At NATO summit, leaders may decide on large troops deployment to Russia's doorstep: Report

In what could be a major escalation in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, NATO might decide to send its entire divisions to the eastern flank to deter Moscow’s military aggression, as per El Pais report. During the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, which will include an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the military bloc may decide on whether to send thousands of troops to Russia’s doorstep, according to the sources of the Spanish newspaper.

Only last week, the bloc had pledged to “re-invent” itself and as per the report, NATO might end all its ties with Russia, as the Moscow-Kyiv war approached its 18th week of clashes. The report further stated that the NATO member nations are ready to turn Eastern Europe into a “fort” hosting thousands of soldiers and a large quantity of military equipment amid fear of a future assault by Russian forces. According to the sources familiar with the negotiations, the Spanish paper stated that deliberations are still ongoing at NATO headquarters in Brussels ahead of the scheduled summit for June 28 to June 30. 

The report said that NATO “wants to send a message that it is on war footing” and ready “to respond to any aggression” and would use the Madrid summit to boost national defence spending along with the joint financing of the bloc. 

Jamie Shea, a former high-ranking NATO official who currently heads the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, told El Pais that the “main debate in Madrid will be between the Eastern European [states], who would like to transform the battalions into heavily armed brigades stationed permanently on their territories, and [others], such as the US or Germany, who prefer to continue with the current strategy of rotating forces, which are reinforced in the event of a crisis or conflict”.

NATO troops in Baltic states, Poland to double in size

Reportedly, even if NATO does decide on a “lighter deployment” strategy, the Eastern European members might see the bloc’s forces currently stationed within their borders doubled. According to the Spanish newspaper, the groups deployed in Poland and the Baltic states, now consisting of between 1,000 and 1,600 soldiers, would double in size and would also have “greater autonomy” and “more sophisticated weapons”.

It is to note that if Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania decide to push their demands through, the buildup by NATO forces could involve entire divisions – massive units of around 15,000 soldiers commanded by generals. All three nations have reportedly asked for troops between 15,000 to 50,000 in totality. 

The El Pais report follows remarks made by Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who confirmed on Sunday that the bloc’s flank would require “special attention for a long time”. 

It should be mentioned here that Russia has repeatedly expressed its discontent with NATO’s expansion in eastern Europe. In the run-up to the devastating Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow had warned the US-led military alliance to not include Ukraine as its member as that would have meant the alliance sending its troops to Russia’s doorstep. Citing its own national security, Russia had even conveyed the points to NATO but both sides failed to reach a conclusion. A few weeks later, Russian President Vladimir Putin was on television announcing the “special” military operation in Ukraine on February 24 and the war still continues.

Image: AP