North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that relations between the West and Russia have deteriorated so badly that a new Cold War has been launched in 2016. “On an almost daily basis, we are being described the worst threat – be it to Nato as a whole, or to Europe, America or other countries,” Medvedev said. “Sometimes I wonder if this is 2016 or 1962,” he went on. BBC News reports: The Cold War was a period of ideological confrontation between the former Soviet Union and Western countries.

A group of scholars with the Zurich-based Center for Security Studies produced a chilling map showing military exercises held by both Russia and NATO in 2014 and 2015. The map reveals some interesting facts as to what both sides could be planning for World War 3. Each circle seen in the map [below] represents an exercise. The larger circles mean more troops, and smaller circles means less troops. Vox.com reports: Russia’s aggression in Europe — its invasion of Ukraine, its military flights up the noses of NATO states, its nuclear saber rattling — has faded from the news.

As NATO leaders prepare to deploy thousands of troops to Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, Russia has criticized the massive buildup of Western military on its doorstep as being a deliberate provocation towards World War.  Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Alexander Brushko, has accused NATO of using these military drills as a pretext to justify justify its actions on the eastern flank. pravdareport.com reports: Moscow took NATO’s recent exercises as a clear signal.

The United States has announced plans to double its military presence in Europe as part of a move to support NATO against increasing “Russian aggression”. The plans are part of the European Reassurance Initiative outlined in the 2017 defense budget, which has been sent to congress for approval. Theepochtimes.com reports: “We’re going to move to a so-called heel to toe basis, where we’re over there consistently on the ground exercising,” said Under Secretary of Defense Mike McCord in a Feb. 9 briefing, according to a transcript.

The UK are sending up to 6,000 British troops and five warships to the Baltic as part of an operation to buildup Nato’s military presence against Russia.  Amid escalating tensions between Russia and NATO-backed allies, the UK have decided to significantly increase its presence with other European countries in the region, including Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. NATO say the increase in military on the Russian border is a more “muscular approach” against Russian President Vladimir Putin.