Ukraine conflict: NATO makes historic decision - and moves troops to deter Russia

Created: 02/25/2022, 19:32

By: Andreas Schmid

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, chairs the special summit of the heads of state and government of the NATO countries.

© Olivier Matthys/AP/dpa

The Ukraine conflict has turned into a war.

NATO comes into focus.

Now the military alliance has activated its defense plans.

All information in the news ticker.

• Ukraine war: West imposes sanctions on Russia.

• NATO has activated its defense plans - and is moving its troops.

• This step is being taken to deter Russia, said Secretary General Stoltenberg.

• This

  news ticker on international events in Ukraine

  is continuously updated.

  All information on the Ukraine war and information on the background of the Ukraine crisis* can be found on our topic page on the Ukraine conflict*.

Kiev/Moscow – The Ukraine conflict* has turned into a war.

Right in the middle: NATO, the western military alliance that was formed after the Second World War.

The counterpart to the then Soviet-dominated East, the Warsaw Pact.

In the Ukraine conflict, NATO has now become the object of the conflict.

Ukraine is fundamentally interested in joining NATO, but NATO has long emphasized that the country's accession is not on the agenda.

Nevertheless, Russia argues that NATO is expanding to the east.

How NATO positions itself in the Ukraine conflict is politically explosive.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has now announced a historically unique decision.

Ukraine conflict: NATO activates defense plans - troops to deter Russia

To deter Russia, NATO is relocating units of its rapid deployment force, the NRF.

This was announced by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday after a video conference of the heads of state and government of the 30 alliance states.

He did not initially say where the units would be relocated to.

According to information from the German Press Agency, ground troops could be sent to Romania, southwest of Ukraine.

In any case, it is planned to send NRF units to an exercise in the NATO country Norway, which borders Russia.

The allies have activated their defense plans and, as a result, would send more forces to defend "on land, at sea and in the air," Stoltenberg said.

This includes the deployment of thousands of soldiers and over 100 fighter jets, which would be put on high alert in 30 locations.

It's a historic move: According to a NATO spokesman, this is the first time troops have been activated for a "deterrence and defense function." 

The heads of state and government of the 30 NATO countries had previously expressed their firm determination for the collective defense of the allies.

“Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is unwavering.

We stand together to protect and defend all allies," it said on Friday in the joint final declaration of a special NATO summit.

 The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against them all.

Article 5

"We will do what is necessary to protect and defend every ally and every piece of NATO territory," said Secretary General Stoltenberg.

He had convened the summit at short notice after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to discuss how NATO should react to the changed security situation.

Italy had previously provided NATO with additional soldiers for security purposes in the east.

All information about the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.

Ukraine war: "Russia bears full responsibility for this conflict"

The NATO states call on Russia to stop the military attack immediately.

Peace on the European continent has been shaken to its foundations.

"Russia bears full responsibility for this conflict."

Russia's actions are also a "blatant rejection of the principles enshrined in the NATO-Russia Founding Act".

The aim of the paper: to balance the security interests of Russia on the one hand and the European and North American states on the other.

According to NATO, Russia is now the one withdrawing from its obligations under the 1997 agreement.

The attack on Ukraine is "a terrible strategic mistake, for which Russia will pay a heavy price for many years to come, both economically and politically".

Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) warned Russia on Thursday against targeting other countries after Ukraine.

The Western allies "agree to prevent this with all the means at our disposal," said Scholz in a television speech.

This applies "expressly to our NATO partners in the Baltic States, in Poland, in Romania, in Bulgaria and in Slovakia".

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the federal government is therefore offering NATO Bundeswehr forces to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine war continues.

This map illustrates where the Ukraine War is raging and this map shows the areas already conquered in the Ukraine War.