The North Atlantic Alliance intends to increase the target number of troops that member States must provide to the alliance by about 50 percent. This decision is being made ahead of important discussions on measures to prepare for a possible conflict with Russia, according to Reuters and Bloomberg, citing sources in NATO.
Currently, the alliance's goal is about 80 combat-ready brigades, each with approximately 5,000 troops. The new plans provide for an increase in this number to 120-130 brigades, which corresponds to an increase in the number of combat-ready units from about 400,000 to 600-650 thousand people. Germany, as one of the key members of NATO, plans to provide an additional seven brigades, which amounts to about 40,000 troops.
Such a large-scale build-up of forces is due to the increased threat from Russia after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022. The new NATO goals are aimed at ensuring the alliance's ability to effectively deter and repel possible aggressive actions based on modern defense plans.
Despite the ambitious plans, the specific timing of the deployment of additional troops has not yet been determined, and the implementation of these goals may face a number of difficulties, including personnel problems in the armies of individual countries. For example, Germany is having difficulty recruiting and retaining military personnel, which calls into question the achievability of the planned increase in numbers.
The discussion of new troop strength targets will be one of the key topics at upcoming meetings of NATO defense ministers and at the alliance's summit in June 2025. The increase in the number of troops is seen as a necessary step to maintain security and stability in Europe amid growing geopolitical tensions.
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