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Luxembourg with NATO“We are ready to defend the borders of Europe”
LUXEMBOURG – A contingent of 27 Luxembourg soldiers took off on Sunday morning from Findel to take part in the NATO deterrence mission in Romania, on the borders of the war in Ukraine.
On board an A400M, a platoon of 27 Luxembourg soldiers took off on Sunday morning from Findel to take part in a deterrence mission under the aegis of NATO in Sibiu, Romania. The soldiers left for four months, before being relieved by another group. In total, over 28 months, nearly 150 Luxembourgers will take part in the mission.
A sizeable deployment for the Grand Ducal army. “This is the largest contingent deployed by the Luxembourg army since the beginning of the 1990s and the largest ever deployed within the framework of NATO”, recalled the chief of staff of the army, general Steve Thull. The soldiers will participate in on-site training and will mark their presence alongside, in particular, Dutch and French soldiers.
“Pride”
Defense Minister François Bausch also greeted the soldiers as they left Findel. “It’s a point of pride because we show that we are in solidarity with the countries most threatened directly on the border of the conflict, in this case Romania, but also that we are ready to defend the borders of Europe. “, he underlined.
“For some it’s the first mission, for others it’s the second or third deployment. Upstream, there is normal preparation and mission-specific training. It’s a special moment because we are the first rotation of the country to go to Romania, so there is a significant logistical scope, ”confided Tom, lieutenant, who will command the unit.