At the 71st Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte mocked Russia over the submarine incident in the Mediterranean Sea describing the Russian Navy as “The Hunt ofr the Next Mechanic” in an reference to Tom Clancy’s 1984 novel The Hunt for Red October.
At the end of September, a Russian nuclear submarine called the Novorossiysk, suffered a fuel-system failure in the western Mediterranean as it passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. The submarine risked leaking its fuel unto the Mediterranean Sea. It then transited on the surface past Brittany, France and and through the English Channel, while being followed by NATO ships
The 71st Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly brought together up to 245 parliamentarians from up to 32 NATO and partner countries to discuss ongoing security issues. Malta was represented by Opposition MP Bernard Grech and Government MP Carmelo Abela.
The Assembly adopted six resolutions with policy recommendations for NATO governments and these include: Bolstering democratic resilience against foreign interference, Advancing NATO’s deterrence and defence posture after The Hague Summit, Strengthening the transatlantic economic and security partnership, Fostering stability and reconciliation in the Western Balkans, Solidarity with Ukraine and the imperative for a just and lasting peace, and Preparing NATO for the future of uncrewed warfare.
The Secretary-General emphasised that NATO-members are ready to increase defence spending to meet their 5% GDP targets , and this was also highlighted in one of the resolutions. The resolution also condemned Russia’s shadow fleet which has a negative impact on both security and the environment. A Russian oil-tanker was recently used to attack Denmark with drones. In another resolution, NATO is urged to recognise the deepening military and strategic convergence among Russia, Belarus, China, North Korea, and Iran, as Russia’s war effort in Ukraine is being aided by these countries through military supplies, with North Korea also providing its own troops.
In the resolution regarding Bolstering Democratic Resilience, NATO countries are warning against Russia’s hybrid attacks against Europe and the US which also include disinformation and cyber-attacks. The resolution also states that China and Iran are also increasingly making use of these tactics. The resolution calls on foreign interference to threat it as a strategic threat. In its resolution on the Balkans, NATO reaffirmed its support for Bosnia’s Western aspirations. Separately, the Assembly also recognised China’s increasing sophistication in economic coercion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also contributed to the Assembly with a discourse via live link and appealed for members to support the Special Tribunal for Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which the EU has just pledge to fund with up to €10 million.
The Secretary-General’s quote on the Russian submarine is written in full below. Video by Reuters also below.
“In 2022, Russia thought it could crush Ukraine in a matter of days. In the fourth year of its brutal war, Russia is barely making any headway. Its Mediterranean Task Force was once a mix of surface ships, submarines and support vessels. Now, in effect, the Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean is almost nonexistent. A lone and broken Russian submarine limps home from patrol. How different from Tom Clancy’s 1984 novel The Hunt for Red October! Today, it’s more like hunting for the nearest mechanic!”
Newsroom
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