Großübungen von Russland und NATO: Wächst damit die Kriegsgefahr?

A German Panzerhaubitze 2000 awaits orders from the fire direction center June 11, 2015 at the Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area in Poland as German and U.S. artillery and mortar units train together during Saber Strike 15, a long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise. This year’s exercise takes place across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and is designed to improve joint operational capability in a range of missions as well as preparing the participating nations and units to support multinational contingency operations. There are more than 6,000 participants from 13 different nations. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Marcus Floyd, 13th Public Affairs Detachment)

Seit Beginn der Ukraine-Krise vor mehr als einem Jahr haben die Großübungen des Militärs in Russland wie auf der NATO-Seite deutlich zugenommen. Wächst ausgerechnet mit diesen Manövern die Gefahr einer militärischen Auseinandersetzung zwischen beiden Seiten, bereiten sich sowohl die NATO als auch Russland konkret auf einen Krieg gegeneinander vor?

Möglicherweise ja, argumentiert das European Leadership Network (ELN), eine europäische Initiative, in dessen Executive Board unter anderem der deutsche Russland-Beauftragte und SPD-Politiker Gernot Erler und der Chef der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz, Wolfgang Ischinger, der frühere Verteidigungsminister Volker Rühe und andere ehemalige europäische Ressortchefs sitzen. Das ELN betrachtete die Übungstätigkeit beider Seiten, die so genannten Snap Drills auf russischer und die Manöverserie Allied Shield auf NATO-Seite:

Both exercises show that each side is training with the other side’s capabilities and most likely war plans in mind. Whilst spokespeople may maintain that these operations are targeted against hypothetical opponents, the nature and scale of them indicate otherwise: Russia is preparing for a conflict with NATO, and NATO is preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia.

We do not suggest that the leadership of either side has made a decision to go to war or that a military conflict between the two is inevitable, but that the changed profile of exercises is a fact and it does play a role in sustaining the current climate of tensions in Europe. These tensions are further aggravated and elevated into a sense of unpredictability when the exercises are not pre-notified or publicly announced beforehand, as is apparently the case with a number of Russian exercises.

(Hervorhebungen im Original)

Mit anderen Worten: Je mehr solcher Übungen es gibt, um so größer ist die Gefahr von Missverständnissen – und die Möglichkeit, dass ein Manöver nicht als Übung, sondern als Angriffsvorbereitung wahrgenommen wird. Dabei, auch das darf nicht vergessen werden, macht die Nicht-Ankündigung der russischen Übungen diese Gefahr noch größer.

Die Analyse der Übungstätigkeit ist für die russischen Snap Drills hier, für Allied Shield hier zu finden.

Die Autoren der Betrachtung liefern auch gleich Empfehlungen mit, wie das gegenseitige Misstrauen und die damit verbundene Gefahr verringert werden könnte:

In our view, the implementation of the following four recommendations could help to defuse or at least minimize the tensions connected with the increased frequency and scale of the military exercises now taking place:

  • It is vitally important to increase NATO – Russia communication with regards to the schedule of exercises;
  • Both sides should utilize OSCE channels as much as possible, along with the existing catalogue of Confidence and Security Building Measures (CSBMs) included i.a. in the Vienna Document  to increase military predictability;
  • The politicians on both sides should examine the benefits and dangers of intensified exercising in the border areas. If Russia or NATO decides at some point that they want to reduce tensions, showing restraint in terms of size or scenarios used in exercises might be a good place to start;
  • Conceptual work on a new treaty introducing reciprocal territorial limitations on deployment of specific categories of weapons, backed by robust inspections, should commence as soon as possible.

Die auffälligste und zugleich vermutlich am schwierigsten umzusetzende Empfehlung: Verzicht oder Verringerung der Übungen in Nähe der Nahtstelle zwischen Russland und NATO.

Nachtrag: Die NATO weist die Schlussfolgerungen zurück:

Today’s report by the European Leadership Network misleadingly puts NATO and Russian exercises on par. In fact, the Russian Ministry of Defence has announced over 4000 exercises for this year, which is over 10 times more than what NATO and Allies have planned in the same timeframe.
Moreover, Russia has incorporated nuclear and nuclear capable forces in its recent exercises.
NATO has made repeatedly clear that we not seek confrontation with Russia. For over two decades, we have tried to build a cooperative relationship with Russia. But Russia has changed borders by force, continues to support separatists in Ukraine and threatens to base nuclear missiles close to Alliance borders.
The scale and scope of Russia’s exercises are increasing tensions, rather than helping to de-escalate them. Russia is deliberately avoiding military transparency and predictability.

Das ganze Statement hier.

(Foto: A German Panzerhaubitze 2000 awaits orders from the fire direction center June 11, 2015 at the Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area in Poland as German and U.S. artillery and mortar units train together during Saber Strike 15, a long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise – U.S. Army photo by Spc. Marcus Floyd, 13th Public Affairs Detachment)