Nato is ramping up its military response after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, saying it had activated defence plans and would boost the alliance’s “deterrence and defence” by beefing up land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank and putting more than 100 warplanes on high alert.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, confirming the worst fears of the West with the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two.
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had also activated defence plans to give military commanders the ability to move forces, including those at high readiness.
"Peace on our continent has been shattered," he told a news conference. "Russia is using force to try to rewrite history, and deny Ukraine its free and independent path."
"We must respond with renewed resolve and even stronger unity," Mr Stoltenberg said after chairing an emergency meeting of Nato ambassadors. "What we do is defensive."
The new measures planned by the alliance "will enable us to deploy capabilities and forces, including the Nato Response Force," he said.
Nato’s Response Force (NRF) can number up to 40,000 troops. A quickly deployable land brigade that is part of the NRF — made up of around 5,000 troops and run by France alongside Germany, Poland, Portugal and Spain — is already on heightened alert.
The alliance will hold an emergency summit of its 30 member nations on Friday.
Nato said earlier in a statement that it had decided "to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defence across the alliance. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory."
The alliance said it is planning to create battle group structures like it already has in Baltic states for the countries on its eastern flank, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok said on Thursday, adding the move would include Slovakia.
“We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the alliance, as well as additional maritime assets,” Nato ambassadors said earlier on Thursday in a statement after emergency talks.
“We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies,” their statement said.
While some of Nato’s 30 member countries are supplying arms, ammunition and other equipment to Ukraine, Nato as an organization is not.
It will not launch any military action in support of Ukraine, which is a close partner but has no prospect of joining.
Countries closest to the conflict — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — are among those to have triggered rare consultations under Article 4 of Nato’s founding treaty, which can be launched when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the (Nato) parties is threatened.”
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said in a joint statement on Thursday: “We would need to urgently provide Ukrainian people with weapons, ammunition and any other kind of military support to defend itself as well as economic, financial and political assistance and support, humanitarian aid.”
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted: “The most effective response to Russia’s aggression is unity”.
“Russia’s widespread aggression is a threat to the entire world and to all Nato countries,” she said, calling for measures to ensure the defence of Nato allies.
Nato began beefing up its defences in north-eastern Europe after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
It has around 5,000 troops and equipment stationed there, but those forces have been beefed up with troops and equipment from several countries in recent months.
Some Nato members have also sent troops, aircraft and warships to the Black Sea region, near allies Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The Pentagon has also put up to 8,500 US troops on heightened alert, so they will be prepared to deploy if needed to reassure other allies.
