US President Joe Biden on Wednesday promised more US troops, warplanes and warships for Europe as NATO agreed to strengthen its deterrents since the Cold War in response to Russia. attack of Ukraine.
Biden’s pledge at the Madrid summit to “protect every inch of allied territory” came as the US-led military coalition set in motion a new plan to fortify the Baltic states and Poland against any future Russian attack. Gave.
With more German, British and other Allied troops on alert to deploy to the east, the United States also sent 100,000 personnel to Europe already by sending more warships to Spain, aircraft to Britain, pre-positioned weapons to the Baltic. adding up. Soldiers for Romania.
“We mean it when we say an attack against one is an attack against all,” Biden said.
The Baltics originally sought permanent NATO bases and added air and maritime security, as well as a tenfold increase in NATO’s military presence from about 5,000 multinational troops prior to the invasion of Ukraine.
While less than what NATO agreed on Wednesday, it means the allies will keep more troops in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, send more equipment, arms and ammunition to the region and a system of rapid reinforcements. will install.
NATO leaders agreed to move toward placing more than 300,000 troops on high readiness.
In the past, the coalition relied on a small number – some 40,000 soldiers – first in line to respond to any Russian attack or other crises.
“President Putin’s war against Ukraine has disturbed the peace in Europe and created the biggest security crisis in Europe since World War II,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference. “NATO has responded with strength and unity.”
The United States would also build a new permanent army headquarters in Poland, which was quickly welcomed by Polish President Andrzej Duda, as Warsaw had long sought a permanent US military base on its soil. “It is a fact that greatly strengthens our security … the difficult situation we are in,” Duda said.
NATO also agreed to a long-term military and financial aid package for Ukraine, vowing to remain with Kyiv in its conflict. In central Madrid, Ukrainian refugees held a demonstration demanding more weapons from NATO for their nation, which is now facing war against superior Russian artillery in the east of the country.
20-year-old Ukrainian student Katerina Darchik told Reuters: “We ask NATO to give us weapons because we have soldiers, we have people ready to fight for Ukraine, men and women who are ready to defend their country.”
end of nordic neutrality
In addition, 30 NATO leaders invited Finland and Sweden to the alliance, a decision that, once ratified, would end decades of Nordic neutrality by placing both countries under the nuclear umbrella of the United States.
This became possible when Turkey took its veto After four hours of talks in Madrid on Tuesday evening on the progress of the two countries for membership, ending weeks of drama threatening Allied unity.
As part of the deal, Sweden and Finland agreed not to support Kurdish terrorist groups.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan threatened to halt his bid over Ankara’s allegations that the two countries supported Kurdish militias in northern Syria. Turkey sees the militia as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is also considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Finland, which has a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia, and Sweden, home of the Nobel Peace Prize founder, are both now set to bring well-trained forces into the alliance, possibly giving NATO superiority over the Baltic Sea.
“We are not yet covered by Article 5 of NATO,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Havisto Reuters, referring to the Collective Defense Section of NATO. “We aim to have the duration as short as possible,” he said.