NATO is preparing plans to deploy a permanent full-scale force on the alliance’s eastern flank, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
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In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the NATO chief says that the force will be able to stop an invading army.
He also says that NATO is in the midst of a very fundamental process of change that will reflect the long-term effects of the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
– No matter when and how the war in Ukraine ends, the war has already had long-term consequences for our security. NATO must adapt to the new reality. And that is exactly what we do, says Stoltenberg.
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According to the NATO chief, the alliance’s small “stumbling block” on the eastern flank will be transformed into a large-scale military presence.
– We must ensure that in a more dangerous world we are still able to protect and defend all NATO allies, he says and adds that the change must be followed up by NATO member states.
They must spend more money on their defense budget, according to Stoltenberg, who refers in particular to Germany’s promise to spend 2 percent of the country’s GDP on defense, not 1.5 percent as today.
– With the size of Germany’s economy, this will really make a huge difference, also for how much money NATO spends in total on defense, he says.
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