“Extensive dialogue between NATO and Russia no longer possible” says Secretary General

NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke on NATO’s future defence plans for the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia on Monday, June 27.

NATO’s Secretary General spoke on the difficulties in the current dialogue with Russia and its ongoing war with Ukraine, at NATO’s pre-conference meeting for the Madrid Summit of 2022.

Speaking on the Summit, Stoltenberg stated:

“Our NATO Summit in Madrid this week will be transformative with many important decisions including on a new Strategic Concept for a new security reality, a fundamental shift in NATO’s deterrence and defence and support to Ukraine now, and for the future.”

Speaking on the future defence plans NATO’s Secretary General stated:

“At the Summit, we will strengthen our forward defences. We will enhance our battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance up to brigade-levels.”

“We will transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to well over 300,000 we will also boost our ability to reinforce in crisis and conflict.”

Stoltenberg said that NATO’s Response force would include:

• More pre-positioned equipment, and stockpiles of military supplies.
• More forward-deployed capabilities, like air defence.
• Strengthened command and control.
• Upgraded defence plans, with forces pre-assigned to defend specific Allies.
• Troops to exercise together with home defence forces.
• Troops will be expected to become familiar with local terrain, facilities, and new pre-positioned stocks so that they can respond smoothly and swiftly to any emergency.

According to Stoltenberg the plans constitute the “biggest overhaul of collective deterrence and defence since the Cold War.”

The defence plans will require further investment from European Allies and Canada, with current estimates of defence spending showing figures “well over” $350 billion since 2014.

The news follows reports of 12 German self-propelled Pzh 2000 howitzers now in use in the Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.

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