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Lenta.ru
Amid growing tensions with Russia hundreds of thousands of NATO troops will be brought to a higher readiness. About it reports The Times, citing the Secretary General of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg.
According to him, the NATO leadership intends to prepare a substantial ground forces able to deter “Russian aggression”.
As the newspaper notes, Stoltenberg did not name exact figures. However, sir Adam Thomson, the outgoing permanent representative of the UK in NATO, said that, as expected, the aim is to speed up the response time, 300 thousand soldiers to about two months. Currently, the deployment of this number of military personnel can take up to 180 days.
Forces will act as a force next tier in relation to the maximum units of NATO’s rapid reaction, which can be deployed in order of battle within a few days.
In early November, Stoltenberg said that threats to NATO countries from Russia. According to him, Moscow need to build a constructive relationship.
On 28 October, the head of NATO said that the Alliance does not seek confrontation with Russia and does not want a new cold war. According to him, the planned deployment of the additional four thousand troops in Eastern Europe is not aimed at provoking the conflict, and its prevention.
On 18 September it became known the timing of the placement in the Baltic countries and Poland four additional battalions of NATO. These parts will be deployed in may 2017.
Russia, in turn, has repeatedly stated that he sees the approach of the troops and infrastructure of NATO to its borders as a security threat.