Russia Ukraine Conflict: NATO Deploys Forces Near Russian Border; US Keeps 8,500 Troops On High Alert

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a western coalition, announced on Monday that they are deploying a large number of fighter jets and warships along the borders of Eastern Europe. Along with this, it is also keeping additional forces on standby along the borders with Russia.

This decision from NATO comes at a time when Russia is continuously deploying troops along the Ukraine border, which increases the threat of Russian invasion. Recent reports have revealed that Russia has so far sent at least one lakh soldiers to the Ukrainian border.

What Did NATO Say?

NATO has issued a statement saying that it has put allied forces on alert. Fighter planes and warships are being sent given the increasing tension in Eastern Europe. "NATO has warned that its siege will be further strengthened if Russia continues to escalate military tensions along the Ukrainian border", said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO has said in its latest statement that it is making complete preparations for its defence in the region of the Baltic Sea. For this, troops have been deployed on the borders. For help, F-16 fighter jets have been sent from Denmark to the Baltic country (country bordering Russia) Lithuania. Apart from this, Spain is also sending fighter jets to Bulgaria under the NATO treaty, and France is also sending its army to Bulgaria.

Great meeting with @POTUS on European security with #NATO leaders @EmmanuelMacron, @OlafScholz, Mario Draghi, @AndrzejDuda, @BorisJohnson & our #EU partners @eucopresident & @vonderleyen. We agree that any further aggression by #Russia against #Ukraine will have severe costs. pic.twitter.com/r7wx0Xln4X

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 24, 2022

Pentagon Is All Set To Help Their Ally

According to the reports, the Pentagon said they are putting 8,500 US troops on "high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe given the ongoing Russian troops mass along the Ukrainian border."

Defence Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon, "It's very clear that the Russians have no intention right now of de-escalating," so it makes "prudent sense" to give US military personnel time to prepare if NATO activates its Response Force along the alliance's eastern flank.

What Is NATO?

NATO is a defensive military alliance of 30 countries in Europe and North America. NATO increased its presence in Eastern Europe in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Under this treaty, an attack on one ally would be considered an attack on the entire coalition and this organization would be free to act on enemies. Before 2014 there were no NATO forces in Eastern Europe, and it is believed to be the reason why NATO did not help Ukraine in 2014.

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