We are transparent, NATO says about its largest exercises in 36 years

On a cold March morning, four buses full of journalists take off from the ancient castle in the Polish city of Gniew to the bank of the Vistula River, some 20 kilometers away. There, thousands of NATO troops prepare to show journalists how they transport heavy military equipment across a 300-metеr-wide river.

French, German and Polish tanks embark in pairs on special pontoon platforms to be ferried across the river towards a platform filled with journalists and cameras. Every pontoon carries the national flags of the participating national militaries. A pair of Soviet-made Sukhoi Su-22 fighter interceptors of the Polish Air Force fly overhead with full afterburner power, forcing many to cover their ears.

It's just a small portion of this huge NATO military exercise. The Steadfast Defender 2024 spans over two continents. It started in early January and will last almost five months. With over 90,000 troops taking part, it is the largest NATO military exercise since 1988. 

READ MORE

WeChat: The Chinese super app

Meet the 'Chinosaurs'

'One in five entrepreneurs may leave the Netherlands' - poll

At the press conference, NATO military planners say it has been in the planning stages for over three years, suggesting that the gameplay is not related to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

However, some journalists point out the exercise plan, as shown by the NATO generals, has a remarkable resemblance to the situation in Ukraine. The maneuvers plan also covers a 300-kilometer march of tens of thousands of soldiers towards the east. But the hosts avoid giving a direct answer.

"The situation we are seeing in Ukraine has an influence on how we plan and execute our mission," says Major General Cezary Wiśniewski of the Polish Air Force, before a minor rhetorical retreat: "The rapid deployment from the west to the east of Poland is a traditional, historic type of purpose for this type of exercise. We want to stress, or maybe to challenge, our logistics system as well."

At the static display, where the weapons of the participating NATO countries are shown to the journalists, is Colonel Le Duc, a commanding officer of the 35e Regiment d'Infanterie of the French Army. In light of recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine to face the Russians, he's asked whether he would obey that order.

"My mission is to protect my nation," Le Duc responds. "The leader of my nation is our president. I will implement the mission that we receive without... There is nothing about my opinion or the opinion of my soldiers. We are here to protect the country, its allies, its interests, and so on. There is no question about that for soldiers."

In the months to come, tens of thousands of NATO troops will march towards the border with Ukraine. And whether the NATO officers convince the public that those maneuvers were planned years ago, it's hard to shake off the feeling that those soldiers are there with the main purpose of sending a message to Russia.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday