NATO to agree at summit on ‘major increases’ of forces on eastern flank

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gestures during a news conference on the eve of a NATO summit, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) – NATO nations’ leaders will agree at a summit on Thursday to agree on bolstering forces on the alliance’s eastern flank, with the deployment of four new battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, NATO’s secretary-general said.”I expect leaders will agree to strengthen NATO’s posture in all domains, with major increases in the eastern part of the alliance on land, in the air and at sea,” Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference ahead of the summit in Brussels on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.He said that with the new battle groups and existing forces in the Baltic countries and Poland, NATO would have eight multinational groups along the alliance’s eastern flank.Stoltenberg said that the Ukraine crisis has shown that NATO must reset its deterrence and defence posture for the longer term.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by John ChalmersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.