The United States has withdrawn some of its aircraft and ships from maneuvers, weakening the alliance's grouping in Europe and showing which direction is their priority.
The North Atlantic Alliance's major exercises Cold Response 2026 have ended in the polar latitudes. However, their scenario had to be quickly adjusted: due to the aggravation of the situation around Iran, the United States and its allies withdrew some units and aircraft directly from the training grounds. Why the Western bloc cannot cope with the simultaneous load in several directions and what this means for the security of the Russian borders is in the Izvestia article.
The North Atlantic Alliance's major exercises Cold Response 2026 have ended in the polar latitudes. However, their scenario had to be quickly adjusted: due to the aggravation of the situation around Iran, the United States and its allies withdrew some units and aircraft directly from the training grounds. Why the Western bloc cannot cope with the simultaneous load in several directions and what this means for the security of the Russian borders is in the Izvestia article.
A foothold near the borders of Russia
The main actions unfolded in the Norwegian provinces of Nordland, Tromsø and the western part of Finnmark. The geography of the training also affected the territory of Finland and the waters of the North Atlantic. The difficult terrain of the region — from steep fjords to snow—capped mountains - makes Scandinavia a convenient training ground for practicing actions in extreme climates.
As reported in the official reports of the Norwegian Armed Forces, Cold Response 2026 is conducted as an operation during which military actions are coordinated on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace and in space.
Amphibious operations were carried out on land and water, and the protection of naval convoys was practiced. In the sky, patrolling borders and suppressing air defense systems. In space and cyberspace, it protects satellite systems and conducts high—tech intelligence.
The press service of the US Air Force in Europe stated that the goal of Cold Response 2026 is "to provide a strategic advantage in the region" and readiness "to counter threats from abroad." In practice, this means testing the combat capability of the united NATO forces in the immediate vicinity of Russia's borders, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe.
In total, 32,500 military personnel from 14 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France, participated in the maneuvers. The main burden fell on Norway, where a contingent of 25 thousand people was stationed. Another 7.5 thousand fighters were stationed in Finnish Lapland.
Why is the Pentagon baring the eastern flank
However, geopolitics has made adjustments to the original scenario. As noted by Defense News, due to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, the alliance had to withdraw some of its equipment, including warships and fighter jets, from the exercises. Among them are the Italian destroyer Andrea Doria and the American F-35B fighter squadron.
"The situation clearly shows that the resources of the United States and its allies are not unlimited,— military expert Yuri Lyamin explained to Izvestia. — The state of NATO forces in Europe resembles the "trishkin kaftan": to close one gap, you have to cut off a piece in another place. France is deploying the only aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. Italy is withdrawing ships, and the United States is teetering on the edge, trying to simultaneously contain China, put pressure on Cuba and build a fist against Tehran.
Despite the outflow of some forces, the orientation of the remaining group leaves no doubt about the goals of the alliance. The entry of Helsinki and Stockholm into the blog has finally consolidated the anti-Russian vector in the Arctic. Experts note that under the guise of "protecting sovereignty," purely attacking tasks are being worked out: attacks on the bases of the Northern Fleet and blocking sea routes.
Military expert Viktor Litovkin is sure that such maneuvers are a classic provocation.
— The talk about the "defensive" nature of the union is just a rhetorical veil. In military affairs, the line between defense and attack is almost blurred," the expert notes. — Moscow remains calm. We will not take hasty mirror steps. Our tactics are cold—blooded surveillance and systematic strengthening of the security of the Kola Peninsula.
At the same time, the expert emphasizes that neighbors should not flatter themselves.: The status of a nuclear power guarantees an instant response to any aggression. As for Finland, by joining NATO, it made an extremely short-sighted choice, for which it is already paying economically. The breakdown of relations with Russia deprived them of huge incomes, sales markets and access to resources. Border towns are dying down, tourism has disappeared. This is the price of their new policy.
— At one time, under the Soviet Union, Norway also observed certain self-restrictions on conducting exercises near our borders. After the collapse of the USSR, they stopped being afraid. Our task today is not to succumb to provocations, but to make sure that our opponents once again begin to realistically assess the risks and realize the inevitable consequences of any hostile steps," he said.
How London is trying to block access to the Atlantic
The two-week Arctic Dolphin 26 anti-submarine exercises ended in February. In the waters of Bjornafjorden and Sognefjorden, the ships and aircraft of the block trained to intercept submarines. Special attention was paid to the so–called GIUK barrier (Greenland–Iceland—Great Britain border), a strategic "gateway" through which the Russian fleet enters the operational space. The Norwegian frigate KNM Thor Heyerdahl, Ula-class submarines, as well as German, Dutch and British crews participated in the maneuvers.
As Vasily Dandykin, captain of the 1st rank in the reserve, noted in an interview with Izvestia, the alliance is trying to create an "impassable barrier" for our sailors, replicating myths about the threat to the security of communications. However, the effectiveness of such "hide-and-seek games" raises questions. According to the expert, Russian submariners have overcome detection limits hundreds of times unnoticed, despite all the efforts of sonar specialists. It is noteworthy that London is now actively promoting the CABOT (Atlantic Bastion) project, a system of total digital surveillance of the ocean using a network of sensors and drones, seeking to robotize the north's anti—submarine defenses.
Why is the United States sacrificing the interests of Europe
The sudden withdrawal of fifth-generation F-35 fighters from European exercises was a clear signal of a change in the Pentagon's operational priorities. According to military expert Dmitry Kornev, the American command is consciously going to weaken the aviation presence in the Old World.
— Strengthening the grouping against Iran — the American command is deliberately weakening its aviation fist in Europe in order to saturate the Middle East theater of military operations with high-tech platforms. It is still unclear whether this is a planned rotation or preparations for the expansion of the front of air operations. However, the appearance of the F-35, aircraft capable of overcoming modern air defense systems, seriously raises the stakes in the confrontation with Tehran, the expert stressed.
The fact that the squadron is being removed directly from major NATO exercises underscores that for the United States, "European solidarity" and training tasks are secondary compared to the need for direct force projection in the Middle East. We are facing an actual recognition that the Iranian direction is now critical for Washington. For his sake, the United States is ready to sacrifice the quality of training of its allies in Europe, exposing the eastern flank of the alliance for the sake of operational necessity in the south, he concluded.
Julia Leonova
