Russia A 'Real And Present Danger' To NATO States
There is a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destablise former Soviet bloc countries, the Defence Secretary has warned.
Michael Fallon said NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
He warned the action could involve using irregular troops, cyber attacks and inflaming tensions with ethnic Russian minorities.
"NATO has to be ready for any kind of aggression from Russia, whatever form it takes. NATO is getting ready," he said.
Mr Fallon added that he was worried about Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pressure on the Baltics".
Last night RAF jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers off the coast of Cornwall. The incident comes two weeks after jets were scrambled to see off a similar Russian plane which flew down the English Channel off the coast of Bournemouth.
"It is the first time since the height of the Cold War that has happened and it just shows you the need to respond each time he does something like that," said Mr Fallon.
Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "They came down the west coast of Ireland and were met by RAF typhoons which had been scrambled from RAF Coningsby.
"These aircraft regularly 'buzz' British airspace; not coming into British airspace, because that would be a violation, but coming very close. This is a game, they did it thousands of times during the Cold War.
"There have been three times as many of these flights coming close to European airspace recently. It's a game Russia plays but its playing it because it's being more aggressive."
Video has also emerged showing NATO jets flying within yards of two Russian Tu-95 bombers, believed to have been shot in January.
The film was shot from the Russian plane and shows three RAF Typhoons and a French fighter jet apparently escorting the Russian plane as it flew close to UK airspace.
David Cameron has urged Europe to tell Russia it faces economic and financial consequences for "years to come" if it continues to destabilise Ukraine.
"Those Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, they are using Russian rocket launchers, Russian tanks, Russian artillery, you can't buy this equipment on eBay.
"It hasn't come from somewhere else, it's come from Russia and we know that.
"There's a temptation for every European country to say 'Let's go on trading exactly as we have done with Russia, let's leave responsibility for what is happening in Ukraine to someone else and let's turn away'. I am afraid that would be a terrible mistake."
But the Government has been accused by a parliamentary inquiry of "sleep-walking" into the Ukraine crisis.
The EU Committee of House of Lords found there had "catastrophic misreading" of mood by European diplomats in the run-up to the stand-off between Russia and the West.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has demanded the release of all Ukrainians taken prisoner in the conflict, including those captured in the town of Debaltseve.
During phone calls to Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande he added that the rebel seizure of Debaltseve this week had been contrary to ceasefire agreement they reached last week.
Ukrainian military leaders have claimed pro-Russian rebels have launched mortar attacks on the village of Shyrokine about 30km (19 miles) from the coastal town of Mariupol and are building up their forces in the region.
"There is no attempt to seize our positions up to now. The rebels are bringing up reserves," the spokesman said.
