Russia Suspends Military NATO Office After Espionage Accusations

WASHINGTON: Russia announced today it is suspending its military liaison mission to NATO in retaliation for the alliance kicking out eight Russian diplomats it claims were really spies.

In announcing the move, the Russian foreign ministry alleged NATO’s “policy towards Russia is becoming increasingly more aggressive,” and called the expulsion of its officers, as well as the downsizing of the liaison mission “unfriendly gestures.”

Whether or not NATO is being more aggressive towards an increasingly brazen Moscow, there’s no doubt that recent weeks have been tense between the US-led alliance and Russia. NATO’s accusation that eight members of the Russian mission were undeclared Russian intelligence officers on Oct. 6 came just a day after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke to President Joe Biden about NATO “step[ping] up” to help smaller nations that wanted to join, regardless of Russia’s objections.

RELATED: With All Eyes On China, US Army Must Ensure It’s Prepared To Deter Russia In Europe

“The whole idea that, you know, it’s a provocation to Russia that small neighbors join NATO is absolutely wrong,” he said then. “That’s the provocation — that anyone is saying that.”

One of those aspirant nations, Georgia, hosted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today in Tbilisi as he observed military exercises by Green Beret-trained Georgian forces. Making no mention of Russia, Austin said such exercises would “help create capabilities that your country needs to help strengthen its defenses.”

Also today, NATO launched what it called its “annual deterrence exercise” in southern Europe dubbed “Steadfast Noon,” which involves aircraft and personnel from 14 NATO nations. (In its announcement, the alliance said the exercise is “a routine, recurring training activity and it is not linked to any current world events.”)

RELATED: NATO’s Big Concern From Russia’s Zapad Exercise: Putin’s Forces Lingering In Belarus

But it was another military exercise that had allied observers nervous earlier this fall: the quadrennial Zapad exercises, in which tens of thousands of Russian troops performed maneuvers and blew a lot of stuff up in Belarus. The real worry was not the exercise itself, but what Russian troops and heavy equipment were doing lingering in the Moscow-friendly nation after the exercise concluded.

It doesn’t appear that tensions will subside anytime soon, as the mutual dismissal of officials could only hinder clear communication between Russia and the alliance.

After all, the soon-to-be-shuttered Russian military liaison mission’s role, according to NATO, is “keeping military channels of communication open” and “support[ing] NATO-Russia dialogue.”