At a press conference held this Friday (25), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that for the first time in history the Alliance’s Response Force will be activated. According to Stoltenberg, the defensive measure comes in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Response Force has the potential to involve up to 40,000 men. According to NATO, it is a “highly prepared and technologically advanced multinational force composed of land, air, sea and Special Operations Forces components that the alliance can mobilize quickly whenever necessary”.
The alliance’s secretary general said troops were being deployed by land, sea and air. “We will do whatever is necessary to protect our allies,” he warned.
The activation of response troops, however, does not mean that soldiers from the United States or European countries will go to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance. US President Joe Biden clarified that US troops are being sent to Eastern Europe to help strengthen NATO countries.
The US is sending 7,000 troops to the region. Biden said he authorized “the deployment of ground and air forces already stationed in Europe” to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
Stoltenberg also stated that the alliance will continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defenses. The NATO chief said that Russia’s objective with the invasion is to overthrow the Ukrainian government. “We see the rhetoric, the messages, which strongly indicate that the objective is to remove the democratically elected government in Kiev,” he said.
According to Stoltenberg, “Putin decided to go ahead with his aggression against Ukraine, which is a terrible strategic mistake for which Russia will pay a huge price in the coming years.” The NATO secretary general stressed that the alliance countries have decided on strong sanctions against Putin’s government, and that they are “ready to do more, even if it means paying a price”.
During his speech, Stoltenberg said that war will not make Russia safer or more respected. He also considered that NATO will ensure that there is no further crisis in Europe, and that the alliance is ready to “protect every ally and every inch of territory” of the member countries.
The NATO chief also saluted the Ukrainian army, to whom he highlighted “the bravery and courage against the invading force of Russia”.
European countries announce deployment of troops to Eastern Europe
After the announcement of the activation of the NATO Response Force, some European countries have already confirmed that they will send troops to the Eastern European region in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy has said it is prepared to provide an additional 3,400 troops to support NATO efforts. Draghi told the Italian parliament that the aim is to pressure Russia to withdraw its troops and that the country is “perfectly aligned” with France and Germany on the issue of sanctions.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht confirmed that Germany will deploy a troop company to Slovakia, which will build part of a new NATO battle group. “We are working to quickly send a company to Slovakia,” said the minister.
*With information from CNN International and Reuters
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
