North Atlantic Defense Pact defense ministers (NATO) is said to be planning to form four multinational combat groups in southeastern Europe. This plan was made during the threat of military aggression Russia ke Ukraine more increasing.
Allied ministers meeting on Wednesday (16/2) and Thursday (17/2) will decide whether NATO agrees to order their military commanders to make plans for deploying around 1,000 troops to Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.
According to some diplomats, ministers may agree to order their militaries to make detailed plans for combat groups in the four countries.
“There will be assignments that will allow us to escalate, but also de-escalate if the Russians withdraw their military forces,” a NATO diplomat told Reuters.
He also emphasized that this combat group would be influenced by offers of ships and aircraft from Britain, the United States and several other countries.
Meanwhile, the final decision on the deployment of these troops will be determined later. However, France and Bulgaria have offered to lead combat groups in Romania and Bulgaria.
A French presidential official said the country’s troops would be stationed in Romania if it was approved by NATO. In addition, the design and supply of weapons in the combat group also still takes time.
“There’s going to be a debate within the North Atlantic Council (NATO) and we’re basically putting a (decision) deadline in a few months,” the official said.
If a NATO troop deployment were to take place, it would be NATO’s biggest change in force posture since the agency created combat groups in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Previously, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, had revealed the potential of creating this combat group.
“We are considering long-term adjustments to our posture, our presence in the eastern region of the alliance. No final decision has been taken on that, but there is a process now underway within NATO,” Stoltenberg said on Feb. 7.
However, this deployment runs counter to Moscow’s security demands for NATO to withdraw their troops from Eastern Europe.
The position of Slovakia and Hungary which is worried about provoking Russia also makes NATO need to rethink the placement of these troops.
However, NATO could consider deploying a French-led multinational force in Romania, where it could organize exercises in eastern Europe.
This deployment also provides an opening for NATO forces to enter and exit the region without an official presence.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is not a member of NATO and the alliance is not obliged to defend Kiev. However, the Ukraine-Russia issue has also dragged NATO into it.
(pwn / bac)
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