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JERUSALEM, Israel President Bidens appearance at the NATO summit in Madrid on Tuesday presents the most serious test for his administrations effort to repair a fractured military alliance and roll back Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The United States government is widely viewed as the lead partner of the worlds most powerful military body the 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Marshall Billingslea, a former NATO Assistant Secretary General, told Fox News Digital,"This NATO Summit is a crucial test for Bidens leadership. First, and most importantly, he must clear the way for Finnish and Swedish membership by brokering a deal with Turkey. Second, he has to get countries to deliver significant additional heavy weapons to Ukraine, particularly Germany, who has largely paid only lip-service to military aid."

BIDEN ATTENDING G7, NATO SUMMITS AMID THE MOST SERIOUS SECURITY SITUATION IN DECADES

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference prior to a NATO summit in Brussels, Monday, June 27, 2022. NATO heads of state will meet for a NATO summit in Madrid beginning on Tuesday, June 28. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

Billingslea,a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute,continued:"Third, he needs to move the alliance from its reactive posture into one which will have forces permanently based in the Baltics. Whether he can deliver on any of these is an open question. A final one he needs to help answer with his NATO counterparts is how tough the new Strategic Concept will be with respect to Communist China?"

The major powers in continental Europe Germany and France have faced withering criticism for their sluggish response to the Russian invasion and their failure to rapidly send large shipments of heavy weapons to aid Ukrainian forces. Making matters more complicated, Turkey, a NATO member, is refusing to sanction Russia and blocking Finland and Sweden from securing membership in the Western alliance.

"Many different actors are watching Bidens foreign policy agenda for signs of weakness," Theodore Karasik, a fellow forRussian and Middle Eastern affairsat the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, told Fox News Digital.

TURKEY'S ISLAMIST LEADER USING NATO TO GET FREE HAND AND PUNISH US ALLIES

"Russia is still uncoiling in Ukraine and on other continents. The test is now about NATOs security architecture for the next 20 years. The pace and scope of NATOs armament growth as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine are going to be key for what happens next in Eurasia," Karasik said.

President Biden goes to the NATO summit in Madrid faced with several pressing issues, first and foremost being Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)

The stakes are enormously high for Biden because Finland and Sweden are vulnerable to Russian invasion and Moscow is gaining steam in its efforts to conquer more Ukrainian territory.

Karasik added: "President Biden needs to secure Turkeys active participation in NATO and to stop the country from acting as an adjunct to the security organization. A face-to-face meeting between the two leaders [Biden and PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan] is necessary. While understanding Turkeys complaints from Ankaras point of view, Moscows actions concerning the Donbas and the impact on global food and grain supplies warrant greater public unity about what exactly Ankara is seeking in this breadbasket. Russia will keep grinding along if they see these differences of opinion continue especially after the NATO summit."

UKRAINE MILITARY SUPPORT INCOMING WITH NATO BOOSTING RAPID REACTION FORCE

Ahead of the June 28-30 Madrid summit, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects alliance membersto make clear they consider Russia "the most significant and direct threat to our security.Heannounced that NATO will increase the strength of its rapid reaction force nearly eightfold to 300,000 troops as part of its response to an "era of strategic competition."

The NATO rapid reaction force currently numbers around 40,000 soldiers who can deploy quickly when needed.

The expansion is part of the "biggest overhaul of collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War," Stoltenberg said.

"These troops will exercise together with home defense forces," he said. "And they will become familiar with local terrain, facilities, and our new prepositioned stocks, so that they can respond smoothly and swiftly to any emergency."

Stoltenberg said the allies will agree to deliver further military support to Ukraine, with NATO members set to adopt a "strengthened comprehensive assistance package" including deliveries of secure communication and anti-drone systems.

NATO LOOKS TO GERMANY FOR PLAN TO BEEF UP DEFENSES IN EUROPES EASTERN FLANK

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Vladimir Astapkovich, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking on Monday'sFox & Friends said there is a need to "end the war in Ukraine."

