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Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: NATO has already strengthened its ability to protect and defend alliance territory
Photo: EVA PLEVIER / REUTERS
According to General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, a significant increase in the Allied deterrence and defense capacities will be decided at the NATO summit in Madrid.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ability to protect and defend every inch of alliance territory has already been strengthened, the Norwegian said after talks with several NATO heads of state and government in The Hague.
The next steps will now be taken at the summit meeting in Madrid at the end of June.
According to Stoltenberg, the discussions were about the need to move more combat-ready forces and equipment to the eastern alliance area.
In addition, a further increase in the level of preparedness of troops was also an issue.
Discussion about NATO troops in the eastern alliance area
Stoltenberg did not give any details.
Among other things, there is talk of having significantly more NATO troops permanently stationed in the eastern alliance area than before the Russian attack on Ukraine.
In addition, structures are to be set up that, in the event of a concrete threat, will enable the forces on site to be reinforced even more quickly.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced last week that Germany would support the plans and continue to expand its troop presence in Lithuania.
In the country bordering on the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Bundeswehr is already involved with more than 1,000 soldiers in securing NATO's eastern flank.
The meeting in The Hague was organized by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki as well as the Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and Latvia's Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš were invited.
ani/dpa