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Russia Drops Bid to Dock Ships at Spanish Port as NATO Adds Pressure Russia Drops Bid to Dock Ships at Spanish Port as NATO Adds Pressure
(about 3 hours later)
MADRID — Russia abruptly withdrew its application on Wednesday to dock three warships at a Spanish port, shortly after Spain’s partners in NATO urged Spain to turn away the vessels. The ships were heading to the Mediterranean Sea to support the bombing of Aleppo, Syria. MADRID — Russia abruptly withdrew its application on Wednesday to dock three warships for refueling at a Spanish port, shortly after Spain’s partners in NATO urged Spain to turn away the vessels. The ships are heading to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to support Russian military operations in Syria.
The effort by Russia to dock the three warships, including its only aircraft carrier, the Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov, at Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the north coast of Africa, was first reported in the Spanish news media on Tuesday evening. Russia’s intention to dock the three warships, including its only aircraft carrier, the Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov, at Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the north coast of Africa, was first reported in the Spanish news media on Tuesday evening.
The development set off alarm bells among NATO defense ministers who gathered on Wednesday for a two-day meeting in Brussels, and who warned Spain not to let the Russian ships dock. The development set off alarm bells among the alliance defense ministers, who gathered in Brussels on Wednesday for a two-day meeting and warned Spain not to let the Russian ships dock.
“We’d be extremely concerned that any NATO member should consider assisting a Russian carrier group that might end up bombing Syrian civilians,” Britain’s defense secretary, Michael Fallon, told reporters. “On the contrary, NATO should be standing together.”“We’d be extremely concerned that any NATO member should consider assisting a Russian carrier group that might end up bombing Syrian civilians,” Britain’s defense secretary, Michael Fallon, told reporters. “On the contrary, NATO should be standing together.”
NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, told reporters that while Russia had the right to operate in international waters, the situation off Ceuta was different because of concerns that the aircraft carrier group would serve as a platform for attacks on Aleppo. The Atlantic alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, told reporters that while Russia had the right to operate in international waters, the situation at Ceuta was different because of concerns that the aircraft carrier group would mount strikes on the Syrian city of Aleppo.
“It is each up to each nation to decide, as has been NATO policy for many years, but we are concerned about the potential use of this carrier group to increase attacks against civilians in Aleppo,” Mr. Stoltenberg said Wednesday morning. “All allies are aware of our concerns.” “It is up to each nation to decide, as has been NATO policy for many years, but we are concerned about the potential use of this carrier group to increase attacks against civilians in Aleppo,” Mr. Stoltenberg said Wednesday morning. “All allies are aware of our concerns.”
Less than three hours later, the Spanish Foreign Ministry announced that Russia had withdrawn its bid to dock three ships at Ceuta. Less than three hours later, the Spanish Foreign Ministry announced that Russia had withdrawn its request to dock the ships at Ceuta. “The government of Spain is following with extraordinary concern the bombing of Aleppo and the humanitarian tragedy that is going on,” the ministry said.
“The government of Spain is following with extraordinary concern the bombing of Aleppo and the humanitarian tragedy that is going on,” the ministry said, adding that the Russian Embassy in Madrid had rescinded the application. The Spanish government had granted permission last month for the three ships to call at Ceuta between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2, as part of what Spain said was the normal port-of-call practice for Russian ships, which had been in effect “for years.”
The ministry did not say whether the Spanish government had responded to pressure from NATO, and it was also not immediately clear where the Russian ships would refuel. The Interfax news agency quoted Leonid Slutsky, head of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, as saying: “Moscow’s decision to recall the request for our military ships to enter the Spanish port of Ceuta is the only correct, unyielding and worthy one.”
Before the Spanish announcement, the Russian news agency Interfax had quoted Vasily Nioradze, a Russian Embassy spokesman in Madrid, as saying that the ships would dock “in strict compliance with the norms of international law and the requirements of the Spanish side.” It was not immediately clear where the Russian ships would go instead to refuel. The nearest non-NATO ports to Ceuta are in Morocco and Algeria.
Russia sent the Admiral Kuznetsov, the aircraft carrier, and several other vessels through the English Channel on Friday, its latest effort to assert its military might. Russia sent the aircraft carrier and a group of supporting warships steaming toward the Mediterranean this month from bases on the Barents Sea, the Kremlin’s latest effort to demonstrate its military might. The flotilla passed through the English Channel on Friday.
Ceuta, one of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, has been used on several occasions by the Russian Navy as a refueling station for its operations in the Mediterranean. This month, the Yaroslav Mudry, a Russian frigate with a crew of about 250, docked for a fourth time in Ceuta, according to local news media. Ceuta is one of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa. Russian naval vessels have called there a number of times to refuel for operations in the Mediterranean. The Yaroslav Mudry, a Russian frigate with a crew of about 250, made its fourth such visit to Ceuta earlier this month, according to local news reports.
On Wednesday, Mr. Stoltenberg reiterated concerns that the alliance was concerned about “assertive” exercises by Russia, including its movement of missiles with the capacity for carrying nuclear warheads, and its recent decision to suspend cooperation on plutonium disposal under a treaty with the United States. Mr. Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the alliance was concerned about “assertive” exercises by Russia, including its movement of missiles with the capacity to carry nuclear warheads, and its recent decision to suspend cooperation on plutonium disposal under a treaty with the United States.
Mr. Stoltenberg reiterated Western concerns that Russia had destabilized Ukraine, where its 2014 military intervention, including the annexation of Crimea, has led to a simmering conflict in the eastern part of the country, and he called Russia’s support for Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, “deeply troubling,” saying that the government’s attacks on homes and even hospitals were “disgraceful.” He noted that Russia’s 2014 military intervention in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea, had led to a simmering conflict in the eastern part of that country, and he said that Russia’s support for Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, was “deeply troubling.” He called the Syrian government forces’ attacks on homes and hospitals “disgraceful.”
Mr. Stoltenberg is to meet on Thursday with Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s top diplomat, to discuss common challenges. Mr. Stoltenberg is scheduled on Thursday to meet with Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s top diplomat.
NATO had agreed to establish battalions of 800 to 1,200 multinational troops in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, as well as a brigade of four more battalions to be based in Bulgaria and Romania. At the last NATO summit meeting, in Warsaw in July, President Obama reassured the alliance of the United States’ support. To bolster its eastern defenses, NATO has agreed to establish battalions of 800 to 1,200 multinational troops in four member nations bordering Russia — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — as well as a brigade of four battalions to be based in Bulgaria and Romania. Asked on Wednesday about those steps, Mr. Stoltenberg called them “defensive” and “proportionate,” and noted that Russia had increased its military spending and used force in Georgia, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.
Asked on Wednesday about those troop deployments, Mr. Stoltenberg called them “defensive” and “proportionate.” He noted that Russia had increased military spending and used force in Georgia, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere. He said the alliance must respond to Russia in a responsible and measured way, and should focus on “risk reduction” and “transparency” in its talks with the Kremlin.
The alliance must respond in a “responsible” and “measured” way, he said, urging that talks with Russia focus on “risk reduction” and “transparency.”