Russian President Vladimir Putin"sent a very clear message about his respect for Biden and our team by launching missiles into western Ukraine, intoKyivyesterday," Pompeo said.

The U.S. should provide "targeting capabilities, intelligence and unmanned aerial systems" to Ukraine, the former top diplomat for the Trump administration said.

"The longer we hold back, the longer thisgoes on, the more Ukrainianlives that are lost, the worse it will be here for us here at home in America. We can see the impact of this war in Europe and the instability there,"Pompeo said.

The dangers posed by theChinese Communist Partywill also be a topic at the NATO summit.

John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Councils coordinator for strategic communications, recently said, "I think its a reflection of our allies equal concerns over the effect of Chinese economic practices, use of forced labor, intellectual theft, and coercive aggressive behavior not just in the region but elsewhere around the world. That they believe its important to factor China into the new strategic concept."

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Amanda Rothschild, a senior policy director for theVandenberg Coalition and former Senior National Security Speechwriter for President Trump, told Fox News Digital,"Advocating for improved NATO defensive capabilities and burden sharing does not undermine the NATO alliance. It strengthens it. The Trump administration encouraged NATO allies to urgently improve military capabilities and readiness to address a range of current national security threats, including those from Russia. "

She added: "As a result, the number of NATO members meeting their obligation to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense more than doubled, and NATO allies committed to a $400 billion increase in defense spending by 2024. These commitments are a necessary but not sufficient step. Allies must continue to invest in their defensive capabilities, consistent with Article 3 of the NATO treaty."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Benjamin Weinthalreports on Middle East affairs. You can follow Benjamin Weinthal on Twitter @BenWeinthal.

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NATO summit will test Biden's resolve to defeat Putin and pressure Erdogan - Fox News

S Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, still hoping for diplomacy, wont go on the offensive against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO meeting in Madrid unless pushed too far and has Greeces military on alert just in case.

Erdogan isnt talking to Mitsotakis, upset that the Greek leader urged the US Congress, in an address there, to reject President Joe Bidens plan to sell Turkey more F-16s that could be used against Greece in a conflict.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been tilting in Turkeys favor in the tension between the countries and refused to intervene over Turkish fighter jets violating Greek airspace, leaving Mitsotakis on his own.

Mitsotakis will take to the Madred meeting June 29-30 the backing on paper of the European Council which urged Turkey to stop making threats against Greece, the kind of language and approach Erdogan has just ignored.

But if Erdogan goes too far at the meeting and demands again that Greece take troops off islands near Turkeys coast, citing the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne which Turkey doesnt recognize, the Greek leader is ready to come out swinging, said Kathimerini, saying that he will only respond if provoked.

Turkey has been provoking for months but Mitsotakis said that was Erdogan trying to get him to take the bait and bite back, which could escalate tensions to near-conflict level, which Greece is trying to avoid.

Mitsotakis told close associates he does not intend to turn the meeting into a forum for confrontation with Erdogan but after saying he would defend Greeces sovereignty said that, nothing is going to remain unanswered.

READY, STEADY, FIRE

He added, however, that responses would be proportionate and that Greece will rely on the international rule of law, which Turkey doesnt recognize unless invoking to its advantage.

Greece is readying, the paper said, for two likely scenarios, one in which Erdogan will veto hopes of Finland and Sweden to join NATO unless Greece demilitarizes islands, which would leave them open to being seized by Turkey in a conflict.

Mitsotakis would, the report said, reject that out of hand and leave the meeting in a gridlock, and Greece also believing Erdogan would use the same premise to push Turkish energy exploration off Greek islands and claim Greece supports terrorist organizations the reason the Turkish leader said hell block Finland and Sweden.

Turkeys Foreign Ministry said that its completely shameful that the EU remains silent on illegal actions of Greece that violate international law, without mentioning Turkey doesnt accept the law.

After EU leaders supported Greece, the Turkish ministry said that the blocs leaders were demonstrating a biased, visionless and distanced attitude towards Turkey, which it said was proof that the EU once again has failed to escape the vicious circle regarding the country.

