"NATO Developing Troop Deployment Plans to Prepare for Military Clash with Russia"

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is reportedly developing troop deployment plans in preparation for potential military clashes with Russia, according to major foreign media citing NATO officials on the 16th (local time).

According to the reports, the NATO Joint Logistics Support Command is formulating plans on how to deploy NATO forces across Europe and how to sustain and strengthen NATO troops in the event of a conflict with Russia.

The plan is based on 'Steadfast Defender,' the largest NATO joint military exercise since the Cold War, the media reported. This exercise, which began on the 24th of last month, will continue until May this year, involving approximately 90,000 troops. It will also deploy 50 naval vessels including aircraft carriers, over 80 fighter jets, and more than 1,100 tanks.

With the Russia-Ukraine war approaching its second year, concerns are growing within and outside NATO about the possibility of Russia expanding the war. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently stated in an interview with a German media outlet, "If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russia's aggression will not spread to other countries," adding, "NATO does not seek war with Russia, but we must prepare for a conflict that could last for decades."

Earlier, in December last year, Nordic countries including Sweden, Finland, and Denmark signed defense agreements with the United States. The U.S. political media outlet Politico described this as "a signal of the changes over the past two years as NATO member countries prepare for a new era of confrontation with Russia."