BRUSSELSN —
NATO allies will boost high readiness forces to “well over 300,000” troops as
they strengthen their defenses in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, alliance
chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.
اضافة اعلان
Leaders from the
US-led military alliance will meet in Madrid this week for what Stoltenberg
said would be a “transformative” summit as it grapples with the fallout of
Moscow’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.
Stoltenberg said
allies would bolster some of their battle group formations along NATO’s eastern
flank “up to brigade level” — tactical units of around 3,000–5,000 troops — and
ratchet up high readiness numbers to “well over 300,000”.
In addition, more
heavy weaponry including air defense systems would be shifted forwards and
forces pre-assigned to defend specific NATO members on the alliance’s exposed
eastern edge.
“This constitutes
the biggest overhaul of our collective defense and deterrence since the
Cold War,” Stoltenberg said.
NATO currently has
a high readiness force of around 40,000 troops under its command, but the more
than 300,000 troops are expected to form a larger pool that the alliance could
tap into in the case of an emergency.
A NATO official
said the new system would be in place next year and improve the alliance’s
“ability to respond at very short notice for any contingency” with land, sea,
air and cyber assets.
Stoltenberg also
said leaders would agree to bolster NATO’s essential support to embattled
Ukraine, whose
President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to call in via video link.
US spearhead
That package would include “substantial deliveries” of gear like secure
communications, anti-drone systems and fuel, and help Ukraine over the longer
term to pivot to using more advanced NATO-standard arms.
This support is
separate from weaponry that NATO members — spearheaded by the US — are already
funneling to
Ukraine, including anti-tank rockets, artillery and air defense to
help it hold back Russia’s onslaught.
NATO has been
building up its forces in the east of the alliance since Moscow first moved
into Ukraine with the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The alliance has
rushed tens of thousands more troops to the region since Moscow launched its
full-scale invasion on February 24.
NATO now has eight
battle groups across its eastern members and Stoltenberg said some of these —
likely in the Baltics and Poland — would be bolstered to “brigade level”.
Jittery leaders in
the
Baltics have pushed for major and permanent troop deployments that could
stop the Kremlin’s forces at NATO’s border.
Germany has said
it would take the lead on a new brigade in Lithuania — where it already has
forces — but most of those troops would be permanently stationed back on home
soil.
Britain’s defense
minister has said his country will likely propose a similar set-up for Estonia
— where it commands the existing battle group.
Stoltenberg said
he expected other allies to announce forces dedicated to protecting specific
eastern members at the summit that starts on Tuesday evening.
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