Building NATO Collective Defence Capabilities in Northeastern Europe I

The basis of NATO’s existence is the collective defence of Allies, its population and borders. Assurance and deterrence measures and activities implemented in Northeast Europe aim to build NATO’s common defence potential and deter potential aggression against NATO members. Assurance activities began in 2014, defined at the NATO Summit in Wales. They respond to the changed security situation on NATO’s eastern borders with Russian activities, the illegal annexation of Crimea, destabilisation activities and military involvement in eastern Ukraine. Increasing military activities and concentration of Russian military forces near NATO’s eastern borders, accompanied by hybrid warfare activities against the Northeastern European NATO members, followed. After the NATO Summits in Warsaw (2016) and Brussels (2018), NATO assurance and deterrence measures have been launched as a response to perceived threat. They aim to strengthen the Eastern Allies’ defence and deter and prevent any potential aggression while building Allied collective defence capabilities.

The Multiple Ways Stereotypes Deceive Us

Chapter 3 begins the project of identifying precisely when and how stereotypes lead us to misperceive and misjudge each other. It is argued that there are multiple ways that stereotypes can lead us to make these errors. This multifactorial view of stereotyping contrasts with two existing views of stereotypes and stereotyping: the single and dual factor view. It is shown that, contrary to the single factor view, it is not only the extent to which a stereotype reflects reality that determines whether its application leads to misperceptions and misjudgements. And, contrary to the dual factor view, it is not only the accuracy of the stereotype and the quality of case-specific information that determines the same. This chapter outlines questions that can be asked about any specific act of stereotyping to establish whether it is likely to lead to misperception or misjudgement. In the process it provides a response to a common defence of stereotypes and stereotyping: that as long as a stereotype reflects reality there is epistemic value in applying it.

THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNITY OF BELARUS AND RUSSIA. ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTLOOKS

April 2,2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Union between Belarus and Russia, which laid the foundation for integration of the two countries. The article analyses results of the twenty- five-year development of the Russia-Belarus relations and assesses their pros- pects with account taken of the events developing in Belarus in 2020–2021. Considering the activities of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the author summarises two key historical periods in the association functioning and gives their analytical characteristics. The paper focuses on the main integration achievements of cooperation in spheres of the economy (interstate trade, mutual investments, joint ventures, industrial and high tech cooperation, cus- toms policy), defence (organising a common defence space, mutual armament supplies, manoeuvres), science and culture. The author also studies numerous issues that arise from time to time in the relations between the Russian Feder- ation and the Republic of Belarus (energy disputes, the Dairy and Meat Wars, etc.). Finally, the paper contains a detailed analysis of the development scena- rios for the Russia-Belarus relations on the immediate and mid-term horizons.

Autonomização da Defesa Europeia por Via da Diferenciação: Cooperação Estruturada Permanente

The Lisbon Treaty provided for the establishment of Permanent Structured Cooperation (CEP). In 2017, a group of 25 Member States decided join the CEP jointly in order to facilitate defence cooperation. To this end, the participating E-M have collaborated in several defence projects and sectors with the gradual goal of building common defence. The AR / VP is the figure who coordinates a fully orchestra, in tune with the European Defence Agency and the European External Action Service, so that CEP projects have a good progress. It will be demonstrated that the CARD, the CDP and the EDF are essential for CEP to provide the necessary assets for the real impact on the Union’s defence capabilities. Portugal proved to be careful, but assertive in this process and can provide an important contribution in the industrial and research fields.

European Armed Forces Where to?

The permanent structured cooperation in the security and defence policy has been introduced through the Lisbon Treaty. It considered an opportunity for countries that are members of the EU to cooperate more tightly in the security and defence domain. This permanent state of cooperation in the defence domain will allow the member countries that are willing and able to develop common defence capabilities to invest in common projects and improve the contribution and operational availability of their armed forces.

Article 24 TEU

The Union’s competence in matters of common foreign and security policy shall cover all areas of foreign policy and all questions relating to the Union’s security, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy that might lead to a common defence.