NATO reaffirms commitment to defend allies

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – NATO is responding to the war in Ukraine with speed and unity, the military alliance said on Tuesday.

In a video posted on social media, NATO reaffirmed its commitment to defend member countries amid “the biggest threat to our security in a generation.”

Since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has activated defense plans and deployed elements of the NATO Response Force, the Twitter post explained.

A total of 40,000 troops have also been placed under direct NATO command on the eastern flank.

Some 140 ships patrol the sea and 130 fighter jets are on high alert from the Baltic area to the Black sea region.

The alliance is deploying four new multinational battle groups in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, to reinforce its eastern flank, raising the total number of NATO defensive battlegroups to 8.

In addition to its quick reaction to the war, which began on Feb. 24, NATO has also started to revise its long-term defense and deterrence posture to adapt to the new reality of the changed security environment.

As Ukraine is not a member of NATO, it is not included in the alliance's collective defense mechanism, but other countries near or bordering Russia belong to the alliance, leading it to beef up defenses there in case of a wider conflict.