MADRID, June 27 (Reuters) – NATO will massively increase the number of its highly prepared forces to more than 300,000, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.
“We will transform the NATO response force and increase the number of our high-preparedness forces to more than 300,000,” he told reporters ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid this week in Madrid.
NATO’s rapid reaction force, NATO’s response force, has so far about 40,000 troops.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a press conference ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 27. of 2022. REUTERS / Johanna Geron
At the Madrid summit, NATO will also change its language on Russia which in the last alliance strategy of 2010 was still described as a strategic partner.
“This will not be the case in the strategic concept we will agree on in Madrid,” Stoltenberg said.
“I hope the Allies make it clear that Russia poses a direct threat to our security, our values and rules-based international order.”
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Report by Sabine Siebold and Marine Strauss
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