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WORLD NEWS Thursday 17 March 2022
Russia's invasion drives NATO rethink of Europe force stance

By LORNE COOK fore launching it, Putin had
BRUSSELS (AP) — In an un- demanded that NATO stop
derground archive be- expanding and withdraw
low NATO's headquarters its forces from the east. The
lies a key document that opposite is happening.
sets out the vision of both "Today, we have tasked
NATO and Russia about our military commanders
their future ties, as it was to develop options across
shaped almost a quarter of all domains. Land, air, sea,
a century ago. The room is cyber and space," Stolten-
sealed. White gloves must berg said. He said he ex-
be worn to handle the text. pects to hear about those
"NATO and Russia do not options within weeks.
consider each other as ad- "On land, our new posture
versaries. They share the should include substantially
goal of overcoming the more forces in the east-
vestiges of earlier confron- ern part of the Alliance, at
tation and competition higher readiness, with more
and of strengthening mu- prepositioned equipment
tual trust and cooperation," and supplies," he said.
reads the preamble of the "In the air, more allied air
NATO-Russia Founding Act, power, and strengthened
signed in May 1997. integrated air and missile
Things looked brighter then, defense."
less than a decade after U.S. Secretary for Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, left, speaks with Poland's Defense Minister Mariusz At sea, Stoltenberg said,
Blaszczak, right, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a meeting of the North At-
the Iron Curtain collapsed lantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. there would be "carrier
and relations between Mos- Associated Press strike groups, submarines
cow and the West thawed. and significant numbers
Today, with thousands of improved transparency change. his counterparts weighed of combat ships on a per-
Ukrainians sheltering in bun- about their military activi- "We're in a totally differ- what defenses to set up on sistent basis." NATO should
kers across the country and ties. ent security environment. the organization's eastern also "train and exercise
millions forced from their Most importantly, they At that stage, we actually flank, from Estonia in the more often, and in greater
homes, the document ap- committed to limit the de- foresaw Russia as a strate- north through Latvia, Lithu- numbers."
pears to be a dead letter. ployment of their forces in gic partner, working with ania and Poland down to Those options will be stud-
When the act was signed, Europe. them. Since then, Russia Bulgaria and Romania on ied by NATO leaders at
the post-Cold War period But on Wednesday, NATO has invaded Georgia, ille- the Black Sea. their next major summit in
was ushering in a time of Secretary-General Jens gally annexed Crimea and The aim is to deter Presi- Madrid in June.
defense spending cuts as Stoltenberg acknowl- now also invaded Ukraine," dent Vladimir Putin from NATO only began station-
the threat from Moscow edged that the document Stoltenberg told reporters. ordering an invasion of any ing troops on its eastern
receded. NATO and Rus- had been drawn up in very In talks at NATO's Brussels of the 30 allies; not just for flank after Russia annexed
sia made important pledg- different times and that headquarters, U.S. Defense the duration of this war but Ukraine's Crimean Penin-
es on arms control and relations with Russia must Secretary Lloyd Austin and for the next 5-10 years. Be- sula in 2014.q

7.3 magnitude quake hits north Japan, tsunami risk receding

By MARI YAMAGUCHI NHK national television said decommissioned.
Associated Press tsunami waves of 20 centi- Japan's Nuclear Regulation
TOKYO (AP) — A powerful meters (8 inches) already Authority said a fire alarm
7.3 magnitude earthquake reached shore in Ishino- went off at the turbine
struck off the coast of Fuku- maki, about 390 kilometers building of No. 5 reactor at
shima in northern Japan on (242 miles) northeast of To- the Fukushima Daiichi but
Wednesday evening, trig- kyo. there was no actual fire.
gering a tsunami advisory NHK footage showed Water pumps for the spent
and plunging more than 2 broken walls of a depart- fuel cooling pool at two of
million homes in the Tokyo ment store building fell to the four reactors at Fuku-
area into darkness. the ground and shards of shima Daini briefly stopped,
The region is part of northern windows scattered on the but later resumed opera-
Japan that was devastat- street near the main train tion. Fukushima Daini is also
ed by a deadly 9.0 quake station in Fukushima city, set for decommissioning.
and tsunami 11 years ago about 60 kilometers (36 The Japan Meteorological
that also triggered nuclear miles) west from the coast- Agency said the quake hit Walls are fallen at an apartment in Fukushima, northern Japan
plant meltdowns, spewing line. at 11:36 p.m. at a depth of Thursday, March 17, 2022, following an earthquake.
massive radiation that still The Tokyo Electric Power 60 kilometers (36 miles) be- Associated Press
makes some parts uninhab- Company Holdings, which low the sea.
itable. operates the Fukushima Japan's Air Self-Defense NHK said there were reports were without electricity in
The Pacific Tsunami Warn- Daiichi nuclear plant where Force said it dispatched of fire, damage to buildings 14 northeastern prefectures
ing Center said there was the cooling systems failed fighter jets from the Hyakuri and falling rocks in Iitate including the Tokyo region,
no longer a tsunami threat after the 2011 disaster, said base in Ibaraki prefecture, town in Fukushima. There serviced by TEPCO and an-
though the Japan Meteo- workers found no abnor- just south of Fukushima, for was no word on any casu- other utility, Tohoku Electric
rological Agency kept its malities at the site, which information gathering and alties. Power Co., according to
low risk advisory in place. was in the process of being damage assessment. More than 2.2 million homes the companies.q