The NATO defense ministers advanced this Friday with new regional plans to strengthen deterrence and allied defense, with the placement of 300,000 troops on maximum alert, which should be implemented at the organization’s summit.
“For the first time since the Cold War, we are fully linking our collective defense planning with our forces, capabilities, and command and control planning,” Alliance Secretary General Jens Stolenberg said at a press conference after the end of the Cold War. of the two-day meeting of ministers.
This was the last ministerial meeting before the next summit, in July in Lithuania, and it was mainly focused on preparing the decisions that will later be approved, including support for Ukraine to continue to face the Russian invasion.
Stolenberg said that regional plans will depend on the three allied headquarters of Norfolk (US), Brunssum (Netherlands) and Naples (Italy), which geographically divide the defense of the entire Alliance.
The ministers also reached an agreement for the creation of a NATO maritime center aimed at reinforcing the security of critical underwater infrastructure, which can be subject to sabotage, as occurred with the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
NATO defense ministers met on Thursday and today in Brussels, with the help of Ukraine dominating the agenda and Portugal represented by minister Helena Carreiras.
Previously, Stoltenberg had already welcomed the new announcements of arms supplies and military training to Ukraine and the allies’ commitment to increase support for the country.
“I welcome the new announcements on the supply of weapons and training to Ukraine, including the initiative led by the Netherlands and Denmark to start training Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighters this summer,” he told a news conference.
Stoltenberg also stressed the intention of the United Kingdom and the United States to supply “hundreds of short and medium range air defense missiles.”
Still in the context of aid to Ukraine, after the war started by Russia on February 24, 2022, the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said that the allies promised to increase support for Kiev to through the NATO Global Assistance Package. , “with contributions and commitments that already amount to 500 million euros”.
Stoltenberg also announced that a new NATO-Ukraine council is being prepared, where the country is on an equal footing with the members of the organization.
“Our ambition is to have a first meeting of the new council in Vilnius, with President Zelensky,” he said, at the NATO summit in July.
Source: TSF
