NATO Trident Juncture Bigger Than Ordinary Military Exercises

MADRID (Sputnik) — Approximately 36,000 personnel from over 30 NATO and partner nations are participating in the NATO Trident Juncture drills taking place from October 3 to November 6 in Spain, Italy, Portugal, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday, the bloc is set to start the live phase of the drills.

"We realize that what is happening these weeks here is much more than just ordinary [military] drills, after all they are the largest exercises in the history of NATO that have perfect timing," Parra said.

The politician added that in times of acute political and military crises in the Middle East and Northern Africa, NATO is using these exercises to both “flex muscles” and "prepare militarily."

"The goal of these exercises is to be able to deploy forces in just 48 hours anywhere in the world," Parra stressed, adding that the United Left in Valencia is trying to mobilize local non-governmental organizations against the ongoing NATO buildup in Spain.

"The first action was an anti-NATO convoy that left the center of Valencia and went through several villages directly affected [by Trident Juncture], such as Manises and Paterna, before arriving in Betera," he pointed out.

On Friday, a group of Spanish activists called the Conscientious Objection Movement (MOC) told Sputnik that they had blocked the passage of military equipment bound for NATO manoeuvres in Zaragoza, where some 9,000 NATO soldiers are accommodated, from the port of Sagunto in Valencia.