Now that Russians are at the door: further reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank | War Ukraine

The heads of state and government of the 30 NATO countries agreed this afternoon in a video conference that lasted more than three hours. “We are deploying enough units to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defense now and in the future,” the leaders said in a statement.

Thousands of additional troops are on their way, and parts of the 40,000-strong NATO Response Force with land, sea and air forces are also being directed towards the eastern flank. There are already more than a hundred combat aircraft at more than thirty locations, and 120 combat ships are also sailing around. At the same time, the leaders call their reinforcements “preventive, proportional and non-escalating.”

According to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Russia and Belarus bear sole responsibility for the worst security crisis in Europe in decades and the loss of life, human suffering and immense destruction in Ukraine. “Russia as an aggressor, Belarus as a facilitator,” said the Norwegian.

What Russia hopes to achieve goes far beyond the occupation of Ukraine, he says, as Russia attacks Europe’s security architecture with brute force. But Russia itself does not gain safety, respect or a better future for its children. On the contrary, his decision to attack is “a terrible strategic mistake, for which Russia will pay a heavy price both economically and politically in the coming years,” Stoltenberg said.

The leaders also discussed their continued support for Ukraine, which receives cybersecurity and anti-aircraft defenses through Member States, as well as Georgia, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, the security of NATO’s own territory is absolute. “Our commitment to Article 5 (‘An attack on one is an attack on all’) is rock solid. We stand united to protect and defend all allies. Freedom will always win over oppression.”