Original air date: September 29th, 2024
The U.S. is one of 32 nations belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO. The alliance is 75 years old this year. Because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there’s arguably never been more focus on its role of collective defense. And a political flashpoint: the huge cost. Today we travel to Poland where the U.S. is taking a lead role near what could be a staging ground if Russia should do the unthinkable.
The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.
These are live fire NATO exercises in northeast Poland. It’s rare that journalists are permitted to literally be in the midst to observe.
This spot is chosen for its strategic importance, a mere 37 miles from Russia and not far from a place often called NATO’s weak spot:
The Suwalki Gap in Poland. It’s a 40 mile long stretch of land between a Russian territory and Russian ally Belarus. If Russia were to attack from both sides, it could separate NATO countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from Poland and the rest of Europe.
Patrick Merriss: Kaliningrad, Russia is about 60 kilometers to our, our north.
Lt. Col. Patrick Merriss, from Birmingham, Alabama is commander over this NATO training exercise.
Sharyl: Why is this area important?
Merriss: So, the positioning between Belarus and Kaliningrad is about 160 kilometers wide. It is the only land bridge to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that exists. So part of our role here is to deter any adversaries from impacting that, that terrain.
Sharyl: Does the fact of simply conducting exercises act as a deterrence?
Merriss: Sure. It’s interacting with multinational forces across NATO, it’s partnering with Polish forces is all an effort to deter any adversaries.
Soldiers from the UK, Croatia and Romania are taking part today, alongside U.S. soldiers.
Juan Mujica, 22, is from Victoria, Texas.
Juan Mujica: I am the gunner on my track
Sharyl: And what does that involve?
Mujica: Pretty much just controlling the gun on top and just shooting the targets, pressing the triggers.
28-year old Staff Sergeant Broderick Perdue is from Omaha, Nebraska.
Sharyl: What would you like people at home to know about something you do they may not know?
Broderick Perdue: I would just like to say that being an armor recruitment is probably one of the best jobs you can have in the army. There’s nothing beat being on an Abrams tank maneuvering and shooting big bullets, like at least almost a mile out.
Sharyl: Do you expect that Russia knows what’s going on today?
Merriss: Absolutely.
Sharyl: How do they watch?
Merriss: From all, all different means, I mean, open source collection, for sure. You know, social media, anything that, that is advertising from the NATO side, we message very well what our capabilities are and how frequently we are practicing them for that purpose.
Another message NATO is delivering to Russia today is that multiple nations are practicing cohesively—and are ready, bridging language barriers and communication gaps.
Col. Alex Gaievskis oversees NATO battlegroups in the region.
He joined Lithuanian fighters for freedom in 1991 when he was 17 and took part in combat operations against the Soviets until they left Lithuania in 1993.
Sharyl: Do you think the Russian threat in some respects focused NATO in a different way that made it stronger or more powerful as a deterrent?
Gaievskis: Yes. NATO is much stronger than it was earlier. I’m very happy what Americans actually bring the knowledge and we are able to share with other all nations, all among us. This is the most important frankly, seeing the support deterrence and trust me, it’s just people around and they see the military uniforms and Americans especially, they’re happy to greet them, to shake their hands
The $175 billion tax dollars the U.S. has designated for Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022, and the lopsided assets the U.S. has to back up NATO are political fodder. The U.S. spends close to a trillion dollars on defense. That’s almost double the other 31 NATO countries combined. And when it comes to NATO’s annual budget, the U.S. and Germany cover 1/3 of the $4.2 billion. 30 other countries contribute much smaller amounts.
At a campaign rally, Donald Trump recounted how, as president, he says he motivated more NATO nations to step up and pay their fair share, using tough talk with the leader of one unspecified NATO country.
Former President Donald Trump (February 10): “Well sir if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” I said, “You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?” He said “Yes, let’s say that happened.” “No I would not protect you. In fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they wanted. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”
Perhaps no country outside Ukraine counts on U.S. support more than Poland when it comes to the Russia conflict. Poland President Andrzej Duda told me he’s worked successfully with Obama, Trump, and Biden.
Andrzej Duda/President of Poland: In the fall of 2015, I first met Barack Obama. The result of our cooperation was that during the NATO summit, a decision was made to expand the NATO presence on NATO’s Eastern flank. And then President Barak Obama gave green light to dispatching 2000 of American soldiers to Poland. And so they have been present ever since on a rotation basis. When I had my cooperation with President Donald Trump, the American presence was enhanced in Poland. And then the presidency of Joe Biden came and Joe Biden, when the Russians were attacking, were on the eve of launching their attack of Ukraine, dispatched here and deployed here top notch American soldiers, to be deployed in the vicinity of the Polish Ukrainian border. So American politics, no matter who is at the helm continues to function in a way that strengthens and solidifies the American Polish relations.
Sharyl: We know or we’ve been told that Russia hasn’t made any moves threatening to go beyond Ukraine’s borders, anything like that. But are there scenarios that we’ve worked out that if that were to happen, this would be or could be a key point?
Gaievskis: Frankly saying, I cannot reveal the whole secrets and so on. We know what enemy potentially can do. So when I can tell on behalf of my division that we are ready actually not only to deter but to defend every inch of the NATO.
Sharyl (on-camera): To reiterate, NATO officials say they would see key signs well in advance if Russia were planning an assault or offensive outside of Ukraine and they say Russia hasn’t made any such threat since its invasion in 2022.
Watch video here.
