NATO launches fresh war games in Lithuania

2014-11-03
By Rayyan Sabet-Parry and wire reports, RIGA

Lithuanian soldiers are training alongside soldiers from the UK, US and other countries as part of new military exercises (photo: creative commons)

NATO has launched fresh war games in Lithuania bringing together troops from nine countries

Up to 2,500 troops from US, UK, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and other countries will take part in the joint military exercises on November 2-13.

The Iron Sword 2014 military exercises aim to the test the “interoperability of various NATO units, the Delfi news agency reports.

Baltic officials have been on edge amid the crisis in the Ukraine with worries a similar Ukraine style scenario could be repeated in the region.

NATO has agreed to boosting its presence in the region following a major summit earlier this year. US tanks rolled in to Lithuania earlier this month is a show of force to Russia that it's not welcome in the region.

Responding to the build up of NATO forces on its border, Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

“I believe that NATO expansion is a mistake. To a certain degree, it is certainly a provocation,” Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in late September.

“It is an irresponsible policy that undermines commitments to build a common security system in Europe, based on equality of rights for all, regardless of alignment or non-alignment with any military-political bloc,” Lavrov said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.