Moscow on Thursday criticised Norway's plans to ask Washington to double the number of US troops stationed in the Scandinavian country and deploy them nearer the border with Russia.

The plans "cause us serious concern," Russia's embassy in Norway wrote on its Facebook page.

Before joining NATO in 1949, Norway allayed Russian fears by pledging not to open its territory to foreign combat troops so long as it was not attacked or threatened with attack.

The stationing of US troops in Norway "contravenes the Norwegian decision from 1949... This makes Norway less predictable, can stoke tensions, incite an arms race and lead to a destabilisation of the situation in northern Europe," the embassy wrote.

But the Pentagon said Russia had no grounds for concern.

"Norwegian and Allied forces are training to defend Norway's territory, and pose no threat to Russia," Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said, adding that the US presence complied with Norway's policy on the stationing of foreign troops.

The policy "does not preclude Allied exercises and training in Norway," he said in a statement.

Oslo's announcement came after nine nations along NATO's eastern flank last week called for the alliance to bolster its presence in their region.

Since last year, 330 US Marines have been deployed on rotation at Vaernes in the centre of Norway, despite loud protests from Russia.

Oslo now wants to boost the troop numbers to 700 and station them further north at Setermoen, 420 kilometres (260 miles) from Russia.

The US deployment agreement would also be extended from the current six-month renewable periods to five years.

"The defence of Norway depends on the support of our NATO allies, as is the case in most other NATO countries," said Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen in a statement.

"For this support to work in times of crises and war, we are totally dependent on joint training and exercises in times of peace," he added.

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia had Friday called for NATO to discuss an increased military presence in their region at next month's leaders' summit in Brussels.

The group said it was necessary to supplement NATO's current ground forces "with aerial and naval components."

NATO beefed up defences in central and eastern Europe in response to growing fears about Russia, following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Norway has insisted that it is respecting its 1949 commitment, noting that the troop presence is not permanent but rotational.

But Moscow rejected that argument.

"Even if the actual people are rotated, the stationing is continuous," it said.

Russia also expressed "concern" that the "plans were agreed in Oslo without any real bilateral political dialogue."

Major US military exercises with S.Korea 'suspended indefinitely'
Washington (AFP) June 14, 2018 - The US military has indefinitely postponed major joint exercises with South Korea, an official told AFP on Thursday, acting on President Donald Trump's pledge to halt the "provocative" military drills following his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

The move, a significant break in how the US and South Korean militaries have worked together for decades, came even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that peace efforts still face risks, and insisted sanctions must be maintained until Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear arsenal.

"Major military exercises have been suspended indefinitely on the Korean peninsula," a senior US official told AFP. Trump on Tuesday had said the US would halt "war games" with its South Korean security ally -- but he did not make clear when the freeze would kick in.

US and South Korean forces have been training together for years, and routinely rehearse everything from beach landings to an invasion from the North, or even "decapitation" strikes targeting the North Korean regime.

Pyongyang typically reacts furiously. Following drills last year, the North fired ballistic missiles over Japan, triggering global alarm.

- Verifiable denuclearization? -

Trump has sounded a triumphant tone since the Singapore summit, where he and Kim signed a joint statement in which Kim committed "to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

But critics have pointed to the vague wording of the non-binding document, which Trump described as a "deal," and to concerns among allies about the decision to stop the US-South Korean "war games."

Speaking on a regional tour to brief South Korean, Japanese and Chinese officials about the historic summit, Pompeo said Washington remains committed to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization of North Korea.

"We believe that Kim Jong Un understands the urgency... that we must do this quickly," he said of the effort to have North Korea abandon its atomic arsenal.

In Beijing, Pompeo also said China "reaffirmed its commitment" to United Nations sanctions after the foreign ministry suggested earlier this week that the UN Security Council could consider easing the economic punishment against its Cold War-era ally.

"We truly believe that we have a path forward after so many years that can bring peace," Pompeo told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi before talks with President Xi Jinping.

But, he warned, "there are still risks that we won't achieve" that goal, and more work needs to be done.

Any reduction in tensions on its doorstep is welcome for China, North Korea's closest ally, which accounts for around 90 percent of Pyongyang's trade.

Speaking alongside Wang, Pompeo said the UN resolutions have mechanisms for sanctions relief "and we agreed that at the appropriate time that those would be considered," stressing that any relief would come only after "full denuclearization."

For his part, Wang said China has a "firm commitment" to denuclearization but that North Korea's "legitimate" concerns must be addressed.

North Korean state media reported Wednesday that Trump had not only offered to stop military exercises during the dialogue, but also to lift sanctions imposed on Pyongyang -- causing concern in Tokyo and Seoul.

- 'Conflicting views' -

Earlier, South Korean President Moon Jae-in acknowledged that "there may be very conflicting views" about the summit, but it had still helped mitigate fears of a nuclear war.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha appeared meanwhile to sidestep the issue of military drills, saying the matter would be left to military authorities to discuss, and that the US-South Korea alliance remained "as robust as ever."

While it is not directly involved, Japan also considers the exercises vital.

Harry Harris, who until last month headed the US military's huge Pacific Command, has been a staunch advocate of the military exercises.

But he told US lawmakers on Thursday that his position had changed.

"The whole landscape has shifted and I believe that we should give exercises, major exercises, a pause," Harris told senators at his confirmation hearing to be the US envoy to South Korea.

In the latest step to ease cross-border friction, the two Koreas held their highest-level military talks in over a decade Thursday in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two countries.

In a joint statement the two sides agreed to restore their military communication lines and to halt "hostile acts," Yonhap news agency reported.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed to a senior North Korean official an invitation for Kim to visit Russia, as he praised the results of the summit.

It was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement," Putin said.

- North Korea talking points? -

Trump had raised eyebrows by describing his own country's drills on the Korean peninsula as "provocative," a term used by the North for the exercises.

Pyongyang describes its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles as a shield against US aggression, and has in the past linked denuclearization to the removal of US forces from the peninsula.

North Korea's propaganda machine embraced the summit, with state television airing footage Thursday, describing Kim as a universally revered "prominent world leader."

Trump on Wednesday declared that the nuclear threat from North Korea no longer exists, and tweeted that people "can sleep well tonight!"

Harris, however, disagreed.

"I think we must continue to worry about North Korea's nuclear threat," he said.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Tariffs not denting military relations with US allies: Mattis
Washington (AFP) June 11, 2018
Ongoing tensions between America and its closest allies over tariffs and other issues have not soured military-to-military relationships, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday. President Donald Trump has recently blasted several nations, including Canada, over what he has called unfair tariffs on US goods. Trump refused to sign a joint statement over the weekend endorsing global trade rules, and accused Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of dishonesty. But Mattis said defense minis ... read more