NATO’s plans to equip up to 300,000 combat-ready forces near the Russian border could undermine the alliance’s cohesion because of the high cost of implementing them, and the lack of funds and ammunition complicates the situation.
According to Politico, NATO defense ministers “will present this spring (at a meeting in Brussels on April 3-4) revised plans for the alliance’s territorial defense, which should define exactly how the alliance intends to protect its one billion civilian population, and what the number (troops) will be.” .) is significant, as some officials are talking about 300,000 NATO troops to make this model work. This means a huge amount of coordination and consultation.”
The newspaper pointed out that “thousands of troops will be ready to move to the aid of NATO countries as soon as possible,” and these plans should be finalized and approved by the alliance’s summit in Vilnius on July 11-12.
Politico continues, however, in order to train such a large number of soldiers, they must not only be equipped and armed, but also provided with appropriate training, which requires hundreds of thousands of different types of ammunition.
Currently, NATO countries are already suffering from a shortage of this equipment after sending most of their stocks to Ukraine, and at the same time, the EU and NATO countries intend to simultaneously increase the supply of missiles to Ukraine and replenish its stocks at the national level.
The newspaper quotes the words of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: “The current level of consumption of ammunition (in Ukraine) is unsustainable compared to the level of their production.”
Thus, the Allied countries are faced with the need for a sharp and significant new increase in military spending and military production, and at present it is not clear whether there are sufficient industrial capacities for this.
And the newspaper pointed out: “Once the (military) plans for the alliance are ready, NATO countries will have to take part and provide soldiers, aircraft, ships and tanks to fill all the pillars of this plan. NATO unity will be tested this summer. when the leaders of the 30 countries of the alliance meet in Vilnius.
Meanwhile, Politico emphasizes that in a situation where NATO countries are already worried about the level of their weapons stockpiles, and Ukraine is in dire need of ammunition and new weapons from the countries of the alliance, “there is a risk that not all members of the alliance will be able to fulfill their promises to contribute in NATO defense plans.
Source: TASS
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