NATO Secretary General: "Expanding High Readiness Forces to Over 300,000 Troops"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), announced on the 27th (local time) that the number of troops with a high level of readiness will be increased to more than 300,000.

Secretary General Stoltenberg made this statement at a press conference held in Brussels, Belgium, ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for the 29th-30th in Madrid, Spain, saying, "At this summit, we will strengthen our forward defense."

He said, "We will reinforce battle groups in the eastern region of the alliance to brigade level or higher," adding, "We will transform the NATO Response Force. And we will increase our troops with a high level of readiness to exceed 300,000."

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, NATO has been strengthening its defense by deploying additional troops to Eastern Europe.

NATO has deployed more than 40,000 troops under its direct command, stating that they are mainly located in NATO's eastern region.