Reflecting On The Experience Of Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, NATO Will Strengthen Its Military Posture, Stoltenberg: Stronger And Ready To Fight

Sekjen NATO Jens Stoltenberg. (Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is deemed necessary to build higher readiness and strengthen its armed capabilities along the eastern border, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the head of the military alliance said.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this following informal talks in the Netherlands with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, as well as the leaders of Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Romania, Portugal, and Belgium, ahead of a wider NATO summit in Madrid, Spain at the end of the month.

"In Madrid, we will agree on a major strengthening of our posture", he said.

"Tonight we discussed the need for a more robust and combat-ready forward presence and higher readiness and more equipment and supplies that have been placed in advance", Stoltenberg said.

Responding to a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to send more weapons, Stoltenberg said he agreed Kyiv should be supplied with heavier weaponry but gave no details.

"Ukraine should have more heavy weapons and NATO allies and partners have provided heavy weapons and they are increasing them too", Stoltenberg said.

"In terms of weapons, we are united here, that it is important for Russia to lose the war", Dutch leader Rutte told reporters in The Hague.

"And since we can't have a confrontation between NATO and Russian forces, what we need to do is make sure that Ukraine can fight that war, that it has access to all the weaponry it needs."

Asked about Sweden and Finland's application to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said he was seeking a "common path forward" to resolve opposition from Turkey, which is angered by what he sees as Sweden's support for Kurdish militants.

It is known, that following Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation, NATO has increased its presence in the Baltics.

Stoltenberg said NATO would provide further strengthening of the alliance when all 30 members meet June 29-30 in the Spanish capital.