Stoltenberg: NATO to increase troops on eastern flank
During an interview with The Telegraph, NATO's Secretary-General reveals NATO is "in the midst of a very fundamental transformation."
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
In an interview for The Telegraph, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg revealed that the organization will strengthen its military troops on its eastern flank as part of a fundamental reset.
NATO is "in the midst of a very fundamental transformation," according to Stoltenberg, and this big "reset" will include the replacement of the relatively tiny "tripwire" presence on the alliance's eastern flank with larger forces.
According to The Telegraph, NATO military leaders are studying reset alternatives, and the alliance's military presence in countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland is anticipated to be converted into a "major force".
"What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security," Stoltenberg told the publication, adding that NATO leaders are expected to make decisions on "what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO" at the Madrid summit in June.
The Secretary-General detailed that NATO’s "strategic concept" will address the "threat" from China, considering the close cooperation taking place between Beijing and Moscow.
Read more: NATO chief openly touts targeting China, cites Ukraine stance as excuse
At a news conference following NATO foreign ministers' talks in Brussels on Thursday, Stoltenberg stated that the alliance's strategic concept "must also take account of how China’s growing influence and coercive policies affect our security."
The NATO strategic concept is a significant document that addresses the military alliance's core security issues and directs its political and military evolution. The most recent strategy idea was accepted in 2010 and has not been reviewed since then.
It is worth noting that Russia's special military operation took place for several reasons, including NATO's eastward expansion. Other reasons were the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.
Following the operation, the US and its allies responded by rolling out comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.
