NATO plans to deploy 300,000 troops along its eastern border, which separates the alliance countries from Russia and Belarus. This was written by the newspaper Politico on the eve of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union, which will be held in Brussels, a few days before the summit of the bloc’s leaders. There is a proposal on the table to establish a joint fund of 2 billion dollars for the purchase of ammunition to be sent to Ukraine.
Politico argues that NATO will “accelerate efforts to stockpile equipment along the eastern border and soon identify tens of thousands of forces that can come to the aid of the Allies.” “Updated regional defense plans” will be presented in the spring, and Atlantic Alliance officials are reportedly “venting the idea that as many as 300,000 NATO forces are needed.” His plan to strengthen the protection of the eastern border may come to light in the spring, and he will make his key appointment at the NATO leaders’ summit in Vilnius in July.
“I think forces are needed to counter Russia more realistically,” said a senior NATO military official, emphasizing the need for significantly more “unity” and above all “ready” forces. “The first echelon, which may consist of around 100,000 soldiers ready to move within 10 days, may come from Poland, Norway and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania),” said former deputy general secretary Heinrich Brauss. told Politico. NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg for defense policy and force planning. “It could also include multinational battle groups that the Alliance has already established on its eastern flank,” the expert added. A second troop level will then support these soldiers and be ready to deploy from countries like Germany in 10 to 30 days.
However, it is the shortage of weapons and equipment that worries Alliance leaders more than the current army: Sipri highlighted that the purchase of arms and ammunition in Europe has almost doubled since the beginning of the war, but despite this, Ukraine is not considered adequate. In early March, Stoltenberg had sounded the alarm: “The current consumption rate (in Ukraine, ed) compared to the current ammunition production rate (in Europe, ed) is not sustainable”. Estonian Minister Urmas Reinsalu also reiterated: “We are in a situation where Ukraine uses ammunition every day equal to Europe’s monthly production. Based on the current industrial capacity, we can meet Ukraine’s needs in six years. And this is unacceptable.” aforementioned.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell proposed a joint fund of 2 billion to speed up production, support purchasing costs and reassure countries that fear being out of stock due to excessive ‘generosity’ towards Kiev; when shipping ammunition to Ukraine by individual states, the remaining quota should be used to continue joint purchases on the model of what was done with vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. The establishment of a single purchasing center in Brussels became necessary after rising prices in the European arms market due to sudden excess demand: the EU hopes to reduce costs to the bloc’s public coffers by centralizing purchases.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
