BRUSSELS: NATO member countries have “comfortably exceeded” a target of placing 300,000 troops on high-readiness as the alliance grapples with the threat from Russia, a senior alliance official said Thursday, AFP reported.
The decision to significantly enhance troop readiness was reached by NATO leaders in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As part of this initiative, member states have committed to urgently deploy forces within 30 days to effectively counter potential aggression.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the senior alliance official emphasized the readiness of member states to mobilize forces at the designated level of preparedness. “The offers on the table from allies comfortably exceed the 300,000 that we set,” the official said.
The concerted push to increase troop readiness forms part of a broader strategic overhaul of NATO’s defense posture, aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression. “Those are forces which allies have said to us, ‘They are available to you as of now at that level of readiness’.”
Last year’s summit witnessed the approval of comprehensive plans outlining each member’s responsibilities in the event of a Russian invasion.
NATO commanders are currently focused on ensuring that the alliance possesses the requisite capabilities to effectively execute these defense plans if the need arises. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in addressing key capability gaps in areas such as air defenses and longer-range missile systems.
The NATO official underscored the importance of addressing capability shortfalls to strengthen the alliance’s overall defense posture. “There are capability gaps. There are things that we don’t have enough of as an alliance at the moment and we need to tackle,” the official said.
