NATO’s ‘Enhanced Forward Presence’ and Mutually Assured Misperception in the Baltics ·

NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) demonstration in the Baltic States and Poland could be misperceived and lead to escalation as NATO duels with Russia’s notion of ‘national security. Reinvesting efforts in the diplomatic space will be crucial to minimize security implications of misperceptions.

Under Article 5 of the Treaty, NATO declared its intention to establish the EFP in Eastern Europe, which is one of the largest deployments to Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War. The EFP plans to station 4,000 troops from 16 contributing states out of the 28 allies by the end of May 2017. EFP objectives are to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture against a perceived Russian threat in the Baltic region, and foster cohesion and inter-operability among the Alliance’s multinational troops.

Denis, G. (2017, Mar. 30). NATO’s ‘Enhanced Forward Presence’ and Mutually Assured Misperception in the Baltics. Retrieved from http://mironline.ca/natos-enhanced-forward-presence-mutually-assured-misperception-baltics/