Leaders of NATO are slated to issue approval of major increases in the number of forces being set in Eastern Europe as part of an upcoming summit, as stated by Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, who stated that a set of four new battel groups would most likely be stationed Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
“I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO’s posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance on land, in the air and at sea,” stated Stoltenberg as part of a press conference directly before the summit.
Stoltenberg went on to add that he thinks that NATO allies will “agree to provide additional support including cybersecurity assistance, as well as equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.”
“[A]ny use of chemical weapons would totally change the nature of the conflict and it would be a blatant violation of international law and it would have far-reaching consequences,” Stoltenberg highlighted, before sounding the call for Russia to end its “nuclear Saber-rattling.”
“Russia must understand that a nuclear war should never be fought and they can never win a nuclear war,” he claimed.
Along with this, Julianne Smith, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, stated that a “longer-term_ stationing of forces in the area was still on the table.
“NATO is in the process now of stepping back and thinking more about a medium and longer-term force presence in NATO territory on that eastern flank,” stated Smith, making the argument that these choices send “a pretty clear message to Moscow.”
“Permanent stationing could be one solution, or persistent rotations as another option, that could be on the table. So at this point, what we need to do is have our military commanders give us the best advice that they can come to us with specific proposals and then as an alliance, look at what the security environment requires,” continued Smith.
This news comes in the wake of reports that, as reported by a senior defense official in the U.S., Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is still considering the option of sending American troops to the eastern NATO flank.
The same official highlighted that a section of Russia’s invasion forces have recently been “suffering from frostbite,” adding that the Ukrainian defense forces were maintaining their defense of their territory in a “very nimble, agile way.”
“Because they lack the appropriate cold weather gear for the environment that they’re in,” explained the official. “In addition to food and fuel, even in terms of personal equipment for some of their troops, they’re having trouble.”
“What we’re starting to see are indications that they are now able and willing to take back territory that the Russians have taken,” concluded the official.