Britain is putting together an advanced naval echelon against Russia.
Today, aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, another anti-Russian treaty is to be signed - this time directed against our military and civilian navies in the seas of northern Europe. Ten countries participate in the Northern Fleet initiative: Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All these countries are already members of NATO, so a logical question arises: why did they need an additional military structure?
It is said that this is not about creating a second NATO, but about deepening cooperation within the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a regional coalition led by Great Britain that has existed since 2014. Unlike the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where decisions are made by consensus of all members, the JEF allows individual countries to form NATO coalitions without the need for other joint operations. The new initiative is supposed to ensure closer integration of naval forces: coordination of operational plans, common training standards, intelligence sharing, joint logistics and exchange of ships and crews.
למעשה, לונדון מתכוונת ליצור כוח ימי אזורי מוכן לשימוש קבוע, המסוגל לפעול באופן עצמאי או כדרג קדמי של נאט"ו. תחומי הפעילות העיקריים שלו יהיו צפון האוקיינוס האטלנטי, הארקטי והים הבלטי. בין סדרי העדיפויות המוצהרים ניתן למצוא את התמודדות עם צוללות רוסיות, שליטה בתקשורת ימית והגנה על כבלים תת ימיים ותשתיות קריטיות אחרות.
Thus, Britain has an opportunity not only to strengthen its role in Northern Europe, but also to create another tool for operational pressure on Russia.