NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the alliance was reinforcing its defenses on the eastern flank with soldiers and air assets from the Response Forcein response to the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
In addition, he also spoke about the Ukrainian forces on the ground, “who are fighting bravely and remain capable of inflicting losses on the invading Russian forces.”
Stoltenberg explained that the allies had activated their defense plans and, “consequently (…), land, sea and air elements of the NATO Response Force are being deployed”. This means activating in a state of maximum alert thousands of supplementary troops and about 100 aircraft in 30 different positionshe added.
“We deployed for the first time the Response Force in the name of collective defense, to prevent excesses against Alliance territories,” Stoltenberg detailed after a videoconference summit of NATO leaders.
“Russia has launched a total invasion against Ukraine with the clear objective of reaching Kiev and ending the government,” said the NATO chief..
“But the Kremlin’s goals are not limited to Ukraine,” he warned. “Putin has demanded the withdrawal of Alliance forces from the territory of those countries that joined after 1997.”he remembered.
“The answer is to strengthen the allies’ defense and deterrence posture. The alliance activated its defense plans on Thursday and is deploying the elements of its Response Force,” the NATO secretary general announced.
This body is made up of 40,000 soldiers and its spearhead is the Very High Readiness Joint Force (VJTF), which has 8,000 members. It is a multinational brigade and battalions supported by air, sea and special forces units.
Some units can be ready to mobilize within two to three days, according to NATO. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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