NATO leaders decided on Thursday to reset the alliance's long-term defense posture at the eastern flank and to send further support to embattled Ukraine, Yeni Safak reports.
“Today, NATO leaders agreed to reset our deterrence and defense for the longer term to face a new security reality,” NATO chief Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters following an extraordinary meeting in Brussels to address Russia’s month-old war on Ukraine, squarely on the alliance’s doorstep.
He explained that NATO will have “substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance at higher readiness,” including more pre-positioned equipment and supplies on the ground, more aircraft and strengthened air and missile defense systems, as well as more ship carriers, submarines, and a significant numbers of combat ships on a permanent basis.
NATO will also reinforce its cyber defense and work to ensure better interoperability between national capabilities, he said.
The leaders tasked military commanders to work on plans, and the final decision is due at a NATO summit in Madrid this June.
The NATO allies also agreed to send further aid to Ukraine, including cybersecurity assistance, medical supplies, and protective equipment against biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats.