Nato leaders have announced a new "strategic concept" in response to Russia's war against Ukraine which has "gravely altered our security environment", describing Moscow as "the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security and stability", The Guardian has reported.
The alliance pledged further help to Kyiv and agreed on a package of support aimed at modernising the country's defence sector. Nato also said it had decided to significantly strengthen its own deterrence and defence.
The statement reads: "Allies have committed to deploy additional robust in-place combat-ready forces on our eastern flank, to be scaled up from the existing battlegroups to brigade-size units, where and when required underpinned by credible available reinforcements, prepositioned equipment, and enhanced command and control.
NATO has also invited Sweden and Finland to become members of the military alliance, according to a communique published by the Nato summit in Madrid.