NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has hailed the new anti-Russia defence plan as "the most comprehensive defence plan since the end of the Cold War".
The 4,400-page document details the protection of key locations in case of an "emergency" and lists a potential Russian attack as one of the biggest threats, RT reported on the evening of July 13, citing information from the German newspaper Bild .
Two "main threats"
The document mentions two "main threats – Russia and terrorism", and accuses Russia of being "the biggest and most direct threat to the security of its allies as well as to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region", according to Bild .
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also called on his country and other NATO members to “arm themselves against threats to our territory,” according to Bild . The new plan also lists the military capabilities that members of the bloc must demonstrate, including new member Finland and candidate Sweden.
Italian army armored vehicles participate in a NATO exercise at the Novo Selo military base (Bulgaria) on July 5.
The document reportedly also states that a “violent” and “revisionist” Russia is capable of attacking NATO territory. “We recognize that we could actually face a situation where Article 5 is triggered again, where part of NATO territory is directly attacked,” a NATO official told Germany’s dpa news agency.
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Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that "an attack against one or more members shall be considered an attack against all members". Article 5 has only been invoked once, in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Strengthening the forces
To counter the “Russian threat,” NATO plans to massively increase its NATO Response Force (NRF) from the current 40,000 troops to more than 300,000, including land, sea and air units, as well as rapidly deployable Special Forces.
NATO also plans to significantly increase weapons production and stockpiling. The new strategy includes a “new Defence Production Action Plan to accelerate joint procurement, enhance production capacity and enhance interoperability among Allies,” the NATO statement said.
Also according to Bild , NATO will seek to build up "heavy forces" equipped with armor, while deploying more long-range artillery and missile systems, as well as air defense systems.
Polish F-16 fighter jets participate in NATO exercises on July 4.
NATO also plans to bolster what it calls its “deterrence” capabilities by sending additional forces to the Baltics and Eastern Europe. Battle groups of up to 1,000 soldiers will support the national armies of the Baltic states and Poland, according to Bild , citing the new document.
Britain will be responsible for Estonia, Canada for Latvia, Germany for Lithuania and the US for Poland. Berlin also plans to station a 4,000-strong brigade in Lithuania, according to Bild .
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Germany is also expected to serve as a NATO logistics hub in the event of a major conflict. NATO is also considering establishing a second land command, in addition to the existing base in the Turkish city of Izmir. The German city of Wiesbaden is being considered as a potential location because it already has a large US military base, according to Bild .
Russia's response
Meanwhile, TASS news agency today, July 14, quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as emphasizing that the analysis of the results of the latest NATO Summit led to the conclusion that Russia needs to complete the goals of the special military campaign in Ukraine, strengthen its armed forces and develop relations with its allies.
Speaking at a press conference after the NATO Summit, which took place in the capital Vilnius (Lithuania) from July 11-12, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member.
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Grushko said that Ukraine’s accession to NATO would have catastrophic consequences for the alliance and that its members were fully aware of that. Moscow has argued that preventing Ukraine from joining NATO was one of the main reasons for launching a military operation in the neighboring country on February 24, 2022, according to RT.
Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko also stressed that Russia has a wide range of weapons available to ensure the country's security. Russia has repeatedly stated that it considers NATO's buildup of forces on its borders and its expansion eastward as a threat to its national security.
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