)
A Nato diplomat said: “There is very real concern about the way in which Russia publicly bandies around nuclear stuff. So there are quite a lot of deliberations in the alliance about nuclear [weapons], but it is being done very slowly and deliberately. We need to do due diligence on where we are.”
The issue is being discussed on the margins of a two-day Nato ministerial meeting that began in Brussels on Wednesday. But the US is keen to get the issue on the table and a meeting of Nato’s ministerial nuclear planning group is likely to be held later this year – earlier than planned – to discuss refreshing the nuclear doctrine.

(Foto v. links: Jean-Yves Le Drian, Verteidigungsminister Frankreich, Ursula von der Leyen und der griechische Verteidigungsminister Panos Kammenos – NATO Photo)