In the “biggest overhaul of collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War”, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said the military alliance would increase the strength of its rapid reaction force nearly eightfold to 300,000 troops from 40,000. Stoltenberg said the measure was part of its response to an “era of strategic competition”, AP reported.
Stoltenberg made the announcement at a press conference ahead of a NATO summit later this week in Madrid. In the summit, 30 NATO allies are expected to also agree on further support to Ukraine in its war against Russia, which entered its fifth month.
Stoltenberg said Russia was “the most significant and direct threat to our security”. For the first time, NATO will also address the security challenges posed by China in the summit, AP reported.
“In Madrid, allies will discuss how to respond to the growing influence of Russia and China in their southern neighborhood,” Stoltenberg said.
To further boost military support to Ukraine, NATO members will adopt a “strengthened comprehensive assistance package”, including deliveries of secure communication and anti-drone systems. The aim of NATO is to help Ukraine transition from Soviet-era armaments to modern NATO equipment, Stoltenberg said.
On Monday, the G7 grouping underscored their commitment to Ukraine for “as long as it takes”.
The NATO summit will also explore the possibility of Finland and Sweden joining the alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, AP reported. However, NATO member Turkey has so far blocked the applications, citing the two countries’ soft approach to organisations it considers to be terrorist, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
Turkey is demanding that Sweden and Finland grant extradition requests for individuals who are wanted by Turkish authorities. Turkey claims the countries are harboring PKK members as well people linked to a failed 2016 coup.
Stoltenberg said that Turkish president Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and the Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the summit.
“We have worked hard since Finland and Sweden applied for membership to ensure that they can join the alliance as soon as possible. I will not make any promises, but I can assure you that we are working actively to ensure progress because the application of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, they are historic,” Stoltenberg further said.
(With inputs from AP)