NATO has increased its combat readiness due to the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine

 

 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has increased the combat readiness of its 40,000 rapid reaction forces in response to an alleged gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders. This was announced on Wednesday by the newspaper Die Welt, referring to a high-ranking NATO diplomat.

NATO's Joint High Readiness Task Force (VJTF), which is part of the Rapid Reaction Force, "must be ready to deploy in the crisis zone within five days instead of seven, as was the case before". The VJTF is currently commanded by Turkey. In 2023 it will move to Germany.

 At the same time, as Die Welt points out, other parts of NATO's rapid reaction force, including special forces and logistics, have also been put on high alert. The decision, according to the newspaper, was taken last week by the North Atlantic Council, which represents all the countries that make up the Alliance. In addition, according to the publication, the goal of increasing NATO's combat readiness is to strengthen the protection of Eastern European member states (Poland, Romania, the Baltic countries).

 A NATO spokesman declined to confirm this information publicly. "NATO allies have made it clear that [Russia's actions] must be transparent, Russia must reduce tensions, and we have also made it clear that any further aggression will have costs and consequences. NATO's policy towards Russia remains consistent: defense and dialogue, "said the alliance's spokesman.

 On Saturday, Der Spiegel announced that NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US General Todd Walters, had urged Allies to expand the Alliance's presence on the eastern flank, namely in Bulgaria and Romania, in response to an alleged gathering of Russian troops near the border. of Ukraine. According to Walters, the increase in the contingent would be a signal to Moscow that NATO does not intend to monitor the actions of the Russian Federation near the borders of Ukraine, without taking any measures. He claims that this is not a provocation, but necessary for "reinsurance".