The statement said the EU was remaining silent on what it described as Greeces illegal actions in violation of international law, including its claim for 10 nautical miles of airspace, the militarization of the islands and pushback practices, demanding the EU stop supporting Greece, an EU member.

See the original post:
Mitsotakis Won't Confront Erdogan at NATO Meeting But Ready - The National Herald

Since the 1923 founding of modern Turkey on the ruins of the Ottoman empire, the country has played host to all sorts of political parties centre-right, left, communist, socialist, social democratic, Islamist, far-right and extreme left. But never one that was blatantly populist, anti-establishment and anti-immigration. Until now.

When it was formed in August last year, analysts gave Umit Ozdags Victory Party, VP, little chance on the national political stage. But some are now having second thoughts, as the political sciences professor builds support by playing to unease felt by some Turks over the influx of millions of refugees in recent years.

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Turkey's First Anti-Immigration Party May Aid Erdogan in Elections - Balkan Insight

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will start pumping ten million cubic metres of natural gas per day from the Sakarya Gas Field in the Black Sea in the first quarter of 2023,Anadolunews agency reported.

Speaking at a public event marking the laying of the first offshore pipeline to carry Black Sea natural gas in the state of Zonguldak, northern Turkiye, Erdogan said the Sakarya Gas Field will reach its peak production in 2026, stressing that Turkiye sees energy as a key to regional cooperation and not an area of tension and conflict.

"It is also important that we make such a historical discovery with completely domestic resources," he added.

Turkey currently has three drillships, Fatih, Kanuni and Yavuz, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

According to the Turkish president, work will begin on a 211-kilometre pipeline in the sea to transport gas, in parallel with laying sea pipelines to extract 40 million cubic metres of natural gas per day through 40 wells that will be drilled in the discovered field in the Black Sea.

The Turkish president had previouslyannouncedthe discovery of the largest gas field in the country's history in the Black Sea, with a reserve of 540 billion cubic metres.

READ: Turkiye is getting caught between NATO and Russia

Excerpt from:
Erdogan: Turkiye will pump 10m cubic metres of gas a day from Black Sea - Middle East Monitor

In difficult times, we refer to the advice of those who lived and handled difficult situations with Turkey. Because, as the late Greek diplomat and writer Vyron Theodoropoulos often said, history should not teach you what to do but what not to do. We are on the verge of some kind of incident, without anyone being able to predict what and when it will happen. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has too much invested to back down without losing face.

So previous experience has taught us what to do:

We should not be dragged into an escalation that is not planned and a foregone conclusion. Avoiding escalation is a great art. One wrong move, statement or decision can push into a spiral of endless actions and counteractions. We are supposed to have learned our lesson after the 1996 Imia crisis. Nothing can simply be left to chance.

We should know exactly what our key partners and allies are thinking and planning to do in the event of an incident. This is not easy either. But since we have paid dearly many times for this lack of knowledge in the past, it is absolutely crucial. We need straight talk, even if it displeases us. It is better to know the truth and the limits of each allys reaction than to be unpleasantly surprised.

All main players must speak the same language, be able to communicate without quarreling or personal agendas which is something we paid dearly for in Imia. And of course we must put aside partisan and personal issues for a while, because without a solid domestic political front one cannot go very far.

We must keep some elementary channels of communication open with the other side. Erdogan is burning bridges and making it difficult. It requires perseverance because without such channels it will be very difficult to ease tensions.

All of the above may be unnecessary remarks and it may turn out that we are going through another rhetorical and psychosomatic outburst of a very cornered and arrogant leader. But Erdogan may face the consequences of historic hubris, which could happen through his relationship with Greece.

So lets be prepared, just in case. And lets not underestimate the accident that can blow everything up. It happens in the most organized countries when everything is blurred by the fog of an escalating crisis. As former foreign minister Petros Molyviatis often points out to us with his great wisdom, do not always seek to find something deep or complicated behind a mistake. It may just be a mistake. Eyes open, then.

Visit link:
Erdogans hubris and accidents - Kathimerini English Edition