According to him, NATO will increase the number of its troops on the eastern borders from the current 40,000 to 300,000.

Some military groups in Europe can be expanded to the level of brigades - combat units of several thousand people.

Such a decision is connected with a direct threat to European security from Russia.

"I am confident," Stoltenberg said, "that Moscow and President Putin know that we have collective security guarantees and understand the consequences of an attack on a NATO member country."

The whole alliance will take retaliatory action.

To emphasize the seriousness of our message, we are increasing our military presence. "

The new strategic concept will be discussed at the NATO summit, which will open tomorrow in Madrid.

If such measures are taken, it will be the largest deployment of NATO's military presence in Europe since the Cold War.

  • NATO's rapid reaction force includes ground, air and naval forces.

    After Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, their number in Europe increased from 13,000 to 40,000 troops, including soldiers and local troops.

    After the start of a full-scale military invasion of Russia into Ukraine, many of the units were put on alert for the first time.

    NATO battle groups are now present on the eastern borders of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

    It is also planned to place them in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

  • According to Air Force military columnist Jonathan Bill, many rapid reaction teams can be put on alert for 15 minutes.

    Expanding their diversity will involve different response rates - from minutes to days.